Every week, we gather press releases that slipped through the net of our daily coverage, and we post them in the release roundup. This week, we’ve got news from Adata, Cooler Master, and Lian Li:
- Adata launches ultimate performance XPG SX910. Here comes another solid-state drive based on SandForce’s SF-2281 controller. This one is a little different, though. Adata claims to have implemented "new optimized firmware" to maximize NAND flash utilization, so the drive is available with full capacities of 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB. By contrast, other SF-2281-based SSDs generally serve up 120GB, 240GB, and 480GB of storage space. Also, Adata covers these puppies with a five-year warranty, which beats most of the competition by two years. The only downside seems to be pricing—$189.99, $379.99, and $749.99 for the 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB variants, respectively. That’s not exactly cheap, considering you can find 240GB drives based on the same controller (but with a shorter warranty) for $199.99.
- Cooler Master intros Silent Pro M2 power supplies. This new PSU series succeeds Cooler Master’s existing Silent Pro M lineup. The company says it’s boosted the amperage on the all-important 12V rail, implemented a new 3.3v DC-to-DC board to improve power efficiency, and switched out the fan for a 135-mm spinner featuring a quieter and longer-lasting hydraulic bearing. Prices are $119.99, $139.99, and $399.99, respectively, for the 620W, 720W, and 1500W units. Cooler Master quotes a June release time frame. Sure enough, the 620W and 720W models are already in stock at Newegg with the announced price tags.
- Lian Li Announces EATX chassis with front-mounted PSU. The belly of this new aluminum beast is large enough to accommodate Extended ATX motherboards—that is, king-sized workstation models with multiple CPU sockets. This chassis comes with a slight twist, because it tucks the power supply right under the storage bays at the front of the case. (There’s an AC cable extension that loops around to the back, so the front bezel won’t be marred by a jutting power connector.) Lian Li says the PC-V750’s drive bays can play host to six 3.5" hard drives and one 2.5" drive, which mounts to the bottom of the drive cage. You can stick a 3.5" drive in the lone optical bay, too, and mount a couple of additional drives to the floor of the chassis. Other amenities include USB 3.0 connectivity and a whopping five 120-mm fans. Lian Li is charging $319 for the black and silver versions of the PC-V750; it also offers a model with a side-panel window for $349.
Adata isn’t the only SSD maker to offer a SandForce SF-2281-based drive with a five-year warranty. Intel’s 520 Series SSDs also have that distinction. However, the Intel drives do have slightly lower capacities of 120GB, 240GB, and 480GB.