Transcend Introduces M2-nvme SSDs – Update
Transcend introduces its first m2 NVME SSDs. There will be three models in the MTE850 series, with storage capacities of 128, 256 and 512GB. The SSDs use Micron’s 3d-mlc-nand and have an SM2260 controller.
Transcend promises read and write speeds of up to 2500MB/s and 1100MB/s, but doesn’t provide specific details per product. The speeds probably apply to the model with a storage capacity of 512GB. Silicon Motion’s SM2260 controller has two cores and an unknown amount of DDR3 cache memory.
In previous SSDs equipped with the SM2260 controller, such as the Intel 600p, all writes had to go through the slc cache. According to Tom’s Hardware, the Transcend MTE850 SSDs feature a new version of the controller with a Direct-To-MLC writing system, eliminating the need for that intermediate step. This would allow the SSD to maintain a high sequential write speed for a longer period of time.
Transcend has not yet announced suggested retail prices and it is not known when the MTE850 SSDs will go on sale. Because of the MLC memory, it is expected that the SSDs will be more expensive than the cheap Intel 600p models. The 512GB Adata XPG SX8000 SSD with the same Silicon Motion controller and mlc memory costs about 250 euros.
Update 14.03: Transcend has released dollar prices. The 128GB SSD costs $95, the 256GB copy sells for $160 and the 512GB variant has a suggested retail price of $300. Converted including VAT, that is about 108, 181 and 340 euros respectively. The manufacturer has also provided information about the speeds per model. They are listed in the table below.
| $94.99 | $159.99 | $299.99 |
| m2-2280 | m2-2280 | m2-2280 |
| pcie 3.0×4/nvme | pcie 3.0×4/nvme | pcie 3.0×4/nvme |
| SMI SM2260 | SMI SM2260 | SMI SM2260 |
| Micron 256Gbit mlc | Micron 256Gbit mlc | Micron 256Gbit mlc |
| up to 1060MB/s | up to 2000MB/s | up to 2,500MB/s |
| up to 600MB/s | up to 1100MB/s | up to 1100MB/s |
| 270,000iops | 270,000iops | 270,000iops |
| 110,000iops | 110,000iops | 110,000iops |
| 3 years | 3 years | 3 years |