Technology

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, March 30 (game #392).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #393) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… That's an equine of a different shade!

NYT Strands today (game #393) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• LOSS
• LOSE
• LION
• RUNS
• BUSH
• HOOK

NYT Strands today (game #393) - hint #3 - spangram letters How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 14 letters

NYT Strands today (game #393) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: top, 5th column

Last side: bottom, 2nd column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #393) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #393, are…

• ROAN
• DAPPLE
• BUCKSKIN
• CHESTNUT
• PALOMINO
• SPANGRAM: HORSE COLORINGS

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 4 hints

Even with four hints I still struggled with today’s word search. I guess I have spent my entire life ignoring HORSE COLORINGS.

The only color I tapped out with confidence was CHESTNUT and this is only because Chestnut Mare by The Byrds is my fourth favorite song about horses. Give it a listen, it’s quite mad.

My top three, incidentally, are Crazy Horses by The Osmonds (for the giggles), the theme tune to the 1960s TV show White Horses (for the innocence of youth), and Wild Horses by the Rolling Stones (for the melancholy majesty).

Also, as previously discussed, Spangrams that begin in the center of the puzzle are an abomination and should be banned by the international puzzling authorities.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, 30 March, game #392)

• BASS 
• ALTO
• SOPRANO
• TENOR
• TREBLE
• BARITONE
• MEZZO
• SPANGRAM: CHOIR PART

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

Severance season 2 may be over (read my Severance season 2 ending explained piece and Severance season 3 hub for more details on where things may go next) but you won't want to cancel your Apple TV+ subscription just yet.

Indeed, there are plenty more fantastic TV shows to enjoy throughout April on one of the world's best streaming services. Okay, there aren't any new movies for the film buffs among you to be entertained on the platform. Apple's specialty is creating unmissable TV Originals, though, and it just so happens that you'll be well stocked on that front between now and April 30.

From new episodes of Apple's latest TV hit The Studio to brand-new offerings including Your Friends & Neighbors and Government Cheese, I'm certain you'll find something worth watching with the aid of this guide. So, read on to find your next favorite Apple TV+ series!

April 2

There aren't many episodes left of Berlin ER to enjoy (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

• Berlin ER episode 7
• The Studio episode 3

April 4

Dope Thief will be halfway through its episodic run in early April (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

• Dope Thief episode 5
• Surface season 2 episode 7

April 9

There'll be many new episodes of The Studio to enjoy throughout the month (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

• Berlin ER episode 8
• The Studio episode 4

April 11

The Surface season 2 finale airs in mid-April (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

• Dope Thief episode 6
• Surface season 2 episode 8
• Your Friends & Neighbors episodes 1 and 2

April 16

Government Cheese arrives with a four-episode premiere in mid-April (Image credit: Apple TV+)

• Government Cheese episodes 1 to 4
• The Studio episode 5

April 18

The third episode of Your Friends & Neighbors will be released on April 18 (Image credit: Apple TV+)

• Dope Thief episode 7
• Jane's Animal Adventures season 3 episodes 1 to 5
• Your Friends & Neighbors episode 3

April 23

Five episodes of The Studio down, five more to go! (Image credit: Apple TV Plus)

• Government Cheese episode 5
• The Studio episode 6

April 25

Dope Thief's final episode will launch on Apple TV+ before April ends (Image credit: Apple TV+)

• Dope Thief episode 8
• Your Friends & Neighbors episode 4

April 30

Careme makes its streaming debut on the final day of April (Image credit: Apple TV+)

• Carême episodes 1 and 2
• Government Cheese episode 6
• The Studio episode 7

For more Apple TV+ coverage, read our guides on the best Apple TV+ movies, Ted Lasso season 4, Slow Horses season 5, and Foundation season 3.

At the 2025 Game Developers Conference, graphics-chip maker Nvidia showed off its latest tools that use generative AI to augment future games.

I tested the Anker Solix EverFrost 2 electric cooler and compared it against the traditional RTIC icebox cooler to determine which you should take on your next camping trip.

• Google says new Nest devices are in the pipeline
• We can expect the gadgets "in the coming months and years"
• Two older pieces of hardware have been discontinued

If you were getting the impression that Google's focus on Pixel phones and AI models meant that the company was ignoring its Nest smart home kit, think again: Google says "more helpful home devices" are on the way "in the coming months and years".

