Western Digital Corp. today announced its successful development of four bits per cell, X4, flash memory architecture offering on 64-layer 3D NAND, BiCS3, technology. Building on its pioneering innovation of X4 for 2D NAND technology and past success in commercializing it, the company has now developed X4 for 3D NAND by leveraging its deep vertical integration capabilities. These include silicon wafer processing, device engineering to provide sixteen distinct data levels in every storage node, and system expertise for overall flash management. BiCS3 X4 technology delivers an industry-leading storage capacity of 768 gigabits on a single chip, a 50 percent increase from the prior 512 gigabit chip that was enabled with the three bits per cell (X3) architecture. Western Digital will showcase removable products and solid-state drives built with BiCS3 X4 and systems capabilities in August at the Flash Memory Summit in Santa Clara, California.

“The implementation of X4 architecture on BiCS3 is a significant development for Western Digital as it demonstrates our continued leadership in NAND flash technology, and it also enables us to offer an expanded choice of storage solutions for our customers,” said Dr. Siva Sivaram, executive vice president, Memory Technology, Western Digital. “The most striking aspect in today’s announcement is the use of innovative techniques in the X4 architecture that allows our BiCS3 X4 to deliver performance attributes comparable to those in BiCS3 X3. The narrowing of the performance gap between the X4 and X3 architectures is an important and differentiating capability for us, and it should help drive broader market acceptance of X4 technology over the next several years.”

ADATA Technology, a leading manufacturer of high performance DRAM modules, NAND Flash products, and mobile accessories today launched the SE730H external solid state drive, an update of the best-selling SE730. The SE730H performs at 500MB/s read and write, and moves to 3D TLC NAND for increased durability and longevity, while remaining one of the most compact external SSDs worldwide. It has a reversible USB-C connector for greater convenience, and a stylish metallic design. Data transfers use USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10Gbps). Importantly, the SE730H meets IEC IP68 dust and water proof requirements, as well as military-grade shock mitigation standards. Available in 256GB and 512GB, the SE730H is Windows, Mac OS, and Android compatible for seamless cross-platform usage.

Super compact with the benefit of 3D NAND
While previous generation SE730 drives were only available in 250GB, the shift to high quality 3D TLC NAND has allowed ADATA to offer the SE730H in up to 512GB. At the same time, the SE730H maintains is compact footprint as the smallest device in its class (external USB-C 3D NAND SSD). It weighs a mere 33g, and users can choose from gold or red metallic color schemes. With 3D TLC NAND, the SE730H delivers more than just bigger capacity: 3D NAND is also around 25% longer-lasting than 2D NAND, and more reliable for the life of the product while consuming less power, a plus for paired device batteries. In terms of performance, the SE730H reaches 500MB/s read and write, or about five times the speed of external mechanical drives.

QNAP Systems, Inc. today announced the new business-class AMD-powered TS-x73U series NAS; available in 8, 12 and 16-bay models with single and redundant power supply options. With a high-performance AMD Embedded R-Series RX-421ND quad-core CPU (2.1 GHz base, 3.4 GHz boost), a pre-installed dual-port 10GbE SFP+ network card, and two M.2 SATA 6Gb/s SSD slots (for empowering SSD caching to realize optimized storage efficiency with Qtier™ technology), the rack-mountable TS-x73U series is ideal for business organizations looking for a secure private cloud and efficient IT infrastructure for 10GbE networks.

With a dual 10GbE configuration, the TS-x73U series is capable of delivering up to 1,567 MB/s throughput, while the accelerated encryption engine with AES-NI enables unmatched encryption performance of up to 1,244 MB/s to boost system performance. Coupled with high scalability, the 10GbE-ready TS-x73U series satisfies virtualization and fast backup/restoration requirements for an ever-growing amount of data that demands higher bandwidth, and facilitates day-to-day operations with greater productivity.

Today, CDRLabs brings you a review of Plextor's new TLC NAND-based PCIe SSD, the M8Se. Targeted at entry-level gamers, this M.2 form factor drive is powered by Marvell's 88SS1093 "Eldora" controller and is available with up to 1TB of Toshiba's 15nm TLC NAND flash. To compensate for the slow write speeds typically associated with TLC NAND, the M8Se uses Plextor's exclusive PlexNitro cache acceleration technology to optimize performance without taking up any space on the drive. The M8Se is also equipped with a PCIe Gen3 x4 NVMe 1.2 interface to provide higher bandwidth and lower latency than SATA SSDs.

