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In a nutshell: Chinese storage specialist Biwin has introduced an ultra-compact solid-state drive that’s no larger than a micro SD card. The PCIe 4.0 and NVMe 1.4-equipped CL100 Mini SSD measures just 15 mm x 17 mm x 1.4 mm (about the size of a small coin), but boasts impressive read / write speeds of up to 3,700 MB/s and 3,400 MB/s, respectively. It was constructed using advanced LGA packaging technology, features an IP68 durability rating, and is offered in capacities ranging from 512 GB to 2 TB.
Biwin says the new drive leverages technologies found in other SSDs including dynamic SLC cache, garbage collection, thermal throttling, wear…
Serving tech enthusiasts for over 25 years. TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust.
In a nutshell: Chinese storage specialist Biwin has introduced an ultra-compact solid-state drive that’s no larger than a micro SD card. The PCIe 4.0 and NVMe 1.4-equipped CL100 Mini SSD measures just 15 mm x 17 mm x 1.4 mm (about the size of a small coin), but boasts impressive read / write speeds of up to 3,700 MB/s and 3,400 MB/s, respectively. It was constructed using advanced LGA packaging technology, features an IP68 durability rating, and is offered in capacities ranging from 512 GB to 2 TB.
Biwin says the new drive leverages technologies found in other SSDs including dynamic SLC cache, garbage collection, thermal throttling, wear leveling, HMB, and S.M.A.R.T. for improved speed, durability, and efficiency. It is said to be ideal for demanding tasks like 4K video editing, AI model training, and gaming.
We first caught wind of Biwin’s new 1517 form factor back in March, but it wasn’t until the summer when GPD and One-Netbook announced support for the standard that it started to gain traction. Mainstream adoption is still a ways off, so in the meantime you will likely need additional hardware to make use of the new drive.
Enter the Biwin RD510 Mini SSD Reader, a plug-and-play solution that’ll allow you to access the new drive on desktops, laptops, and mobile devices. The reader features a built-in cooling fan to help prevent overheating and maintain consistent, high speeds during prolonged transfers.
It is compatible with a range of operating systems and platforms including Windows 10/11, PlayStation 5, macOS 11, Android 11 and later, and iOS 17. The drive ships with a USB 4.0 Type-C to Type-C cable that supports data transfer speeds up to 40 Gbps.
The Biwin CL100 reportedly starts around $85 for the 512 GB model and scales to north of $300 for the largest 2 TB model over on JD.com. No word yet on whether or not Biwin plans to bring its new mini SSDs and card reader to regions outside of its home country.