TVB Tech Alert: Solid-State Drive Technology for 3 Gbps Bowed

SARATOGA, CALIF: A company by the name of SandForce is introducing a solid-state drive processor capable of 3 Gbps interface rates. The data rate would allow the technology to natively support 1080p and 3D content.

The SF-1000 SSD processor line is the first production introduction from SandForce. The processors are based on something called “DuraClass” technology that is said to compensate for the degradation common to higher gigabyte flash-based SSDs. They are said to sustain peak performance for a five-year enterprise lifecycle with no daily usage restrictions or over-provisioning techniques. The company said original equipment manufacturers are expected to release SF-1000-based SSDs later this year.

In geek speak, the SF-1000s feature “a standard 3 gigabit-per-second SATA host interface connecting up to 512 gigabytes of commodity NAND flash memory, and deliver 30K IOPS… and 250 Mbps performance.”

TVB’s resident technology expert said the SF-1000 feasibly opens “the possibility of direct recording of 3 Gbps 1080p.”

“People making purchases are terrified of buying obsolescent gear, which is why everyone is 3 Gbps these days,” he wrote. “I was talking with someone from a smaller manufacturer recently, and he said that, although the company has no plans for any real 3 Gbps products, they’ve made sure everything they’re selling is upgradable.” -- Deborah D. McAdams