Samsung has announced the 1.8-inch Spinpoint N3U hard disk drive. This 250GB drive incorporates a native USB controller on its printed circuit board. The Spinpoint N3U stores approximately 125GB of data on each platter.

Key features :

• Supports USB 2.0 Interface
• Less power consumption
• Stores up to 125 Gigabytes
• Storage capacity up to 120, 160, 200 and 250GB
• 8MB cache memory
• Converts PATA to USB signals
• Disk rotation speed is 3600

This HDD has been designed to offer a smaller footprint, consume minimum energy and provide efficient performance. This drive eliminates the need for a bridge board that converts a PATA interface into a USB interface as the drive itself incorporates a native USB interface.

“The new high-capacity 1.8” 250GB drive enhances Samsung’s product offerings and is ideal for consumers who require a small form factor, high capacity data storage. It is easy to carry around and it is designed to withstand a free fall drop of up to 50 centimeters and be resistant to a maximum shock incident of up to 1500G,” said Choel-Hee Lee, vice president of marketing Storage System Division, Samsung Electronics.

The native USB interface of this hard drive virtually eliminates failure caused due to loose cable connections. The drive claims to consume approximately 40 percent less power than the standard 2.5-inch hard drives. It also improves the performance by eliminating the time required to convert PATA signals to USB signals. The Spinpoint N3U is available in 120GB, 160GB, 200GB and 250GB capacities. The disc rotation speed of these drives is approximately 3600 rpm and it supports USB 2.0 interface. The drives also incorporate an 8MB cache memory.

The Samsung Spinpoint N3U hard disk drive will start shipping from mid July and is expected to be priced at approx. Rs.9,700.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2008 consolidated sales of US$96 billion. Employing approximately 164,600 people in 179 offices in 61 countries, the company consists of two business units: Digital Media & Communications and Device Solutions. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

Tags: cache memory, footprint, hard disk drive, PATA ., samsung, Spinpoint N3U, USB interface