MSI's Computex booth has prepared new products for everyone, even for overclockers in microATX form factors. The company has presented a microATX MPOWER B850E motherboard, as we expected the MPOWER series comeback, with a very simple visual layout, aiming to please overclockers and even extreme LN2 users, with little add-ons to obstruct operations. Based on the B850E chipset, it accommodates AM5 processors with up to 16 cores and 32 threads in the top-end AMD Ryzen 9 9950X SKU. There are two eight-pin CPU connectors instead of the regular single eight-pin connector, for more overclocking headroom. VRM phases are covered in low-profile heatsinks so that LN2 coolers, often large and chunky, don't interfere with motherboard elements, which would usually require removal and later thermal isolation. What is particularly interesting is the usage of two memory DIMM slots, which is ideal for overclocking as it requires less CPU signaling to the memory. For easy signaling, MSI's EZ dashboard integrates power, reset, clear CMOS buttons, and a debug LED for CPU status codes.

ADATA Technology Co., Ltd., a global leader in memory and flash storage solutions, today officially announced the launch of its new enterprise storage brand, TRUSTA, marking a major step into the AI server, data center, and enterprise markets. Aligned with its brand spirit of "Together, Empowering Tomorrow," TRUSTA focuses on innovation, performance, and stability, striving to deliver SSD solutions that combine high-speed computing capabilities with exceptional energy efficiency. TRUSTA is set to make its official debut at COMPUTEX 2025.

Seizing Global Server Market Opportunities with the Launch of T7 and T5 Series
According to TrendForce, the global server market is projected to reach USD 306 billion in 2024, with AI servers demonstrating particularly strong growth momentum, potentially contributing nearly USD 298 billion by 2025. In response to this trend, ADATA will officially introduce the TRUSTA brand at COMPUTEX, launching the T7 and T5 series enterprise SSDs. These solutions are designed to support a wide range of applications, including AI training and inference, vector databases, high-performance computing (HPC), virtualization platforms (VM/VDI), and server boot storage, helping enterprises build complete storage infrastructures from system boot-up to intensive data operations.

From April 6-9th, UGREEN, a global leader in consumer electronics and charging technology, is showcasing its innovative NASync series at the NAB Show in Las Vegas. The UGREEN NASync iDX6011 and iDX6011 Pro have been the highlights of the display at Booth SL9210 in the Las Vegas Convention Center. These latest UGREEN NASync iDX models revolutionize data management and security for content creators through advanced AI technology, setting a new standard as the world-first AI-powered NAS.

UGREEN NASync is a series of network-attached storage devices tailored for personal, home, or business use. In March 2024, UGREEN launched a 44-day crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter for the NASync DXP series, successfully raising over $6.6 million achieved No.1 in the NAS category. This remarkable support highlights the strong demand for advanced storage solutions.

Seagate is advancing in NVMe technology for large-capacity hard drives as the growing storage needs in AI systems and apps continue to rise. Old and current storage setups struggle to handle the huge datasets needed for machine learning, which now reach petabyte and even exabyte sizes. Today's storage options have many drawbacks for AI tasks. SSD-based systems offer the needed speed however it is not cost-effective for storing large AI training data. SAS/SATA hard drives are cheaper however, the interfaces rely on proprietary silicon, host bus adapters (HBAs), and controller architectures that struggle with the high-throughput, low-latency needs of AI's high data flow.

Seagate's "new idea" is to use NVMe technology in large-capacity hard drives. This creates a solution that keeps hard drives cost-effective and dense while boosting performance for AI apps. NVMe hard drives will not need HBAs, protocol bridges, and additional SAS infrastructure, allowing seamless scalability by integrating high-density hard drive storage with high-speed SSD caching in a unified NVMe architecture.

Silicon Power (SP) is excited to launch the Endura series, a new SSD lineup featuring four models: E55, E60, ED90, and ES75. Designed with advanced 3D TLC NAND technology, these SSDs offer a comprehensive range of storage solutions catering to diverse user needs, all with the reliability- and performance-geared features that define TLC.

