Intel cuts prices of solid-state drives

Intel has cut the prices of many of its solid-state drives by around a third, claiming that its SSD production is now fully up and running.

In the manufacturer's notebook and client-targeting X25-M range, the 160GB version has been cut from $945 (£635) to $765, while the 80GB version has been cut from $595 to $390. In the enterprise and server-oriented X25-E range, the 32GB model has been cut from $695 (£473) to $415 (£283) — Intel has also announced for the first time the pricing for the 64GB model in that range, which costs $795 and has not yet seen a price cut.

Asked by ZDNet UK why the company was cutting the prices now, an Intel spokesperson said: "Essentially we have moved into full production ramp of our SSDs and were able to pass along the price adjustments and savings to our customers."

Intel only began selling its solid-state drives in the second half of last year, their pricing significantly higher than that for SSDs from rivals such as Samsung and Toshiba. Despite the price cuts, Intel's SSDs remain relatively expensive, although CNet reviewers have found Intel SSDs to generally perform better than their competitors.