Intel announces a lower-cost SSD option-- the SSD 545s, based on 64-layer TLCD 3D NAND flash memory technology allowing Chipzilla to squeeze even more storage on less chips.
The 545s is a followup on Intel's previous 540s models. It is a similar 2.5-inch drive, with performance reaching 550MB/s sequential read and 500MB/s sequential write. What makes it truly interesting is its being the first consumer drive using Intel's second generation 64-layer 3D NAND, as paired with an SM2258 controller.
"Having the world’s best areal density means we can scale to large capacity and deliver more gigabytes per wafer," Intel claims. "Our experience with designing this architecture into SSD solutions has enabled us to rapidly improve performance, power consumption, performance consistency and reliability with each generation."
The drive is initially available in 512GB capacity, to be followed by a 128GB and 2TB model on a later date. An M.2 NVMe version is also expected to hit the market later this year.