That promise of future hardware was made in a blog post (via 9to5Google) that also announced that the Nest Protect smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector, and the Nest x Yale Lock smart lock, were being discontinued.

It's perhaps no surprise that it's the end of the line for those two pieces of hardware, which haven't been updated in several years – but it seems Google remains committed to smart home devices and to the Nest brand in general.

The blog post points to the Google TV Streamer and the 4th-gen Nest Thermostat (both launched last August) as evidence that it's still interested in hardware for the home, even if there haven't been a huge number of launches in recent times.

New Nests

The Nest Audio was launched in 2020 (Image credit: Future)

Besides the streaming box and smart thermostat, the current Nest range of devices covers security cameras, video doorbells, smart speakers, and smart displays. It sounds as though at least some of those gadgets could be updated this year.

We know that Google is busy swapping out Google Assistant for Google Gemini on its devices and in its software, so that would appear to be a good reason to push out some updated Nest speakers and displays as well.

New models are certainly due: the last new smart speaker we had was the Nest Audio, launched in September 2020, while the most recent smart display to arrive was the 2nd-gen Nest Hub, which made its debut in March 2021.

Amazon is busy upgrading Alexa on its smart home hardware, which might push Google into action – and there are even reports that Echo speakers and displays could be rebranded as Alexa devices in the near future.

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Whether you've got an iPhone 16 or an earlier model, here's how to fix your unresponsive device.

• CIA-backed In-Q-Tel invests in Cerabyte, showing interest in long-term storage
• Cerabyte’s tech offers 5000-year durability using ceramic plates
• In-Q-Tel's support aligns with government need for secure archival storage

We’ve written about Cerabyte a few times in the past, as the storage startup is developing ultra-durable, high-density archival data storage based on ceramic nanolayers.

Although it’s still in the relatively early stages of development, Cerabyte’s technology is pitched as a sustainable, scalable alternative to magnetic tapes and optical discs for long-term data preservation.

In 2024, Pure Storage made a strategic investment of $5 million in Cerabyte, with founder John “Coz” Colgrove joining Cerabyte’s board of directors as part of the deal. Now company has now announced a strategic partnership with In-Q-Tel (IQT), the nonprofit strategic investor for the US national security community, founded in the 1990s by the CIA.

Meeting national security needs

Unlike traditional magnetic or flash-based media, Cerabyte’s approach uses laser or electron beam writing to encode data onto ceramic glass plates that are resistant to heat, radiation, water, and electromagnetic interference.

The company claims this medium could offer data retention for over 5,000 years, making it ideal for cold storage in data centers, scientific institutions and government archives.

Details of the size of the investment haven’t been revealed but the backing from IQT suggests growing interest in long-term archival storage solutions from both government and commercial sectors.

“Cerabyte’s innovative technology can significantly enhance storage longevity and reliability while also reducing long-term costs and complexity,” said Greg Shipley, Managing Director, IQT Munich.

“This strategic partnership aligns with our mission to deliver advanced technologies that meet the needs of the national security community.”

The National Academies recently conducted a Rapid Expert Consultation on archival data storage technologies at the request of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

IQT’s support comes at a time of increasing governmental concern around the need to manage and preserve vast amounts of classified data over periods of 25 to 50 years (the typical time before declassification).

“As the world enters the age of AI and the use of digital information becomes unprecedentedly versatile and volatile, the need for permanent, immutable records has never been greater,” said Christian Pflaum, co-founder and CEO of Cerabyte.

“The strategic partnership with IQT validates our mission and fuels our ability to deliver accessible permanent data storage solutions.”

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• Pure Storage invests in Cerabyte to become the Nvidia of Enterprise Storage
• This is what a ceramic cartridge with a 10,000TB capacity looks like
• New video of 'revolutionary' ceramic storage technology emerges

Google Fiber offers some of the fastest speeds on the block. Here's what to expect if you're considering making the switch.

Harry Potter TV show: key information

- Will debut on HBO in 2026 or 2027
- Filming begins in mid-2025
- No official trailer released yet
- John Lithgow confirmed to play Albus Dumbledore
- Rest of the cast still under wraps
- Plot will follow J.K. Rowling's books
- Show will last ten consecutive years

The Harry Potter TV show will debut on HBO in 2026 or 2027. Magical news, though we're wishing it were sooner.

