In case you can’t wait for your flash memory to die from write cycling, TeamGroup now has a drive that, via software or hardware, can destroy its own flash chips …read more

Silicon Motion’s SM2324 chip could enable fast, compact USB4 SSDs up to 32TB, though pricing, thermal demands, and NAND costs may limit mainstream adoption.

Macworld At a glanceExpert's Rating Pros Impressive connectivity 100W power for charging laptop Competitive price Gaming port for wireless keyboard/mouse Cons Just one USB 4 port No Thunderbolt support Modest data transfer speeds Unclear info relating to dual-display support Our Verdict The use of USB rather than Thunderbolt means that the USB 4 Dock isn’t aimed at professional users who need high-speed data transfer. However, it does provide dual-display support (60Hz) along with an impressive selection of ports and connectors for general use in an office, and a competitive price. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Type: USB-C/USB-A dock Ports: 14 (13 available for peripherals) Power: 100W for laptop; 180W max External Displays: 1x 4K at 120Hz, or 2x 4K at 60Hz Razer is best known for its range of high-end gaming gear, which is mostly designed for Windows PCs, but it also makes a number of more down-to-earth accessories that are suitable for general use at home or in an office. It makes several docks and hubs that can be used with Macs and PCs, including a fairly expensive Thunderbolt 4 dock that weighs in at around $300/£300. Now it has launched the less expensive ‘USB 4 Dock’, which manages to provide dual-monitor support along with an impressive selection of ports and connectors for the considerably lower price of $229.99/£229.99 (and Razer prefers USB 4 rather than the official USB4). Available in black or Mercury White – which is really just silver, and very similar in tone to the M4 Mac mini – the USB 4 Dock is neatly designed and very sturdily built. The body of the dock is made out of anodized aluminium, which feels very solid and also has a smooth, scratch-resistant finish that looks very smart. It’s quite compact too, given that Razer has managed to squeeze in no less than 14 separate ports and connectors – although it’s worth noting that the main USB4 port is used to connect the dock to your Mac, leaving 13 ports that are available for connecting a monitor and other accessories. The USB 4 Dock measures just 22mm high, 190mm wide and 80mm deep, and is fairly light too, weighing 1.1kg, and Razer’s web site does make a point of referring to its “portable design”. However, it neglects to mention the additional mains power supply that is also included in the box. The power supply is almost as large as the dock itself, and slightly heavier, so the USB 4 Dock really isn’t going to stray very far from your desk at home or in the office. It is, however, very versatile, as that chunky power supply provides 100W of power for charging a MacBook or a PC laptop, along with additional power for all the other ports and connectors on the dock. On the back of the dock you’ll find the main USB4 port – with USB-C connector – which is used to connect your MacBook or other computer to the dock (with USB4 cable included in the box). Alongside this are both HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4 connectors for connecting external monitors – but, again, Razer’s web site proves to be a little unclear here. The website refers to the dock’s support for dual displays and seems to imply that the first display can run at 4K resolution with 120Hz refresh rate, with a second 4K display running at 60Hz. However, our discussions with Razer confirmed that the USB 4 Dock can run a single 4K display at 120Hz, or two 4K displays at 60Hz, so that’s something to remember if you’re planning to use the USB 4 Dock as part of a multi-monitor set-up. The rest of the dock’s features are more straightforward. Also located on the back panel is a Gigabit Ethernet port for a wired network connection, and three USB-A (3.2) ports, two of which provide data transfer of 10Gbps while the third runs at 5Gbps. There are even more USB ports on the front as well – two USB-C and one USB-A, with all three running at 10Gbps. And, to keep Razer’s gaming audience happy, there’s one last USB-A port located all on its own on the left-hand edge of the dock, which is specifically designed to hold a 2.4GHz wireless dongle that can provide a low-latency connection for a wireless keyboard and mouse. The dock provides good audio support too, as the front panel houses a 3.5mm audio connector, which can work with either a microphone or a set of wired headphones. There are also two slots on the front for SD and MicroSD memory cards, for transferring photos or