
Another solid state drive (SSD) hits the streets today. This one, the G3, is from SanDisk, which claims the G3 offers “a compelling alternative to a 7,2000RPM hard disk drive.”
The G3 comes in capacities of 60GB and 120GB. SanDisk claims the drives will open files up to twice as fast as a 7,200RPM HDD, allowing for faster boot times and snappier system performance. The drives will allow read speeds up to 220MB/s, and write speeds up to 120MB/s.
SanDisk uses a proprietary smart flash management system, called ExtremeFFS, to accelerate random write performance, which SanDisk says increases performance and endurance of the G3. SanDisk estimates the 120GB drive can endure up to 80TB of data written to it during its lifetime. This, plus “rigorous shock and vibration testing”, allows SanDisk to offer the drives with 10-year limited warranties.
The G3 drives are Windows 7 certified, and compatible with XP and Vista, as well as Linux and Apple’s OS X Snow Leopard.
As with all other SSD offerings of late, this new technology doesn’t come cheap. The 60GB drive will cost you $229.99, while the 120GB drive will set you back $399.99.