Intel will launch its third generation SSD family in Q1 2011. That Intel X25-M G3 would use 25nm NAND flash circuits was revealed a long time ago, but now we have the final performance specifications.
At Anandtech.com they have published what is said to be the complete specifications for both Intel X25-M G3 and Intel’s updated business series Intel X25-E. As expected the new 25nm technology will open doors for a lot higher storage capacities. The flagship of X25-M G3 weighs in at 600GB and with a new SSD controller and integrated cache the performance numbers will go up compared to the current G2 series.
| Intel X25-M G2 (34nm) | Intel X25-M G3 (25nm) | |
| Code name | Postville | Postville Refresh |
| Storage capacity | 80/160GB | 80/160/300/600GB |
| NAND | IMFT 34nm MLC | IMFT 25nm MLC |
| Sequential performance Read/Write | Up to 250/100 MB/s | Up to 250/170 MB/s |
| Random 4KB read/write | Up to 35K/8.6K IOPS | Up to 50K/40K IOPS |
| Max power consump, Load/Idle | 3.0/0.06W | 6.0/0.075W |
| Total 4KB writes (Lifespan) | 7.5TB – 15TB | 30TB – 60TB |
| Power Safe Write Cache | No | Yes |
| Formfactors | 1.8″ & 2.5″ | 1.8″ & 2.5″ (1,8″ upp till 300GB) |
| Security | ATA Password | ATA Password + AES-128 |
| Source: Anandtech |
By the looks of it Intel will skip the SATA 6.0 Gbps support with the third generation SSDs, even there is still time to change this before launch. The performance isn’t exactly revolutionary when competing models from Crucial and SandForce will arrive around the same time. Intel has nearly doubled the write speed, but sadly this says more about the G2 generation than G3. The improved lifespan and storage capacity impress though.
We know how strong Intel has been going despite its relatively bleak numbers with X25-M G2 and a lot can still happen before launch. Sources to NordicHardware says that the delay of the G3 series is because Intel wants to spend more time optimizing performance.