video from a camera. It’s worth noting though, that there’s just that one USB4 port on the back, which is used to connect your MacBook to the dock, with all the other USB ports supporting USB 3.2. If you need higher performance – perhaps for backing up large video or graphics files onto an SSD – then you may need to look at a more expensive Thunderbolt dock instead. However, the strength of the USB 4 Dock is its sheer versatility, with 13 ports and connectors available for attaching peripherals and accessories, and the ability to power and charge multiple devices all at the same time. Should you buy the Razer USB 4 Dock? Professional users who need the full speed of Thunderbolt 4 – or even Thunderbolt 5 on the latest Macs with M4 Pro chips – might prefer a more expensive Thunderbolt dock for working with large video or graphics files. The USB 4 Dock isn’t in that league for sheer performance, but its versatile selection of ports and connectors will be a real boon for people – like me – who have a selection of SSDs, webcam, keyboard and other accessories in their office that they need to use with their Mac every day. For more USB Docks to consider for your Mac, read our round up of the Best Thunderbolt and USB-C docking stations. Connectivity 1x USB4 (USB-C) for host computer 1x HDMI 2.1 1x DisplayPort 1.4 2x USB-C (10Gbps) 3x USB-A (10Gbps) 1x USB-A (5Gbps) 1x USB-A (for wireless adaptor) 1x Gigabit Ethernet 1x 3.5mm audio in/out 1x SD 1x MicroSD

New HighPoint RAID enclosure offers 976TB capacity using eight Solidigm D5-P5336 SSDs.

Forward-looking: PCIe 5.0 SSDs are fast, but they're kind of old news now – they're everywhere and have kind of lost some of their "wow" factor. But this year, Micron shook things up with a sneak peek at what's next with a prototype PCIe 6.0 SSD. What makes it special is its potential to hit a jaw-dropping 30.25 GB/s in sequential read and write speeds – double the throughput of today's fastest consumer SSDs. It all sounds great, as long as you're not expecting to pop one into your gaming rig anytime soon. Dubbed the Micron 9650 Pro, the SSD is still very much in the test-bench phase. It was spotted by Tom's Hardware at Computex 2025, housed in a chunky metal enclosure and far from the familiar M.2 form factor. In fact, it appeared to be connected to a PCIe 6.0 expansion card, held down with what looked like sticky tape. Unfortunately, Micron isn't targeting your desktop just yet. The 9650 Pro is more of a data center and AI platform play right now. It was showcased at Astera Labs' booth, where it was helping demonstrate next-gen PCIe 6.0 switches and bandwidth-matching software. These switches allow devices like GPUs and SSDs to communicate directly with each other, skipping the CPU entirely - something that's becoming increasingly crucial in high-performance AI workflows. Also read: The Inner Workings of PCI Express // Related Stories The catch here is that no CPUs officially support PCIe 6.0 yet, and PCI-SIG certification for Gen 6 devices isn't expected until late 2025. That puts the 9650 Pro firmly in the "cool tech demo" category, at least for now. Until the ecosystem that includes motherboards, CPUs, and certification bodies catches up, don't expect it to land in your build anytime soon. What was demoed at Computex is currently in the EVT3 (Engineering Validation Test 3) stage, meaning it has already gone through two rounds of hardware tuning and is now being used to fine-tune performance and compatibility. From here, it still needs to pass through Design Validation Testing (DVT) and Production Validation Testing (PVT) before anything close to a commercial release becomes a reality. This latest showcase follows an earlier Micron and Astera Labs demo at DesignCon, where they showed real-world PCIe 6.0 performance hitting 27 GB/s. Image credit: Tom's Hardware

Micron's consumer-division, Crucial, has launched its fastest Gen5 SSD to date, the T710, powered by the SMI2508 controller & up to 14.9 GB/s speeds. Crucial Goes With Silicon Motion's SM2508 Controller To Power The T710, Its Fastest Gen5 SSD To Date Press Release: At Computex 2025, Micron Technology expanded its leadership in consumer storage by unveiling its latest high-performance SSDs, the Crucial T710 PCIe Gen5 NVMe SSD and the Crucial X10 Portable SSD. Forged from years of dedicated research and development, these next-gen SSDs redefine performance standards across the board by pushing the limits of speed, capacity, and durability, powering your world at full speed. Crucial T710: Blazing-fast Gen5 speed for gaming and AI Leveraging cutting-edge NVMe technology and Micron’s G9 NAND, the Crucial T710 delivers unmatched Gen5 performance for pro-level gaming, creative