All articles tagged with #ssd
CD Projekt Red raises The Witcher 3's minimum PC requirements, mandating Windows 11 and an SSD (no HDDs) ahead of the Songs of the Past expansion; new minimums include Ryzen 5 2600 / i5-8400, GTX 1660 / RX 5500 XT, 12 GB RAM, 70 GB SSD, and 64-bit Windows 11, signaling a push toward newer hardware and DirectX 12 compatibility.
Amazon has cut the 2TB Samsung 990 Pro to $389, a near-record low that undercuts most 1TB competitors on price per terabyte. The drive remains one of the fastest Gen4 NVMe SSDs with 7,450 MB/s read and 6,900 MB/s write, and Samsung’s end-to-end design supports steady performance under load and better power efficiency, making it a strong value for gaming, content creation, or laptops.
Micron Technology stock jumped about 12% after it began shipping the world’s largest commercially available SSD—the 245TB Micron 6600 ION—as the industry titles a pricing spike in memory as memflation, with hyperscalers and AI/data-center demand boosting memory demand and signaling tight supply for DRAM/NAND into 2026.
Windrose, a piracy-themed RPG released on Steam Early Access, was found to cause extreme disk I/O that could wear SSDs due to RocksDB misconfiguration (three databases with a tiny cache and WAL budget), driving tens of thousands of writes per second. A housekeeping patch released by Kraken Express on April 30 dramatically reduced the write rate (roughly 90k–130k writes/sec pre-patch to about 20–60 writes/sec in heavy play), and players are urged to update to protect hardware.
Amazon's Spring Sale bundles a wide range of storage deals on SSDs and HDDs from brands like Kingston, SanDisk, Western Digital, and Seagate, highlighting fast NVMe options, portable drives, and large-capacity internal/external storage with substantial discounts and ongoing updates throughout the week.
Sandisk has surged about 158% year-to-date on strong AI-driven data-center NAND demand, with an upcoming BiCS8-based QLC SSD ramp and Nvidia's AI memory hierarchy likely to be showcased at GTC 2026. This could unlock additional NAND content demand in data-center applications and provide upside not yet reflected in current estimates.
Windows lets you choose disk write caching modes: Quick Removal (safe, writes to permanent storage later) and Better Performance (faster writes by using cache). Switching to Better Performance can speed up frequent small saves, but increases the risk of data loss if power is lost before data is flushed to storage, so consider your device (desktop vs laptop) before changing.
PCWorld outlines six Windows 11 tweaks to extend SSD lifespan by reducing write operations, including enabling TRIM, disabling hibernation and paging file, enabling write caching, maintaining at least 20% free space, and updating SSD firmware.
A Target employee posted on Reddit live screenshots showing dramatic, in-store price hikes for memory and storage products, including a SanDisk 2TB external SSD jumping from $200 to $520 and a WD 1TB Xbox SSD expansion card rising from $150 to $390; the trend is tied to AI hyperscalers bulking up datacenters, with broader price increases for RAM, GPUs, and prebuilt PCs and potential ripple effects for consoles, as seen online at Target.
OWC has launched the world's first 8TB Thunderbolt 5 portable SSD, the Envoy Ultra, offering high-speed performance over 6000 MB/s, rugged design, and bus-powered convenience, targeting creative professionals needing large capacity and portability.
Enabling the native NVMe driver in Windows 11, which is currently only available in Windows Server 2025, can significantly improve random read/write speeds of NVMe SSDs, with gains up to 85%, though the process involves risks and bugs. Microsoft is encouraged to release this driver for mainstream Windows versions to unlock full SSD performance.
Micron is shutting down its Crucial brand, which produces budget-friendly SSDs and RAM, to focus on supplying larger AI companies, leading to potential shortages and increased prices for consumer memory products.
SanDisk has launched its smallest 1TB SSD, the Extreme Fit, a tiny 'plug-and-stay' USB-C drive weighing just 3 grams and measuring 18.5 x 13.7 x 16 mm, offering up to 400 MB/s transfer speeds. Despite its impressive miniaturization, it has slower speeds compared to larger portable SSDs and is primarily suitable for file transfer rather than intensive tasks. The drive is available starting at $14.99 for 64GB and $109.99 for 1TB.
Samsung has quietly discontinued its 990 EVO Plus SSDs, which are now available at record low prices on Amazon, making high-performance storage more affordable for users needing faster boot times and larger capacity options, with models ranging from 1TB to 4TB at significantly reduced prices.
During October Prime Day, there are significant discounts on various SSDs, including internal, portable, and microSD cards from brands like Samsung, Crucial, SanDisk, and Kingston, offering high-speed storage solutions at reduced prices for both gaming and professional use.