Intel has started shipping its 1.8in and 2.5in 80GB solid-state drives. The chip giant also reiterated its plan to release 160GB versions by the end of the year.

The X18-M and X25-M drives use multi-level cell (MLC) technology, generally held to be slower than drives based on single-level cell designs. Intel promised it will intro SLC SSDs within the next three months, aiming them - and no doubt pricing them - at servers.

The drives shipping today will be pitched at desktops and laptops, and they're pricey enough: $595 when purchased in batches of 1000 units. The SATA drives deliver sustained read speeds of up to 250MB/s, Intel claimed, and sustained write speeds of up to 70MB/s.

Source:→ The Reg