Transcend Information, Inc. (Transcend), a global leader in embedded and consumer storage solutions, proudly announces the release of its flagship PCIe Gen 5 SSD—MTE260S. Built on the ultra-high-speed PCIe Gen 5 x4 interface and compliant with the latest NVMe 2.0 specification, the MTE260S delivers blazing-fast sequential read and write speeds of up to 14,000 MB/s and 11,000 MB/s, respectively. With up to 1,400K IOPS, it is engineered to meet the demanding needs of high-end gaming desktops, content creators' laptops, and AI computing platforms—offering next-level responsiveness and extreme transfer performance.

Extreme Speed. Redefined Performance.
Equipped with next-gen PCIe 5.0 NVMe technology and a per-lane bandwidth of 32 GT/s, the MTE260S significantly accelerates boot times, game loading, and large file transfers. It's backward compatible for broader system integration, providing a flexible and cost-effective upgrade path for a range of platforms—from gaming rigs to creative workstations and AI computing systems—delivering high-speed stability at every level.

Today PNY announced the latest in its OTG Flash Drive assortment, the DUO LINK V3 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C & Type-A. Encapsulated in a premium metal housing are extensive storage and extreme performance capabilities, ideal for professionals. Paired with dual USB-C /USB-A connectors for maximum compatibility, this contemporary matte black swivel design drive is the ideal choice for on-the-go users looking for ultimate versatility, speed, and storage.

Lightning-Fast Performance
Experience professional-grade performance with PNY's DUO LINK V3. Engineered with the latest USB 3.2 Gen 2 technology to achieve extreme speeds up to 1,000 MB/s read and up to 800 MB/s write, an astounding 265x faster transfer speed than standard USB 2.0 flash drives. Transfer files in a flash with this blazing-fast performance, ideal for advanced tech users and the most demanding applications.

Micron has achieved a significant advancement of the HBM4 architecture, which will stack 12 DRAM dies (12-Hi) to provide 36 GB of capacity per package. According to company representatives, initial engineering samples are scheduled to ship to key partners in the coming weeks, paving the way for full production in early 2026. The HBM4 design relies on Micron's established 1β ("one-beta") process node for DRAM tiles, in production since 2022, while it prepares to introduce EUV-enabled 1γ ("one-gamma") later this year for DDR5. By increasing the interface width from 1,024 to 2,048 bits per stack, each HBM4 chip can achieve a sustained memory bandwidth of 2 TB/s, representing a 20% efficiency improvement over the existing HBM3E standard.

NVIDIA and AMD are expected to be early adopters of Micron's HBM4. NVIDIA plans to integrate these memory modules into its upcoming Rubin-Vera AI accelerators in the second half of 2026. AMD is anticipated to incorporate HBM4 into its next-generation Instinct MI400 series, with further information to be revealed at the company's Advancing AI 2025 conference. The increased capacity and bandwidth of HBM4 will address growing demands in generative AI, high-performance computing, and other data-intensive applications. Larger stack heights and expanded interface widths enable more efficient data movement, a critical factor in multi-chip configurations and memory-coherent interconnects. As Micron begins mass production of HBM4, major obstacles to overcome will be thermal performance and real-world benchmarks, which will determine how effectively this new memory standard can support the most demanding AI workloads.

Gigabyte has low-key introduced an ultra-premium AI TOP 500 TRX50 Desktop; advertised as being: "purpose-built for local AI development, multimodal fine-tuning, and high-performance gaming, delivering workstation-grade performance and advanced AI capabilities in a streamlined, plug-and-play format." A firm price point and release date were not mentioned in last week's press material. This system easily outmuscles a flagship Intel "Arrow Lake-S" Core Ultra-powered sibling; the AI TOP 100 Z890. A 24-core AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX sits at the heart of the AI TOP 500 TRX50—an AORUS 360 AIO Liquid Cooler tempers this beast. Given that Team Red will be launching its next-gen Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9000 "Zen 5/Shimada Peak" processor family next month, Gigabyte's selection of older "Zen 4/Storm Peak" tech seems to be ill-timed. Fortunately, their TRX50 AI TOP motherboard can support the next wave of CPUs. VideoCardz believes that another variant—sporting a 32-core Threadripper PRO 7975WX CPU—will emerge at some point in the near future.

