OCZ launches PCI-E SSD offering

OCZ today released the RevoDrive PCI-Express solid-state drive product that is one of the leading SSD alternatives away from SATA II-based drives.

The drives offer faster read and write speeds than current SATA II SSDs, but the significantly higher price tag will surely scare away some customers.

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Drives with 120GB and 240GB storage capacities are available, with MSRP prices of $389.99 and $699.99, respectively.

The drive uses a RAID 0 design and is able to support read speeds of up to 540MB/s and write speeds up to 480MB/s -- a speed increase almost twice as fast as many SATA II SSDs.

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OCZ promises even faster PC boot and load times, along with quieter and more heat efficient drives rival PCIe and SATA II offerings.

"The RevoDrive is the first PCIe SSD that delivers both performance and affordability and radically alters the SSD landscape," said Ryan Petersen, OCZ CEO, in a statement.

PCIe SSDs still are a minute part of the overall SSD market, as manufacturers remain focused at reducing prices of SATA II drives.  A quick look at Newegg reveals more than 130 SATA II SSD products available, while only 9 PCIe SSDs are for sale.  All of the PCIe SSDs are OCZ products, but prices range from $1,009 up to $4,199.

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As more consumers and businesses begin to use SSDs, I expect PCIe SSD products to slowly drop in price.  As noted by the Newegg listings, the current PCIe SSD price point leaves a lot to be desired.  It will take some time, but prices will drop and some PC gamers and video editors may be willing to spend more for a PCIe SSD -- once the price drops below $600 for SSDs.

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