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Plextor is today releasing their M3 Pro Series SSD. Compared to their current M3S series, the Pro will feature 24nm Toggle NAND, updated firmware and improved sequential read/write speeds, boosting respective performance from 525MBs/445MBs to 540MBs/450MBs.
Random read/write performance has also improved, with the drive increasing bandwidth from 70,000/65,000 IOPS to 75,000/69,000 IOPS at 4k file size. The new drive will be available in capacities of 128 GB, 256 GB, and 512 GB.
The product is also being released in a 7mm variant.
The drive will be based on a Marvell 9174 controller and, according to Plextor, feature an exclusive firmware with something they call True Speed Technology, which includes proprietary bad block management, global wear leveling, and instant restore technologies.
These are actually relatively common features in SSDs, though based on Plextor’s previous drives, we can expect these features to be well implemented as they have been very effective in the past. This will be Plextor’s fifth drive built around a Marvell SSD controller. Their first SSD was built around Marvell’s first generation “Davinci” SSD controller, though performance was somewhat lower than the competition.
Their second generation efforts have been far more successful, and from what we’ve been seeing with the latest firmware updates, Marvell’s 9174 really does have a lot of potential. If they play their cards right, Plextor should be able to capitalize on using an alternative controller and carve out a nice niche in the market for themselves.
Another point of interest is the fact that Plextor is releasing a 7mm variant of this drive, no doubt attempting to capitalize on the latest Ultrabook trend. This comes as no surprise as Ultrabooks have pretty much taken center stage at CES this year, with the industry betting this new market segment will be a hit with consumers.
With the illustrious Plextor name to back it up, the M3 Pro SSD has all the makings of a outstanding product. Add to that the fact that a 7mm variant is being released, and it can be seen how plextor may end up having a runaway success on their hands. With the product’s 5 year warranty and the 0.59% average annual failure rate of Plextor SSDs, for many, Plextor’s new drive may be just what the doctor ordered.
See Press release on Next Page…..