applications, and data-intensive tasks like AI. Boasting our best Gen5 speeds to date, it features up to: 14,900 megabytes per second (MB/s) sequential read speeds 13,800 MB/s sequential write speeds 2.2 million random read speeds 2.3 million random write speeds The T710 delivers up to 67% more IOPs per watt than previous-generation Gen5 drives, running faster and cooler and making it ideal for PCs, laptops, and workstations. The optional integrated heatsink ensures the T710 stays cool under pressure, and capacity options of up to 4TB mean users have the storage space they need for their most demanding projects. The increasing demands of AI applications require robust hardware for optimal performance. With its dramatically increased energy efficiency and decreased latency, the Crucial T710 is perfect for enabling real-time local data processing on AI PCs, with the speed to load a large language model from SSD to memory in under one second. 2 of 9 Crucial X10: Fast and tough portable storage to expand your digital life Crucial’s latest portable drive, the X10, delivers read speeds of up to 2,100 MB/s, twice as fast as its predecessor. The X10 is designed for users who need a fast, reliable, and durable solution to back up and store their most important photos, games, movies, documents, and more. With 4TB, 6TB, and 8TB versions available, the Crucial X10 allows users to store massive amounts of data, including up to 500,000 4K photos, 114 games, or 2.6 million MP3 files. With its sleek, matte-blue design, the X10 is perfect for content creators, gamers, photography hobbyists, and mainstream consumers who require high-speed data transfer and ample storage capacity. Its durable design is IP65 dust- and water-resistant and drop-resistant up to 9.8 feet, making it a vault for your data — secure, portable, and always ready. The T710 uses Silicon Motion’s SM2508 controller, while the X10 uses the SM2322 controller. Availability: The Crucial X10 is now available for purchase through e-tailers, retailers, and global channel partners, while the T710 will be available starting in July 2025. Deal of the Day

PROS: Easy, tool-less RAM and SSD access and replacement Excellent performance and impressive cooling More refined, premium-looking design AniMe Vision matrix display for some gamer flair Stunning matte Mini LED display CONS: Slightly larger and heavier than previous gen Quite pricey RATINGS: AESTHETICSERGONOMICSPERFORMANCESUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITYVALUE FOR MONEYEDITOR'S QUOTE:The ASUS Strix SCAR 18 (2025) delivers a powerhouse of a gaming laptop wrapped in a design that's modern, mature, and premium. Typical gaming laptops come in thick, bulky chassis with flashy lighting. The former is a result of cramming as many high-performance components as possible in such a cramped space, while the latter is a product of boxing gamer aesthetics into a particular stereotype. As more people embrace video gaming, however, the variety of design tastes also grows, with some preferring their gaming gear to be a bit more discreet and subtle. Announced earlier this year, the ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) is bringing more than just the latest and greatest in PC gaming technologies. It also arrived with a redesigned appearance, breaking away from its peers to some degree. But does the gaming laptop’s embrace of subdued aesthetics also mean it cuts down on its performance? We give this racing car-inspired powerhouse a spin to see if it manages to strike a balance between power and beauty that will appeal to a wider audience. Designer: ASUS Republic of Gamers Aesthetics You might be surprised by the sight that greets you when you remove the ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) from its packaging. You immediately behold a frame that looks premium, eschewing the shiny plastic surfaces and geometric details that deck most gaming laptops. Instead, the soft-touch matte black material on its back gives it a sleeker, more premium personality, a design language that ASUS seems to be adopting across its laptop line. That design continues inside, where the semi-transparent keyboard deck of last year’s model is replaced with an opaque, all-black case that is less distracting and, to be honest, looks more professional. If you turn all the RGB lights off, the ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) could easily pass off for a business laptop, though a rather bulky one at that. The one complaint we have with this smoother texture is how it easily smudges, so you’ll find yourself wiping surfaces more often to keep them looking pristine and presentable. Of course, a Republic of Gamers laptop is still designed