E55: 2.5" SATA III SSD
The E55 delivers robust and stable performance, making it an ideal choice for casual users and system integration builders seeking accessible, dependable storage. With a SATA III 6 Gb/s interface and capacities ranging from 512 GB to 2 TB, it offers broad compatibility for diverse devices and storage needs. Delivering speeds up to 500 MB/s read and 450 MB/s write - 15 times faster than a standard HDD - the E55 combines reliability and familiarity in a versatile, user-friendly solution.

Montage Technology today announced the mass production of its I/O expansion device for the new-generation CPU platforms—the I/O Hub (IOH) chip M88IO3020. This product is specifically designed for Intel's Birch Stream platform, aiming to provide a highly integrated and flexible I/O expansion solution for applications such as cloud computing, big data, and enterprise storage.

Montage's IOH chip establishes connectivity with Intel's latest Granite Rapids processors via the PCIe bus, achieving a maximum bandwidth of 64 Gbps. The chip features configurable high-speed interfaces including PCIe, SATA, and USB to meet diverse application requirements.

ADATA Technology, the world's leading brand for industrial-grade embedded storage, has released the "A+ Analyzer" data analysis tool, which features technology developed by ADATA's independent R&D team integrating software and hardware to analyze user behavior. This innovative solution aims to accurately depict terminal device usage behavior through in-depth collection and analysis of customer host system data, thereby enabling the selection of the most suitable SSD products for customers.

Since industry customers are widely distributed in disparate fields such as transportation, medical care, automation, network communications, and security, there are significant differences in data patterns, write cycles, and SSD read/write requirements for associated applications (such as sequential read/write, random read/write). The lifespan of flash memory decreases with each write cycle. Therefore, the read/write behavior of specific applications directly affects the durability of SSD flash memory. The ADATA "A+ Analyzer" tool was created to meet these challenges. It not only analyzes customer behavior to gain in-depth insight into their usage patterns, but also provides personalized SSD selection recommendations or customized firmware solutions based on different routines.

Simply NUC, a global leader in customized computing solutions, proudly announces the launch of the NUC 14 Essential - Mill Canyon, designed to deliver powerful yet affordable performance for everyday computing needs. Whether used in retail kiosks, collaborative workspaces, streaming environments, or digital signage, the Mill Canyon NUC offers the flexibility and reliability required for modern applications.

The NUC 14 Essential is powered by the latest Intel N-series processors with Twin Lake technology, offering a range of options ensuring top-tier performance across various workloads. Mill Canyon delivers the performance needed for day-to-day operations without breaking the budget, featuring up to 8-core Intel Core 3 processors, 16 GB DDR5 memory, and support for up to 8 TB of NVMe and 2 TB SATA storage.

Shuttle is expanding its range of Mini-PCs with the XPC Barebone DH770 from the "XPC slim" family. The 1.3-liter PC offers powerful hardware, extensive connection options and flexible customization options for a wide range of professional applications. With support for 12th, 13th and 14th generation Intel Core processors (LGA1700) and modern DDR5 technology, the DH770 is the ideal solution for applications that require high computing power and reliability.

Outstanding performance and flexibility
The Shuttle XPC Barebone DH770 is based on the Intel H770 chipset and is compatible with the latest Intel Core processors up to the Raptor Lake-S Refresh series. With support for up to 96 GB DDR5 RAM and storage options via M.2 PCIe Gen 4 and SATA, the mini PC offers impressive performance in a compact format. Thanks to the option of operating up to four independent 4K displays simultaneously, the DH770 is ideal for demanding graphical applications, digital signage and control systems.

Jetway JPIC-ADN1 is a compact 2.5" Pico-ITX motherboard powered by the Intel Processor N97. It supports up to 32 GB of DDR5-4800 MHz memory, making it capable of handling demanding workloads. With its versatile I/O options, including 6x USB ports, 2x Serial ports, 1x B+M-Key M.2 slot, 1x E-Key M.2 slot, and 1x SATA3 port, the JPIC-ADN1 is ideal for a variety of applications, it's ready to handle even the most demanding tasks.

