New SSD Roadmaps? Intel/...

[smangular]

Good to see the new Samsung 840 SSDs. Where is Intel since I though their next generation SSD would be back to using their own controller? Any other big SSD launches in the next 6 months?

 

[hhhd1]

Its hard to tell without any insider information.

I was expecting Crucial to release its new drive the successor to M4 before Samsung would release the successor to 830, I was wrong.

 

[Hellhammer]

Intel 335 and 525 SSDs are coming later this year but as far as I know, the only difference will be 20nm MLC NAND instead of 25nm. Intel seems to have moved away from in-house controllers for consumer SSDs, which isn't that surprising actually. Controllers available for licensing (such as SandForce and Marvell) are good enough for consumer use, which is a lower profit market anyway.

 

[blastingcap]

Intel sold most of its share of IMFT fabs to Micron, and I don't really blame them. Consumer SSD prices are crashing hard and Intel is probably disliking taking less than 60% gross margins. Intel did keep one fab share but whether that's for internal testing or enterprise NAND or for making next-gen parts, I don't know for sure.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5603/intel-sells-some-of-its-imft-stake-to-micron

Edited for the jerkos who like jumping down people's throats: I am not saying that I think Intel is immediately exiting consumer SSDs, but the writing is on the wall, especially when you know that Intel wants to keep their margins way up and consumers SSD margins are going way down. That is what I mean by "whether that's for internal testing or enterprise NAND or for making next-gen parts." In other words, if Intel is hanging onto a piece of a fab I don't think it's for consumer SSDs.

 

[bradley]

Intel sold most of its share of IMFT fabs to Micron, and I don't really blame them. Consumer SSD prices are crashing hard and Intel is probably disliking taking less than 60% gross margins. Intel did keep one fab share but whether that's for internal testing or enterprise NAND or for making next-gen parts, I don't know for sure.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5603/intel-sells-some-of-its-imft-stake-to-micron

Which means the chump change is almost gone and the writing is likely on the wall for OCZ. The big boys are starting to flex their muscles in exacting places and enthusiasts have everything else covered. At least Intel hasn't made a substantial history of increasing marketshare through dishonesty.

 

[techs]

I didn't know about Intel dumping most of its nand manufacturing partnership.
It does make sense since I had just recently posted in another thread that Intel seems to have fallen behind in consumer SSD's and seemed to not care.

 

[jwilliams4200]

Intel did keep one fab share but whether that's for internal testing or enterprise NAND or for making next-gen parts, I don't know for sure.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5603/intel-sells-some-of-its-imft-stake-to-micron

I don't think you have that right.

Intel still gets nearly half of the output from the Utah fab (which is also the first of the three to move to new processes). Presumably Intel will use that flash in their own SSDs, and not resell flash to other companies (or not much, just whatever is leftover after Intel's SSDs have been supplied)

Micron, on the other hand, will use its share of the three IMFT fabs for its own SSDs (including Crucial) but also will continue to sell flash to other companies.

 

[blastingcap]

I don't think you have that right.

Intel still gets nearly half of the output from the Utah fab (which is also the first of the three to move to new processes). Presumably Intel will use that flash in their own SSDs, and not resell flash to other companies (or not much, just whatever is leftover after Intel's SSDs have been supplied)

Micron, on the other hand, will use its share of the three IMFT fabs for its own SSDs (including Crucial) but also will continue to sell flash to other companies.

Let me be clearer in case you thought I meant that Intel was no longer making consumer SSDs starting today or something... which I did not meant to imply: I don't think Intel is keeping its share of the Utah fab for the strategic purpose of being in the consumer SSDs market. That market is not what it used to be and margins keep getting thinner. Yeah Intel will make Intel-branded consumer SSD market for at LEAST a while longer, but I don't think Intel held onto their share of the Utah NAND fab because they wanted to be in the consumer SSD market; I think they are hanging onto that for some other strategic reason, or maybe as a just-in-case insurance policy. I think it's clear that Intel is kind of going through the motions as far as consumer SSDs, as evidenced by their not developing their own consumer SSD controllers anymore. And why are you reciting things in that article anyway as if I didn't read it already. In fact I linked to it.

 

[jwilliams4200]

And why are you reciting things in that article anyway as if I didn't read it already. In fact I linked to it.

I quoted the statement that you made that was misleading, and then explained why. I'm not sure why you are so confused.

 

[blastingcap]

I quoted the statement that you made that was misleading, and then explained why. I'm not sure why you are so confused.

If you want to take my sentence out of context and use a charged word like "misleading" instead of "ambiguous" or "unclear" that is your call.

 

[jwilliams4200]

If you want to take my sentence out of context and use a charged word like "misleading" instead of "ambiguous" or "unclear" that is your call.

I did not take your statement out of context. It was not ambiguous or unclear. It was incorrect nonsense whatever the context.

 

[blastingcap]

I did not take your statement out of context. It was incorrect nonsense whatever the context. It was not ambiguous or unclear.

Sorry if you feel that way. If you want to continue dwelling on this it is your life to squander.

You are now ignored btw. There is a way to communicate and not be a d-bag at the same time. Have a nice life, if you even have one.

 

[jwilliams4200]

Sorry if you feel that way. If you want to continue dwelling on this it is your life to squander.

No need to apologize for your incorrect statement, it was no problem to correct it. I'm not sure why you feel you need to dwell on it and squander your life. Trying to inflate your post count, maybe?

 

[smangular]

Intel 335 and 525 SSDs are coming later this year but as far as I know, the only difference will be 20nm MLC NAND instead of 25nm. Intel seems to have moved away from in-house controllers for consumer SSDs, which isn't that surprising actually. Controllers available for licensing (such as SandForce and Marvell) are good enough for consumer use, which is a lower profit market anyway.