The AI TOP 500 and 100 pre-builds have something in common: both are specced with own-brand GeForce RTX 5090 WINDFORCE graphics cards. The Taiwanese firm's signature AI TOP Utility is described as: "a unified software suite that streamlines the entire AI development process. Users can explore models via RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation), build and manage custom datasets, fine-tune LLMs and LMMs up to 405B parameters, and monitor system performance through a real-time dashboard. It also supports multi-node clustering via Thunderbolt 5 and Dual 10G LAN, allowing users to scale computing resources as needed." The AI TOP 500 TRX50 can be equipped with up to a total of 768 GB (8 x 96 GB) DDR5 R-DIMM memory—"enabling smooth execution of complex AI tasks and large-scale datasets. Storage is managed by AI-ready SSDs, including a 1 TB AI TOP 100E cache drive with up to 150x TBW (total bytes written) compared to standard consumer SSDs—ensuring high durability under frequent read/write workloads." An ultra-fast AORUS Gen 4 7300 SSD 2 TB is also included in this package. Appropriately, an AI TOP-branded Ultra Durable 1600 W 80 Plus Platinum PSU (ATX 3.1) provides necessary juice.

Last December, MSI announced the launch of its Intel "Lunar Lake" APU-powered Claw 8 AI+ and Claw 7 AI+ PC gaming handhelds. Almost two months later, international buyers were left puzzled by a seemingly staggered new product rollout. Despite proudly exhibiting finalized "Sandstorm-colored" units at CES 2025, North American buyers missed out on experiencing a (semi-promised) mid-January release. By March, the brand had fired up its new-gen Claw device marketing campaign again. It is not clear whether MSI shipped a lot of stock to international markets, but fresh news reports indicate an upcoming arrival of their "Polar Tempest Edition" 2 TB variant. As disclosed by Notebookcheck, this special model popped up momentarily earlier on last month.

Re-upped listings point to a potential mid-July launch; starting prices in the US are hovering around the $999 mark. Amazon Germany is accepting orders; €1107.21 (including VAT) grants access to MSI's slightly redecorated Core Ultra 7 258V-powered flagship. The manufacturer's dedicated product page states: "(our) Polar Tempest Edition features a new color scheme and MSI's custom-formulated polyurethane coating, evoking ice-blue crystals on a snow-white landscape." Despite Intel's recent boosting of "Lunar Lake" integrated graphics solution performance, the Claw 8 AI+ (and its 7-inch sibling) face strong "next-gen" competition. ASUS seems to be readying a ROG Ally sequel—according to leaks, this portable PC will make use of AMD's Ryzen Z2 Extreme processor. A distant "third-gen" MSI Claw design could be equipped with futuristic Intel gaming chipsets; in "Arrow Lake-H" or "Panther Lake" form.

Kingston FURY, the high-performance division of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., a world leader in memory products and technology solutions, announces its PCIe 5.0 NVMe M.2 SSD, Kingston FURY Renegade G5 for gaming and high-power users seeking maximum performance.

Kingston FURY Renegade G5 allows users to unleash the full capability of their system by leveraging the latest PCIe Gen 5 x 4 controller and 3D TLC NAND to reach extreme speeds up to 14,800/14,000 MB/s read/write and over 2M IOPS. Kingston FURY Renegade G5 is optimized for performance PC and workstations to eliminate storage bottlenecks and significantly reduce load times, making it the ideal drive for when you're deep in high-intensity gaming, editing, or a data-heavy workflow.

It appears that Wester Digital is getting ready to launch a new performance NVMe SSD in the shape of the WD_Black SN8100, as the drive has tipped up online. Oddly enough, it's not branded as a SanDisk drive, at least not in Europe where the drive is listed for pre-order. It was first spotted by @momomo_us on Amazon Germany, but the company only had the 1 TB SKU listed and a little bit of sleuthing on our side, quickly found the 2 TB and 4 TB SKU's listed with various etailers around the world.

