Various online retailers such as Sabre PC, Amazon UK, and Insight.com have started to feature the not-yet-announced Intel 330 SSD. Another popular retailer also listed the Intel 330, though the information and tags were removed from the page. However, a search in Google still shows the original page with some information.
The naming of The Intel 330 model matches the roadmap of Intel SSDs that leaked last year. Just last week, The Digitimes.com website informed on an expected May release, based on insider information.
Intel 330 SSD Specs
The Intel 330 will be available in three capacity options: 60GB, 120GB, and 180GB.
Sabre PC listed the 120GB Intel 330 model version specs as the following:
- Capacity 120GB
- Features Sequential Reads: 500MB/s, Sequential Writes: 450MB/s, Data Security with AES 256-bit hardware encryption, Limited SMART attributes
- Data Read 500 MBps
- Data Write 450MBps
- Connector Type 7 pin Serial ATA
- Form Factor 2.5”
- Interface SATA 3.0 (6.0Gbps)
- MLC 25nm
- Warranty 3 years
- Price $149
Even though there’s no direct evidence that the Intel 330 will use a SandForce controller, based on the size capacities and how the recent Intel 520 made the switch from Marvell to SandForce, it likely will. SandForce controllers may offer the fastest speed; however, they are challenged by frequent blue screens for the end-user, aka stability.
Intel pride themselves on reliability. They insisted that with the Intel 520, they had worked hard on the firmware to guarantee a reliable drive, which they also backed up with a 5-year warranty. Based on information from Sabre PC, Intel 330 will have a 3-year warranty.
The Intel 330 will be at an overall cheaper price as opposed to the 520 series. While Intel 330 180GB is listed at $234 on Sabre PC, the Intel 520 180GB version sells for $274.99, with a proposed retail price of $413 on Amazon.com.
Although the performance of the Intel 330 won’t be the same as the higher-end 520s, it surely won’t disappoint on the fast performance, and it’ll reasonably target capturing more of the consumer space. Keep an eye out for this new SSD in late May.
