Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) this week unveiled the 320 Series, its third-generation family of solid-state drive that is slated to replace the current X25-M SSD. Intel is one of the few consumer-grade SSD makers that uses its own controller, and the 320 Series is no exception on that front. Intel says that the new 320 Series comes with additional safeguards to protect data--even in situations when there is an unexpected loss of power. Furthermore, the 320 Series also incorporates 128-bit AES encryption for data protection in the event of a misplaced or stolen laptop.

According to TechSpot, the sequential write speeds of the 320 Series is rated at 220MBps, more than twice that of the 100MB/s of the X25-M. Read speeds though enjoyed a more modest improvement of just 20MBps to 270MBps. Power users looking for increased storage capacity will be happy to learn that the use of 25mm MLC NAND chips has made capacities of up to 600GB possible. For now, prices for 1,000-unit quantities is understood to range from $89 and $159 for the 40GB and 80GB models; the 600GB model will sell at $1,069--which represents a savings of approximately 20 percent to 30 percent over the X25-M family at equivalent capacities.

For more on this story:
- check out this article at TechSpot
- check out this article at PC Mag

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