It's been well over a decade since the final Harry Potter movie graced our screens, and whilst Fantastic Beasts has carried the torch somewhat, the prospect of a TV adaptation is incredibly exciting. It's a billion-dollar franchise that has captured the hearts of fans across the world and with one of the best streaming services taking the reins, there's a lot of anticipation around what they will do.

If you've not watched the movies, well, we don't quite know what to say. In the briefest way we can describe it – it's all about the wonderful wizarding world of Harry Potter as he joins Hogwarts to fulfil a destiny much larger than he could've ever imagined - against the incredibly powerful he who shall not be named.

And fans can breath a sigh of relief after Max's global rollout in 2024 means watching the series when it finally comes out is going to be a lot easier for everybody. Unsurprisingly, with one of the biggest book and movie franchises to ever grace the big screens, there's a lot of hype around it coming to our small screens. So, wands at the ready, here's everything we know so far about the Harry Potter TV show from release date, to predicted cast, to plot snyopsis, trailers, news, rumors and more.

Full spoilers to follow for all the Harry Potter movies.

Harry Potter TV show: is there a release date?

Wands at the ready. The upcoming HBO Original Series, #HarryPotter, will be filming at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden with production beginning in Summer 2025 and coming to Max. pic.twitter.com/6JSOA20w52December 5, 2024

Unfortunately, there's no release date to share just yet. Though Deadline have revealed that the series is expected to be released in 2026 or 2027, following an announcement by Warner Bros. Discovery global streaming chief, JB Perrette.

It has also been confirmed, as shown in the above tweet, that filming will commence in Leavesden this summer, in the same location as the previous eight movies. So, while there's time to wait, it gives us plenty of opportunity to dust off our wands and brooms for its arrival.

Harry Potter TV show: has a trailer been released?

With filming yet to commence, there's no trailer to share. For now, only a short teaser has been released by Max when the show was first announced, showing little but floating candles assembling the boy wizard's name.

As we loom ever closer to the eventual Harry Potter TV show release date though, we'll be sure to update here when we get even a hint of magic to share.

Harry Potter TV show: confirmed and predicted cast

A post shared by Harry Potter (@harrypotter)

A photo posted by on

Potential spoilers follow for the Harry Potter TV show.

First and foremost, in June 2024, it was revealed that Harry Potter TV show lands a magical creative duo with a showrunner in Francesca Gardiner and head director in Mark Mylod. And they've been busy ever since casting magical hires to play the iconic roles of the franchise in a total revamp from the movies. Though only two actor have been confirmed so far and one of them is John Lithgow as Professor Albus Dumbledore.

As revealed by Screen Rant, Lithgow revealed the offer to play the iconic Hogwarts headmaster "was not an easy decision because it's going to define me for the last chapter of my life, I'm afraid. But I'm very excited." Adding: "I'll be about 87 years old at the wrap party, but I've said yes."

The second confirmed cast member so far is Nick Frost, who – according to an exclusive feature from Deadline – will play Rubeus Hagrid. And while that hasn't been officially announced by HBO, Frost himself has given cryptic clues to suggest that it is the case.

A post shared by Nick Frost (@friedgold)

A photo posted by on

The biggest question that everyone's asking though is who will play Harry, Ron and Hermione? In September 2024, an open casting call started circulating online, and it's authenticity was then confirmed by HBO to Variety. And reportedly some 32,000 kids auditioned for the leading trio. No surprise given the sheer success of the franchise.

Though casting is now closed, it read: "Please prepare a short poem or story of your choosing. It can be from your favorite book, a poem that you love, a monologue from a play or something you've created yourself. Please, nothing from 'Harry Potter'. Please use your own accents. 30 seconds maximum!" Alongside a request for a longer self-tape with more information about the actor.

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Other than Dumbledore's casting, there are plenty of actors that have been predicted to join the cast, though these are unconfirmed at time of writing. As per Deadline though, it has been reported that HBO is closing on Janet McTeer as Professor Minerva McGonagall, though Sharon Horgan was also in consideration, and Paapa Essiedu is the next potential Professor Severus Snape, first exclusively reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

Though HBO commented: "We appreciate that such a high-profile series will draw a lot of rumor and speculation. As we make our way through pre-production, we will only confirm details as we finalize deals."

And we'll hold confirm these deals as soon as we hear more. With filming taking place this summer though, we're sure these announcements will come thick and fast.

Harry Potter TV show: story synopsis and rumors

The Harry Potter TV show will follow closely alongside the books (Image credit: Warner Bros)

Full spoilers follow for Harry Potter.

