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Intel X-25M solid-state drive

Stunningly Special SSD?

The X25-M uses a trivial 0.15W when it's working and remains cold to the touch. It is silent in operation. The 80GB capacity is something of an issue but that should be resolved when the 160GB version goes on sale. It’s small but you could live with the capacity, especially if you RAID a few drives together.

Windows Vista Start-up Time

Intel X-25M - Windows Vista Results

Shorter bars are better

The only problem with that plan is that you would end up bankrupt.

Intel gave us a price for the 80GB X25-M of $595 per drive when purchased in batches of 1000 drives. Judging by the list and retail prices of the Core 2 Q9650 at $530 per 1000, which sells for £360 and the Core 2 QX9650 ($999 per 1000 and £670), we reckon the X25-M will sell for about £399.

Could it mean that the 160GB X25-M will sell for £799?

Intel X-25M

Amazing PCMark05 HDD score ahoy!
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That’s one heck of a lot of money for Joe Punter to pay for storage. It makes sense for the enterprise markets where they want to stuff blades with SSDs that use a tiny amount of power, generate no heat and deliver stacks of performance but for the rest of us the situation is more complicated.

Your reviewer has absolutely no doubt that SSD will eclipse HDD over the next few years - provided the price drops and the drives prove to have reliable data integrity.

Next page: Verdict

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