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Any timeframe or expected release for Intel X25M 3rd Generation SSD?

Icaras

Icaras

macrumors 603
Original poster
Mar 18, 2008
6,349
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With the impending release of the new Mac Pros around the corner, I was wondering when Intel would release their 3rd generation of X25-M SSDs.

I'm on track to get a new 2010 Mac Pro and I've been waiting for the next generation of Intel SSDs as I'm pretty sure they'll provide better performances with cheaper prices.

Any ideas?
 
Icaras said:
With the impending release of the new Mac Pros around the corner, I was wondering when Intel would release their 3rd generation of X25-M SSDs.

I'm on track to get a new 2010 Mac Pro and I've been waiting for the next generation of Intel SSDs as I'm pretty sure they'll provide better performances with cheaper prices.

Any ideas?
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The 2nd generation has only been out a few months, you have a long wait ahead of you. According to previously released road maps, the only intel SSD on the horizon is the 320GB version.
 
bugout said:
The 2nd generation has only been out a few months, you have a long wait ahead of you. According to previously released road maps, the only intel SSD on the horizon is the 320GB version.
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As I recall, the 2nd Gen came out during summer time? Does the X25M update once a year?

Do you think it will at least come out this year?
 
Icaras said:
Does the X25M update once a year?
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So far it has. But with the stocks of G1's lingering on, and the prices on the G2's have been high (due to limited availability), it's slowed down their recovery of R&D funds, not to mention profits. Intel won't make the same mistake again, so it may be delayed. :(
 
The 160GB G2 is built in such a way that adding a 320GB model would be very easy. So if anything we might see them add a 320GB if there is a market for it. There is some info here.
 
Intel's SSD generations do not go tick tock but tock tock. This means you only get a a new generation when the lithography takes a step down as it did with gen two from 45 nm to 32 nm. With gen2 in 2009 I do not expect gen3 before late 2010 or even 2011. The manufacturing width should be at 22 m by then. So there will be plenty of time to enjoy gen2. They may even push out a new controller firmware.
 
gugucom said:
Intel's SSD generations do not go tick tock but tock tock. This means you only get a a new generation when the lithography takes a step down as it did with gen two from 45 nm to 32 nm. With gen2 in 2009 I do not expect gen3 before late 2010 or even 2011. The manufacturing width should be at 22 m by then. So there will be plenty of time to enjoy gen2. They may even push out a new controller firmware.
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I'm under the impression the next fab process has been worked out for the most part (certainly the materials and process, but manufacturing scale OTOH...). Even if that's ready to go sooner, they would likely hold off until the last of the G2 stocks are cleared first to avoid what's happend from the G1 to G2 transition. There's still G1's out there (i.e. Amazon has them, and for more $$$ than the G2's they sell - M series), and I'm seeing the E series still around as well.
 
From the leaked roadmaps, there's nothing on the near-term horizon...

This comes from leaks on a Chinese site just before Christmas...

A leaked Intel roadmap shows that the company is planning to launch the 2xnm MLC based SSDs with a larger capacity in Q4 next year.

The current 34nm MLC based X25-M and X18-M using 50nm process technology will be phased out in Q3 next year, and in the following quarter we can expect something called Postville Refresh – 600/300/160GB drives built with 2xnm MLC chip. At the same time the Lyndonville will make its debut with 34nm MLC chip, and they will be available in capacities of 400/200/100GB.

Besides, the X25-V series for entry-level market is going to be updated to 2xnm at the end of next year, coming with a larger capacity of 80GB
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Previous roadmap reports had the 320GB X25-M G2 coming in Q4 of this year, but I can only guess that NAND shortages have pushed this out and possibly kept supply short and prices high for the current generation of SSD's.
 
VirtualRain said:
From the leaked roadmaps, there's nothing on the near-term horizon...

This comes from leaks on a Chinese site just before Christmas...



Previous roadmap reports had the 320GB X25-M G2 coming in Q4 of this year, but I can only guess that NAND shortages have pushed this out and possibly kept supply short and prices high for the current generation of SSD's.
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Can you provide the link?

NAND shortages are nothing new, but I can't get around the slowed purchase due to a combination of the economy and leftover stocks that pushed the G2's to the "too expensive" category for so long since they were released. Stocks have been spotty, and it makes sense. If Intel had allowed the G2's to go on as originally planned in terms of supplies, they'd have eaten a massive financial turd with the G1's, and really ticked of retailers. Since the G2's are just coming into where they should have been selling, it seems realistic that the next die size will be delayed until the current die size has made both sufficient profits, and there's nothing left in their warehouses prior to release of smaller die NAND to thier own production facilities (probably contract production of their boards <all products>).
 
Ok, so there probably won't be new models introduced this year...

What about price drops? Assuming availability starts to increase on the Gen2 SSDs sometime in 2010, could we possibly see Intel drop prices this year? Perhaps? Maybe? :eek:

Weren't SSDs projected to continue dropping in price exponentially?
 
