Booting up PCs will be faster with Intel’s new 40GB solid-state drive (SSD), the company said Monday. Intel has begun shipping the Intel X25-V Value SATA SSD.
Used in dual-drive notebook configurations or added to a desktop with an existing hard drive, the X25-V can contain the operating system and the user’s favorite applications to make startup faster.
Considered a game-changing technology to replace hard drives, SSDs have been replacing traditional magnetic hard drives after they proved to be faster, more reliable, and more energy efficient.
Intel said the performance of its new SSD is nearly four times faster than a 7200 RPM hard drive.
“For partners and customers, this means that they experience the performance benefits of solid-state drives at an affordable entry-level price,” said Debra Paquin, an Intel spokesperson. “Using an Intel X25-V Value SSD as a boot drive in a desktop means they will experience 43 percent faster system responsiveness, with faster startups or boots, quicker opening of applications, wake up from standby, and shutdowns.”
Newer SSDs are being marketed to a specific segment of notebook users who want to increase speed without hurting their wallets. Intel’s X25-V is priced at $125 and will be marketed for both notebooks and dual-drive desktops.
Gamers will see the biggest increase in performance, with an 86 percent jump in the gaming experience.
Along with faster speeds, the SATA SSD also includes Native Command Queuing technology, which enables users to have up to 32 concurrent operations. It also has 34nm NAND flash memory, which is one of the reasons for the change in density and price.
When SSDs first hit the market in 2008, they were in 32GB and 64GB versions. In 2009, the price dropped and the market saw 128GB and 56GB models.
“Now, however, people are holding off and waiting for prices to…