Marvell showed off a new hybrid storage controller this week that combines the strengths of speedy solid-state drives (SSD) with the higher storage capacities of hard disk drives (HDD). In a nutshell, while the 88SE9130 controller will work like any other storage controller when used in a pure HDD setup, it excels in a hybrid rig where the SSD is harnessed to accelerate data access.

HyperDuo enhances performance when operating in Capacity Mode, where the controller treats both SSD and HDD as a single storage device to yield a greater capacity not unlike how RAID 0 systems work. The technology works by scanning for "hot files" in the background however, which are files that are used more frequently. These files are then moved from the HDD to the SSD, resulting in quicker loading time for the user without the need for the user to change the way they work.

Users who are not comfortable with Capacity Mode can disable HyperDuo or opt for Safe Mode, which essentially ups the protection from catastrophic failure of the SSD by keeping a copy of the hot files on the HDD. While Marvell is not saying much about how much its new controller costs, it appears that a number of computer hardware makers such as Asus and Gigabyte have already signed up to incorporate the technology into new motherboards.

For more on this story:
- check out this article at PC Mag
- check out this article at CNET Blogs
- check out this article at eWeek

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