Intel SSD 530 with NGFF form factor to arrive in Q2 2013

TPU writes Intel's SSD 530 series will hit the market in Q2 2013 in capacities of 80GB and 180GB. This new solid state disk lineup is designed to offer high-performance in small form factors, pictured below you can see it in the new NGFF (next generation form factor), which is even smaller than mSATA, making it more suitable for compact devices like ultra-thin ultrabooks.

While mSATA drives typically measure 51 x 30 mm, NGFF measures 42 x 22 mm. NGFF is a single interface featuring pins for both SATA and PCI-Express x2 or x4, and cards designed around its specification can either be SATA SSDs, or other bandwidth-heavy devices (such as 802.11ac WLAN controllers). Cards can even be designed to have an SATA SSD subunit on one side, and a PCI-Express device on the other, saving swathes of PCB real-estate in the process.