It's been years in the making as we first reported rumors surrounding a Harry Potter TV adaptation in January 2021. But, news of the Harry Potter TV show was first officially announced in April 2023 by Warner Bros. Discovery. As reported in Deadline, the show will have J.K Rowling as an executive producer, and will be "a faithful take on her classic Harry Potter books with a new cast." So, when it comes to the plot, if you've read the books or seen the movies, you'll know exactly what's about to happen.

For the TV show though, it'll be another long-running adaptation, but this time even longer, with CEO David Zaslav saying: "It's really moving, for ten consecutive years, people will see Harry Potter on HBO; I mean it's really something." Which means the story that J.K. Rowling told over seven world-building novels will have an opportunity to unravel across countless hours.

Deadline also revealed that the show will stick to the "canonical" ages of its characters, which unlike the movies means that certain characters will be much younger than their movie counterparts. The report divulges that showrunner Gardiner had described the show as offering up a "bigger sandpit to play in", as well as including more activity from Hogwarts staff and "having fun with Peeves in the corridor". Mylod also added that he will "dig into the depths and crevices of Hogwarts".

With ten consecutive years to play with, there's obviously a lot more room for storytelling given the film franchise adapted the seven books into eight movies and the TV show is reportedly going for ten whole seasons.

Will there be more seasons of Harry Potter?

(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Absolutely. As discussed above, the Harry Potter TV show will follow closely alongside J.K. Rowling's books in the same way the movies did and, as confirmed by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, will run for "ten consecutive years". Ten years of more Harry Potter? We're feeling utterly spoilt.

Though there has been some mixed feelings surrounding the show regarding J.K. Rowling's criticism of transgender rights and transgender issues in recent years. Onboard as an executive producer for the TV adaptation, her continued comments could affect the show overall. But Warner Bros. has stood behind her continued collaboration in the franchise with a clear statement to Variety: "J.K. Rowling has a right to express her personal views. We will remain focused on the development of the new series, which will only benefit from her involvement."

If, like us, the impending arrival of the Harry Potter TV show has left you contemplating another (or first ever) run through of the iconic movie franchise, then here's how to watch the Harry Potter movies in order and you can always delve into the ever-contentious discussion of the best Harry Potter movies ranked, from worst to best.

For more Max-based coverage, read our guides on The Last of Us season 2, House of the Dragon season 3, and Euphoria season 3.

Hints and answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, No. 188, for March 30.

• DapuStor joins Solidigm and co with 122.88TB high-capacity enterprise SSD
• Only available in China for now, the new drive is an upgrade of the 61.44TB J5060 SSD
• Firmware and DRAM upgrades boost throughput and responsiveness

Remember when 122.88TB SSDs were a rarity? Solidigm was the first to launch one, and since then Samsung, Phison, SanDisk, and Kioxia have followed with their own high-capacity enterprise drives.

Now joining that illustrious club is DapuStor. When we covered the Chinese company’s 61.44TB J5060 SSD (developed with input from Solidigm) we noted that a 122.88TB version was planned for 2025. That drive has now been officially revealed, sort of.

If you visit DapuStor’s Chinese homepage, you’ll see the 122TB QLC J5060 briefly appear before vanishing as the site redirects to its English version. With a bit of digging, however, it’s possible to access the official announcement.

Not just a capacity milestone

“For personal users, this SSD can store 11,000 90-minute 4K movies,” DapuStor says.

“While that sounds more like a fun fact, it reflects the strong combination of technology and convenience. For enterprise customers, especially those dealing with high-density deployments, the J5060 122TB provides at least five times the usable storage space compared to a 24TB HDD, helping save rack space and deployment costs.”

DapuStor continues to use the U.2 interface for easy drop-in HDD replacement and energy efficiency is a big focus.

The company's announcement says the J5060 consumes just 13W during operation, with idle power as low as 2.5W. This “helps data centers reduce their carbon footprint while maintaining performance.”

That performance gets a bump over the 61TB model thanks to DRAM and firmware optimizations.

Sequential reads hit 7.3GB/s, writes reach 6.8GB/s, 4K random reads top out at 1500K IOPS, and 16KB random writes land at 45K IOPS. Latency stays under 100μs.

