Ever since we reviewed the CORSAIR Neutron GTX 240GB SSD last year, I was somewhat puzzled by the decision to go to a 7mm thin casing. On one hand, this wouldn’t affect desktop users at all because most drive cages and trays would still bolt to the standard four screw holes on the bottom of the drive. Even if this was not possible, CORSAIR still included a drive caddy that allowed it to be adapted to a 3.5 inch bay. But when it came to notebooks, the 7mm size was a problem for two reasons: 1. The 7mm size was too thin to fit into most standard notebook hard drive bays and 2. There were no adapters to make it fit.
While many first generation Ultrabooks and slim notebooks may use a 7mm drive, many of them already come with SSDs so the upgrade path is somewhat redundant. What’ll confuse even more is that Seagate and Western Digital are both adopting a new 5mm size for their new Solid State Hybrid Drives or SSHDs for short. So now we’ll have 9.5mm, 7mm and 5mm drives out there.
For the majority of people looking for upgrades, the 9.5mm size is the standard and discovering that you picked up a 7mm drive by accident is just annoying. ADATA has alleviated the problem with a very simple plastic sleeve that adapts all their new 7mm drives to a 9.5mm height. They plan to start shipping these sleeves with their new lineup of 7mm form factor drives, allowing their products to work in more machines, and annoy fewer DIY upgraders.
So at least with ADATA, if you need a 7mm drive, you’ve got a 7mm drive. If you need a 9.5mm drive, just pop the sleeve on and you’re good to go. Simple.
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ADATA Solid State Drives Get Slimmer
Company adapts 7mm Form Factor for entire SSD lineup
Taipei, Taiwan – March 26, 2013 – ADATA™ Technology, a leading manufacturer of high-performance DRAM modules and NAND Flash application products, today announced the release of thinner and lighter versions of its solid state drives. With a thickness of just 7mm, these SSD models are extremely suitable for slim-design laptop and Ultrabook® computers.
The standard thickness for 2.5” form factor hard disk drives is 9.5mm. However, the market trend towards thinner and lighter notebook computers has influenced the design requirements for all components, especially hard drives. ADATA’s 7mm SSDs have reduced thickness, with no loss of speed, capacity, or durability, and are evidence of the company’s well-known determination to maintain competitiveness by maximizing versatility of its product offerings. The new SSDs will come with 2.5mm plastic holders, so that they can still be used with existing 9.5mm drive slots.
ADATA already enjoys a reputation as an innovator and leader in the NAND Flash application field, and the company’s SSDs have proven to be popular with consumers around the globe. This thinner form factor demonstrate that ADATA looks to remain a leader in solid state technology.
About ADATA
ADATA Technology, one of the world’s largest vendors of DRAM Modules and USB Flash Drives, provides complete memory solutions, including memory cards, solid state drives, and portable hard drives. ADATA products are internationally recognized by Germany’s iF Design Award, red dot Award, CES Best of Innovations Award, Japan’s Good Design Award, Best Choice of Computex Award, and Taiwan Excellence Gold Award. The company’s slogan of Love, Life, Dreams, embodies the ADATA brand and the role of innovative memory products in the human pursuit of universally cherished ideas. For more information, please visit www.adata-group.com.
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