for gamers, and those who do want some flair will find plenty of sliders and switches to play with. In addition to the lightbar that runs around the bottom of the chassis and the standard keyboard backlighting, the Strix SCAR 18 (2025) brings the AniMe Vision matrix display from the ROG Zephyrus line, providing 810 LEDs shining through 9,152 precision-milled holes that you can control to show off some lo-fi text or images, both static and animated. The ROG logo sitting in the corner also has its own RGB lights, though it might be a little too big for our tastes. The ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) delivers a design that successfully pulls off a tough balancing act, providing a sophisticated and premium look that can still flaunt all those bright RGB colors if wanted. It is distinctly gaming-oriented without having to shout it, preferring to let its performance do the talking. Ergonomics There’s no escaping the laws of physics, and until the day we can truly shrink hardware and develop some magical cooling technology, there will always be concessions when it comes to balancing power and portability. Gaming laptops are unsurprisingly the worst offenders in this matter, and this year’s ROG Strix SCAR 18 sadly takes a step back. Although the Strix SCAR 18 (2025) is an upgrade in almost every other aspect, it is also slightly larger and noticeably heavier than its predecessor. The good news is that it isn’t for naught, because the newer model does pack an improved cooling system as well as a more modular design, but it’s still something potential buyers will have to consider to manage their expectations, not to mention prepare their backs or shoulders when lugging it around. The SCAR 18 (2025)’s more streamlined design also has ramifications for its usability, particularly with the ports. Gone are the side exhausts, allowing the connectivity ports to be pushed backward a bit. ASUS also took the opportunity to add a third full-sized USB-A port, probably to the delight of many gamers and computer users whose favorite accessories haven’t yet moved to the age of USB-C. The power connector has also been redesigned with a new rectangular plug instead of a round barrel. Unfortunately, the power cable has also been changed to stick out from the side rather than at a 90-degree angle like last year’s charger. The ergonomics of the keyboard and the large touchpad are quite good, providing comfort and precision despite not having your ideal mechanical switches. One thing that might throw off new users, however, is the non-standard position of the cursor keys and the layout of the numeric keypad. It’s not a complete deal-breaker, but one that will require developing some muscle memory that you can’t carry over to other keyboards or laptops. Performance The ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) is an upgrade in every sense of the word, bearing the latest and greatest Intel chip, the Core Ultra 9 275HX. This is paired with a Series 5000 NVIDIA graphics card, which will naturally depend on what model you’ll have. Our review unit, the G835LW, comes with a GeForce RTX 5080, while there are also options for a 5070 (G835LR) and the highest 5090 (G835LX). Out of the box, you get 32GB of RAM and 2TB of SSD storage, but you can easily double that, as we’ll see later. Long story short, this machine is a beast, making short work of modern AAA titles. Of course, don’t expect to get desktop-grade performance that will let you crank up all the settings to 11, but you won’t be far off either. What’s more impressive than the benchmark numbers is how stable that performance is, particularly thanks to an improved cooling system this year. In addition to your typical high-capacity fans, which now number three, the Strix SCAR 18 (2025) features heatsinks that stretch across the whole width of the laptop. Also running from end to end is the vapor chamber sandwiched between these heatsinks. Completely new to this generation, however, is the Conductonaut Extreme liquid metal that replaces your typical thermal paste on the CPU and the GPU. All these work together to keep thermals down to a manageable level and keep the laptop running in peak condition for far longer. While performance is something you’ll only be able to feel when actually pushing the laptop to its limits, the stunning 18-inch Mini LED is a beauty that you’ll be able to immediately see and appreciate. It definitely has a laundry list of features that not only gamers but also designers will love, starting with the 2.5K resolution and 1200 nits of peak brightness. 