Crucial has announced a new entry in its m4 solid-state drive (SSD) family - but this time in an mSATA format that takes up just one-eighth the space of a regular m4.

Despite its svelte dimensions, Crucial claims it hasn't sacrificed the m4's performance. According to internal testing at the company, the new mSATA m4 is capable of 500MB/s sequential read speeds and fully supports Intel's Smart Response Technology as well as the Dataplex caching software suite from Nvelo.

'With the rapid growth in ultrathin laptops and the adoption of smaller system builds, consumers are increasingly in need of SSD performance in a smaller form factor. The Crucial m4 mSATA is designed for users who want the flexibility that a micro-sized SSD offers,' claimed Crucial's Robert Wheadon at the announcement. 'In a form factor that's about a third the size of your business card, the Crucial mSATA SSD can also be used as a standalone SSD or as a cache for an existing drive.'

The mSATA m4 is launching today in 32GB, 64GB, 128GB and 256GB capacities, priced at £39.59, £63.59, £94.79 and £175.19 respectively. Those opting to buy directly from Crucial's own web store can expect to receive a slight discount.

With motherboard manufacturers increasingly adding mSATA ports to their higher-end systems, Crucial's new m4 could be a popular way to boost system performance without needing to make room for a full-size SSD. For Ultrabook owners, it also offers a potential upgrade for slower or smaller OEM drives - although you'll have to hope your particular Ultrabook is a model which isn't a nightmare to take apart for upgrades.