Samsung Electronics, the world leader in advanced memory technology, today announced it has begun mass production of its one-terabit (Tb) quad-level cell (QLC) 9th-generation vertical NAND (V-NAND).

With the industry's first mass production of QLC 9th-generation V-NAND, following the industry's first triple-level cell (TLC) 9th-generation V-NAND production in April this year, Samsung is solidifying its leadership in the high-capacity, high-performance NAND flash market.

TrendForce reports that NAND Flash prices continued to rise in 2Q24 as server inventory adjustments neared completion and AI spurred demand for high-capacity storage products. However, high inventory levels among PC and smartphone buyers led to a 1% QoQ decline in NAND Flash bit shipments. Despite this, ASP increased by 15% and drove total revenue to US$16.796 billion, a 14.2% growth compared to the previous quarter.

All NAND Flash suppliers returned to profitability starting in the second quarter and are expanding capacity in the third quarter to meet strong demand from AI and server markets. However, weaker-than-expected PC and smartphone sales in the first half of the year are likely to constrain NAND Flash shipment growth.

Polish computer memory brand Goodram is launching a new external SSD called the HX200. Thanks to its parameters, the drive will interest a wide range of users, from mobile professionals to gadget lovers and those who store gigabytes of data in the form of photos, videos and documents.

With its unique colour, the drive will appeal to female users who appreciate style and elegance in their daily use of technology. The launch of the HX200 is manufacturer's next step towards providing innovative solutions combining functionality and aesthetics.

Kingston Digital, Inc., the flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., a world leader in memory products and technology solutions, today announced it is shipping the NV3 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD for users looking for high capacity 4x4 NVMe PCIe performance in a compact form factor.

The Kingston NV3 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD is a robust next-gen storage solution powered by a Gen 4x4 NVMe controller. The Kingston NV3 delivers read/write speeds of up to 6,000/5,000 MB/s, ensuring a faster system capable of handling a variety of workloads, from editing to gaming. The drive optimizes system performance and delivers value without compromise. Its compact single-sided M.2 2280 (22x80mm) design allows for storage expansion up to 4TB2,5 while saving space for other components. As a cost-effective storage solution, the NV3 is ideal for creators and gamers looking to enhance their PC performance.[Editor's note: Our in-depth review of the Kingston NV3 is now live]

Gabriel Ferraz, maintainer of the TechPowerUp SSD database and content creator, recently published an article that shows the relationship between SLC (Single-Level Cell) cache technology and its performance impact on SSDs. Using a Pichau Aldrin Pro 2 TB SSD featuring an Innogrit IG5236 controller and YMTC 128-layer TLC NAND, Gabriel has uncovered both the advantages and potential drawbacks of this feature. The article reveals that with SLC cache enabled, which acts as a high-speed buffer, the SSD achieved remarkable write speeds of up to 6.5 GB/s, but only until 691 GB had been written. Beyond that, speeds dropped to 2.2 GB/s and then to 860 MB/s as the drive filled up.

Disabling the SLC cache delivers more consistent performance results that are 2.1 GB/s across the whole capacity of the SSD, but with lower peak performance. Testing also examined the impact on power consumption and efficiency. With the SLC cache active, the SSD consumed approximately 5 W of power while achieving over 3000 MB/s bandwidth. Disabling the cache reduced power consumption but at the cost of halving the bandwidth to around 1900 MB/s, resulting in lower overall efficiency. Maximum power consumption with cache enabled peaked at 7.3 W, compared to a lower figure when operating in constant TLC mode. Below, you can see some performance benchmarks published on The Overclock Page.

TrendForce reports that memory module makers have been aggressively increasing their DRAM inventories since 3Q23, with inventory levels rising to 11-17 weeks by 2Q24. However, demand for consumer electronics has not rebounded as expected. For instance, smartphone inventories in China have reached excessive levels, and notebook purchases have been delayed as consumers await new AI-powered PCs, leading to continued market contraction.

This has led to a weakening in spot prices for memory products primarily used in consumer electronics, with Q2 prices dropping over 30% compared to Q1. Although spot prices remained disconnected from contract prices through August, this divergence may signal potential future trends for contract pricing.