ADATA Technology, a leading manufacturer of high performance DRAM modules and NAND Flash products, today launched its XPG GAMMIX product series, first shown at Computex 2017. The debut consists of the GAMMIX S10 PCIe3x4 NVMe 1.2 M.2 2280 SSD, capable of 1800MB/s read and 850MB/s write thanks to premium 3D NAND in up to 1TB capacity. The S10 features a stylish heatsink for expedited heat dissipation. It is joined by GAMMIX D10 DDR4 memory modules, which likewise boast a custom heatshield to ensure lower temperatures and more stable performance. They are offed in black and red colors, and in up to 3000MHz factory speeds with a starting speed of 2666MHz on new Intel X299 motherboards. The GAMMIX line provides gamers, PC DIY enthusiasts, and overclockers with additional options that combine performance and design, stemming from the core XPG mission statement of ensuring better experiences.

GAMMIX S10: PCIe3x4 NVMe 1.2 M.2 with a cool twist
With speeds up to 1800MB/s read and 850MB/s write, the S10 leverages the efficiency of the M.2 2280 form factor and the NVMe 1.2 protocol to better serve performance seekers, from gamers to graphics professionals. It cuts down data transfer waits, loading times, and seek latency, and packs up to 1TB 3D TLC NAND driven by an SMI controller. The custom-designed XPG heatsink ensures temperatures are at least 10 degrees Celsius lower than non-shielded M.2 SSDs, promoting stability and longevity. DRAM and SLC caching help maintain peak performance, with read/write IOPS ratings of 130K/140K. The S10 further supports LDPC error correction, and has a 2 million hour mean time before failure rating. It arrives backed by a 5-year warranty. In addition to 1TB, customers can choose from 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB models.

ADATA Technology, a leading manufacturer of high performance DRAM modules, NAND Flash products, and mobile accessories today launched the HD710 Pro durable external hard drive alongside an addition to the best-selling HD650 range. The HD710 Pro improves on its HD710 predecessor by exceeding IP68 dust and water proofing plus military-grade shock resistance. It enhances the safeguarding of stored data against accidents, damage, and the rigors of active lifestyles, and is available in four colors. The HD710 Pro offers up to 4TB capacity. The refreshed HD650 arrives in a stylish light blue over black color scheme, also providing 4TB capacity – a new milestone for unpowered USB external hard drives. Together, these two new USB 3.1 models bolster the ADATA external hard drive portfolio, giving consumers more choice.

HD710 Pro: more durable and bigger than before
The original HD710 proved quite successful for ADATA on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS. The HD710 Pro improves on it with enhanced dust and water proofing that boosts its durability for use in harsh environments and the outdoors. It exceeds IEC IP68 requirements, being completely dust-tight and able to withstand up to 60-minute submersion in 2 meters of water. It also meets and passes MIL-STD 810G 516.6 requirements, surviving shocks and impacts associated with drops from up to 1.5 meters. The HD710 Pro uses a custom triple-layered protective build and implements G-Shock sensor technology that stops and restarts drive activity when shocks or vibrations are detected to prevent data corruption. The drive features an ergonomic USB port cover for effortless open/close, and a useful wraparound groove for storing its USB cable. Red, yellow, and blue variants are available in 1TB/2TB, while the black version goes up to 3TB/4TB.

 In addition to a new metallic look, the drive offers intuitive WD Discovery™ software to help consumers easily back up photos, videos and important documents shared and created across multiple social networks, cloud services and devices. The My Passport Ultra drive is the ideal storage solution for consumers who want to consolidate and preserve all aspects of their digital lives.

Today's consumers have multiple social media accounts, and according to Parks Associates research, use an average of three public cloud services per household like Dropbox, Google Drive™ or Microsoft OneDrive, all of which increases their digital footprint. With so many ways to create, share and store content, there is a growing need for solutions that enable consumers to consolidate all of this crucial data. The My Passport Ultra drive with WD Discovery software makes it easier than ever to back up content from popular social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. With a few simple steps, users can download all of their content, including tagged photos and videos from Facebook, onto the drive. WD Discovery software is also an excellent way for users to keep a local copy of files they've stored on their favorite public cloud services.