SuperTalent RAIDs USB3 memory sticks

320MBps from a thumb drive

SUPERTALENT IS THE FIRST out of the gate with a USB 3.0 RAID memory stick it calls RAIDDrive. This thing is said to hit 320MBps when it’s plugged into a USB 3.0 port.

There isn’t much more to say. USB 3.0 is much faster than USB 2.0, 5.0Gbps vs 480Mbps, over 10 times faster for the math averse, and it is bi-directional. To make things even cooler, USB 3.0 got a new logo, and is called SuperSpeed, mainly because Hi-Speed was taken by USB 2.0 a few years ago and Full Speed was snapped up in the 1.x generation.

The first motherboards with USB 3.0 ports are just about to be released, with Gigabyte very likely to be the first on the shelf with a fully baked solution. SuperTalent is coming out with a USB stick to take advantage of it.

Supertalent USB3 stick

SuperTalent USB3.0 RAIDDrive

The first generation will come in 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB capacities, and support a transfer rate of 320MBps – note that that is bytes, not bits. If you only have USB 2.0, these sticks will transfer data at only a ‘mere’ 200MBps. The extra speed came not just through the interface, but also because SuperTalent RAIDed multiple channels, basically striping the reads and writes.

Update: The RAIDDrive will not do 200MBps on USB2.0, that is more than the bus speed. It does 200MBps on 3.0, or 320MBps on 3.0 with a UAS driver.

SuperTalent expects these drives to be shipping in December, so the wait isn’t going to be long. Unfortunately, there isn’t much to go on other than those specs and a few more on this page. If you want to be kept in the loop, there is a mailing list to stay updated here, and a few pictures are here. While this looks like an amazing toy to have, especially in the larger capacities, I am personally holding out for the USB 3.0 SuperSpeed custom his and hers pigs staring at each other. Only then will USB 3.0 have truly arrived.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