100% DCI-P3 coverage ensures color accuracy, while 240Hz refresh rates mean your content will be able to keep up with the action. Vibrant, colorful, and fluid, this screen is pretty much the mouth-watering icing on top of the cake that is the laptop’s performance. Battery life, on the other hand, isn’t as impressive. It’s still the same 90Wh capacity from last year’s model, so its average expectancy isn’t that much. You’d be lucky to get even an hour of gaming with medium settings, which is quite average among gaming laptops. ASUS did upgrade the charger to 380W from 330W, so you have a shorter charging time. The bonus is that the ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) now supports 100W PD (Power Delivery) charging via USB-C, which expands charging options just a bit. Of course, it’s still slower and won’t be able to support heavy gaming compared to the official power brick, but it’s better than completely draining your battery dry in less than an hour. The ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) definitely doesn’t hold back when it comes to performance, making it an excellent portable workstation for designers and creators as well. There’s no denying that it offers one of, if not, the best options in the gaming laptop market, but the real question is whether that justifies the price that ASUS is asking for in turn. We’ll get to that in a bit, but first, we make a segue into what is probably the third-best thing about the laptop after its sophisticated beauty and unmatched performance. Sustainability At first glance, the Strix SCAR 18 (2025) is your typical mix of metal and plastic that you’d find in many gaming laptops. In fact, you might even be disappointed to find out that there’s still quite a lot of plastic, especially on the interior deck, rather than the aluminum that premium laptops have begun to flaunt. That said, the plastic does help with keeping things a bit cooler and even a little bit lighter, despite the laptop being quite a heavyweight. ROG added one feature that trumps all that, though. With a simple slide of a latch, you can easily remove the back panel to have instant access to SSD and RAM slots. Even better, ASUS has brought its Q-Latch system to easily remove and replace the SSDs with just a plastic hinge. The fans and battery are also quickly exposed, though those will require a bit more work to take out. The motherboard is also well protected with a special frame but is still just a few screws away. This tool-less access to the most commonly upgraded components ensures that the Strix SCAR 18 (2025) will last you a long, long time. Value Subtly sophisticated, impressively powerful, and easily upgradable, the ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) almost has it all. The combination of refined aesthetics and flexibility to show off your gamer DNA positions this laptop as a powerhouse not just for gaming but for any endeavor that requires extensive processing, which usually includes AI these days. It’s almost perfect except for one particularly thorny subject: the price. The G835LW with an RTX 5080 fetches a jaw-dropping $3,399.99, and the highest configuration easily goes for $4,449.99. That puts it close to luxury laptop territory, which isn’t something you might call such a gaming laptop, especially one that still has plenty of plastic to go around. Between these two, this G835LW model we’re reviewing seems to have the best balance, compromising just a little bit on performance for a huge cut in cost. Are there other options in this price range? Definitely. But are there other options in this price range that offer this trifecta of style, power, and longevity? Probably not. Verdict We’re entering an age where gaming laptops are no longer just hulking portable counterparts of their desktop cousins. As user tastes evolve, so too, do laptop designs. Those neon-lit futuristic slabs won’t disappear, but we’ll be getting an infusion of gaming laptops that cast their nets wider to appeal to a more diverse audience, some of which might not want to broadcast their gaming passion 24/7. The ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) manages to strike a balance that will probably satisfy a good number of gamers of different aesthetic preferences. It cuts a rather captivating image of a powerful portable machine that can handle any task without breaking a sweat. Yes when you turn the RGB lights on and bring the AniMe Vision display to life, it immediately transforms into a dynamic battle station that will carry you to victory. The price tag is definitely a bitter pill to swallow, but you can rest assured that you’re getting you’re money’s worth, especially in the long term. The post ASUS ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) Review: Subtly Sophisticated Performance Powerhouse first appeared on Yanko Design.