Intel rolled out a replacement for its previous data solid-state drive (SSD), which unlike the older product was designed specifically to be deployed in data centers.

The new multi-level cell (MLC) Solid-State Drive 710 series was designed to replace the company's X25-E Extreme SSD, which was based on single-level cell (SLC) NAND flash memory. Intel says SSD 710 provides endurance and performance necessary for demanding storage and server applications at lower cost than the predecessor.

Rob Crooke, Intel VP and general manager of Non-Volatile Memory Solutions Group, said endurance and performance of the new SSD series is enabled by technology based on Intel's 25-nanometer (MLC) NAND flash memory.

"Our latest SSD product family offers more than 30 times the write endurance of our current MLC SSDs, plus improved performance and new features, such as power-loss data protection and surplus arrays of NAND for enhanced reliability," Crooke said.

While providing the same endurance as SLC-based NAND SSDs, MLC NAND technology provides higher capacity, which makes it more cost effective. It's write endurance, out-of-the-box, is up to 1.1 petabytes. It comes in 100GB, 200GB and 300GB capacities.

Its 4K random write performance is up to 2,700 IOPS, and 4K random read performance is up to 38,500 IOPS. The series has enhanced data protection for instances when power is lost, and surplus NAND flash memory to provide protection in case of a NAND die failure.

Intel SSD 710 pricing based on 100-unit quantities:

• 100GB - $649
• 200GB - $1,289
• 300GB - $1,929