Fusion-io And Fatal1ty Debut ioXtreme PCIe SSD

Fusion-io is a company name that has become synonymous with high-priced but ridiculously fast Solid State Storage solutions. Unfortunately for those without loads of disposable income, the outfit's newest creation still isn't budget-friendly, but it's certainly cheaper than Fusion-io's other enterprise-based wares. Announced at E3 last week alongside the world's most well-know professional gamer -- Mr. Johnathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel -- the ioXtreme is described as a solid state storage device for high-performance PCs and workstations using 64 bit operating systems.


In essence, this is Fusion-io's answer to OCZ Technology's Z Drive, and it promises to nix application latency and significantly enhance boot times and app launches. Naturally, the device is a PCI Express card, and it packs 80GB of pure solid state storage for blazing fast transfer rates. Fatal1ty was quoted as saying: "The ioXtreme supercharges high-end PCs and workstations. I predict this technology will fundamentally change the way software is designed, allowing developers to create a new class of applications that seamlessly handle massive amounts of data. Imagine playing the most intense game, working on complex 3-D graphics, manipulating massive files, ripping multiple DVDs and installing a new application -- all simultaneously. The technology is crazy and works at the speed I need."

Specifications

Capacity:	80 GB
NAND Type:	Multi-Level Cell (MLC)
Average Bandwidth: HD Tach 3.0.4.0	520 MB/s
Burst Bandwidth: HD Tach 3.0.4.0	617 MB/s
Latency:	< 100 µs
Mean Time Between Failure:	2,000,000 hours
Write Endurance:	6 Years
Form Factor:	PCI Express (x4)
Power:	PCI Express Power Spec 1.1

System Requirements

Operating Systems:	Windows XP 64-bit Windows Vista 64-bit Linux 64-bit
Minimum Hardware:	x86 processor 2 GB RAM x4 PCI-Express slot

Until recently, most SSDs have targeting notebook users. Now, at long last, desktop gamers and performance junkies are finally getting their own dose of attention. The ioXtreme is expected to ship in July for $895, though we have to wonder if any larger editions are on tap. As great as this sounds, 80GB is a bit small this day and age.