It seems like WD has decided to use the Silicon Motion SM2508 NVMe SSD controller for the SN8100, although this has as yet to be verified and it's likely to be an OEM version of the controller without markings if true. The SN8100 is said to deliver read speeds of up to 14,900 MB/s and write speeds of up to 14,000 MB/s, with the 1 TB SKU being a bit slower at 11,000 MB/s. It should also deliver up to 2,300K IOPS, for both read and write operations. In Europe, the MSRP currently appears to be €200, €300-310 and €550-560 respectively for the different SKUs, which is a massive increase over the SN850X, but in line with recently launched PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSDs like the Kingston Fury Renegade G5. It's also listed for C$374 and C$560 for the 1 TB and 2 TB SKUs respectively by a Canadian etailer and £170, £260 and £455 in the UK for each of the three SKUs. The official launch date is the 30th of May according to Amazon.

Earlier this month, Kingston's new Fury Renegade G5 PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD leaked, albeit without pricing, but now the company has revealed the pricing both in the US and the UK and to be frank, it's not all that competitively priced. As reported, the Fury Renegade G5 will come in three sizes, 1 TB, 2 TB and 4 TB and Kingston went with Silicon Motions SM2508 controller, rather than the more commonly used Phison E26, for its first PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD. There's little between the two controllers in real world performance tests, but the SM2508 is faster on paper.

So what about the pricing then you ask? Well, the 1 TB SKU starts at US$203.99 or £182.16 (inc VAT) if you live in the UK. Considering you can get a 1 TB Crucial T705 for US$160 or a 1 TB Samsung 9100 Pro for US$199.99, it seems like Kingston's pricing is a bit off, since their Fury Renegade G5 is unlikely to offer any tangible performance advantages. The 2 TB SKU is listed at US$329.99 / £295.92, while the 4 TB SKU comes in at US$629.99 / £563.04, making the 4 TB SKU one of the most expensive 4 TB consumer NVMe SSDs in the market. Samsung's 9100 Pro retails for around US$550 in comparison, although the Crucial T705 comes in at US$687 in the 4 TB SKU. It seems like PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD's, especially at larger storage sizes are going to continue to be a premium product for now.

Lexar, a leading global brand of flash memory solutions, is excited to announce the NQ780 M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD and the Professional NM1090 PRO PCIe 5.0 SSD, designed to provide the peak performance needed to keep every game running smoothly.

The Professional NM1090 PRO PCIe 5.0 SSD delivers speeds up to 14,000 MB/s read and 13,000 MB/s write to provide superior performance for professional-grade systems. Its 6 nm controller optimizes heat control for more efficient performance and customers can pair it with an AMD Ryzen or Intel i9 processor for a next-level game experience. The drive features DRAM Cache and SLC dynamic cache to greatly enhance data transfer speeds to reduce wait times and improve system responsiveness.

Lenovo today unveiled a refreshed portfolio of ThinkPad devices engineered to meet the evolving needs of modern professionals—from content creators and engineers to knowledge workers and hybrid teams. The lineup includes powerful Copilot+ PCs, such as the ThinkPad P14s Gen 6 AMD and ThinkPad P16s Gen 4 AMD mobile workstations, alongside new ThinkPad L Series business laptops and expands its ThinkPad X1 Aura Editions, delivering the performance, manageability, and intelligence today's AI-powered workflows demand.

Together, these latest ThinkPad systems reflect Lenovo's commitment to delivering smarter, more adaptive solutions that support advanced workloads, sustainability goals, and flexible work models—whether users are building complex simulations or collaborating across teams.

PC hardware media outlets have uncovered a not yet officially announced Kingston Fury Renegade G5 SSD product family. Promotional images and fairly detailed specifications were reportedly sourced directly from the North American manufacturer's main web presence. Three next-gen PCIe 5.0 SSD options were highlighted; likely coming soon—in quick response to Samsung's recently launched 9100 PRO Series. The South Korean megacorp's cutting-edge proprietary Presto
S4LY027-controlled offerings are considered to be the world's fastest SSDs, but this elite level of performance has arrived with substantial price tags. At several points, W1zzard's evaluation of the $300 Samsung 9100 Pro 2 TB model touched upon cost-performance considerations. Kingston's forthcoming Fury Renegade G5 4 TB, 2 TB, and 1 TB SSD NVMe M.2 2280 SKUs possess the potential to match main rivals—according to a leaked spec chart, the flagship boasts up to 14,800 MB/s read and 14,000 MB/s write speeds.