VirtualRain said:
This is the source I quoted... http://www.guru3d.com/news/intel-has-600gb-ssd-on-its-roadmap/ and their source is expreview.com
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Thanks for the link. :)

VirtualRain said:
The last part about NAND shortages was just a guess on my part as to why we're seeing limited supply and stagnant high prices.
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They've certainly happened before, but in this case, I think it's intentional, given the remaining G1 stock surplus at the time of the G2 release. It makes sense IMO, as retailers would be seriously peeved if they got stuck having to discount the old products to sell it off, as the prices would have had to be less than the G2's (cost/GB), and would have been less than they paid. To keep relations with retailers on good terms, they would have had to assist (i.e. eat the cost themselves via rebates, .... either to the purchaser or to the retailers). So limiting the supply of the G2's makes more sense IMO, and it's happened with other tech as well, so it's not unheard of.

Icaras said:
Ok, so there probably won't be new models introduced this year...

What about price drops? Assuming availability starts to increase on the Gen2 SSDs sometime in 2010, could we possibly see Intel drop prices this year? Perhaps? Maybe? :eek:

Weren't SSDs projected to continue dropping in price exponentially?
Click to expand...
We'll have to wait and see, but the overall sales volume is low yet, and currently, are in the neighborhood of the MSRP now. So discounts may be a while off yet, as they're now getting some sales of the G2's (where they would have expected to be at the initial release).
 
nanofrog said:
Thanks for the link. :)


They've certainly happened before, but in this case, I think it's intentional, given the remaining G1 stock surplus at the time of the G2 release. It makes sense IMO, as retailers would be seriously peeved if they got stuck having to discount the old products to sell it off, as the prices would have had to be less than the G2's (cost/GB), and would have been less than they paid. To keep relations with retailers on good terms, they would have had to assist (i.e. eat the cost themselves via rebates, .... either to the purchaser or to the retailers). So limiting the supply of the G2's makes more sense IMO, and it's happened with other tech as well, so it's not unheard of.


We'll have to wait and see, but the overall sales volume is low yet, and currently, are in the neighborhood of the MSRP now. So discounts may be a while off yet, as they're now getting some sales of the G2's (where they would have expected to be at the initial release).
Click to expand...

G1 stock has been virtually impossible to find for the last couple of months (I've been looking)... and G2 is nearly just as hard to find... the few that were available on Black Friday disappeared nearly instantly and they really haven't been back in stock at Newegg since. It makes no sense other than there is a limited supply of NAND.

As for a price drop, I can't see that happening until whatever is causing the supply shortage gets sorted out.
 
VirtualRain said:
G1 stock has been virtually impossible to find for the last couple of months (I've been looking)... and G2 is nearly just as hard to find... the few that were available on Black Friday disappeared nearly instantly and they really haven't been back in stock at Newegg since. It makes no sense other than there is a limited supply of NAND.

As for a price drop, I can't see that happening until whatever is causing the supply shortage gets sorted out.
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newegg's got the 160's on hand, but the 80's seem to be sold out (either an ETA or Auto Notify on those pages, and likely the result of the sales made over the Holidays). Amazon indicates stock though, and I looked earlier tonight.

I gues you call it a NAND shortage, but I see it as a drive shortage. Not much different, except in the reasoning. That one way its the supply/demand in the semi component market, but I see it as intentional. The financial losses had they dropped the G2's as planned while the G1's were so plentiful, would have been a financial pit-fall.

That's changed for the most part (though there does seem to be a few G1 models in the supply chain, Intel seems to have cleared the warehouses), and the G2's are seemingly going to become more available.

Time will tell, as I'm sure they like the higher prices. ;) The retailers certainly do. :p
 
Are the Postvilles still unavailable in the US?

In Germany you can get both the 160GB and the 80GB version within 24 hours from various vendors.
The prices here are going down slowly as well. Currently the 160GB is about 360€ (~520$), which is pretty cheap compared to the prices a few month ago.
 
Transporteur said:
Are the Postvilles still unavailable in the US?

In Germany you can get both the 160GB and the 80GB version within 24 hours from various vendors.
The prices here are going down slowly as well. Currently the 160GB is about 360€ (~520$), which is pretty cheap compared to the prices a few month ago.
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They're available now, and at or close to MSRP. Apparently they were released en mass for the holiday sales. Currently, newegg and amazon have stocks of both capacities, and they're prices are still hovering around MSRP. Not sure on actual quantities, as newegg doesn't list them. Amazon's stocks are low (all under 15 units).

Shipping times are up to the buyer if they're willing to pay for it of course, but they should be able to get it out the same day, if ordered on time. ;)
 
nanofrog said:
They're available now, and at or close to MSRP. Apparently they were released en mass for the holiday sales. Currently, newegg and amazon have stocks of both capacities, and they're prices are still hovering around MSRP. Not sure on actual quantities, as newegg doesn't list them. Amazon's stocks are low (all under 15 units).

Shipping times are up to the buyer if they're willing to pay for it of course, but they should be able to get it out the same day, if ordered on time. ;)
Click to expand...

That's interesting... two days ago when I posted, I checked around and no one had stock.
 
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