“As one of the earliest adopters of QLC in the enterprise space, DapuStor continues to push boundaries. 122.88TB is not just a capacity milestone - it reflects the company’s confidence in the maturity and reliability of QLC technology," the announcement crows.

"With strong validation behind its QLC SSDs, DapuStor is helping customers confidently transition into the era of ultra-high-capacity storage.”

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• Insecure solar systems allow cybercriminals to steal data and ransom access
• Millions of solar inverters remain vulnerable to severe cybersecurity threats
• Forescout – Vedere uncover flaws allowing attackers to take full control over solar systems

The increasing use of solar power has exposed critical cybersecurity vulnerabilities in inverters, cloud computing services, and monitoring platforms, creating an insecure ecosystem where hackers can manipulate energy production, disrupt power grids, and steal sensitive data, posing serious risks to global energy infrastructure, experts have warned.

A study by Forescout – Vedere Labs identified 46 new vulnerabilities across three major solar inverter manufacturers, including Sungrow, Growatt, and SMA. Previous findings showed that 80% of reported vulnerabilities were high or critical in severity, with some reaching the highest CVSS scores.

Over the past three years, an average of 10 new vulnerabilities have been disclosed annually, with 32% carrying a CVSS score of 9.8 or 10, indicating that attackers could fully compromise affected systems.

Millions of solar power systems face security risks

Many solar inverters connect directly to the internet, making them easy targets for cybercriminals. Attackers can exploit outdated firmware, weak authentication mechanisms, and unencrypted data transmissions to gain control.

Exposed APIs allow hackers to enumerate user accounts, reset credentials (ideally stored in password managers) to default values, and manipulate inverter settings, leading to power disruptions.

Additionally, insecure object references and cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities could expose user emails, physical addresses, and energy consumption data, violating privacy regulations such as GDPR.

Beyond grid instability, compromised inverters create further risks, including data theft, financial manipulation, and smart home hijacking - some vulnerabilities allow attackers to take control of electric vehicle chargers and smart plugs.

Cybercriminals could also alter inverter settings to influence energy prices or demand ransom payments to restore system functionality. As a result, the report recommends that manufacturers should prioritize patches, adopt secure coding practices, and conduct regular penetration testing.

Implementing Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) and adhering to cybersecurity frameworks like NIST IR 8259 could help mitigate risks.

Regulators are also urged to classify solar inverters as critical infrastructure and enforce security standards such as ETSI EN 303 645 to ensure compliance with best practices.

For solar system owners and operators, securing installations requires isolating solar devices on separate networks, enabling security monitoring, and following guidelines from organizations like the U.S. Department of Energy to reduce risks.

Installing the best antivirus software adds an extra layer of defense against threats, while deploying the best endpoint protection solutions further safeguards connected devices from cyberattacks targeting solar infrastructure.

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• Adapting the UK’s cyber ecosystem

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for March 30.

AI-powered dishwasher, fridge, oven, washer and vacuum may sound cool but after comparing the cost to non-AI appliances, I'm not sure you're getting more value.

Welcome to our live coverage of World Backup Day, which starts early on Sunday, the 30th (midnight GMT, but there is already 1300 in Auckland, New Zealand). We will update this live blog a few times today, with our real-time coverage of the day starting at 0830 UK time with regular updates throughout Monday, March 31st.

Making sure your data is safe and protected has never been so important as we continue our way in the wild world of digital transformation, but with so much to do these days, it can sometimes go forgotten. Don't worry though, we've rounded up

• advice from our experts to make sure your data is protected.
• horror tales from our team and elsewhere to remind you of what can happen
• exclusive deals from our backup partners to keep your data safe
• backup content from our extensive archive
• data backup stories around the world
• And much more!

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What is World Backup Day anyway

World Backup Day was founded by Ismail Jadun on a subreddit back on the 30th of March 2011, the day before April's fool. That date was not chosen randomly as it gave birth to the event's tagline, Don't be an April Fool. Backup your data. World Backup Day is now an annual fixture in the global tech calendar with tens of thousands of articles and mentions every year and a multi-lingual website(ed: Unfortunately, we couldn't find the original Reddit post).

Back in the days, backup was solely mostly on shiny discs because they were so cheap (Image credit: sattahipbeach / Shutterstock) The World Backup Day Pledge

It's almost the start of World Backup Day in New Zealand where it is 1 minute past midnight on Monday 31st of March, the last day of the first quarter of 2025. WBD even have a semi-official pledge: “I solemnly swear to backup my important documents and precious memories on March 31st. #WorldBackupDay”. Backup, of course, applies both to consumers and businesses as well and in large enterprises, falls under the remit of the CDO or Chief Data officer. Maybe someone should write such a pledge for businesses after all.

