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Ahead-looking: The quicker a drive is, the extra energy it usually consumes. Nevertheless, SanDisk seems to have cracked the code with a brand new PCIe 5.0 SSD that pushes the present interface to its pace limits whereas sustaining energy consumption on par with fashionable Gen4 drives.
SanDisk, the flash storage division of Western Digital, unveiled a pair of recent SSD platforms at an investor occasion final week. These are designed to strike a stability between efficiency and worth.
Main the premium tier is a brand new flagship drive poised to push the PCIe 5.0 interface to its limits. In accordance with Tom’s {Hardware}, this SSD is expected to ship blistering sequential learn and write speeds of 14,500 MB/s and 14,000 MB/s, respectively, in its 2TB configuration. However here is the true kicker – it achieves these speeds whereas consuming simply 7 watts of energy.
To place that effectivity into perspective, most present Gen4 drives hover across the 7W mark, whereas the quickest Gen5 choices available on the market usually draw nearer to 10W underneath peak masses. Sources recommend this new drive could possibly be powered by Silicon Movement’s extremely environment friendly SM2508 controller.
The as-yet-unnamed drive will share SanDisk’s performance-oriented TLC NAND platform with the prevailing WD Black gaming SSD household. Capacities will vary from 512GB to a spacious 4TB when it launches in Q2 2025.
SanDisk can also be introducing a brand new value-focused QLC-based SSD platform that retains PCIe 4.0 connectivity, with storage capacities topping out at 2TB. One drive based mostly on this platform is the Western Digital PC SN5100S, which delivers a 53 p.c increase in random learn speeds and a 44 p.c enchancment in random write efficiency in comparison with its predecessor, the SN5000S.
In the case of QLC NAND, SanDisk has formidable plans to ramp up adoption of this higher-density (however shorter-lived) flash. The corporate goals to have QLC know-how energy 75 p.c of its storage lineup by 2028 to maximise capability. On the similar time, it’s getting ready for a full transition from PCIe Gen4 to the Gen5 commonplace throughout the similar timeframe.
Each of those new SSD households will leverage Western Digital’s newest 3D BiCS8 NAND flash to push efficiency boundaries even additional.
All in all, whereas SanDisk might have a contemporary coat of paint, its dedication to flash storage innovation exhibits no indicators of slowing down.