The apparent selection of Silicon Motion's SM2508 controller is a key point of interest—this "superior performance" low-power PCIe Gen 5 x4 NVMe 2.0 SSD solution was announced late last summer. September preview material painted a promising picture, in terms of promised power efficiency. By late December, a Chinese manufacturer demonstrated 14.5 GB/s sequential reads enabled by Silicon Motion's flagship controller. At CES 2025, TechPowerUp staffers documented a handful of previewed SM2508-controlled commercial products. Returning to the present day, Kingston's inadvertent self-leak did not reveal Fury Renegade G5's eventual launch window or price brackets—these facts are expected to arrive online with a possible imminent issuing of official press material.

Over the past weekend, GMKtec's Weibo channel announced that pre-orders for its recently unveiled EVO-X2 mini PC model will start on April 7 (through JD.com), for customers located in China. Almost two weeks ago, the manufacturer boasted about its brand-new offering being the "world's first AI mini PC" equipped with AMD's Ryzen AI "Strix Halo" Max+ 395 APU. Extra international attention was gained, due to Lisa Su's autographing of a showcased unit during proceedings at the 2025 AI PC Innovation Summit (held on March 18, in Beijing). Pricing and availability were not mentioned during this press event, but GMKtec's Saturday (March 29) bulletin has revealed a (roughly) $2067 USD price point for the EVO-X2 launch model.

The manufacturer's blog entry stated that the: "EVO-X2 AI supercomputing host is coming, 128 GB + 2 TB priced at 14999 yuan, pricing reconstructs the desktop computing power boundary! Equipped with AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 flagship processor, 16-core 32-thread architecture with 5.1 GHz acceleration frequency, combined with 128 GB LPDDR5X memory and 2 TB high-speed storage, it can realize local deployment of 70 billion parameter large models, and AI performance exceeds NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5090D graphics card." This potent compact AI-crunching solution is tempered by GMKtec's "innovative" Arctic Ocean cooling system. They advertise this design as using: "dual-turbofans and VC heat sinks to achieve silent heat dissipation at a peak power consumption of 140 W. The body adopts a recycled aluminium suspension design, equipped with HDMI, DP and USB4 interfaces, and supports Wi-Fi 6 + 2.5G network access." The brand has not yet announced an international release, but their EVO-X2 mini PC could face serious competition. Late last month, Framework debuted its Desktop product range—consisting of configurable 4.5L Mini-ITX systems—with a top-end Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (128 GB) model starting at $1999.

PNY announced the addition of the CS2342 M.2 2230 NVMe PCIe Gen 4 x4 SSD to its lineup of solid-state drives. Boasting some of the fastest 2230 read and write speeds of up to 7,300/6,000 MB/s, and availability in 1 TB and 2 TB capacities, the CS2342 is an upgrade for gamers, creators, and enthusiasts. The new CS2342 is expected to hit retailers in late March.

Huge Capabilities in a Compact Size
PNY's CS2342 combines the compact M.2 2230 form factor with the NVMe PCIe Gen 4 x4 interface, delivering exceptional data transfer speeds for handheld gaming devices, desktops, and laptops. The CS2342 delivers lightning-fast read speeds of up to 7,300 MB/s and write speeds of up to 6,000 MB/s, with capacities of up to 2 TB, making it the perfect upgrade for any M.2 2230 compatible device. Whether you are storing more games, transferring files faster, or boosting your PC's storage capacity to hold more files and content creations - the CS2342 will take your device to its maximum potential.

