Two Families of 32nm SSDs From Toshiba Deliver Solid Performance for Mini-Mobile PCs, High-End Notebooks, Gaming and Home Entertainment

IRVINE, Calif., and TOKYO, Jan. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Toshiba Corp. (Toshiba) and Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (TAEC)*, its subsidiary in the Americas, today announced an expanded line up of NAND-flash-based solid state drives (SSDs) including the industry's first 128-gigabyte(1) (GB) Half-Slim /mSATA SG Series SSD modules ideally suited for a variety of applications including mini-mobile/netbook PCs, and a third generation, high performance HG3 Series featuring higher performance read/write SSDs. Both families of SSDs are based upon Toshiba 32nm Multi-Level Cell NAND. The new HG3 generation SSD delivers an industry competitive, high level of performance and endurance for use in notebook computers, gaming and home entertainment systems. Both drives series will be showcased for media at Digital Experience! during International CES 2010 at the Mirage Hotel Wednesday, January 6 and on the Toshiba website at ssd.toshiba.com.

Samples of the new drives will be available in the first quarter (January to March) of 2010, with mass production in the second (April to June) quarter.

The industry's first 128GB mSATA and Half-Slim modules, the fruits of Toshiba's layering technology, are ideal for applications enabled by smaller form factors and lower power such as mini-mobile PCs, netbooks and other mobile applications. The Toshiba SG2 series, with a maximum sequential read speed of 180 MB per second (MBps)(2) and maximum sequential write speed of 70 MBps, provides greater design flexibility and saves space and cost compared to SSDs in hard drive form factors and cases. The 128GB modules are only one seventh the volume and one eighth the weight of 2.5-inch form factor SSDs, and consume a fraction of the power.

Toshiba's 3rd-generation HG3 High Performance SSDs deliver the performance needed for higher end notebook computers. An advanced MLC controller supports higher read speeds, parallel data transfers and wear leveling to optimize performance, which increases reliability and endurance. The drives enable improved system responsiveness with a maximum sequential read speed of 250MB per second (MBps)(2) and maximum sequential write speed of 180MBps, enabling an improvement in overall computing experience, with faster boot and application loading times. The drives are offered in capacities of 64GB, 128GB, 256GB and 512GB in a standard 9.5mm, 2.5-inch case, or in a special 7mm thin 2.5-inch case in capacities of 128GB or 256GB. Smaller 1.8-inch drives are available in 64GB, 128GB or 256GB in a standard 1.8-inch disk drive case or as case-less or LIF-modules. The drives also offer AES data encryption to support only authorized data access.

Both new series support the TRIM Command implemented in Windows 7. In earlier models of solid state drives, a data block from which data was deleted was flagged as not in use and ignored by the controller. Once all the memory cells were written to once, this approach slowed down SSD operation. TRIM enables the OS to tell the SSD controller that the data can be actually deleted, freeing the blocks for subsequent use and maintaining SSD performance across its life.

Toshiba will continue to promote innovations that widen the horizons of the NAND Flash market and support its continued leadership in that market. The company will spur demand for SSDs in notebook PCs, netbooks, laptops and digital consumer products by enhancing its lineup, offering products with different densities and interfaces in a range of packages, while advancing device performance. For more information on Toshiba SSDs, please visit ssd.toshiba.com.

    32 nm NAND High Performance SSD  (HG3)
    --------------------------------------

                        THNSxC064GBSJ              THNSxC064GCSJ
                        -------------              -------------
                        THNSxC128GBSJ              THNSxC128GCSJ
                        -------------              -------------
                        THNSxC256GBSJ              THNSxC256GCSJ
                        -------------              -------------
                        THNSxC512GBSJ
                        -------------

    Capacity            64GB/128GB/                64GB/128GB/
                        256GB/512GB                256GB
    --------            -----------                -----------

    Form factor         2.5inch case               2.5inch case
    -----------         ------------               ------------
                        9.5mm height               7mm height
                        ------------               ----------
    Interface           SATA2.6 (3Gbps)
    ---------           ---------------
    Voltage             5V
    -------             ---
    Read speed          Maximum speed 250MBps (sequential mode)
    ----------          ---------------------------------------

    Write speed         Maximum speed at  180MBps (sequential mode)
    -----------         -------------------------------------------
    Size (mm)           Width: 69.9 mm             Width: 69.9 mm
    ----                --------------             --------------
                        Height: 9.5 mm             Height: 7 mm
                        --------------             ------------
                        Length: 100 mm             Length: 100 mm
                        --------------             --------------
    Weight              78g (91g for 512GB model)
    ------              -------------------------
    MTTF(3)             1 million hours
    -------             ---------------