The JPIC-ADN1's compact design and efficient Alder Lake-N processor make it perfect for edge computing and IoT gateway applications. Its powerful processing and expansion capabilities enable seamless data processing, communication, and remote management in industrial IoT solutions.

ASUS today announced the TUF Gaming A2 SSD enclosure for gamers seeking a superfast and reliable storage solution. The enclosure features USB-C 3.2 Gen 2x2 connectivity to deliver data transfer speeds of up to 20 Gbps—twice that of TUF Gaming A1. With IP68-rated water- and dust-resistance plus durability that meets U.S. MIL-STD-810H standards, TUF Gaming A2 keeps the SSD safe in almost any environment. Additionally, its silicone-rubber exterior provides superior on-the-go protection for the SSD. The Q-Latch mechanism allows for easy, tool-free SSD installation, while an efficient thermal management system ensures outstanding cooling to ensure consistent performance. With broad compatibility across PC, Mac, mobile devices, and the latest game consoles, TUF Gaming A2 is perfect for anyone looking to maintain an extensive library of games.

Exceptional SSD performance
TUF Gaming A2 doubles the data transfer speeds of its predecessor, TUF Gaming A1, with USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 connectivity delivering up to 20 Gbps of bandwidth. Even though the latest AAA titles often exceed 100 GB in size, it takes just 90 seconds to transfer an entire game from the SSD to a console such as ROG Ally, or to any other popular gaming platform. When it comes to installing or removing the M.2 SSD, the innovative Q-Latch makes it easy, without requiring specific tools. The latch design employs a simple locking mechanism to secure the drive, so there's no need for screws. Additionally, TUF Gaming A2 features both PCIe NVMe and SATA interfaces, and can accommodate various 2242/2260/2280 SSD form factors while providing up to 4 TB of storage capacity.

TrendForce's latest reports reveal that the second quarter of 2024 saw a significant increase in demand for enterprise SSDs due to the increased deployment of NVIDIA GPU platforms and rising storage needs driven by AI applications, along with a surge in demand from server brands. The surge in demand for high-capacity SSDs for AI applications—coupled with suppliers' inability to adjust capacity in the first half of the year—resulted in a supply shortage that drove average enterprise SSD prices up by more than 25% QoQ. This price increase led to a revenue growth of over 50% for suppliers.

Looking ahead to the third quarter, demand from North American CSP customers continues to rise, and server brands show no signs of slowing down their orders, further boosting procurement volumes of enterprise SSD. With supply shortages persisting into the third quarter, TrendForce forecasts a 15% increase in contract prices compared to the previous quarter, with supplier revenues expected to grow by nearly 20%.

Toshiba Electronic Components Taiwan Corporation (Toshiba) announces the Mx11 family of helium-sealed high-capacity HDDs. The Mx11 family includes the MG11 Series, which provides capacities of up to 24 TB using conventional magnetic recording (CMR), and the MA11 Series which offers up to 28 TB capacities with shingled magnetic recording (SMR).

The new Mx11 family is designed to deliver new levels of density and power efficiency to customers tasked with controlling (or managing) operational costs while meeting the relentless demands of data growth. Built on a common architecture, both products feature a 10-disk, helium-sealed, standard 3.5-inch 7,200rpm design that leverages Toshiba's innovative flux control microwave assisted magnetic recording (FC-MAMR) technology. Engineered for higher performance and 24/7 reliability, the Mx11 family is designed with a 1GiB buffer, a workload rating of 550 TB per year, an MTTF/MTBF of 2.5 million hours, and an AFR of 0.35%.

Exascend, a service-oriented provider of innovative storage and memory solutions, proudly announces the expansion of its 2.5-inch SATA SSD series - SA4, SI4, and SE4 - to an unprecedented 15.36 TB capacity. This advancement redefines the limits of SATA SSD storage, catering demanding applications like digital/network video recorders and media post-production.

