Intel has already announced several times its goal to promote the PCI-Express interface for supporting storage units; such as SSD as high-ends models are already saturating specifications of the SATA III format. As it is easier to get what you want when you do it yourself, Intel unveiled its first PCI-Express SDD unit, from the Serie 910:
Of course, this is dedicated to pro users, as performance AND prices are in line: 400 GB for 1,929 USD and 800 GB for 3,859 USD. At such price, you get light performance and reliability memory chips MLC-HET:
- 400 GB: 1,000 MB/s in reading mode, 750 MB/s in writing mode, 90,000 IOPS 4KB in reading and 38,000 in writing.
- 800 GB: 2,000 MB/s in reading mode, 1,000 MB/s in writing mode, 180,000 IOPS 4KB in reading and 75,000 in writing
And in addition, this is NOT a fully native PCI-Express product as it sports a PCI-Express to SAS bridge... If this format is quickly adopted, we could have such system in computers dedicated to mass consumer market in 2-3 years.
