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Today, CDRLabs brings you a review of SanDisk's new Ultra II solid state drive. This easy, affordable upgrade solution is available in capacities ranging from 120GB up to a 960GB, and, depending on the capacity, is powered by one of two controllers from Marvell. The Ultra II is also the first SSD from SanDisk to use TLC NAND flash. To overcome the challenges typically associated with this type of NAND, the drive is equipped with SanDisk's new nCache 2.0 technology which utilizes a two-tiered caching architecture to optimize drive speed and endurance.
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CDRLabs has taken an in depth look at Crucial's MX100 SSD. This consumer-oriented drive offers powerful speeds and advanced features at a low cost per gigabyte. The MX100 combines Marvell's 88SS9189 controller with a custom firmware and Micron's new 16nm 128gb NAND to deliver up to 550MB/s read and 500MB/s write speeds. The MX100 also offers a long list of features including AES 256-bit encryption, thermal and power loss protection, TRIM support and active garbage collection. Additionally, it uses Native Write Acceleration to deliver consistent throughput by spreading the drive’s workload across several elements. It also employs technologies like Data Defense and Redundant Array of Independent NAND (RAIN) to increase security and protection of data to a level that’s rarely found in consumer-class SSDs.
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- Network Storage
Today, CDRLabs brings you a review of QNAP's four-bay TS-x70 series Turbo NAS, the TS-470. Designed to meet the growing data needs of modern business environments, the TS-470 is powered by a high performance, dual-core Intel 2.6 GHz processor and is equipped with 2GB of DDR3 RAM and four Gigabit Ethernet ports to deliver up to 450 MB/s read and 423 MB/s write speeds. The TS-470 also offers a full range of applications for business use, including virtualization support, volume management, cross-platform file sharing, multiple backup and recovery options, and SSD caching. In addition, it gives businesses the ability to create their own private cloud with large storage capacity and Dropbox-style data synchronization.
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Today, CDRLabs brings you a review of SanDisk's new Extreme PRO solid state drive. Designed with gamers, enthusiasts and media professionals in mind, this high-performance SSD is powered by Marvell's 88SS9187 "Monet" controller and is equipped with SanDisk's new 1Ynm eX2 ABL MLC Toggle NAND flash to deliver up to 550 MB/s sequential read and 520 MB/s sequential write speeds. The Extreme PRO also features a tiered caching system which combines a sizeable DRAM cache with the latest developments in SanDisk's nCache Pro technology. To deliver consistent high performance, nCache Pro uses a large non-volatile SLC cache to accumulate small writes at high speed and then flushes them to the larger MLC sections of the NAND flash memory array.
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CDRLabs kicks off the week with a review of Samsung's 256GB 850 PRO SSD. First unveiled at the 2014 Samsung SSD Global Summit in Seoul, the 850 PRO is ideal for use in high-end PCs and workstations. The drive is powered by Samsung's own 3-core MEX controller and is available with up to 1TB of their second generation, 32-layer 3D V-NAND flash. The 850 PRO also supports Device Sleep (DEVSLP) for lower power consumption as well as self-encrypting drive (SED) technology that is TCG Opal 2.0 and IEEE-1667 compliant. To top it all off, it 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.
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CDRLabs has taken an in depth look at Plextor's new 256GB M6S Series SSD, the PX-256M6S. This highly efficient, high-performance SSD combines Marvell's 88SS9188 "Monet Lite" controller with Toshiba's Advanced 19nm (A19) Toggle Mode MLC NAND to deliver up to 520MB/s read and 440MB/s write transfer rates. The M6S also features support for Plextor's exclusive True Speed technology as well as the Device Sleep (DEVSLP) standard which extends the battery life of a device by reducing the drive's power consumption to a mere 2 mW when it's not in use.
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Today, CDRLabs brings you a review of WD's new personal cloud solution, the My Cloud Mirror. Like the original My Cloud, this easy to use NAS device is designed with consumers in mind. The Mirror provides secure file sharing and flexible backup options for both Macs and PCs and can be accessed from anywhere using WD's desktop and mobile apps. Instead of a single hard drive though, the Mirror is equipped with two and is configured for RAID 1 (mirrored) mode by default, giving you double the data protection. The NAS also provides integrated file, FTP, backup and P2P download servers and can be further customized using third party apps like Joomla, WordPress, IceCast and more.
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CDRLabs kicks off the week with a review of SanDisk's latest USB 3.0 flash drive, the Extreme PRO. This professional-grade drive offers 128GB of storage as well some of the fastest speeds in the industry. The Extreme PRO takes advantage of the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 specification by providing write speeds up to 240MB/s and read speeds up to 260MB/s. These speeds allow users to transfer a full-length movie in seconds, or 1,000 hi-res photos in less than 35 seconds. A stylish aluminum metal casing also guards against daily wear, while SanDisk's SecureAccess software helps keep your data safe using 128-bit AES file encryption and password protection.
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- Network Storage
Today, CDRLabs brings you a review of Thecus's latest entry-level home and small office NAS, the N2310. Along with an energy efficient Advanced Micro Circuits Corporation (AMCC) processor, this budget friendly 2-bay NAS is equipped with 512MB of DDR3 RAM, a gigabit Ethernet port and a pair of USB ports. Like its pricier siblings, the N2310 offers multiple RAID modes and features web-based file access, a built-in FTP server, native BitTorrent support and the streaming of multimedia content using Plex Media Server. The N2310 is also easy to set up and can be accessed over the internet using Thecus's free DDNS service as well as their T-OnTheGo mobile app.
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CDRLabs has taken an in depth look at Toshiba's Q Series Pro solid state drive. Available in capacities ranging from 128GB up to 512GB, this ultra-slim drive is ideal for avid gamers, graphics professionals or anyone else looking to boost their computer's storage performance to the next level. With no moving or mechanical parts, the Q Series Pro is more rugged, quieter and consumes less power than standard hard drives. Also, with Toshiba's TC358790XBG controller and 19nm Toggle mode MLC NAND flash, the drive is able to deliver faster boot up speeds, shorter application load times and improved system responsiveness.