The new 15.36 TB SSDs are engineered for efficiency across diverse environments. The SE4 series operates in standard temperatures from 0°C to 70°C, while the SA4 and SI4 series feature robust coatings for extreme temperatures ranging from -40°C to +85°C, ensuring reliability in both enterprise settings and harsh conditions.

Toshiba Electronics Europe GmbH (Toshiba) announces the release of its MG10-D Series, a family of air-filled conventional magnetic recording (CMR) HDDs supporting SAS and SATA interfaces and capacities of up to 10 TB. Crafted with precision engineering and over 50 years of Toshiba experience, the MG10-D Series delivers improved performance and power efficiency over prior generations. With sanitize instant erase (SIE) and self-encrypting drive (SED) options, valuable data is safeguarded by a storage solution known for its robust performance and unwavering dependability.

Built for the increasing application demands of enterprise server and storage solutions, the MG10-D Series delivers a new level of performance. For example, compared with the previous model, the new 10 TB MG10ADA10TE provides an approximately 13% better maximum sustained transfer speed of 268MiB/s and doubles the cache buffer size to 512MiB. It also reduces power consumption in active idle mode by approximately 21%, to 5.74 W. Architected to deliver improved total cost of ownership (TCO), the new MG10-D Series fits seamlessly into a wide variety of business-critical applications, such as email, data analytics, data retention, and surveillance.

Currently, only Phison offers widely available performance PCIe 5.0 NVMe controllers for consumer SSDs, although the competition is heating up and Chinese SSD controller makers MaxioTek and InnoGrit, as well as Taiwanese Silicon Motion either have or will be releasing competing controllers this year. However, it also looks like Taiwanese Realtek will be joining the fray, albeit a tad late, as their upcoming RTS5782 PCIe 5.0 NVMe controller, but the company didn't reveal a release schedule. Although Realtek is known as a more budget friendly chipmaker, regardless of the product segment, the RTS5782 will be an 8-channel controller with support for 3600 MT/s NAND, and it will have a dedicated DRAM cache using either DDR4, LPDDR3, LPDDR4 or LPDDR4x memory. It's said to deliver sequential read speeds of up to 14 GB/s and sequential write speeds of up to 12 GB/s, with random read and write IOPS hitting 2500K.

Realtek is also working on a pair of new DRAM-less models, the PCIe 4.0 RTS5776DL and the PCIe r5.0 RTS5781DL, both having support for 4-channel flash, but still supporting NAND speeds of up to 3600 MT/s. Engineering samples of the RTS5776DL are expected to be available before the end of this year, and it's said to deliver sequential read and write speeds of up to 7400 MB/s and random read and write IOPS of 1200K. The RTS5781DL will enter the engineering sample stage in the beginning of 2025 and will up the sequential read and write performance to 10 GB/s and the random read and write IOPS to 1400K. In addition to the new NVMe controllers, Realtek also had its RTS5736DL on display at Computex, which the company claims is the world's lowest power DRAM-less SATA SSD controller, that also supports size of up to 8 TB. Realtek claims the RTS5736DL is an ideal solution to pair with a USB 3.x bridge chip for external drives.

Transcend, a premier manufacturer of embedded memory products and storage solutions, is proud to announce the launch of the all-new MTS570P, a Power Loss Protection (PLP) SSD aimed at enhancing storage reliability for embedded systems. Engineered with a compact form factor without compromising on performance, it is an ideal solution for edge servers, IoV systems, network switches, POS machines, and various other types of edge devices.

Power Loss Protection (PLP) stands as a critical feature in modern embedded systems, particularly when used in rugged environments. Its main purpose is to safeguard data integrity during unstable power supply or unexpected power loss/failure, ultimately enhancing overall system reliability and safety by providing a stable and secure storage solution.

