Crucial, Lexar intro 50GB caching SSD, 1,000X CF card
updated 04:30 pm EST, Thu January 5, 2012
Crucial and Lexar roll fast storage for CES 2012
Crucial and Lexar together put out a pair of high-speed storage options ahead of CES. Topping the two is a special 50GB Adrenaline version of Crucial's m4 SSD intended as a cache for an existing drive. While it doesn't have to be used that way, the combination of a 2.5-to-3.5-inch adapter bracket and special software turns the SATA drive into a buffer for frequently accessed files on a larger hard drive, speeding up the OS and apps without having to sacrifice space.
Stores should get the SSD before the end of March, with prices to be set later.
Lexar's turn brings the first-ever 1,000X CompactFlash card. It goes well past the VPG-20 guideline and can read at a minimum 150MB per second while writing faster than the 20MB per second the spec demands. Getting the extra speed can be vital for greater-than-HD video recording on a camera like a RED Scarlet-X or for offloading large amounts of photos and videos.
Any camera or reader that can take UDMA-based CF cards will work properly with the card. Lexar ships the cards in February starting at $170 for a 16GB card and scaling up to 32GB ($300), 64GB ($530) and 128GB ($900).
