HighPoint's Innovative SSD7749E: A Game-Changer in NVMe Storage

A Dual-Slot Marvel for NVMe Storage

While dual-slot cards are commonplace in the consumer space, especially among graphics cards, they have been conspicuously absent in the realm of storage cards—until now. HighPoint's SSD7749E shatters this convention by introducing a dual-slot design that holds significant potential for future NVMe storage devices boasting speeds of up to 14GB/s. While such high-speed storage solutions are already available in the consumer market through SSDs featuring PCIe Gen 5 connectivity, the server industry has yet to fully embrace these blistering speeds. It's important to note that the SSD7749E supports PCIe Gen 4 speeds, featuring a PCIe Gen 4 x16 interface.

Innovative Cooling for Optimal Performance

The cooling solution implemented in the SSD7749E is anything but conventional, featuring a unique "left to right" airflow strategy. The card is equipped with two low-decibel cooling fans mounted on the side, directing a stream of air directly into the card. Once inside the card, the heated air is efficiently expelled from the opposite side of the card, reminiscent of blower-style GPUs.

This unconventional cooling approach stands in contrast to the traditional front-cxmounted fans commonly found in expansion cards, which cool the card from top to bottom rather than side to side. The distinctive benefit of side-to-side cooling lies in its compatibility with 1U and 2U server chassis, which employ a similar cooling configuration for overall chassis temperature management.

Also Check SAMSUNG LAUNCHES ONE UI 6.0 UPDATE FOR THE GALAXY S22 SERIES

E1.S Slots: Versatility and Ease of Installation

The SSD7749E showcases eight 9.5mm E.1S storage drive slots, ingeniously stacked vertically to maximize space efficiency. E1.S represents a slightly larger variant of the M.2 form factor, purpose-built for the demanding server industry. Serving as the successor to U.2, E1.S offers five different-size options to accommodate various storage solutions. Notably, the storage slots on the SSD7749E are toolless, simplifying the installation process for storage drives.

Blazing Speeds and RAID Capabilities

With all eight drives seamlessly installed, the SSD7749E delivers remarkable speeds of up to 28 GB/s via its PCIe Gen 4 x16 interface. Furthermore, when harnessed with HighPoint's Cross-Sync RAID technology, this card achieves an astonishing 55 GB/s—a testament to its extraordinary capabilities. The SSD7749E offers support for various RAID configurations, including RAID 0, 1, and 10 arrays, as well as independent drive configurations. Under lighter workloads or separate drive configurations, the card's PCIe switching technology allocates up to four PCIe Gen 4 lanes dynamically to a single drive, enhancing performance.

Optimizing SSD Performance

HighPoint's SSD7749E goes the extra mile with its CPU core performance optimizer, a feature designed to address allocation issues when using storage drives. Enabling this feature results in a notable boost in SSD performance, ensuring that your storage solution operates at peak efficiency. Given its server-grade pedigree, the SSD7749E is a high-end product with a corresponding price tag of $1,499.

In summary, HighPoint's SSD7749E is a groundbreaking innovation that promises to revolutionize the world of NVMe storage. With its dual-slot design, cutting-edge cooling system, versatile E1.S slots, and impressive speeds, this card is tailor-made for demanding server applications. While it may come at a premium price, its exceptional performance and capabilities make it a game-changer in the realm of NVMe storage solutions. HighPoint continues to push the boundaries of what's possible in the world of PCIe cards, and the SSD7749E is a testament to their commitment to innovation and excellence.