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Mach Xtreme has announced the release of their mainstream oriented MX-Jet Ultra series of drives.
Built around a SATA 2 interface, the new drives will deliver read/write speeds of up to 270MB/s and 180MB/s respectively.
The SSDs will also deliver random performance of up to 15,000 4k IOPS. The drives will be offered in capacities of 64GB, 128GB and 256GB. They will come with a one year warranty and should be available very soon.
An interesting aspect about this release is the fact that this is yet another SATA 2 SSD that’s hitting the market. I understand that there are many users that still only have SATA 2 motherboards, but I can’t help but wonder if many of them wouldn’t be better served by a SATA 3 SSD, if only for future proofing down the line. On the other hand, if priced right, the MX-Jet Ultra could very well end up being an excellent buy. Also, one must consider the fact that, for things like everyday use and gaming, the vast majority of users probably won’t notice any difference in responsiveness whatsoever, and those who do are likely quite prone to the placebo effect.
The reality is, unless an end user is taken to transferring huge files on a regular basis, potential buyers will likely be hard pressed to notice any difference between this and the latest Sandforce based SSD delivering in excess of 60,000 IOPS. While extremely high IOPS numbers certainly sound sexy, the lions share of client centered usage scenarios will very rarely require more than 15 – 20,000 IOPS when it comes to 4k random performance. Even many server situations won’t call for more than 40,000 IO’s per second. The main point is, even though the MX-Jet Ultra presents decidedly mainstream specifications, for the bulk of prospective buyers, real world performance will be incontestably upper echelon, and if priced appropriately, this product could very well end up being an undeniable success.
Another point I want to touch on revolves around the SSD processor being used. Based on the specs and Mach Xtreme’s past implementations, it would seem that the controller involved is of the JMicron variety. Specifically, it appears that JMF 616 is the flavor Mach Xtreme saw fit for use in their new SSD, which makes sense considering that this is what was used on their previous MX-Jet Pro. Indeed, the main new features the Ultra brings to the table are an enhanced hardware BCH ECC Engine, Static Data Refresh technology and data shaping, all of which should give this latest iteration a significant reliability advantage when compared to its predecessor.
With any luck, Mach Xtreme will ensure that aggressive pricing of the MX-Jet Ultra is one of their main priorities, making it nearly impossible for budget minded consumers to resist. If they can pull off this launch in an effective manner, Mach Xtreme may succeed in propelling this jet into the stratosphere without having to ‘ram’ the drive down buyers’ throats. Truly, it seems far more likely that sales will ‘take off’, sidestepping the ‘treadmill’ of product returns and RMAs representative of less reliable products. All things considered, the MX-Jet Ultra looks to have the makings of a ‘fighter’ in a market full hostile entities who refuse to come up for ‘air’ while vying for ‘superiority’. With a reasonable price and reliable operation, this is one dogfight in which the new drive can definitely hold its own.
For those of you on a budget, I would definitely consider the MX-Jet Ultra to be a front runner for your ‘funding’!
See Press Release On Next Page……