Intel 310 Series SSD (80GB mini-PCIe based) Review

A few years ago when we first started covering SSDs they offered the promise of speeds exceeding mechanical drives in a much smaller footprint which would revolutionise the desktop and laptop markets. Those initial models didn't quite deliver on their claims however as the technology matured we have seen some very impressive products which are very much ready for day to day use. One of the first drives to achieve that is was Intel's first generation product and recently we saw their third generation 510 series SSD which performs at the top end of the current market, exceeding speeds possible on the SATA2 interface. So as things stand we can fit a 2.5" SSD into pretty much any desktop and laptop and boost out performance over a mechanical drive but that isn't the only (r)evolution that Intel are helping to drive...

Intel's recently released 310 Series SSDs take a different approach to the other models in their product catalogue. The 310 series is based on a mini-PCIe technology, is a similar size to a laptop Wi-Fi adapter but still claims desktop like performance. Today we take a look at the 80GB model to find out what it offers the market in a selection of real world and synthetic tests against a standard 5400rpm laptop drive.