Today, CDRLabs brings you a review of Samsung's new 850 EVO M.2 SSD. Designed for Ultrabooks, ultra-thin computing devices and motherboards with built-in M.2 (NGFF) slots, this new addition to the 850 EVO family isn't much larger than a stick of chewing gum. The 850 EVO M.2 is powered by the same MGX controller found in the 850 EVO and is available with up to 500GB of Samsung's 3-bit 3D V-NAND flash memory. The drive also shares many of the same features as its full size counterpart. Along with Turbo Write, it supports Device Sleep (DEVSLP) for lower power consumption and self-encrypting drive (SED) technology that is TCG Opal 2.0 and IEEE-1667 compliant. Moreover, the 850 EVO M.2 supports Samsung's RAPID (Real-time Accelerated Processing of I/O Data) technology. By using free PC memory as a cache, RAPID can push the performance of the SSD beyond the limits of the current SATA specification.

Micron Technology, Inc., and Intel Corporation today revealed the availability of their 3D NAND technology, the world's highest-density flash memory. Flash is the storage technology used inside the lightest laptops, fastest data centers, and nearly every cellphone, tablet and mobile device.

This new 3D NAND technology, which was jointly developed by Intel and Micron, stacks layers of data storage cells vertically with extraordinary precision to create storage devices with three times higher capacity1 than competing NAND technologies. This enables more storage in a smaller space, bringing significant cost savings, low power usage and high performance to a range of mobile consumer devices as well as the most demanding enterprise deployments.

Planar NAND flash memory is nearing its practical scaling limits, posing significant challenges for the memory industry. 3D NAND technology is poised to make a dramatic impact by keeping flash storage solutions aligned with Moore's Law, the trajectory for continued performance gains and cost savings, driving more widespread use of flash storage.

OCZ Storage Solutions -- a Toshiba Group Company and leading provider of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs) for computing devices and systems, today announced a new series of SATA III SSDs to add to its Intrepid 3000 enterprise portfolio. The new Intrepid 3700 SSD Series delivers superior performance and I/O latency responses that dramatically improve application performance and I/O efficiencies, and supports higher storage densities up to 2TB representing OCZ’s largest capacity enterprise SATA SSDs to date.

“Datacenter customers have asked for larger solid state drives that do not make any sacrifices in performance or endurance to address the need to manage the ever growing amounts of data being generated by today’s computing environments,” said Daryl Lang, CTO at OCZ Storage Solutions. “Our new Intrepid 3700 Series is designed to meet these market requirements for an easy to deploy solid state solution that delivers the very best balance of features, endurance, and capacity.”

Thecus today announced its new zero-crash 5-bay NAS, the N5810PRO. Embedded with an Intel Celeron processor J1900 Quad Core 2.0 GHz SoC and Mini-UPS battery, the Thecus N5810PRO empowers users with lightning fast performance while providing impenetrable data integrity.

“In today’s ever-evolving digital environment, businesses require robust storage solutions that provide premium performance with piece of mind that their data will always be secure,” said Florence Shih, CEO of Thecus Technology. “The N5810PRO is designed to equip users with a comprehensive set of applications that will optimize their business environment while addressing the needs for performance and security.”

Powered by the Intel Celeron processor, 4 GB DDR3 RAM (expandable to 8GB), and equipped with 5 Gigabit LAN ports, the N5810PRO reaches blazing throughput speeds of up to 500 MB/s. The N5810PRO supports seven modes of link aggregation including fault tolerance for resilience and port-trunking modes for increased performance. Built to grow with your business, total storage can be expanded to 40TB, while support for VMware®, Citrix®, and Microsoft Hyper-V® allow for seamless integration into a businesses’ virtualization environment.

HyperX, a division of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced the HyperX Predator PCIe SSD. Shipping immediately, HyperX Predator PCIe SSD is the highest-end SSD with the fastest speeds in the HyperX lineup.

HyperX Predator PCIe SSD offers large capacities (240GB, 480GB) and incredible speeds to take systems to the edge. Faster than SATA-based SSDs, the PCIe generation 2.0 x4 interface delivers speeds up to 1400MB/s read and 1000MB/s write for ultra-responsive multitasking and an overall faster system. It is powered by the Marvell 88SS9293 controller.

The M.2 form factor ensures next-generation platform support with an M.2 PCIe slot. An optional half-height, half-length (HHHL) adapter is also available for many existing motherboards without an M.2 socket. The HHHL adapter comes with both standard and low-profile brackets to fit in slim profile desktop builds.

OCZ Storage Solutions, a Toshiba Group Company and the most awarded solid state drive (SSD) brand of all time, today announced the release of the next generation Vector 180 SSD series along with the all-new SSD Guru storage management solution. Worthy of flagship status, the new Vector 180 features enhanced reliability, technology, storage capacity, and superior customer support all while providing the Vector’s original game-changing performance and endurance it’s known for. The feature-rich SSD Guru software tool not only enables users to do routine monitoring and maintenance, but truly helps them unlock their SSD’s full potential.

Designed to power today’s high-end consumer systems, the Vector 180 series is optimized for hardcore gaming and data-intensive applications thanks to its powerful OCZ Barefoot 3 controller and in-house Toshiba A19nm MLC NAND flash technology. New to this particular Vector release is an advanced reliability protection feature called Power Failure Management Plus (PFM+). In the event of unexpected system power loss or instability, the PFM+ feature helps safeguard the SSD and its at-rest data.

CDRLabs has put together a brief review of Silicon Power's Armor A30 USB 3.0 portable hard drive. Available in 500GB, 1TB and 2TB capacities, this shockproof USB 3.0 hard drive meets the U.S. military's drop-test standards. Along with a scratch-resistant, hexagonal patterned surface, the Armor A30 is equipped with an internal suspension system comprised of a shock-resistant silica gel. This gel also extends outside the drive's case, adding an extra layer of protection and serving as a place to store the cable when not in use. To top it all off, the Armor A30 works with Silicon Power's SP Widget backup and security software and is covered by a 3-year warranty.