                        THNSxC064GBMJ   THNSxC064GMMJ    THNSxC064GMLJ
                        -------------   -------------    -------------
                        THNSxC128GBMJ   THNSxC128GMMJ    THNSxC128GMLJ
                        -------------   -------------     -------------
                        THNSxC256GBMJ   THNSxC256GMMJ    THNSxC256GMLJ
                        -------------   -------------     -------------
                        64GB/128GB/     64GB/128GB       64GB/128GB/
    Capacity            256GB           /256GB           256GB
    --------            -----------     ----------       -----------

                                        1.8 inch         1.8 inch LIF-
    Form factor         1.8 inch case   case-less        Module
    -----------         ------------    ---------        -------------

    Interface           SATA2.6 (3Gbps)
    ---------           ---------------
    Voltage             3.3V
    -------             ----
    Read speed          Maximum speed 250MBps (sequential mode)
    ----------          ---------------------------------------
    Write speed         Maximum speed at  180MBps (sequential mode)
    -----------         -------------------------------------------
    Size (mm)           Width: 54.0mm   Width: 49mm      Width: 53.6mm
    ---------           -------------   -----------      -------------
                        Height: 5.0mm   Height: 4.75mm   Height: 2.6mm
                        -------------   --------------   -------------
                        Length: 78.5mm  Length: 77.13mm  Length: 70.6mm
                        --------------  ---------------  --------------

    Weight              48g             15g
    ------              ---             ---
    MTTF(3)             1 million hours
    -------             ---------------

    32 nm NAND Standard SSD  (SG2)
    ------------------------------

                 THNSxB128GMSJ                               THNSxB128GMCJ
                 -------------                               -------------
    Capacity     128GB                                       128GB
    --------     -----                                       -----
    Form factor  Half-Slim                                   mSATA
    -----------  -------                                     -----
    Interface    SATA2.6 (3Gbps)
    ---------    ---------------
    Voltage      5V                                          3.3V
    -------      ---                                         ----
    Read speed   Maximum speed 180MBps (sequential mode)
    ----------  ---------------------------------------
    Write speed  Maximum speed at 70MBps (sequential mode)
    -----------  -----------------------------------------
    Size (mm)    Width: 54 mm                                Width: 30mm
    ---------    ------------                                -----------
                 Height: 4 mm                                Height: 4.75mm
                 ------------                                --------------
                 Length: 39 mm                               Length: 50.95mm
                 -------------                               ---------------
    Weight       9g                                          9g
    ------       ---                                         ---
    MTTF(3)      1 million hours
    -------      ---------------

*About Toshiba Corp. and TAEC

Through proven commitment, lasting relationships and advanced, reliable electronic components, Toshiba enables its customers to create market-leading designs. Toshiba is the heartbeat within product breakthroughs from OEMs, ODMs, CMs, distributors and fabless chip companies worldwide. A committed electronic components leader, Toshiba designs and manufactures high-quality flash memory-based storage solutions, discrete devices, displays, advanced materials, medical tubes, custom SoCs/ASICs, digital multimedia and imaging products, microcontrollers and wireless components that make possible today's leading cell phones, MP3 players, cameras, medical devices, automotive electronics and more.

Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. is an independent operating company owned by Toshiba America, Inc., a subsidiary of Toshiba Corporation, Japan's largest semiconductor manufacturer and the world's third largest semiconductor manufacturer (Gartner, 2008 WW Semiconductor Revenue, April 2009). For additional company and product information, please visit http://www.toshiba.com/taec/. For information on Toshiba memory products, please visit memory.toshiba.com.

Information in this press release, including product pricing and specifications, content of services and contact information, is current and believed to be accurate on the date of the announcement, but is subject to change without prior notice. Technical and application information contained here is subject to the most recent applicable Toshiba product specifications. In developing designs, please ensure that Toshiba products are used within specified operating ranges as set forth in the most recent Toshiba product specifications and the information set forth in Toshiba's "Handling Guide for Semiconductor Devices," or "Toshiba Semiconductor Reliability Handbook." This information is available at www.chips.toshiba.com, or from your TAEC representative.

(1)When used herein in relation to memory density, gigabyte and/or GB means 1,024x1,024x1,024 = 1,073,741,824 bytes. Usable capacity may be less. For details, please refer to specifications.

(2)For purposes of measuring read and write speed in this context, 1 Megabyte or MB = 1,000,000 bytes. Read and write speed may vary depending on the controller, read and write conditions, such as file sizes you read and/or write.

(3)The MTTF (Mean Time to Failure) is not a guarantee or estimate of product life; it is a statistical value related to mean failure rates for a large number of products which may not accurately reflect actual operation. Actual operating life of the product may not resemble the MTTF.

SOURCE Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc.