Intel shifts next-gen SSD into overdrive

Intel has debuted its next-gen Solid-State Drive (SSD) lineup. The 510 series offers users blazing (SATA) 6 Gigabits per second (Gbps) performance and boasts data transfers of up to 500 megabytes per second (MB/s).

As Intel rep Pete Hazen notes, the new SSD effectively doubles current sequential read speeds – and at up to 315MB/s – more than triples the sequential write speeds of 3Gbps SSDs.


“In addition to better overall system responsiveness when compared to a mechanical hard drive, SSDs have no moving parts so are more rugged, consume less power and run quieter and cooler than HDDs,” explained Hazen.

“[Plus], SSDs reduce boot times, launch applications and files faster and recover from sleep mode quicker, resulting in noticeable improvement. Conventional HDDs are also unable to effectively take advantage of 6Gbps platform technology, since HDDs fail to maximize even the current 3Gbps SATA interface.”

According to Hazen, the 510 SSD is ideal for hardcore gamers, media creators and performance-intensive workstation users.

“Whether it’s a gamer wanting impeccable visual performance and faster game loading, or a performance-intensive workstation user, the 6Gbps SATA SSD  is not only significantly faster than the top 10,000 RPM gaming HDD, it’s also faster than two RAIDed gaming HDDs,” he added.

The SSD 510 Series is currently available from various online retailers in two iterations: 250GB and 120GB.