• Chinese company DapuStor builds high capacity ultra-fast enterprise SSDs
• Its 1-DWPD Roealsen6 R6101 7.68TB SSD seriously impressed in a new review
• An "engineering masterpiece," the SSD delivered record read speeds

DapuStor is a Chinese start-up specializing in the development and manufacturing of enterprise-grade SSDs - and although you’ve possibly never heard of it, it makes very large - and very fast - storage products.

At the start of 2025, TweakTown tested DapuStor’s J5060 61.44TB SSD against a number of enterprise SSDs, including Solidigm's same size beast, and came away impressed with the drive’s superior read performance, declaring it to be “the most efficient SSD of its capacity point currently in circulation”. A new 122.88TB version of that SSD has been spotted online, and we look forward to seeing how it compares.

Before that, however, TweakTown managed to get its hands on another DapuStor product, the Roealsen6 R6101 7.68TB Enterprise SSD. It may not be anywhere near as big as the J5060, but – spoiler alert – it is incredibly fast.

An engineering masterpiece

Introducing the new drive, TweakTown says, “The new SSD is built on DapuStor's in-house developed DP800 controller and firmware. The new series features a PCIe 5.0 interface and 3D eTLC NAND Flash. Supporting the NVMe 2.0 protocol, it delivers twice the performance of PCIe 4.0 SSDs.”

The 1-DWPD (1 Drive Write Per Day) SSD proved to offer blistering performance in the tests that TweakTown put it through, leading the site to declare the Roealsen6 R6101 7.68TB PCIe Gen5 x4 U.2 SSD to be an “engineering masterpiece”, scoring it 100% for performance, quality, features and overall.

In summing up his findings, TweakTown’s Senior Hardware Editor Jon Coulter gushed, “The drive delivers a record breaking 3.62 million 4K random read IOPS at QD512. This is a whopping 10% more than anything we've encountered previously. Additionally, its 14,600 MB/s sequential read throughput is right up there with the best of them, as is its over 11,000 MB/s sequential write throughput.”

That level of throughput alone would be impressive, but it’s only part of the story.

“Then there is its mixed workload prowess where our 1-DWPD test subject delivers more than anything in its class at queue depths of up to 64. Its mixed workload performance is so good that it can hang in with 3-DWPD SSDs at queue depths of up to 16. And finally, as perfectly illustrated by our preconditioning charts, the R6101 7.68TB delivers QOS that is as good as we've ever seen,” Coulter concluded.

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• These are the fastest SSDs that you can buy right now
• And these are the largest SSDs and HDDs on the market
• Is this the faster 61.44TB SSD out there? DapuStor J5060 is a speed freak

• Chinese company DapuStor builds high capacity ultra-fast enterprise SSDs
• Its 1-DWPD Roealsen6 R6101 7.68TB SSD seriously impressed in a new review
• An "engineering masterpiece," the SSD delivered record read speeds

DapuStor is a Chinese start-up specializing in the development and manufacturing of enterprise-grade SSDs - and although you’ve possibly never heard of it, it makes very large - and very fast - storage products.

At the start of 2025, TweakTown tested DapuStor’s J5060 61.44TB SSD against a number of enterprise SSDs, including Solidigm's same size beast, and came away impressed with the drive’s superior read performance, declaring it to be “the most efficient SSD of its capacity point currently in circulation”. A new 122.88TB version of that SSD has been spotted online, and we look forward to seeing how it compares.

Before that, however, TweakTown managed to get its hands on another DapuStor product, the Roealsen6 R6101 7.68TB Enterprise SSD. It may not be anywhere near as big as the J5060, but – spoiler alert – it is incredibly fast.

An engineering masterpiece

Introducing the new drive, TweakTown says, “The new SSD is built on DapuStor's in-house developed DP800 controller and firmware. The new series features a PCIe 5.0 interface and 3D eTLC NAND Flash. Supporting the NVMe 2.0 protocol, it delivers twice the performance of PCIe 4.0 SSDs.”

The 1-DWPD (1 Drive Write Per Day) SSD proved to offer blistering performance in the tests that TweakTown put it through, leading the site to declare the Roealsen6 R6101 7.68TB PCIe Gen5 x4 U.2 SSD to be an “engineering masterpiece”, scoring it 100% for performance, quality, features and overall.

