SMART Optimus Ultra SAS SSD Capable of 1GB/s Transfer and 100,000 IOPS Performance

SMART Storage Systems, well known for their high performance memory and storage products, has announced the release of their Optimus Ultra SSD. Utilizing a SAS interface, the Optimus will offer a sustained transfer rate of 1GB/s and random read/write performance of 100k and 60k IOPS, respectively.

The Optimus  will be available in capacities ranging from 150GB to 1.2TB, which makes it one of the highest capacity solid state drives available today. Available in Q2, pricing is not yet available.

Aside from releasing what looks to be a very capable SSD, SMART Storage has some additional tricks up their sleeve when it comes to their new baby. Among these extra inclusions is FlashGuard, which serves to extend the durability of MLC flash to 100,000 write erase cycles, putting it ahead of eMLC and on par with SLC. SMART would not go into detail regarding the precise operation of FlashGuard, only stating that it utilized “Aggregated Flash Management” as well as “Advanced Signal Processing” in order to facilitate the flash’s extra fortitude.

Something that can be gleaned from this, however, is the likelihood that the drives reliability will be directly tied to capacity, as SMART is no doubt using an algorithm which profuses writes across the disparate flash die in order to maximize even wear across the drive.

SMART also mentions their DataGuard and EverGuard technologies, which further serve to enhance the reliability of the SSD, making it suitable for an enterprise environment. It must be noted that SMART is implementing all these features on a custom SSD controller which they’ve designed in-house. Certainly, it’s nice to see companies utilize novel controller solutions, as this serves to not only foster competition, but also makes it easier for companies who go this route to differentiate their product in a market flooded with similar designs. This will also benefit consumers and businesses, who will no doubt welcome an entirely first party solution with open arms, as it provides them an alternative to mull over, not to mention potentially offering higher reliability.

Interestingly, it seems that SMART Storage is aiming this new product at gamers and power users in addition to consumers with industrial needs, so those of you with SAS adapters who can deal with the expectedly high price of entry may want to give the Optimus Ultra serious consideration. Who knows, the ‘Optimus’ may end up being your ‘Prime’ candidate when it comes to ‘Transforming’ or otherwise ‘Ratchet’ing your PC’s performance to the next level. In that respect, the Optimus Ultra really may be more than it appears………

See Press Release On Next page…….