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A-Data Boosts XPG Gaming Series Lineup with New 8GB DDR3 Kit

Paul Lilly — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 09:24:23 -0500

Memory maker A-Data has traditionally been associated with value-oriented and entry-level RAM kits, but the company continues to expand its higher-end lineup. Today that includes the introduction of A-Data's new XPG Gaming Series DDR3-1600G 8GB dual-channel kit.

"The ultimate gaming experiences are relying on proper choice of PC hardware and overall performance. Therefore, we introduced XPG Gaming Series DDR3-1600G as 8GB dual-channel kit," said Action Chen, Deputy Project Manager of A-Data XPG Department. "Gaming enthusiasts are able to enjoy the extreme capacity and high-speed by using XPG Gaming Series DDR3-1600G 8GB dual-channel kit with 64-bit OS and satisfy their insatiable thirst for ultimate gaming experience."

Not the most elegantly worded quote we've ever seen, but c'mon, the dude's name is "Action." Besides, it's about the RAM, and according to A-Data, all ICs are verified by "high standard criteria" before the engineers slap them on a 6-layer PCB. Latencies check in at 9-9-9-24 at 1.55V to 1.75V.

The kit is available now through "selected distributors and resellers." No word on price.

Image Credit: A-Data

A-Data: Prepare for DRAM Shortage in Second Half of 2010

Paul Lilly — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 08:06:52 -0600

Don't even bother trying to follow the memory market until you've taken a dose of Dramamine. The DRAM industry has more ups and downs than a Six Flags amusement park, only without all the thrills. According to A-Data, that doesn't look to change in 2010, and you should brace yourself for a memory shortage in the latter part of the year.

Speaking at a recent company event, A-Data chairman Simon Chen said strong PC replacement demand in both the consumer and business sectors will put the squeeze on memory makers to keep up. Chen expects demand to outpace supply by 1-2 percent in the second quarter, and then remain throughout the second half of the year.

Chen attributes the demand to Windows 7, which he says will spark a ton of replacement PC purchases. As a result, expect DRAM prices to go up, a trend we've already been seeing, especially in the notebook memory market.

Image Credit: TomsHardware

A-Data Chairman Warns of Tight DRAM Supply in 2010

Paul Lilly — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 11:11:25 -0600

The new year is supposed to bring about change, but it might just be more of the same, at least in the memory industry. According to Simon Chen, chairman of memory maker A-Data, DRAM chip supply will remain tight throughout most of 2010.

On the plus side, Chen doesn't anticipate any major price hikes. But he did warn that with major producers playing it conservative the past couple of years rather than putting a bigger focus on capacity expansion, supply will have a tough time keeping up with demand.

Chen's comments fall in line with a recent DRAMeXchange report suggesting the market will see a shortage, which seems to be the general sentiment in the memory industry. Elpida Memory CEO Yukio Sakamoto recently voiced the same concern.

As for A-Data, Chen said his company plans to add 3 or 4 new overseas offices, bringing the total to 16 or 17. The new offices will most likely be opened in China, India, or both.

Image Credit: A-Data

A-DATA Using DNA Authenticated Tech to Counter Against DRAM Fraud

Ryan Whitwam — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:36:28 -0500

DRAM maker A-Data has decided to begin using a new anti-counterfeiting system they are calling “DNA Authentication”. According to the company, the fraudulent selling of fake RAM is a “serious and growing problem" in the tech world.

It seems A-Data has had a lot of troubles with the selling of fake DRAM chips with A-Data logos. According to the company, “…we adopted the DNA authentication technology to protect our intellectual property and our consumers’ interests."

So what does this mean? When you cut through the marketing speak, it’s basically just a new type of ID label on RAM sticks. To verify the authenticity of the chips, consumers can use a black light to reveal the unique code on the sticker. Like many of these ID systems, the label is designed to tear itself to shreds if removed. Will it do much to stop fraud, or will the fraudsters just fake these labels too?

A-Data: Memory Market on Path to Recovery

Paul Lilly — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:15:04 -0500

For probably the first time in a very long time, the future appears bright for the memory market. Either that, or A-Data chairman Simon Chen is sporting an awfully bright pair of rose-colored glasses.

According to Chen, both the NAND flash and DRAM sectors have recovered in the second half of 2009, following the easing of an oversupply of chips that previously kept prices uncomfortably low. Chen views this as a positive sign moving forward, saying the overall memory sector is expected to return to its 2006 or 2007 form in 2010.

If true, this bodes particularly well for A-Data, who has aspirations of once again reigning as the most profitable among Taiwan-based memory module companies in 2010. A-Data is planning on expanding in India, Russia, Brazil, and Mexico, and according to Chen, sales generated from the emerging markets should grow significantly in 2010.

Image Credit: techlime.com

A-Data's Shock Resistant Portable HDD Not Afraid of Water

Paul Lilly — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:25:35 -0500

There's always some jackass at every party who still thinks it's funny to push people into the pool while fully clothed. What if they were carrying around a portable hard drive filled with family photos, work documents, government secrets, and other data that's now drenched in water and chlorine?

Yeah, that's probably never happened to anyone in the history of portable hard drives, but there's always a first. If you're lugging around A-Data's new SH93 mobile drive, you won't have to lose any sleep at night wondering what you'd do in exactly that situation. Heck, you wouldn't even need to get out of the pool right away, because according to A-Data, it's SH93 portable HDD, wrapped in a rubber-plastic mix and special cushion materials, has passed the 1M waterproof test for 30 minutes. Go ahead and practice your backstroke!

You could even drop it out of a second story window for a quick air-dry. After all, the rugged drive also passed the military standard MIL-STD-810F drop test.

Available in 250GB, 320GB, 500GB, and 640GB capacities, you'll probably never subject your portable HDD to the above abuses, but hey, it's good to know you can fumble your beer while watching the Super Bowl and not worry about frying your portable backup.

No word yet on price or availability.

Image Credit: A-Data via Legit Reviews

A-DATA's New USB Flash Drives Swivel and Lock

Paul Lilly — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:05:33 -0500

A-DATA today unveiled a new line of colorful USB flash drives with a swivel design case the company claims will keep the USB connector free from harm.

"Unlike conventional swivel-designed USB flash drives, the unique asymmetric outer casing of C903 protects the USB connector and serves as a lock mechanism to prevent the connector from sticking out due to constant turning and wearing," A-DATA stated in a press release. "The same design enables users to turn and store the USB connector properly in place with much of an ease."

The case comes constructed with a glossy metallic finish wrapped around either a bright red or blue USB stick, with initial capacities available up to 32GB.

No word yet on price or availability.

Image Credit: A-DATA

A-Data: Memory Prices May Go Up in Third Quarter

Paul Lilly — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 10:06:58 -0500

Tough times for memory chip makers continue, but relief may soon be coming, if not for just a short period of time. According to Simon Chen, chairmen of A-Data Technology, DRAM prices have a very good chance of returning to cost levels in the third quarter of 2009, DigiTimes reports.

The comments came during the Computex Taipei trade show, in which A-Data has been showing off new memory products, including overclocked DDR3 memory kits and SSDs. However, Chen did caution that while pricing may soon go up, a full recovery isn't likely to take place until 2010. Contract pricing for June will be a telltale sign of things to come, Chen said, and DRAM chip makers would be wise to closely monitor and control their inventory.