Micron unveiled the primary 200+ layer NAND knowledge middle NVMe SSD, the 6500 Ion because it appears to be like to strengthen its presence within the booming hyperscale storage market.
The corporate says its new SSD is best worth than equally priced QLC (quad-layer cell) rivals (just like the Solidigm D5-P5316) as a result of it makes use of TLC (triple-layer cell) that’s as value aggressive with QLC but additionally provide higher efficiency.
An early overview by Tweaktown’s Jon Coulter (opens in new tab) confirmed that the drive delivered what it had promised: TLC for the worth of QLC and that’s vital. The D5-P5316 is the most cost effective of the big capability SSDs available on the market and, just like the 6500 ion is on the market in U3 and E1.L kind components.
Provantage shares each SKUs (opens in new tab) for slightly below $2,500 and if Micron managed to match Solidigm’s price ticket, then one can count on QLC costs to fall down, which can have a knockoff impact on the broader market.
61.44TB SSD on the horizon?
Key to Micron’s pricing technique is the usage of 232-layer TLC flash NAND in comparison with rivals which can be utilizing 144-layer QLC flash (its advertising and marketing literature states that it has a die density 5% larger than QLC at 14.55Gb/mm^2. This, alone, removes the primary benefit of QLC, which is pricing. TLC wins virtually in all places else: learn/writes (random or sequential), energy consumption and maybe most significantly, endurance.
Two issues caught my consideration as properly: there’s just one SKU for the 6500 ION and that’s the 30.72TB mannequin. I’m inclined to consider that there is perhaps an even bigger SKU (61.44TB??) launched ought to there be an urge for food for it sooner or later. Micron additionally noticed it match to bundle a passive fan to chill the SSD; the fan greater than doubles the peak of the SSD (making an allowance for that that is an 15mm U3 drive).
We’ve got reached out to Micron to seek out out whether or not the fan may very well be eliminated to cut back the thickness of the SSD to one thing that may be positioned in a laptop computer.
Micron has one other 30.72TB drive, the 9400 Professional which was launched earlier this 12 months and has the next endurance (about 3X) that of the 6500 ION. As anticipated, it’s also a bit dearer; I managed to supply it on-line for round $3,100.
Extra 30TB SSDs on the best way?
Till not too long ago, Samsung’s PM1643 was the one giant capability (30.72TB) drive accessible. Since then, Nimbus knowledge launched two 32TB SSDs (in addition to a 64TB, 50TB and 100TB mannequin), Samsung added the PM1653 and the PM1733, Kioxia launched the PM6 and the CM6 and Solidigm dropped the D5-P5316 and the simply introduced P5430. There are after all different area of interest gamers (Pure Storage, Liqid Component) with both proprietary options or merchandise that focus on a small phase of the storage market.
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