Storage

Western Digital expanded its WD Blue NVMe family of budget SSDs this week with the introduction of the the WD Blue SN5000 series, an updated lineup of SSDs that, among other things, adds a 4 TB model. Being budget drives, the SN5000 series is not going to be a performance monster, but their combination of capacity, reliability, and relatively low price could make them popular both among casual buyers and among enthusiasts looking for relatively cheap bulk solid-state storage. Western Digital's WD Blue SN500 NVMe drives come in an M.2-2280 form-factor and are based around an in-house WD controller (the company rarely discloses their codenames these days). WD's controller is a 4 channel, DRAMless design, which is what we typically see for budget and mainstream...

64GB SSD on the Desktop: Samsung and OCZ go mainstream

We provide a desktop oriented review of the new mainstream 64GB Solid State Drive from Samsung and its fraternal twin from OCZ Technology.

41 by Gary Key on 5/15/2008

Western Digital VelociRaptor- No longer just a Raptor

We provide a quick update on the WD VR150 series after receiving a new drive from Western Digital that proves this dinosaur is serious about ruling the storage world.

31 by Gary Key on 5/2/2008

Western Digital VelociRaptor: A Drive with a Bite

We provide a preview of the new VelociRaptor and a drive hampered by early firmware that still manages to set new performance standards.

31 by Gary Key on 4/22/2008

Western Digital 640GB - Twice the Platters, Twice the Fun

We take a first look at the new WD6400AAKS and find Western Digital has turned performance up a notch in the mid-range market.

42 by Gary Key on 3/21/2008

Western Digital serves up 320GB on a Platter

We take a first look at Western Digital's latest drive that will have you scrambling for part number WD3200AAKS-00B3A0.

29 by Gary Key on 2/22/2008

A Lesson in User Failure: Investigating the Serial ATA Connector

We learn about failure prevention when we break a SATA wafer connector

64 by Ryan Smith on 1/18/2008

Thermaltake Muse R-Duo: External RAID

Thermaltake sent us their Muse R-Duo for testing, and external enclosure supporting RAID 0/1, USB, and eSATA. We put the device through the performance wringer to see what it...

12 by Dave Robinet on 12/14/2007

MTRON MSP 7000 SSD - Raptors Beware

We take a quick first look at the new MTRON 7000 series and come away impressed, again.

48 by Gary Key on 12/3/2007

Seagate and Western Digital 1TB Drives: Improved and Green

Hitachi beat everyone to the 1TB drive level, but can these more recent offerings offer a compelling alternative? We'll find out, as Western Digital and Seagate target your green.

32 by Dave Robinet on 11/26/2007

Ultra ULT40010: Keeping it Cool

We put Ultra's new HD cooler through the ringer and it barely breaks a sweat.

32 by Dave Robinet on 11/2/2007

Transcend TS16GSSD34E: SSD ExpressCard for those on the Go...

We take a look at one of the first ExpressCards featuring SSD technology and will not be giving up our USB thumb drives, just yet.

11 by Dave Robinet on 10/25/2007

Transcend 16GB SSD

We put one of Transcend's latest SSD drives through the wringer and look at the benefits and drawbacks of this technology.

18 by Dave Robinet on 10/23/2007

ICY DOCK MB664US-1S: eSATA with a twist

ICY DOCK's 12 year quest to build market share continues. Do they have a hit with the MB664?

20 by Dave Robinet on 10/9/2007

RAID Primer: What's in a number?

In preparation for some upcoming RAID product reviews, we wanted to provide a brief introduction to the concept of RAID storage setups, what the various levels mean, and the...

41 by Dave Robinet on 9/7/2007

MTRON 32GB SSD: Better in a Notebook?

Our early look with a notebook platform and the MTRON 32GB SSD reveals this drive is faster than a speeding bullet. Well almost.

25 by Gary Key on 8/17/2007

MTRON SSD 32GB: Wile E. Coyote or Road Runner?

Our preview reveals one very fast SSD drive from MTRON, but how fast depends on whether you are using an Intel or NVIDIA chipset.

37 by Gary Key on 8/15/2007

Western Digital SE16 750GB: "Quiet" a Performer

With the prices of 750GB drives falling like a rock, they are finally becoming a realistic option for many buyers. How does Western Digital's offering stack up to the competition?

38 by Dave Robinet on 8/9/2007

Galaxy Metal Gear Box 3500SASP - SATA/USB 2.0 Enclosure on a Budget

We take a look at one of the more inexpensive SATA/USB 2.0 enclosures on the market that provides SATA functionality and USB portability.

8 by Gary Key on 7/15/2007

ICY DOCK MB559US-1SMB: eSATA Enclosure with Pizzazz

We take a look at ICY DOCK's newest external eSATA/USB 2.0 enclosure and wonder how to keep it clean in a lab full of dirty hands.

14 by Gary Key and Dave Robinet on 7/11/2007

Samsung SpinPoint T166 500GB: Cool, Quiet, and Quick

Our first look at Samsung's latest SpinPoint T166 drive reveals a quick and affordable drive... oh yeah, did we mention it was quiet?

44 by Gary Key on 7/9/2007

Log in

Don't have an account? Sign up now