Angelbird Technologies GmbH unveils its new, sleek, pocket-sized SSDs for seamless external recording and server-less file access on the go, the SSD2GO PKT 2 TB and the SSD2GO PKT 4 TB. The new SSD2GO PKT is the highly anticipated next generation of Angelbird's popular SSD2GO PKT series. Featuring notable performance and design upgrades, this new storage media delivers exceptional consistent high-speed for capturing high-definition creative recordings including photos, videos and audio tracks. With up to 4 TB of capacity available, it can also be used to manage the data storage and expansion needs for alternative workflows. It is the perfect companion for your daily on-camera, recorder, laptop, desktop, tablet, or mobile tasks. The high-speed Solid Flex USB-C 4.0 cable provides a robust and reliable connection.

More space on the go - more freedom
With the SSD2GO PKT, creative freedom knows no bounds. Combining large capacity with versatile USB-C external recording, it's possible to extend the capabilities of any camera or recording device, enabling seamless and creative footage capture. Content creators can store, edit, and share their work seamlessly without limitations with simple plug-and-play functionality.

Samsung Electronics America, a world leader in advanced memory technology, today announced the 9100 PRO series solid state drives (SSDs), the newest addition to its consumer SSD lineup. Featuring blazing fast speeds and even more storage capacities, the 9100 PRO and 9100 PRO with Heatsink SSDs are designed to deliver next-gen performance - offering the ultimate storage solution for your digital life.

"From AI-driven creators shaping the future to gamers pushing the limits, we saw a clear need for innovation to support users who need more forward-thinking memory technology as they push the bounds of what's possible in their work," said Jim Kiczek, Vice President of Memory Product Marketing at Samsung Electronics America. "The 9100 PRO SSD establishes a new era of performance to help them achieve exactly that. With more storage, even better speeds, improved power efficiency and seamless reliability, the lineup empowers users to continue innovating without storage limitations."

Although we've been aware of Samsung's 9100 Pro SSD since June last year, it appears that Samsung India got ahead of things and released a press release early about what we can only expect is a soon to launch product. The 9100 Pro is, as you'd expect, a PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD and it will be available in capacities of 1, 2 and 4 TB initially, but it appears that Samsung is also planning to release an 8 TB SKU, which would be a first for its Pro series of SSDs. Samsung will offer all SKUs with or without a heatsink and the 1 to 4 TB versions will come with an 8.8 mm thick heatsink, whereas the 8 TB model will come with an 11.25 mm thick heatsink.

Sadly, Samsung India only shared the sequential performance figures, and we're looking at read speeds of up to 14,800 MB/s and write speeds of up 13,400 MB/s, neither is sticking out from the competition already available in the market. The pulled press release also mentioned random read performance of 2,200K IOPS and random write performance of 2,600K IOPS. As the press release was intended for the Indian market, we only have pricing in Indian rupees and the 1 TB SKU will sell for 14,999 INR or around US$172, including 18 percent VAT, followed by the 2 TB SKU at 25,499 INR or US$293 and finally 49,999 INR or US$573 for the 4 TB SKU. No pricing was revealed for the upcoming 8 TB SKU.

Transcend Information, Inc., a leading global manufacturer of memory storage solutions, announced the release of the MTE255S, a PCIe M.2 solid-state drive. Featuring a PCIe Gen 4 x4 interface, it delivers impressive read speeds of up to 7,400 MB/s and write speeds of 6,500 MB/s. This SSD offers exceptional storage experiences for gamers, content creators, and business users. Whether it's high-performance gaming, advanced video editing, or rapid data processing, the MTE255S significantly boosts desktop and laptop performance to meet demanding application needs.

Experience Unmatched Speed and Capacity
The MTE255S combines a PCIe Gen 4 x4 interface with a multichannel controller to achieve blazing-fast data transfer speeds. Users experience smooth gaming performance, accelerated video editing and rendering, and seamless processing of large business datasets. With storage options up to 2 TB, the MTE255S offers generous space for extensive game libraries, media projects, and enterprise workloads.

Angelbird is excited to introduce our new AV PRO SE CFexpress B v4 memory cards. Built on the latest CFexpress v4 Type B technology, we set a new benchmark for stable, high-speed performance, redefining the "Standard Edition" of our CFexpress Type B memory cards.

