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Plextor M5 Pro bulges SSD envelope with 94K IOPS and 540MB/s

Plextor's newly launched M5 Pro is angling to be the top dot on the SATA III SSD spec charts -- and looks like it will mostly succeed. The Marvell Monet controller lets the unit hit a continuous 540 MB/s read and 450 MB/s write speeds for the larger models, as well as a hefty 94,000 read and 86,000 write IOPS. Those figures would put it ahead of or alongside most of its competitors except in steady write speeds, but Plextor claims that hustle is not the model's only trick. It also makes use of "True Speed" tech to minimize performance drops with age, uses 128-bit error correction to eliminate data inaccuracy and offers 256-bit full-drive encryption. The 128GB, 256GB or 512GB drives will be available mid-August for prices that have yet to be determined, but it's likely to be well north of its budget namesake, the M5S. You'll find the full PR after the break.

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Plextor Launches Super-Fast SSD with Random Read/ Write Performance of 94,000/86,000 IOPS

M5 Pro sets a new standard in high-performance and high-reliability professional SSDs with unique data protection technology

August 7, 2012 – Plextor, a leading developer of high-performance digital storage equipment, today announced the M5 Pro Series Solid State Drive, a high-performance professional-grade SSD engineered using the latest Marvell® 88SS9187 Monet controller. The M5 Pro provides a unique enterprise-grade double-data protection featuring random read/write speeds of up to 94,000/86,000 IOPS and sequential read/write speeds of up to 540/450 MB/s.

The M5 Pro has the ability to consistently deliver high read and write speeds for all forms of data and use the multi-core controller to handle extreme high loads. This makes the M5 Pro suitable for use in a heavy workstation, server role, or Raid 0 configuration setting. The M5 Pro also makes use of True Speed Technology to prevent the drastic performance drop seen in some SSDs after intense or long-term usage.

In line with the needs of advanced users for highest data integrity and confidentiality, the M5 Pro offers a unique enterprise-grade double-data protection technology. Using the latest 128-bit error correction system built into the latest Marvell controller, the M5 Pro is able to automatically check and correct the accuracy of data being read from the flash memory. This is complemented by a second layer of read protection offered by the robust data hold-out algorithm in Plextor's exclusive firmware, thus allowing the drive to achieve total data accuracy even in the long-term. When data confidentiality is required, the drive uses hardware in the US Government AES-validated Marvell controller to provide secure 256-bit full-drive encryption.

With the M5 Pro, Plextor has focused on developing and supplying one of the most stable drives on the market. To achieve this, extensive pre-production testing took place using the world's most advanced SSD testing facilities. It was only when the design was able to pass strict enterprise-grade Zero Error standard of 400 units surviving 500 hours of the toughest continuous testing without a single error or failure that the drive was manufactured. To ensure stability and reliability for individual drives, all drives undergo rigorous high-temperature burn-in tests and accelerated usage simulation testing.

"The M5 Pro is the next step in the evolution of the SSD combining high speed, drive reliability, and data-level protection," said Minnie Lin, Marketing Manager, Plextor. "In recent years, Plextor has been able to develop SSDs that deliver high real-world performance and sustained speed over the long-term. Our SSDs have the lowest annual failure rate in the consumer SSD industry. Now with the M5 Pro, we aim to use Plextor's abilities to offer extreme data protection and give users total confidence in every single aspect of their drive."

Each M5 Pro SSD is backed by an industry leading five-year warranty and Plextor's extensive international support infrastructure. The Plextor M5 Pro will be available in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB capacities mid-August 2012.
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About Plextor

Plextor is a leading developer of high-performance digital storage equipment for professionals, consumers and enterprises. Since the launch of its first CD-ROM drive in 1989, Plextor has developed multi–award winning products that have set the standard for quality and performance. Plextor continues to deliver generations of innovative industry-leading products, including Blu-ray optical disc drives, solid state drives, digital video converters and multimedia devices. The Plextor storage and multimedia products are owned by Shinano Kenshi of Japan.