Today, CDRLabs brings you a review of Synology's new 6-bay NAS, the DiskStation DS620slim. Designed for home and small business use, this ultra-compact NAS is powered by an Intel Celeron J3355 dual-core 2.0 GHz processor and is equipped with 2GB of DDR3L memory, dual USB 3.0 ports and a pair of gigabit Ethernet ports. The DS620slim also runs the latest version of Synology's award-winning DiskStation Manager (DSM) operating system which offers a wide range of applications for cross-platform file sharing, data backups, cloud synchronization and multimedia streaming.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced Strix Arion, an external solid-state drive (SSD) enclosure that lets gamers create their own high-speed mobile storage solution. Compatible with M.2 NVM Express® (NVMe) SSDs with 2230, 2242, 2260 and 2280 form factors and featuring USB-C™ 3.2 Gen 2 connectivity, ROG Strix Arion enables transfer speeds of up to 10 Gbps for ultrafast performance when working with media and other large files. To ensure sustained performance with no throttling, the enclosure is made from aluminum alloy and features integrated thermal pads for effective heat dissipation.

ROG Strix Arion features an innovative design that lets gamers quickly and easily install an SSD without a screwdriver. Sporting futuristic looks with ASUS Aura Sync lighting effects, the enclosure blends perfectly with any gaming setup. ROG Strix Arion comes with a protective holder with a detachable hook for hanging as well as both USB-C and USB-C to USB-A cables to ensure out-of-the-box connectivity with a wide range of PCs and devices.

Ultrafast performance and effective heat dissipation
ROG Strix Arion features USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 connectivity to ensure ultrafast performance with high-speed M.2 PCIe NVM Express SSDs. With data rates of up to 10 Gbps, USB 3.2 Gen 2 enables transfer of large 4K videos, game files and more in just seconds. Built from aluminum alloy with integrated thermal pads, ROG Strix Arion quickly dissipates heat, reducing its operating temperature for faster sustained transfer speeds and an extended SSD lifespan.

Lexar, a leading global brand of flash memory solutions, today announced the Lexar Professional CFexpress Type B memory card.

Designed to meet the most demanding needs of today’s videographers and photographers, the Lexar Professional CFexpress card supplies powerful performance to capture high-quality images and seamless RAW 4K video. As it leverages the capabilities of next generation high-definition cinema and DSLR cameras, this rugged card supports both PCI Express Gen 3 and NVMe protocol while providing high-speed performance, durability, and reliability, with a read transfer speed of up to 1750MB/s.

“We are proud to announce the Lexar Professional CFexpress Type B Card, the world’s fastest CFexpress card on the market today,“ said Joel Boquiren, Senior Director of Global Marketing. “This announcement is representative of our mission to continue creating solutions capable of next generation performance for professional videographers and photographers, so they can continue capture high quality images and seamless RAW 4K video.”

CDRLabs kicks off the week with a review of SecureData's SecureDrive BT encrypted SSD. This portable drive features a compact FIPS compliant design, super-fast USB 3.0 interface and military grade full disk 256-bit AES hardware encryption. What really makes the SecureDrive BT unique, though, is that it offers secure wireless user authentication via the DataLock app on your mobile device. The device is also remote management ready with geo- and time-fencing, remote wipe by admin, and unique unlock features including two-factor authentication, password recovery and more.

ADATA Technology, a leading manufacturer of high-performance DRAM modules, NAND Flash products, and mobile accessories today announces the launch of the ADATA SC680 external solid state drive (SSD). The SSDs features a stylish and compact form factor for easy portability and implements the USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface for excellent read and write performance.

Lightweight and Fast
Lightweight (35g), and only 10mm thick, the SC680 is very portable, slipping into pockets and bags with ease. Utilizing the USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface it’s also fast too, sporting read/write speeds of up to 530/460MB/s, making it over 6.6 times faster than external hard drives. This performance not only benefits users when transferring stored data, but also when loading game titles. What is more, it is shockproof, operates quietly, and consumes less power than many other external SSDs.

ADATA Technology, a leading manufacturer of high-performance DRAM modules, NAND Flash products, and mobile accessories today announces the launch of the XPG SX8100 PCIe Gen3x4 M.2 2280 Solid State Drive (SSD). Utilizing PCIe Gen3x4, 3D NAND Flash, and featuring 3500/3000MB/s read and write, the SX8100 M.2 2280 SSD gives DIY enthusiasts, overclockers and graphics professionals the performance they seek.

Supporting PCIe Gen3x4 and the NVMe 1.3 standard the SX8100 delivers read and write speeds of up to 3500/3000MB per second and random read and write of 300K/240K IOPS. Along with 3D NAND Flash, it offers high capacities, efficiency, and durability, while the M.2 2280 form factor supports the latest Intel and AMD platforms. With SLC caching and a DRAM cache buffer the SX8100 accelerates PC performance for quick access to files and game loading.

QNAP Systems, Inc., a leading computing, networking and storage solution innovator, today officially released QTS 4.4.1. In addition to integrating Linux Kernel 4.14 LTS to support next-generation hardware platforms, QNAP is advancing NAS usability by incorporating highly-anticipated services, including a cloud storage gateway that makes hybrid cloud storage and applications easier, source-based deduplication to optimize backup and recovery efficiency, a Fibre Channel SAN solution, and much more.

“We gathered valuable user feedback from QTS 4.4.1 beta testing that helped us complete the official release,” said Ken Cheah, Product Manager at QNAP, adding “Our focus in this recent QTS update was integrating cloud storage services to help organizations seamlessly leverage the cloud for storage, while securing on-premises data and applications for more usage scenarios.”