Stability meets performance
At Angelbird, we understand that true performance isn't just about maximum speeds - it's about delivering consistent, stable results throughout the entire creative process. Angelbird's Stable Stream guarantees consistent recording performance across all modes and throughout the entire capacity of the card. These new cards deliver a sustained write speed of up to 3150 MB/s - doubling the speed of our previous CFexpress 2.0 Type B cards. Designed to keep up with various demanding workflows, from fast-paced shoots to data-intensive post-production, they deliver unparalleled and reliable performance for the modern creator.

Seagate Technology Holdings plc, a leading innovator of mass-capacity data storage, today announced the Seagate Ultra-Compact SSD, the lightning-fast SSD that is highly durable and portable. With transfer speeds of up to 1,000 MB/s, you can conveniently store and move large files on-the-go, freeing up space on your PC, phone, tablet or gaming device. The device comes in spacious 1 TB and 2 TB capacities.

Product Highlights:

• Small but Mighty: The Seagate Ultra-Compact SSD is a compact and light, thumb-drive sized SSD that easily attaches to your key ring. Despite its small size, it offers powerful performance and convenience.
• Tough Stuff: Built to withstand the rigors of travel, The Seagate Ultra-Compact SSD features 3 meter drop resistance, IP54 dust and water resistance, and a removable rubber sleeve for extra protection.

PNY Technologies today announced the latest additions to their USB Type-C flash drive lineup, headlined by the extreme-performance PRO Elite V3 that delivers read speeds up to 1,000 MB/s and write speeds up to 800 MB/s, and offers storage options ranging from 256 GB - 2 TB. The expanded Type-C portfolio also includes the ultra-compact Elite-X Fit and Elite models, providing a storage solution for all Type-C and high-performance portable needs without requiring a Type-C adapter.

Extreme Storage Solution—PRO Elite V3 Type-C
The PRO Elite V3 leads PNY's latest generation of Type-C USB storage solutions, crafted for professional content creators, designers, and gamers demanding high performance while working with large files and resource-demanding applications. With extreme read speeds up to 1,000 MB/s and write speeds up to 800 MB/s, users can safely transfer their valuable content at blazing fast speeds up to 265 times faster than standard USB 2.0 flash drives. A huge storage size increase of up to 2 TB provides professional users ample space to store large project files, 4K video collections, and extensive gaming libraries on a single storage device.

Patriot proudly announces the launch of the PDP31, a portable PSSD designed specifically for the mobile lifestyle. Supporting the USB 3.2 Gen 2 standard, the PDP31 boasts a high-speed transfer rate of up to 10 Gbps, with exceptional sequential read and write speeds of up to 1000 MB/s, making it the ideal choice for tech enthusiasts and professionals alike.

To ensure ample storage for all your important files, the PDP31 is available in capacities ranging from 120 GB to 2 TB, making it perfect for storing everything from creative video projects to large work files. It also features a versatile USB Type-C interface for easy connection to desktops, MacBooks, Windows laptops, tablets, and smartphones.

ASUS today announced the 2025 TUF Gaming laptop lineup, including the first 18-inch member of the family. Featuring the latest processors from AMD, Intel, and NVIDIA, the TUF Gaming A16, F16, and A18 aim to deliver incredible performance without breaking the bank.

The first TUF Gaming 18-inch laptop
The TUF Gaming Alliance is proud to introduce the A18, the first 18-inch laptop in the TUF Gaming lineup. Equipped with up to an AMD Ryzen 7 260 processor and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU, the TUF Gaming A18 can easily handle the latest games. Also featuring up to 32 GB of DDR5 5600 MHz memory and up to 2 TB of PCIe Gen 4 storage, gamers can easily game, stream, and store their entire library. The A18 also boasts a gorgeous 2.5K resolution 240 Hz display, with an extra-tall 16:10 aspect ratio, 500 nits of peak brightness, and 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 colors space for incredibly immersive gameplay.

