OCZ Announces Z-Drive Bootable PCI-Express SSD

OCZ unveiled the Z-Drive, a PCI-Express Solid State Drive (SSD) today. The new Z-Drive is an all-in-one high performance plug-and-play bootable PCI-E SSD that provides a cost-effective means for enterprise customers to take advantage of solid state drive technology. The Z-Drive is designed to significantly reduce both the maintenance and overall TCO for clients.

The Z-Drive builds on OCZ's expertise in flash-based storage. This proprietary SSD employs a high-speed PCI-Express architecture in combination with a compact enterprise-grade RAID array to eliminate the SATA bottleneck. Thanks to eight PCI-E lanes and an internal four-way RAID 0 configuration, the Z-Drive is able to deliver performance for professional-class data storage in an all-in-one form factor.

The Z-Drive is available in multi-level cell (MLC) and single-level cell (SLC) models. The MLC-based Z-Drive p84 supports a maximum read speed of 750 MB/s and a maximum write speed of 650 MB/s. The SLC-based Z-Drive e84 supports a maximum read speed of 800 MB/s and a maximum write speed of 750 MB/s. The Z-Drive is available in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB (p84 only) capacities.

OCZ Announces Immediate Availability of the Z-Drive

An Innovative Bootable PCI-Express SSD Solution for Enterprise Applications

San Jose, Calif.—September 16, 2009—OCZ Technology Group, Inc., a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory and flash-based storage as an alternative to hard disk drives (HDDs), today unveiled the Z-Drive, a PCI-Express Solid State Drive (SSD) designed to meet the stringent demands of enterprise computing clients. Unlike other solutions, the Z-Drive provides a cost-effective formula of performance, reliability, and upkeep for enterprise customers and their applications which require the benefits of solid state drive technology, but have previously been hesitant to adopt competing products due to the sheer cost of implementation.

“Traditional enterprise storage technology typically requires overly complex infrastructure as well costly maintenance, and is often unable to deliver the level of performance required by OEM applications,” said Ryan Petersen, CEO of the OCZ Technology Group. “The new OCZ Z-Drive is an all-in-one high performance plug-and-play bootable PCI-E solid state drive that addresses these challenges head on, and meets the demands of the complete range of enterprise storage and data access requirements. The Z-Drive is designed not only to be higher performing and more reliable than conventional solutions, but also to significantly reduce both the maintenance and overall TCO for our clients.”


The Z-Drive is the result of the latest breakthroughs at OCZ and builds on the company’s expertise in flash-based storage. This proprietary SSD is bootable and takes the SATA bottleneck out of the equation by employing a high-speed PCI-Express architecture coupled with a compact enterprise-grade RAID array. With 8 PCI-E lanes and an internal four-way RAID 0 configuration, the Z-Drive delivers exceptional performance that translates to professional-class data storage in a complete, all-in-one form factor. Additionally, OCZ offers unique customization options for OEM clients that may require tailored hardware or firmware solutions for their business.

To accommodate a wide range of professional applications, the Z-Drive is available in multi-level cell (MLC) and single-level cell (SLC) models referred to consecutively as p84 and e84. Z-Drive pushes the envelope in storage performance versus competing traditional and flash based solutions:

	Z-Drive p84 (MLC-based)	Z-Drive e84 (SLC-based)
Max Read	750 MB/s	800 MB/s
Max Write	650 MB/s	750 MB/s
Max IOPS (4k file size - random write)	10,000	16,000

In addition, these impressive speeds are achieved all while providing lower power consumption, superior durability, and shock resistance compared to traditional rotational-based drives, translating into exceptional energy savings and reduced maintenance costs.

An ideal solution for enterprise clients that put a premium on both performance and maximum storage capacity including servers, storage arrays, supercomputing, professional media, and industrial electronics, the Z-Drive is available in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB (p84 only) capacities to offer ample room for the complete spectrum of applications. The Z-Drive comes backed by a leading 3-year warranty and dedicated technical support, ensuring unparalleled peace of mind.