Intel launches mini SSD

Atomic sized disk

INTEL HAS ANNOUNCED a new Solid-State Drive, which is both much smaller and lighter than a normal SSD.

The Z-P230 SSD is four times smaller than a traditional 1.8" laptop hard disk drive and as little as one-fourth the weight.

Oddly the drive is PATA based, as opposed to using the more modern SATA interface.

The drive is designed to replace traditional hard disk drives in what Intel calls 'netbook and nettop' systems.

Intel is providing manufacturers with two different form factors of the Z-P230 - a 40-pin ZIF module and a space-saving mini-card module.

Sizes are as follows: 38mm x 54mm x 3.2mm for the ZIF version or 30mm x 50.95 x 3.8mm for the mini-card version - each weighs in at 11 grams and 8 grams respectively.

Power consumption is also at the lower end for an SSD - it runs at 1.65mW idle and typically draws 314 mW when operating.

Apparently both 4GB and 8GB devices are now available, and a 16GB SSD will be made available in the last quarter of this year.

We suspect this diminutive devices are meant to go hand-in-hand with Intel's new Atom processor - and expect prices to come down considerably when both CPU and SSD are purchased together.

More information can be had at Intel's spec pages here.