3D QLC NAND at Its Finest

Samsung teased the trade’s first 256 TB solid-state drive on the Flash Reminiscence Summit 2023. The brand new drive options unprecedented storage density and is aimed primarily at hyper-scale knowledge facilities the place storage density and diminished energy consumption matter probably the most.

Samsung’s 256 TB SSD is predicated on 3D QLC NAND reminiscence and possibly makes use of progressive packaging to cram a number of 3D QLC NAND units into stacks. The corporate doesn’t disclose which type issue the drive makes use of. Nonetheless, as a result of the unit is aimed primarily at hyper scalers, we anticipate Samsung to supply them in one of many rising ESDFF type elements or Samsung’s proprietary NGSFF type issue. For now, the one factor that Samsung discloses about its 256 TB SSD is that it’s a number of occasions extra power environment friendly than current drives that carry 32 TB of uncooked NAND.

“In comparison with stacking eight 32 TB SSDs, one 256 TB SSD consumes roughly seven occasions much less energy, regardless of storing the identical quantity of knowledge,” an announcement by Samsung reads.

Along with teasing its 256 TB SSD, Samsung formally introduced its next-generation datacenter PM9A3a household of drives with a PCIe 5.0 x4 interface that’s anticipated to supply critical efficiency and excessive energy effectivity. 

Samsung says that its new PM9A3a SSDs enhance sequential learn efficiency by as much as 2.3 occasions (i.e., to 14.95 GB/s) and random write efficiency by greater than 2x in comparison with the earlier era PM9A3, which makes use of a PCIe 4.0 x4 interface. As well as, these new drives promise a 60% energy effectivity enchancment (presumably in comparison with predecessors) and enhanced Telemetry and Debug features. 

Samsung’s PM9A3a SSDs can be out there in numerous type elements within the first half of 2024, that includes capacities from 3.84 TB all the best way as much as 30.72 TB.

Supply: Samsung