OCZ has unveiled some details about its future SSD controller, aka Barefoot 3. It will be a 32 bits CPU clocked at 400 MHz, using a specific instruction set to speed up data processing. According to the company, it should be a new reference performance wise. Engraved at 65 nm by TSMC, it should allow OCZ to decrease its production cost, and so one improving its margins. First samples dedicated to tests should arrive in September, and the production of SSD models based on such new controller should start the following months.
SSD manufacturer will have to work more and more on controller, as the capacity and the engraving process of memory chips keeps improving. however, the latter as an impact on the number of the read/write cycle and it decreases proportionally to the thickness of the engraving. In addition, as the number of true memory chips producers will now be counted on a single hand, the main difference between models, will be the controller. Last but not least, the current limitation by the SATA III specification, will limit the interest of next generation SSD till we can finally be using PCI-Express port natively, but it should not be before 2 years.