In summing up his findings, TweakTown’s Senior Hardware Editor Jon Coulter gushed, “The drive delivers a record breaking 3.62 million 4K random read IOPS at QD512. This is a whopping 10% more than anything we've encountered previously. Additionally, its 14,600 MB/s sequential read throughput is right up there with the best of them, as is its over 11,000 MB/s sequential write throughput.”

That level of throughput alone would be impressive, but it’s only part of the story.

“Then there is its mixed workload prowess where our 1-DWPD test subject delivers more than anything in its class at queue depths of up to 64. Its mixed workload performance is so good that it can hang in with 3-DWPD SSDs at queue depths of up to 16. And finally, as perfectly illustrated by our preconditioning charts, the R6101 7.68TB delivers QOS that is as good as we've ever seen,” Coulter concluded.

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ITX has had a hell of a battle over the years.

It's a form factor that naturally draws quite a bit of ire depending on which side of the great PC gaming form-factor debate you sit. For those that love it, ITX and SFF machines are the stuff of legends. Intricately complex builds, ungodly power, and a real David-vs-Goliath kinda gaming rig.

For the full-tower fans, they're pointless, overly hot, and lack the full connectivity that you'd find in a more robust, balanced chassis and form factor.

For me, I 100% live life in that first category. In fact, I wouldn't have a career in hardware journalism if it weren't for building a machine inside of Bitfenix's now legendary Prodigy ITX gaming chassis from way back when in 2013 and showing it off to PC Format's editor back in the day.

It's not all been glamorous, of course. Motherboards have often been lacking, case design has been pretty terrible at times, and there are all manner of cooling and cabling problems that have needed to be overcome. But I honestly feel like we're in a position now that, technologically at least, ITX is in a place where for the vast majority of power users, there's no major difference between it and a big boy build.

The challenges of building in compact cases

That's the big thing too: a lot of the problems that ITX initially faced, even less than a decade ago, stemmed from how we managed hardware.

For instance, ATX builds once used to be able to house multiple graphics cards running in SLI or Crossfire, but over time that was whittled down to just two cards, until finally, with Nvidia's 30 series, support was removed entirely.

There's no major difference between running an RTX 5090 in an ITX build than there is in a full E-ATX setup, and in fact, you'll notice that pretty much every motherboard now only comes with a single (usually reinforced by some "armor" or gimmick) PCIe x16 slot up top for the graphics card. But just one.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Then there's the M.2 conundrum, and again, ITX used to be massively disadvantaged here as well.

Yet similarly, as NAND density has increased and cost decreased, along with some clever and quite intuitive raised PCBs and M.2 slot designs, it's quite easy to find ITX motherboards with two or even three M.2 slots.

Combine that with one of the best SSD you can get your hands on for your OS drive and a nice chunky backup SSD for your secondary storage, and once again, you're already well-equipped to compete with larger mid-tower cases for the vast majority of people.

I could go on, but the fact is that ITX today, from cases to coolers to the hardware we use, is really nowhere near as limited as it used to be. Even processor performance, with auto-turbo galore, isn't exactly held back anymore. But the question remains: Why bother? What's the point? Why do I care so much?

Power in small packages

It matters because ITX represents that defining principle of modern-day technology of the last 30 years. In my lifetime, I've seen tech shrink and become more powerful time and time again. It might be because I'm a short(ish) fellow, but there's something quite admirable I find about a tiny but mighty build.

That Moore's Law-esque power creep, or the sleeper build housing ungodly performance in a form factor that could fit in an entertainment center in a living room. It's like rocking up to a drag race with a seemingly clapped-out VW Caddy Mk1, only to know you've got a 500-horsepower engine under the hood. It has that vibe, and I love it.

(Image credit: Geekom)

Over the years, I've built countless PCs and published hundreds of build logs, pursuing all manner of hardware launches and gimmicky headlines designed to entice the reader in pushing the limit of what's possible with off-the-shelf hardware. And time and time again, the builds that stick with me aren't the crazy $10,000 dream machines or the full-fledged RTX 5090 E-ATX monsters; no, it's the ITX ones.

