edge-boost-express-ssd-pcie-3-0

EDGE™ Boost Express SSD - PCIe 3.0 x8

Category: Solid State Drives

 

EDGE Boost Express 3.0 SSDs are TAA compliant, built with premium SandForce controllers, and backed by a three-year warranty.

 

 

The EDGE™ Boost Express PCIe x8 Solid State Drive (SSD) is an elite performance solution for enterprise and power users. Utilizing an exceptionally fast PCI Express (PCIe) 3.0 interface, the Boost Express is capable of extreme read, write, and IOPS numbers. Fully bootable, Boost Express SSDs are PC, Mac, and Linux compatible and work in PCIe slots x8 or higher.

Powered by four high-performance SandForce based SSD modules, the Boost Express can deliver IOPS ratings of over 100,000* and excellent incompressible write speeds. With transfer rates of up to 2150 MB/s,* this SSD provides substantial improvements to boot times, data backups/restores, and application loading over traditional SATA storage drives.

The feature-rich SandForce controllers onboard the SSD comes standard with tools such as Garbage Collection, Wear Leveling, and ECC to promote stability and reliability. Durawrite, a SandForce-exclusive function, further enhances data efficiency and increases the lifespan of the SSD.

With large available capacities and mind-blowing performance, the Boost Express PCIe x8 SSD is the perfect SSD for enthusiasts.

*Based on EDGE testing results. Performance may vary depending on OS, configuration, etc.

Extreme Performance - Transfer speeds of up to 2150MB/s and a max IOPS of over 100,000 provide substantial improvements to boot times, data backups and restoring, and application loading over traditional SATA storage drives.

Cross Compatible - PC, Mac, and Linux compatible - works in PCIe slots x8 or higher. Fully bootable

Feature-Rich – (4) Premium SandForce controllers provide a full complement of performance and stability enhancing features: ECC, Garbage Collection, Wear Leveling, Durawrite, and more

Durable – No moving parts means a tougher, more reliable solution compared to a spinning disk hard drive

Quality - Manufactured with tier-one components. Three-year warranty.

General

Capacity*

480GB / 960GB / 1920GB

Form Factor

Half-length PCIe, full height bracket

Controller

SandForce SF-2281 (x4)

Weight

194g (0.43lbs)

Dimensions

167.5mm (L) x 111.5mm (W) x 14.2mm (H)

MTBF

1,000,000 hours

Power Supply

12VDC ±5%; 3.3VDC ±5%

Flash Type

MLC

Operating Temperature

0°C - 70°C

Storage Temperature

-20°C - 85°C
Warranty Three years
Support Toll-free tech support

*Some capacity used for formatting and not available for storage

Features

Bootable

Fully bootable

Wear Leveling Support

Improves the lifetime of the SSD by ensuring that data is written evenly across data blocks

Durawrite

Reduces over-writing and extends the endurance of the SSD flash

ECC

Data errors are detected and corrected before becoming a long-term problem
Garbage Collection Permanently erases deleted data blocks and returns the space for reuse

 

Performance

480GB and 960GB Speed (PCIe 3.0 x8)

Up to 2150MB/s (read) / 1950MB/s (write)

1920GB Speed (PCIe 3.0 x8)

Up to 2150MB/s (read) / 2000MB/s (write)

Max IOPS (write)

105,000

 

Compatibility

Interface

PCI-Express 3.0 (x8 lane)

Supported RAID Modes**

0,1,10

System Compatibility***

Windows XP and higher, Mac OS X 10.4 and higher, Linux

**RAID 1 will result in a 50% decrease in overall SSD capacity

***Requires power from a SATA power supply to operate.  Please ensure a SATA power cable is available

 

Available for purchase at these authorized resellers:

 

If you don't see your preferred reseller listed above, please click here for a complete list of authorized resellers. If you need assistance, please call us at (800) 259-8989.

EDGE products are also available through leading distributors:

  Spider FAQ

  • 1. What systems support EDGE SSDs?

    EDGE Boost SSDs are OS-independent and will run on any system supporting the corresponding SATA interface and form factor.  Please consult your system user manual to determine which form of Boost SSD is right for you.

  • 2. What hardware do I need to install the Boost Server SSD into my server?

