PCR Tech and IT retail, distribution and vendor news
Storage specialist WD is demonstrating the world’s PCI Express hard drives at Computex 2014.
WD’s prototype features the new SATA Express interface, a form of PCI Express technology which is offered on recently launched Intel series-9 chipset motherboard platforms.
The SATA Express interface provides a roadmap for faster speeds, lower power consumption and increased flexibility for future OEM designs.
"By moving to PCI Express, the industry marries the world’s most popular storage bus with the world’s most popular computer bus," read a WD statement. "This union provides a solid growth path to innovate new capability, while preserving the ability to plug legacy SATA drives into new SATA Express based computers. In another innovation, SATA Express allows cable connections with lower costs, by removing the PCI Express Sync line via SRIS (Separate RefClock with Independent SSC), which lowers the overall cable cost."
The SATA Express interface will be demonstrated in systems from WD’s key partners at Computex. This new infrastructure allows customers to work with SSDs, SSHDs and HDDs on a single common bus. The prototype leverages standard AHCI drivers.
“WD has been at the forefront of SATA technology, and we see a vibrant growth path for adoption of the future SATA Express Roadmap,” said Matt Rutledge, senior vice president, storage technology, WD.
“SATA will remain a standard for many years in many applications, and for customers who want to discuss a future beyond vanilla SATA, WD is ready to plan the future with them.”
Asus and Gigabyte – which produce motherboards with SATA Express technology – welcomed the news.
Picture credit: Hexus
