OCZ Technology today unveiled its next generation Vertex 3 SATA III SSD product family, a lineup that caters to both client and enterprise applications. Harnessing the 6Gbps speed of the SATA III interface, the new series delivers double the performance of the previous generation.

The Vertex 3 is the first solution to feature the new SandForce SF-2200 SSD processor, and raises the bar in performance with up to 550MB/s read and 500MB/s write transfer rates and up to 60,000 IOPS (4k random write).

"The new Vertex 3 solid state drive series builds on the success of our previous two generations of products and delivers exceptional performance by utilizing fast synchronous mode 2Xnm MLC NAND flash technology," said Ryan Petersen, CEO of OCZ Technology Group. "These storage solutions feature both the highest sequential speeds available with a SATA 6GBps SSD and the highest IOPS of any current 2.5 inch SSD on the market today, allowing us to once again set the benchmark for industry leading SSD performance and reliability."

Also included in the new series is the enterprise-class Vertex 3 Pro which has been optimized to provide reliability, security, and endurance. Featuring the premium SF-2500 SSD SATA III processor, Vertex 3 Pro SSDs are aimed at consumers clients seeking enterprise-grade MLC (Multi-Level Cell) SSD storage for their server farms and IT infrastructures.

The new Vertex 3 Series will be showcased at next week's international CeBIT tradeshow in Hanover, Germany, and will begin shipping following the event through OCZ's global channel. Vertex 3 SSDs will be available in capacities of 120GB and 240GB, while the Pro edition comes in 100GB, 200GB, and 400GB models. The entire Vertex 3 line features TRIM support to optimize performance over the drive's lifespan and a 3 year warranty.



SandForce 2nd Generation SSD Processors

OCZ's latest SSDs are based on the (Solid State Drive) Processors. SandForce has announced the availability of its second-generation SF-2200 and SF-2100 SSD Processors optimized for SSDs deployed in client computing applications. The SF-2200 processors feature a 6 Gigabit-per-second (Gb/s) SATA host interface, a sustained sequential read/write performance of up to 500 Megabytes per second (MB/s), and DuraClass Technology. The SF-2100 processors feature a 3 Gb/s SATA host interface, read/write performance up to 250 MB/s, and the same DuraClass Technology. In addition to leading-edge performance, the SF-2200 and SF-2100 Client products support ONFi2 and Toggle flash interfaces in single-level & multi-level cell (SLC & MLC) NAND flash families from all major suppliers.

The SF-2200 and SF-2100 SSDs feature the highly sought-after SandForce DuraClass Technology including RAISE and patented and patent-pending DuraWrite features to deliver performance, endurance, reliability, and power management. Additionally, SF-2200 and SF-2100 Client SSD Processors feature:

- Support for 30nm- and 20nm-class NAND flash from all flash vendors with Asynch/ONFi1/ONFi2/Toggle interfaces with data transfer rates up to 166 Mega Transfers per second
- Trusted Computing Group (TCG) OPAL security with 256-bit AES encryption and automatic, line-rate double encryption with a drive-level password
- Advanced ECC engine correcting up to 55 bits per 512-byte sector to assure high data integrity and support for future generations of flash memory
- Power and performance optimization and tuning features to maximize mobile battery life
- Single-chip "DRAM-less" solution enabling compact and flexible designs