Yeah I've heard many predict that Intel would just jump start SSDs before leaving the market like they have with many other segments. Still its disappointing but I was hoping they would at have at least one more round.

 

[sequoia464]

Intel 335 and 525 SSDs are coming later this year but as far as I know, the only difference will be 20nm MLC NAND instead of 25nm. Intel seems to have moved away from in-house controllers for consumer SSDs, which isn't that surprising actually. Controllers available for licensing (such as SandForce and Marvell) are good enough for consumer use, which is a lower profit market anyway.

Any speculation on the controller for these drives? I'm figuring they will probably stay with sandforce??

 

[capeconsultant]

Becasue of Intel's slipping out of the SSD business, my next SSD will be a Samsung, or maybe even a PNY The Prevail of course.

 

[blastingcap]

Becasue of Intel's slipping out of the SSD business, my next SSD will be a Samsung, or maybe even a PNY The Prevail of course.

You might want to read about what people say about data retention on the PNYs and potential problems there (there's another thread about that right near this one)... also be careful, there are some anal-retentive people out there who will jump all over you if you make any sort of remark that can construed as saying Intel is exiting consumer SSDs (even though it looks like it's inevitable, considering their fab disposal to Micron and their not even making their own controller anymore... I don't blame them, as it's become a cutthroat business). Samsung appears to be in it for the long haul. Ditto Micron. Micron uses the same fabs that Intel has so if you like Micron's NAND you can just go Micron instead of Samsung. I'm most curious about Hynix, though, they are ones to watch.

 

[n0x1ous]

Sammy 840 PRO looks to be about as perfect as a 6 Gbps SSD can be. Would of cared 6 months ago, but dont really care about what Intel does in this market anymore.

 

[capeconsultant]

You might want to read about what people say about data retention on the PNYs and potential problems there (there's another thread about that right near this one)... also be careful, there are some anal-retentive people out there who will jump all over you if you make any sort of remark that can construed as saying Intel is exiting consumer SSDs (even though it looks like it's inevitable, considering their fab disposal to Micron and their not even making their own controller anymore... I don't blame them, as it's become a cutthroat business). Samsung appears to be in it for the long haul. Ditto Micron. Micron uses the same fabs that Intel has so if you like Micron's NAND you can just go Micron instead of Samsung. I'm most curious about Hynix, though, they are ones to watch.

Thanks for the heads up. I will check that thread. From a consumer standpoint, it SEEMS Intel is not on a very fast upgrade track, which, to me, is the same as getting out of the business

 

[Hellhammer]

Thanks for the heads up. I will check that thread. From a consumer standpoint, it SEEMS Intel is not on a very fast upgrade track, which, to me, is the same as getting out of the business

What should they add, then? Intel is now on the SandForce bandwagon and SF-3000 controllers won't be out until next year. Moving from 25nm to 20nm NAND is all they can do within the next few months. Intel 520 and 330 are newer than Samsung's 830 for instance, so it's not like Samsung and other are releasing new drives every month.

 

[blastingcap]

Intel making their own controller again would be nice, for those who do not want to be on the Sandforce bandwagon. Samsung's 840 series just came out and the Pro version does look quite good. The non-Pro uses some new NAND TLC and while I am suspicious of it, at least they are trying new things out and may get endurance back up with various refinements.

 

[capeconsultant]

Yes. A new flavor of their own controller and maybe add a super capacitor to the 520. And generally make their SSD's as good as their awesome i7's and E3's And also a nice SLC variation of SSD. (which I guess they may have for enterprise, so how about a consumer priced one?) All instead of simply waiting for Sandforce to come out with their next version.

 

[Coup27]

There is a way to communicate and not be a d-bag at the same time.

lol and this is coming from you?

 

[blastingcap]

lol and this is coming from you?

I only rolled my eyes at your dissing the M4 and comparing it invidiously to Sandforce, whereas you wrote such classy things as "great post my arse" and refused to address my points, storming off like a little kid or something. Who was the d-bag there? Notice that absolutely nobody backed you up in that thread, but plenty of people agreed that the M4 was a good drive and was fast enough--to where incremental speed gains by going to an 830 or whatever wouldn't be noticeable in typical desktop situations. Even YOU wouldn't even back yourself up in that thread, instead saying you weren't going to address my points and huffing and puffing at one small error (that Corsair finally switched away from Sandforce in their latest drives... which are still unproven which is kind of the point, isn't it? That M4 uses a proven controller). And bringing it up here again only serves to embarrass you further.

Are you sure you guys aren't one and the same? Pick one small error and harp on it to death while ignoring the truth in the rest of the post?

 

[Coup27]

You have a major issue staying on fact, a point I did elude to in the previous thread but as I couldn't be bothered last time, I will break it down this time.

I only rolled my eyes at your dissing the M4 and comparing it invidiously to Sandforce

Correction, I compared the m4 to the competition which includes SF based options. I never said the m4 was shit, I said it had been left behind with the competition and when you can get an 830 for the same price there is no reason to get an m4 anymore. You also totally made up that I recommended non-Intel SF drives, which I don't.

Notice that absolutely nobody backed you up in that thread.

Nobody backed you up either. One other person said "great post" and that was it. Probably nobody cared enough to get involved.

and huffing and puffing at one small error (that Corsair finally switched away from Sandforce in their latest drives... which are still unproven which is kind of the point, isn't it? That M4 uses a proven controller). And bringing it up here again only serves to embarrass you further.

More drifting away from the actual facts. I did not huff and puff, I highlighted a clear error in your post. And what I have brought up here was your hypocrisy of criticising another posters behavior when you exhibit the same behavior yourself.

Are you sure you guys aren't one and the same?

If you are asking if we are the same person on a forum then that is too pathetic to even respond to.