Kingston Digital, Inc., the flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., a world leader in memory products and technology solutions, today announced the addition of new red colored XS1000 External SSD, a small and incredibly sleek file backup solution. The XS1000 red joins the original all-black XS1000 and silver XS2000, expanding Kingston's external SSD product lineup. These external drives are extremely compact and under 29 grams to provide pocket-sized portability.

Kingston's XS1000 family offers read speeds up to 1,050 MB/s and large capacities up to 2 TB, providing ample room for storing countless photos, videos, games, and files. The drive comes with a USB-C to USB-A cable and an additional USB-A to USB-C adapter for maximum compatibility with newer and legacy devices. Small like a key fob, the XS1000 serves as a reliable companion for easy file backups, guaranteeing continuous access to your important documents, cherished memories and media files. Earlier this year, Kingston's XS1000 External SSD was named a winner of the 2024 Red Dot Award: Product Design. The Red Dot Design Award, established in 1955, is one of the world's largest and most prestigious design competitions, receiving more than 20,000 annual submissions from approximately 60 countries worldwide.

ATP Electronics, a global leader in specialized storage and memory solutions, proudly announces the launch of the N751Pi PCIe Gen 4 NVMe M.2 2280 SSDs, which set a new industry standard with unmatched endurance among industrial solid state drives (SSDs) configured with pseudo single-level cell (pSLC) NAND.

The groundbreaking 150K P/E cycling configuration of NAND was achieved, thanks to a combination of ATP's exceptional strengths — from the use of prime NAND package, stringent NAND integrated circuits (IC) characterization and 100% NAND screening and validation capabilities, to ATP's own-developed firmware, specialized hardware configurations, and technologies.

Exascend, a service-oriented provider of innovative storage and memory solutions, proudly announces the expansion of its 2.5-inch SATA SSD series - SA4, SI4, and SE4 - to an unprecedented 15.36 TB capacity. This advancement redefines the limits of SATA SSD storage, catering demanding applications like digital/network video recorders and media post-production.

The new 15.36 TB SSDs are engineered for efficiency across diverse environments. The SE4 series operates in standard temperatures from 0°C to 70°C, while the SA4 and SI4 series feature robust coatings for extreme temperatures ranging from -40°C to +85°C, ensuring reliability in both enterprise settings and harsh conditions.

TrendForce's latest report on enterprise SSDs reveals that a surge in demand for AI has led AI server customers to significantly increase their orders for enterprise SSDs over the past two quarters. Upstream suppliers have been accelerating process upgrades and planning for 2YY products—slated to enter mass production in 2025—in order to meet the growing demand for SSDs in AI applications.

TrendForce observes that increased orders for enterprise SSDs from AI server customers have resulted in contract prices for this category rising by over 80% from 4Q23 to 3Q24. SSDs play a crucial role in AI development. In AI model training, SSDs primarily store model parameters, including evolving weights and deviations.

Nextorage announces the release of its new G Series ME gaming SSD, this M.2 2230 SSD is designed for compact gaming PCs and tablet PCs, combining PCIe 4.0 high-speed performance with DRAM-less power saving. The G Series ME offers impressive specifications with sequential read speeds up to 7,400 MB/s and write speeds up to 6,200 MB/s. Random read and write speeds are rated at 750,000 IOPS and 850,000 IOPS respectively. Available in 1 TB and 2 TB models, the drives feature write endurance of 600 TBW for the 1 TB model and 1,200 TBW for the 2 TB model, both backed by a five-year warranty.

Both models use single-sided 3D TLC NAND Flash, ensuring compatibility with M.2 2230 slots and improved cooling due to top-mounted NAND. The SSD employs DRAM-less technology, utilizing the latest controller and 3D TLC NAND flash to balance speed and power efficiency. To compensate for the lack of DRAM caching, Nextorage implements a "Large-capacity Dynamic SLC Cache," converting unused space into an SLC cache for enhanced performance.