The PC master race has yielded many interesting activities for enthusiasts alike, with perhaps the pinnacle of activities being overclocking. Usually, subjects for overclocking include CPUs, GPUs, and RAM, with other components not actually being capable of overclocking. However, the enthusiast force never seems to settle, and today, we have proof of overclocking an off-the-shelf 2.5-inch SATA III NAND Flash SSD thanks to Gabriel Ferraz, a Computer Engineering graduate, and TechPowerUp's SSD database maintainer. He uses the RZX Pro 256 GB SSD in the video, a generic NAND Flash drive. The RZX Pro uses the Silicon Motion SM2259XT2 single-core, 32-bit ARC CPU running up to 550 MHz. It has two channels at 400 MHz, each with eight chip enable interconnects, allowing up to 16 NAND Flash dies to operate. The SSD doesn't feature a DRAM cache or support a host memory buffer. It has only one NAND Flash memory chip from Kioxia, uses BiCS FLASH 4 architecture, has 96 layers, and has 256 GB capacity.

While this NAND Flash die is rated for up to 400 MHz or 800 MT/s, it only ran at less than half the speed at 193.75 MHz or 387.5 MT/s at default settings. Gabriel acquired a SATA III to USB 3.0 adapter with a JMS578 bridge chip to perform the overclock. This adapter allows hot swapping of SSDs without the need to turn off the PC. He shorted two terminals in the drive's PCB to get the SSD to operate without its default safe mode. Mass Production Tools (MPTools), which OEMs use to flash SSDs, were used to change the firmware settings. Each NAND Flash architecture has its own special version of MPTools. The software directly shows control of the Flash clock, CPU clock, and output driving. However, additional tweaks like Flash IO driving with subdivisions need modifications. Control and Flash On-Die Termination (ODT) and Schmitt window trigger (referring to the Schmitt trigger comparator circuit) also needed a few modifications to make it work.

ADATA Industrial, the world's leading brand for industrial-grade embedded storage, officially released today its SATA 31D series of industrial-grade solid-state drives including 2.5-inch ISSS31D, M.2 2280 IM2S31D8, and M.2 2242 IM2S31D4, designed for retail terminals and embedded systems.

The SATA 31D series of industrial-grade SSDs utilize 112-layer 3D TLC flash memory developed by WDC, boasting a P/E Cycle of 3,000 which is comparable to MLC. The 31D series also offers a variety of ultra-thin and compact mainstream specifications such as SATA 2.5-inch, M.2 2280, M.2 2242, and various capacity options from 128 GB to 2 TB. 112-layer 3D NAND (BiCS5) 31D series SSDs all support thermal throttling technology, which reduces SSD transmission performance in stages to effectively mitigate the risk of data damage due to overheating. Furthermore, a LDPC ECC error correction mechanism and End-to-End Data Protection technology ensure reliable data transfer and improve data integrity. The 31D series is eminently suitable for POS systems, information kiosks, digital signage, and embedded equipment.

QNAP Systems, Inc. today launched the new PCIe JBOD storage enclosures TL-Rx00PES-RP series, featuring PCIe Gen 3 x8, and providing up to 64 Gb/s data transfer speed. Users can expand existing NAS storage volumes to petabyte-class by connecting multiple TL-Rx00PES-RP series, without requiring RAID-rebuilding on the host NAS. The TL-Rx00PES-RP series supports SATA drives, allowing businesses to choose from a wide range of enterprise hard drives. This series is ideal for businesses who want to archive/back up virtualization applications, surveillance recordings, large data, and multimedia.

"Technological advancement usually comes at the cost of increased storage requirements. Organizations which handle particularly large data sets, such as research institutions and media production companies, require easy-to-scale solutions. QNAP presents the TL-Rx00PES-RP series as a petabyte-class storage solution for them. The TL-Rx00PES-RP series supports SATA drives, which are budget-friendly and available with large capacities," said Jerry Deng, Product Manager of QNAP.

As new applications, use cases and connected devices multiply, Western Digital's enterprise-class hard disk drives (HDDs) remain critical for helping data center customers design more cost-efficient, scalable and sustainable infrastructure. When combined with the emergence of generative AI and the multitude of innovative applications it is enabling, the demand for high-capacity, low-power and reliable storage is poised to surge.

