We've found Corsair's P256 - a 256GB solid state drive (SSD) - to be a consummate all-round performer, but priced at over £500 it appeals mostly to the enthusiast crowd.
What we need, we reckon, are high-performance, smaller-capacity SSDs that could act as ultra-fast system drives for users not wanting to break the bank.
Fortunately, the industry seems to agree, as Corsair is getting ready to launch a 32GB SSD - dubbed the M32 and given model number CMFSSD-32N1 - that claims sequential read and write speeds of up to 170MB/s and 100MB/s, respectively.
There's no word yet on Corsair's choice of flash memory or controller, but we're told the drive will reach the market with a price tag of around £100. That puts it head-to-head with OCZ's 30GB Agility drive - currently priced at £97.99.
Given the plummeting per-gigabyte price of traditional hard disk drives, it takes some getting used to the idea of spending £100 for a measly 32GB. But then, the advantages - such as far-greater performance and quiet operation - are hard to ignore. A £100 ultra-fast system drive certainly has its appeal.
We expect Corsair to make an official announcement with further details soon.
