At CES 2013 earlier this year, we met up with ASUS to discuss some upcoming new products as always. One of the products was presented to us, in an rather vague fashion as you may have seen in the video coverage. That product was the new ASUS ROG RAIDR Express PCI Express SSD and it’s finally coming to market.
In a field of PCI-E based SSDs, the RAIDR definitely gets a second glance thanks to its ASUS ROG design cues. The black and red colors of the matte finish covering really stand out and complement the company’s signature board series well. However, the RAIDR’s beauty isn’t just skin deep as it boasts performance to match with read and write speeds in excess of 800 MB/s in a 240GB capacity serviced by an LSI Sandforce controller. But the true test of this product in the mass market is uniform compatibility with both older and newer motherboards with either traditional or UEFI BIOS configurations. This is something that has caused early adopters great angst with some competing products.
The RAIDR features a switch on the card itself that allows one to make it compatible with a traditional or UEFI BIOS with just the flick of a switch. And in terms of longevity, the RAIDR seems to take after enterprise level products with a 620,000 MTBF which is roughly 70 years. Since enthusiasts upgrade constantly, we’ll probably be seeing this third, fourth and fifth hand in the near future.
Pricing of the ASUS ROG RAIDR has not yet been determined nor has availability been released. But it is one step closer to becoming a real contender for your wallet when it does eventually launch. In the meantime you can check out the video below and pull up the full press release at the link right below that.
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ASUS ROG Launches RAIDR Express PCI Express-based SSD
The world’s first PCI-e SSD to be compatible with both legacy and UEFI BIOS offers amazing speed and incredible durability
Taipei, Taiwan (24 July, 2013) — ASUS ROG today announced RAIDR Express, the first PCI Express-based SSD in the world with a DuoMode feature that allows it to work with either legacy (traditional) or modern UEFI BIOS. Aimed at hardcore gamers and PC enthusiasts demanding a faster and more reliable computer experience, RAIDR Express combines the best compatibility and great performance with incredible durability.
With 240GB capacity, sequential 830MB/s read and 810MB/s write speeds, and bundled with tons of features that maintain the high-speed performance and extend the lifespan, RAIDR Express is made for real speed-demons. Boasting the gorgeous ROG red and black design with double-sided metal shielding and an incredible 620,000 hours mean time between failure (MTBF) to ensure quality, RAIDR Express is built to last.
Exclusive design, exclusive flexibility
RAIDR Express isn’t like other SSDs. It’s the world’s first and only PCIe-based SSD with DuoMode BIOS support. With two BIOS chips onboard, RAIDR Express includes a hardware switch that lets users easily alternate between legacy and UEFI modes, ensuring the best compatibility with PCs old and new.
In legacy mode, the RAIDR Express can be used on older motherboards — those with a traditional (non-UEFI) BIOS. By switching to UEFI mode, users can significantly boost PC startup times. With the flexibility of choosing which mode is best, users can enjoy the benefits of both.
Made for real speed demons
With the latest generation dual LSI® SandForce controller, Toshiba-made 19nm 16K-page size multi-level cell (MLC) sync-NAND flash, 100,000 4K read/write input/output operations per second (IOPS) and 830/ 810MB/s sequential read/write speeds, RAIDR Express doesn’t keep users waiting.
As well, RAIDR Express has several other speed-boosting tricks up its sleeve. The bundled RAMDisk utility that allows users to dedicate up to 80% of a computer’s available RAM for use as a high-speed virtual drive that accelerates the loading of favorite applications and games. In ASUS tests, read speeds of over 12,000MB/s were reached.
Better still, RAMDisk extends the life of RAIDR Express by reducing unnecessary write operations. RAMDisk even backs itself up to the main system drive when the PC is shut down and restores itself automatically at power-up, for maximum speed and minimum hassle. The ROG SSD TweakIt tool ups the speed stakes still further by relocating repetitive write activities to the RAMDisk for even faster operation, while keeping RAIDR Express at peak performance for much longer. SSD TweakIt can also be used to apply a preset profile that refines processor settings automatically to achieve additional speed boosts of up to 5%.
RAIDR Express also includes ROG HybriDisk technology super-charges hard disk drive storage. HybriDisk allows RAIDR Express to act as a solid-state cache for high-capacity hard drives up to 4TB, but its PCIe architecture means data transfers smash the 600MB/s SATA limit for traditional PC storage. The included ROG CrystalDiskMark benchmark tool allows users to see for themselves just how fast RAIDR Express can go — and keep on going.
Fast, compatible and built to last
RAIDR Express is fast and offers the widest system compatibility, but it’s also built to last. RAIDR Express is rated at an amazing 620,000 hours’ mean time between failure (MTBF), so users are assured year after year of trouble-free use and strict testing ensures wide system compatibility.
RAIDR Express also has a highly durable design packed with unique ROG innovations designed to extend its lifespan. Tough, double-sided metal shielding provides great heat dissipation and reduces electromagnetic interference (EMI), improving cooling and overall stability.
AVAILABILITY & PRICING
Please contact your local ASUS representative for further information.
SPECIFICATIONS 1
ASUS ROG RAIDR Express
PCI Express 2.0 x2
240GB capacity
Dual LSI® SandForce SF-2281 controllers
Toshiba 19nm 16K page size MLC Sync-NAND Flash
Sequential read/write speed: 830/810MB/s
Up to 100,000 4K read/write IOPS (Input/Output operations Per Second)
Legacy and UEFI BIOS support
Driver-free with TRIM support
Windows® 7 / Windows® 8 compatible
Windows® 8 Secure Boot compatible
157 x 120 x 20mm
1 Specifications and product availability are all subject to change without notice and may differ from country to country. Actual performance may vary depending on applications, usage, environment and other factors. Test results based on the ATTO Disk Benchmark and Iometer
ABOUT ASUS
ASUS is a worldwide top-three consumer notebook vendor and maker of the world’s best-selling, most award-winning, motherboards. A leading enterprise in the new digital era, ASUS designs and manufactures products that perfectly meet the needs of today’s digital home and office, with a broad portfolio that includes motherboards, graphics cards, optical drives, displays, desktop and all-in-one PCs, notebooks, netbooks, servers, multimedia devices, wireless solutions, networking devices, tablets and smartphones. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, ASUS won 4,168 awards in 2012 and is widely credited with revolutionizing the PC industry with its Eee PC™. ASUS has more than 12,500 employees around the globe with a world-class R&D team of 3,800 engineers. Company revenue for 2012 was approximately US$14 billion.
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