Don't get me wrong, I'm screaming at them each and every time I build them as I struggle with cable management or liquid-cooling runs, but deep down, I love that form factor more than anything else. And if you haven't given it a shot and are looking for a PC building challenge, and a rig that not only delivers on the performance but also takes up a fraction of the space, I highly recommend giving it a go.

You might also like...

• I’m suddenly really excited about Nvidia’s new RTX 5090 – but probably not for the reason you’re expecting
• PC case sizes explained: all form factors available in 2025
• The Asus ROG NUC carries the torch for Intel's mini gaming PC dreams, but the cost of entry is still too steep

ITX has had a hell of a battle over the years.

It's a form factor that naturally draws quite a bit of ire depending on which side of the great PC gaming form-factor debate you sit. For those that love it, ITX and SFF machines are the stuff of legends. Intricately complex builds, ungodly power, and a real David-vs-Goliath kinda gaming rig.

For the full-tower fans, they're pointless, overly hot, and lack the full connectivity that you'd find in a more robust, balanced chassis and form factor.

For me, I 100% live life in that first category. In fact, I wouldn't have a career in hardware journalism if it weren't for building a machine inside of Bitfenix's now legendary Prodigy ITX gaming chassis from way back when in 2013 and showing it off to PC Format's editor back in the day.

It's not all been glamorous, of course. Motherboards have often been lacking, case design has been pretty terrible at times, and there are all manner of cooling and cabling problems that have needed to be overcome. But I honestly feel like we're in a position now that, technologically at least, ITX is in a place where for the vast majority of power users, there's no major difference between it and a big boy build.

The challenges of building in compact cases

That's the big thing too: a lot of the problems that ITX initially faced, even less than a decade ago, stemmed from how we managed hardware.

For instance, ATX builds once used to be able to house multiple graphics cards running in SLI or Crossfire, but over time that was whittled down to just two cards, until finally, with Nvidia's 30 series, support was removed entirely.

There's no major difference between running an RTX 5090 in an ITX build than there is in a full E-ATX setup, and in fact, you'll notice that pretty much every motherboard now only comes with a single (usually reinforced by some "armor" or gimmick) PCIe x16 slot up top for the graphics card. But just one.

(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)

Then there's the M.2 conundrum, and again, ITX used to be massively disadvantaged here as well.

Yet similarly, as NAND density has increased and cost decreased, along with some clever and quite intuitive raised PCBs and M.2 slot designs, it's quite easy to find ITX motherboards with two or even three M.2 slots.

Combine that with one of the best SSD you can get your hands on for your OS drive and a nice chunky backup SSD for your secondary storage, and once again, you're already well-equipped to compete with larger mid-tower cases for the vast majority of people.

I could go on, but the fact is that ITX today, from cases to coolers to the hardware we use, is really nowhere near as limited as it used to be. Even processor performance, with auto-turbo galore, isn't exactly held back anymore. But the question remains: Why bother? What's the point? Why do I care so much?

Power in small packages

It matters because ITX represents that defining principle of modern-day technology of the last 30 years. In my lifetime, I've seen tech shrink and become more powerful time and time again. It might be because I'm a short(ish) fellow, but there's something quite admirable I find about a tiny but mighty build.

That Moore's Law-esque power creep, or the sleeper build housing ungodly performance in a form factor that could fit in an entertainment center in a living room. It's like rocking up to a drag race with a seemingly clapped-out VW Caddy Mk1, only to know you've got a 500-horsepower engine under the hood. It has that vibe, and I love it.

(Image credit: Geekom)

Over the years, I've built countless PCs and published hundreds of build logs, pursuing all manner of hardware launches and gimmicky headlines designed to entice the reader in pushing the limit of what's possible with off-the-shelf hardware. And time and time again, the builds that stick with me aren't the crazy $10,000 dream machines or the full-fledged RTX 5090 E-ATX monsters; no, it's the ITX ones.

Don't get me wrong, I'm screaming at them each and every time I build them as I struggle with cable management or liquid-cooling runs, but deep down, I love that form factor more than anything else. And if you haven't given it a shot and are looking for a PC building challenge, and a rig that not only delivers on the performance but also takes up a fraction of the space, I highly recommend giving it a go.

You might also like...

• I’m suddenly really excited about Nvidia’s new RTX 5090 – but probably not for the reason you’re expecting
• PC case sizes explained: all form factors available in 2025
• The Asus ROG NUC carries the torch for Intel's mini gaming PC dreams, but the cost of entry is still too steep

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle No. 392 for March 30.