LSI ups the Nytro line to 2TB of flash

AIS 2013: PCIe storage just got bigger but note more advanced

LSI logoLSI has updated its Nytro PCIe flash drive line with two new models, the XP 6209 and XP 6210. If you need a solid enterprise flash drive this pair should do nicely.

These new drives are pretty easy to explain, the XP 6209 is a half-height with 1TB of flash, 930GB usable capacity. the XP 6210 is a full-height drive with exactly twice that capacity. Both are PCIe2 8x with read speeds listed at 2GBps, not Gbps or about 40% of the theoretical capacity of the bus. Why is it so low? Take a look at the picture below for a big hint.

LSI Nytro XP 6209 and 6210 cards

Nytro XP 6209 and 6210 PCIe flash cards

Notice the parts labeled “3” on the 6210, all four of them. With the release of the native PCIe Sandforce 3700 line of flash controller you would be forgiven if you guessed there were four of them under the heatsinks. We did, and we were wrong too or at least the controllers here are not directly PCIe connected. In this case they are just acting as controllers, the PCIe interface is the chip under the “2” label.

In short the new Nytro cards are just updated versions of the old Nytros, they are not a radical change to how things are done. Since these cards target the high-end enterprise market where reliability and consistency matter more than just about anything else, this is in fact a really good thing. These drives are still effectively four high-end SATA parts that each max out at about 500MBps.

One big change is the price of the XP 6209 and XP 6210, it is a lot lower than before. While it isn’t exactly cheap the 1TB model only costs $2,899 and the 2TB a mere $4,999. Before you scoff at the $2+/GB tag for flash, several times what a cheap consumer product runs, just recall this is not a cheap consumer product. These are overprovisioned parts with an emphasis on reliability and long life. For the target market, that is the most important metric and if history is any guide, these two newcomers should do just fine in that regard.S|A

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Charlie Demerjian

Roving engine of chaos and snide remarks at SemiAccurate
Charlie Demerjian is the founder of Stone Arch Networking Services and SemiAccurate.com. SemiAccurate.com is a technology news site; addressing hardware design, software selection, customization, securing and maintenance, with over one million views per month. He is a technologist and analyst specializing in semiconductors, system and network architecture. As head writer of SemiAccurate.com, he regularly advises writers, analysts, and industry executives on technical matters and long lead industry trends. Charlie is also available through Guidepoint and Mosaic. FullyAccurate