New Micron, Crucial M500 SSDs
New Micron and Crucial M500 SSDs Offer Affordable, High-Capacity Storage
New M500 SSD Reaches Terabyte-Class Capacity and Delivers Next-Generation Feature Set
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Sydney,
Australia, January 11, 2013 – Micron Technology,
Inc., today introduced the M500 solid state drive (SSD), featuring
terabyte-class capacity, new ultra-slim package designs, and
increased response times at a more affordable price point.
Available to consumers, businesses, and system builders
under the Crucial® brand, and to OEM customers under the
Micron® brand, the new M500 SSD is built start-to-finish by
Micron, providing the quality and reliability that only a
NAND flash memory and SSD manufacturer can provide. Watch this behind-the-scenes video to see how Micron designs and builds
SSDs.
Benefits of Advanced NAND Flash
Technology
The M500 SSD utilises Micron’s
award-winning, 20-nanometer (nm) multilevel cell (MLC) NAND
flash to achieve terabyte-class capacity and enable a new
level of SSD price competitiveness; the 960GB Crucial M500
SSD will be initially priced under $600.
Micron’s advanced NAND flash technology also provides more storage in a small footprint. Micron is the first manufacturer to pack nearly half a terabyte of storage onto an SSD module the size of a stick of gum (80mm x 22mm). This new form factor, called M.2, along with the mSATA form factor, are key designs for current and next-generation ultrathin computers, including Ultrabook™ devices, tablets and convertible PCs. Visit micron.com/ultrathin to discover how Micron SSDs can transform the ultrathin experience.
SSD Performance
Dramatically faster than a hard drive, the M500
SSD enables lightning fast boot-up, near instant wake from
sleep, and fast application loading, creating a dynamic and
engaging computing experience. The M500 SSD uses a SATA
6Gb/s controller combined with Micron’s custom firmware to
deliver up to 80,000 input/output operations per second
(IOPS). The drive’s sequential read and write speeds reach
up to 500 MB/s and 400 MB/s, respectively.
“The M500 SSD is a reliable storage solution featuring nearly instantaneous system response times and terabyte-class capacity—all at a competitive price point,” said Glen Hawk, vice president of Micron’s NAND Solutions Group. “For consumers, the Crucial M500 SSD is an easy, cost-effective solution for dramatically increasing system performance. For OEMs, we’re ultrathin ready with the Micron M500 SSD—improved response times, lower power consumption, and trusted reliability —all in a design that’s smaller than ever before.”
Next-Generation Feature Set
The M500
SSD incorporates extended features important to ultrathin
systems, such as device sleep (DEVSLP), which increases
system battery life while maintaining system responsiveness.
This feature enables the drive to draw less than 5
milliwatts of power while the system is in sleep mode— a
93% power improvement compared to previous-generation
drives.
The M500 SSD also incorporates the following
specially designed features to provide users with peace of
mind that their data is protected:
• Hardware
encryption technology (TCG Opal 2.0 + IEEE 1667) designed to
maintain data security in the event of device theft or
loss
• Greater thermal management enables the
drive to work with the host computer to dynamically adjust
power consumption based on usage demands, helping designers
face the challenges of ultra-small, thermally constrained
systems
• Expanded power-loss protection and
advanced error recovery techniques deliver class-leading
reliability. Data integrity is protected even during
unexpected power loss
Compatibility and
Availability
The Crucial M500 SSD is backed by a
three-year limited warranty and is compatible with both PC
and Mac® systems. The 2.5-inch drive will be available in
120GB, 240GB, 480GB and 960GB capacities. The smaller M.2
and mSATA form factors will be available in 120GB, 240GB and
480GB capacities. The 2.5-inch Crucial M500 SSD is expected
to be available for purchase in the first quarter of 2013
through select global channel partners or direct
through www.crucial.com. Micron will sell the
M500 SSD direct to OEMs and through their distribution
network. The M.2 and mSATA form factors are expected in the
second quarter of 2013.
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About
Micron
Micron Technology, Inc. is one of the
world's leading providers of advanced semiconductor
solutions. Through its worldwide operations, Micron
manufactures and markets a full range of DRAM, NAND and NOR
flash memory, as well as other innovative memory
technologies, packaging solutions and semiconductor systems
for use in leading-edge computing, consumer, networking,
embedded and mobile products. Micron's common stock is
traded on the NASDAQ under the MU symbol. To learn more
about Micron Technology, Inc., visit www.micron.com.
About the
Crucial Brand
Crucial is a global brand of
Micron Technology, Inc. Crucial® products include
award-winning solid state drives (SSDs) and DRAM for more
than 50,000 desktops, laptops, servers, workstations, and
other systems. Crucial products are available worldwide at
leading retail and e-tail stores, commercial resellers, and
system integrators who can be found at www.crucialproducts.com. For more
information or support, visit www.crucial.com.
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©2013
Micron Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Information is
subject to change without notice. Crucial and the Crucial
logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Micron
Technology, Inc. Ultrabook is a trademark of Intel
Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other
brand or product names are trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective
holders.
ENDS