Intel
330 Series 60GB Solid State Drive (SSDSC2CT060A3K5)

The Intel 330 Series MLC Solid State Drive

The SSD 330 uses the same controller as the 520 does, the core differentiation being the a change in NAND layout from the SSD 520 to SSD 330 and different firmware. The Intel SSD 330 makes use of fewer memory channels, resulting in slower write speeds in certain scenarios. Such diversification is common in the client SSD space as manufacturers look for ways to provide different levels of performance and pricing for broader market appeal. While Intel was a bit coy in the SSD 330 announcement, most assumed they had switched to asynchronous NAND. They haven't; Intel is still using their own 25nm synchronous MLC NAND for the SSD 330 family, which is the same part number that we saw in the SSD 520. Of course Intel loves to promote their NAND quality, which is hand-picked and engineered for mainstream SSD duty by Intel's own fab. Consumers benefit from this integration, as Intel SSDs have historically provided levels of reliability and longevity matched by few other brands. Controlling your own NAND and supporting the drives with in-house engineering goes a long way to make the Intel drives perform reliably in the field.