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Mushkin announces M.2 Atlas Vital SSD for budget users

By Koh Wanzi - on 29 Jul 2015, 9:49am

Mushkin announces M.2 Atlas Vital SSD for budget users

Image Source: Mushkin

Mushkin has introduced the Atlas Vital SSD, a new M.2 2280 (it measures 22 x 80mm) drive that hopes to put the compact M.2 form factor within the reach of budget-conscious users. The Atlas Vital joins the existing Atlas line-up of mSATA drives and will close the price gap with more conventional 2.5-inch SATA 6Gbps SSDs.

And even though the M.2 interface supports up to PCIe 3.0 x4, the Atlas Vital is still a SATA 6Gbps drive, so don't expect any dramatic speed boosts. The Atlas Vital will use Seagate’s SandForce SF-2000 series controller and is rated for sequential read and write speeds of 550MB/s and 535MB/s respectively, which is actually more or less on par with many mid-range to high-end 2.5-inch SSDs today. For instance, the new Kingston HyperX Savage has sequential read and write speeds of 560MB/s and 530MB/s.

As one of the few SSD manufacturers that packages its own NAND, Mushkin is better able to cut costs and pass the savings on to consumers. The Atlas Vital is also said to utilize MLC NAND, which probably helps to keep the overall price down as well. 

Mushkin has said that the new Atlas Vital drives are a good fit for ultrabooks and small form factor PCs, helping users get an affordable performance boost for their systems. 

The Atlas Vital is available at the following capacities and price points:

  • 120GB (US$80)
  • 240GB (US$110)
  • 250GB (US$116)
  • 480GB (US$186)
  • 500GB (US$190)

All the drives will also ship with a three-year warranty.

Source: Mushkin via Tom’s Hardware

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