Acer today launched the new Nitro Blaze 8 and Nitro Blaze 11 handheld gaming devices, designed to elevate mobile gaming experiences with cutting-edge performance and versatile features. Powered by AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS processors, 16 GB of LPDDR5X memory, and up to 2 TB of storage, the Nitro Blaze series boasts lightning-fast performance and responsiveness. Their WQXGA touch panels (8.8-inch or 10.95-inch) featuring Radeon Super Resolution and AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution technology, ensure fluid image quality. The dedicated Acer Game Space application simplifies managing and accessing popular games and applications on handheld gaming PCs.

The new Nitro Mobile Gaming Controller enhances the mobile gaming experience by enabling users to game anywhere and anytime with its foldable design. It supports fast charging to allow uninterrupted gaming sessions while powering mobile devices quickly.

An SSD from Chinese manufacturer Zhitai has demonstrated impressive performance metrics, reaching sequential read speeds of up to 14.5 GB/s. Under the hood, the TiPro9000 2 TB SSD combines domestic YMTC 5th Generation 3D TLC NAND technology with Silicon Motion's SM2508 controller. The drive's architecture features a 2 GB LPDDR4X DRAM chip and two 3D TLC NAND dies utilizing 232-layer YMTC's Xtacking 4.0 architecture. While initial testing revealed peak sequential read and write speeds of 14,527 MB/s and 13,869 MB/s respectively, these rates are sustained through the SLC cache for approximately 24 seconds. Performance testing showed distinct operational phases. After the initial burst speed period, transfer rates stabilize at around 4,000 MB/s for 325 seconds before dropping to 1,700-1,800 MB/s. The drive then demonstrates recovery capabilities, returning to 4,000 MB/s after 259 seconds.

Random performance specifications are equally impressive, with the manufacturer claiming up to 2 million IOPS for reads and 1.6 million IOPS for writes. The TiPro9000's performance metrics position it competitively among top-tier PCIe 5.0 x4 drives. This shows the capabilities of Chinese-manufactured YMTC NAND memory technology paired with Silicon Motion's controller expertise, putting a lot of faith in China-made NAND Flash. With growing needs for AI and big data applications, performant storage systems are becoming key to many systems. However, Chinese companies still need a solid (pun intended) controller to compete with Western technology to complete storage manufacturing. Alibaba is working on a RISC-V-based controller, while InnoGrit has also been sampling controllers. We have yet to see commercial applications based on these two.

Although it was revealed back in March this year, SK hynix new Platinum P51 PCIe 5.0 has only just now launched in South Korea and the specs have been boosted since March. The official sequential read speed is now rated at 14.7 GB/s vs. 13.5 GB/s in March and likewise, the sequential write speed has increased to 13.4 GB/s from 11.5 GB/s. We're also looking at a random IOPS read speed of up to 2,300k and random write IOPS of up to 2,400k. This compares really favourably compared to Phison E26 based SSDs, especially the random IOPS are very impressive.

However, it's not all good news, as the endurance tops out at 1200 TBW on the 2 TB SKU, which is pretty much what every other modern SSD offers today and somewhat disappointing considering that we're looking at SK hynix 238 layer 3D TLC NAND here. The 2 TB SKU is also the largest size available for now and the Platinum P51 will also come in 1 TB and 500 GB flavours. Another not so great, is the 10 W power consumption, even though SK hynix claims it's industry leading, but we know that this isn't true, as the Silicon Motion SM2508 controller is more power efficient than that. The drive has already been quickly benchmarked by South Korean hardware site Quasar Zone and it delivers in terms of the claimed speeds from the manufacturer, at least according to the CrystalDiskMark numbers. No pricing has tipped up as yet, so we'll have to wait to see how competitive the drive will be in an already crowded market. However, it's worth keeping in mind that SK hynix tends to charge a premium for its SSDs over many of its competitors.

Update Dec 14th: The 2 TB SKU has a retail price of 473,000 Korean Won, which equals about US$330, making it prohibitively expensive at the moment, even compared to most other PCIe 5.0 SSDs on the market. The 1 TB SKU comes in at 279,000 Korean Won, or about US$195. The Korean prices include 10% VAT/sales tax.