    A manufacturer specific server tray is needed for most servers to install an SSD into it.  Please contact an EDGE Memory representative if you need a server tray with your Boost Server SSD.

  • 3. How do I format my EDGE SSD?

    The following instructions are designed for formatting as a secondary drive in Windows 7.  Other versions of Windows will be similar, but may vary.  If using a Mac, please access Utilities -> Disk Utility -> Partition to initiate a format.  If doing a clean install of the SSD (as a primary drive), please install and follow the instructions provided on the operating system install disc.

     

    1.  Right click on Computer (or My Computer) and select Manage.

     

    2.  Select Disk Management in the left pane.

     

    3.  You will receive an Initialize Disk prompt—this will only apply to any unformatted  

         devices you have installed (i.e. – the SSD).  Choose MBR, note the Disk number

         (ex Disk 1, Disk 2, etc) and select OK.

     

    4.  In the bottom pane of Disk Management, find the disk number from step 3.  Right-

         click on the unallocated box and select New Simple Volume.

     

    5.  The New Simple Volume/Partition wizard will appear.  Select Next on the first

         screen.

     

    6.  On the Specify Volume Size screen, ensure the Simple Volume size number

         matches the maximum disk space (default).  Select Next.

     

    7.  Assign a drive letter not already in use to the SSD.  Select Next.

     

    8.  Choose a file system format (NTFS recommended for Windows) with a default

         allocation unit size and give the SSD a Volume Label name.  Check perform a   

         quick format and uncheck enable file and folder compression.  Click Next.

     

    9.  Review the wizard summary and select Finish.  The SSD will be formatted.  Once

     

         complete, you can close Computer Management.

  • 4. Why does my SSD show less available capacity than advertised?

    In order to use any flash storage device, including SSDs, you must first format the device.  As a result of formatting, some storage capacity is unavailable for use (typically around 7%).  For example, a 240GB SSD will have roughly 223GB available for use after formatting.

  • 5. How do I enable the encryption function of my EDGE SSD?

    Not all systems support drive encryption (also called the ATA Security Password)—please consult your system’s user manual to ensure this feature is available.  Enabling this function varies from system to system, but the following is a typical example (IMPORTANT:  Your SSD will be permanently inaccessible if you forget or lose your password!):

     

    1.  After installing the SSD, access your computer’s BIOS during system startup.

     

    2.  Select the “Security” option.

     

    3.  Select the “Password” option.

     

    4.  Select the option displayed as “Hard Disk Password” or similar for the Boost SSD.

     

    5.  Create and reconfirm a password.  After complete, the encryption function is active. 

         You will need to input your password every time you start your computer to access

     

         the SSD. 

  • 6. Do SSDs require defragmenting like hard drives?

    No - SSDs never need to be defragmented.  In fact, defragmenting an SSD can reduce the lifespan.  If your system is set up to defragment automatically, you should disable or turn off defragmentation when using a Boost SSD.

  • 7. What is Wear-Leveling?

    One of the disadvantages to flash memory is that flash cells will eventually wear out.  To make sure EDGE Boost SSDs lives a long, productive life, wear-leveling ensures that data is written evenly to the drive.  This prevents any one cell or group of cells from being “over used” and wearing out prematurely.

  • 8. What is Durawrite?

    Durawrite extends the endurance of the flash inside EDGE Boost SSDs by better managing the way data is stored.

  • 9. What is TRIM?

    TRIM is like weight loss for your SSD.  TRIM helps your Boost SSD run more efficiently by removing old blocks of data that are no longer in use.  Without TRIM, an SSD does not know these blocks can be deleted, and the operating system has to “search” for available blocks to write data.  As this happens, SSD performance suffers and TRIM addresses this problem.  TRIM is a function of only newer operating systems, such as Windows 7 and 8.

  • 10. What is S.M.A.R.T.?

    Self Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology (S.M.A.R.T.) predicts and

    warns users of SSD failure. If the Boost SSD detects any critical errors, abnormal

    temperatures, etc., a message appears on screen, warning the user to take

     

    action to prevent potential data loss.

  • 11. What is MTBF?

    MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) is the predicted time of operation before an SSD will fail. This is normally expressed in number of hours.

  • 12. How do I securely erase all data from my SSD?

    Please view the how-to guide on securely erasing an EDGE SSD of all data here.