SanDisk has today announced a new super-fast consumer SSD drive carrying the name Extreme SSD. The drive comes in both 120GB and 240GB capacities. The name Extreme is earned through the sequential read and write speeds of 550MB/s and 520MB/s respectively over a SATA III 6Gb/s connection.
According to SanDisk, the Extreme SSD is 10x faster than an equivalent 7200rpm 2.5″ HDD. A typical computer, meaning a Windows machine we have to assume, boots in an average of 16 seconds apparently, and shuts down just as quick.
Adding one to your laptop is sure to have a noticeable effect on performance, especially if you currently use a 5400rpm HDD. SanDisk also say it will be more reliable and durable than a HDD, uses 30% less power, runs cooler, and because it has no moving parts there won’t be any noise either.
As for price, the 120GB model will cost $189.99 and the 240GB is $399.99. There’s also a 480GB model planned to arrive later this year, but it will carry an extortionate price of $749.99.
One of the main concerns about opting for an SSD is how long they will last. Even though the failure rate should be much lower than a HDD due to no moving parts, the reliability of SSDs from different manufacturers varies greatly. SanDisk backs up the Extreme SSD with a 3 year warranty and claims between 1.4 and 2.5 million hours of use before failure depending on the model chosen. That should put your mind at rest somewhat–but always backup your data regularly regardless of what storage you use.
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