Sonnet (www.sonnettech.com) is now shipping its Fusion PCIe Flash Drive, a pocket-size solid-state drive (SSD) storage device.

The newest member of Sonnet's growing family of Thunderbolt 2 products, the Fusion is an alternative to portable SATA-based hard disk drives and SSD storage products. The device connects to a compatible Mac or Windows computer, or at the end of a Thunderbolt device daisy chain, via an attached 0.5-meter Thunderbolt cable. 

"The Fusion PCIe Flash Drive delivers blazing-fast performance comparable to a multi-drive RAID storage system, and yet it fits neatly in the palm of your hand," says Greg LaPorte, vice president of sales and marketing at Sonnet Technologies. "Based on the latest Gen 3 PCIe SSD module — the fastest standard SSD type now available — the Fusion PCIe Flash Drive is made for speed. And its 20Gbps Thunderbolt 2 interface provides the bandwidth necessary to sustain ultra-high file transfer speeds, fast enough to support 4K workflows." 

Capable of transferring files at up to 1,350 MB/s, the Fusion PCIe Flash Drive's SSD module incorporates a PCIe Gen 3 flash controller, enabling the device to significantly outperform 6Gbps SATA SSDs and USB 3.0 flash drives, he adds. Measuring 2.8 inches wide by 4.1 inches deep by 1 inch tall, the Fusion PCIe Flash Drive features a rugged enclosure crafted out of aluminum, which effectively cools the SSD and eliminates the need for a fan to enable silent operation. The power-efficient design is bus-powered and so requires no power adapter.

The Fusion PCIe Flash Drive is compatible with Mac OS X 10.8.5 and higher (including Yosemite), Microsoft Windows 8 and 7, and Windows Server 2012 and 2008. The Fusion PCIe Flash Drive with 256GB capacity is now available at an manufacturer's suggested retail price of US$499. The Fusion PCIe Flash Drive with 512GB capacity has an MSRP of $799.