Western Digital leverages numerous technology innovations - ePMR, OptiNAND, UltraSMR and more - to deliver predictable capacity growth in scalable, highly reliable products. Western Digital is now shipping its new 10-disk 24 TB CMR HDD family for hyperscale, cloud and enterprise data center customers. Sampling since August, the new 28 TB SMR HDD is also ramping, adding to the company's SMR leadership position and momentum as its 26 TB SMR HDD exabyte shipments reached nearly half of its data center exabytes shipped in the first quarter fiscal year 2024.

Swissbit, a leading manufacturer of industrial-grade flash memory solutions, today announced the release of its new product line of SATA SSDs. The series X-73, X-75 and X-78 are powered by cutting-edge industrial 112-layer 3D NAND technology, bringing unprecedented reliability and extended lifespan to the world's most crucial networks. The latest portfolio is built with Swissbit's dedication to quality and innovation. The new portfolio not only offers reduced Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) thanks to its extended product life cycle, but also comes with powersafe SSDs - Swissbit's industry-leading power loss protection feature.

The expanded SSD product line includes M.2 2242, M.2 2280, Slim SATA MO-297, and 2.5" form factors, and offers a wide capacity range from 40 GB up to 1.92 TB. With an industry-leading 100k P/E cycles, the high endurance versions in pSLC mode are aimed at addressing the increasing market demand for durable and reliable data storage solutions.

Durabook, an innovator in purpose-built, rugged computing solutions, today announced the launch of the next-generation S15 Semi-Rugged Laptop equipped with the latest Intel 12th Gen Alder Lake platform. The combination of this powerful CPU, coupled with a comprehensive set of connectivity options, security support, and its capability for further expandability makes this semi-rugged laptop with its large screen the perfect support for professional field services personnel running ever more sophisticated applications in challenging conditions.

The laptop's 15.6" Full HD display may be the first thing to turn the head of a field service professional, but the CPU performance of the S15 Semi-Rugged Laptop with Intel Core i7 and i5 processors that are up to 206% faster than previously is an eye-opener. Looking past the handsome rugged exterior, at the Intel Iris Xe Graphics package, ultra-reliable connectivity, and the ability to operate as a workstation configured with up to three storage drives, this is the ideal rugged laptop for field services workers.

TrendForce research reveals that, due to the impacts of high inflation and economic downturn, CSPs are adopting more conservative strategies when it comes to capital expenditure and consistently reducing their annual server demand forecasts. Currently, CSPs in China have reported a decline in cloud orders compared to last year, leading to a subsequent decrease in annual procurement volumes for enterprise SSDs. In North America, some clients have postponed mass production timelines for new server platforms while ramping up investments in AI servers. These factors have resulted in enterprise SSD orders falling below expectations. Consequently, global enterprise SSD revenue hit an all-time low in the second quarter, totaling just $1,500 million—a QoQ decrease of 24.9%.

Demand for AI servers remains strong in the third quarter, while orders and shipment momentum for general-purpose servers have yet to show signs of recovery. This continues to put pressure on the purchasing volume of enterprise SSDs, and annual bit volume is expected to be lower than last year. Meanwhile, vendors have once again reduced capacity utilization to slow down inventory growth. Server customers still maintain high inventory levels, and their purchasing momentum remains insufficient. This is expected to lead to an approximate 15% QoQ decline in the average price of enterprise SSDs in the third quarter, which may further result in a lackluster revenue performance for the peak season.

IBASE Technology Inc. (TPEx: 8050), a leading provider of embedded computing solutions, introduces the IB837 3.5" single board computer that is designed for a wide range of IoT applications, including industrial automation, smart retail, healthcare, smart city and edge AI solutions, combining powerful processing capabilities with extensive connectivity options.

At the heart of the IB837 is the onboard Intel Celeron N & J series (formerly Elkhart Lake) processor, offering a good balance of performance and power efficiency. With support for up to 16 GB of DDR4-3200 SO-DIMM memory, the SBC ensures smooth multitasking and efficient operation, delivering exceptional performance while consuming minimal power for applications requiring a compact form factor.