SK hynix has returned to Santa Clara, California to present its full array of groundbreaking AI memory technologies at FMS: the Future of Memory and Storage (FMS) 2024 from August 6-8. Previously known as Flash Memory Summit, the conference changed its name to reflect its broader focus on all types of memory and storage products amid growing interest in AI. Bringing together industry leaders, customers, and IT professionals, FMS 2024 covers the latest trends and innovations shaping the memory industry.

Participating in the event under the slogan "Memory, The Power of AI," SK hynix is showcasing its outstanding memory capabilities through a keynote presentation, multiple technology sessions, and product exhibits.

Samsung Electronics America, the leader in advanced memory technology, announced new 512 GB capacities for its BAR Plus and FIT Plus USB 3.2 Gen 1 Flash Drives. The newest drives introduce more storage capacity to the lineup in the same sleek designs, perfect for storing your favorite tunes, irreplaceable photos/videos, and important work or school documents. These USB flash drives help you back up your data and save time thanks to their high capacity, quick speeds, wide device compatibility, and reliability.

"We recognize that professionals across the U.S. have more data storage needs than ever. That's why we're introducing a new size option within our cutting-edge BAR Plus and FIT Plus USB Flash Drive line-up, ensuring there is a storage solution for everyone," said Jose Hernandez, Senior Director of Memory Product Marketing at Samsung. "The drives are also intentionally designed to fit your personal style - whether you prefer something sleek and modern or unassuming and traditional, you can always be plugged in."

Today, Solidigm, a leading provider of innovative NAND flash memory solutions, announced the launch of the Solidigm D7-PS1010 and D7-PS1030 data center solid-state drives (SSDs). As the fastest PCIe 5.0 SSDs shipping in volume today, these drives are well suited for the IO intensity found in modern mainstream, mixed, and write-centric workloads.

"The Solidigm D7-PS1010 and D7-PS1030 SSDs were meticulously engineered to meet the increasingly demanding IO requirements across a range of workloads such as general-purpose servers, OLTP, server-based storage, decision support systems and AI/ML," said Greg Matson, Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning and Marketing at Solidigm. "In a world where every watt counts, these drives are PCIe 5.0 done right, not only delivering industry-leading four-corner performance, but also up to 70% better energy efficiency compared to similar drives by other manufacturers."

Kingston's NV2 NVMe SSD has been a popular budget choice that has offered some of the best price/performance ratio in its segment of the market. Now, Kingston has quietly added its replacement, the NV3 to its website and that entails a wide range of upgrades over the NV2. The Kingston NV2 came in a range of different variations with multiple different controllers and NAND types and so far the company hasn't revealed which controller or what NAND the NV3 will feature. However, the company lists 3D NAND with a sequential read speeds of 6,000 MB/s for the 1 TB and up SKUs which is a huge improvement over the NV2 which topped out at 3,500 MB/s. Write speeds top out at 5,000 MB/s, but this is limited to the 2 and 4 TB SKUs, but it's nearly twice that of the 2 TB NV2 SKU. The 1 TB SKU is also seeing almost a doubling in terms of write speeds over the NV2. The 500 GB SKU is seeing more modest performance improvements, but it's still getting a decent performance uplift.

Initially, Kingston will launch 500 GB, 1 TB and 2 TB SKUs, with the 4 TB SKU following in Q4 this year. Endurance remains the same as for the NV2, with the NV3 starting out at 160 TBW for the 500 GB SKU, which then doubles for each increase in size and tops out at 1280 TBW for the 4 TB SKU. Kingston has as yet to officially announce the drive, but some online retailers claim to be able to ship the NV3 in four to five days time, suggesting that the launch is imminent. Pricing appears to start at US$50 for the 500 GB SKU, which increases to US$70 for the 1 TB SKU, with the 2 TB SKU jumping to US$139 from the same retailer. This places the NV3 slightly higher than the current retail price of the NV2, which is hardly a surprise, considering it delivers better performance. All SKUs come with a three year warranty.

SK hynix is reportedly developing 400-layer NAND flash memory, with plans to begin mass production by late 2025. The company is collaborating with supply chain partners to develop the necessary process technologies and equipment for 400-layer and higher NAND chips. This information comes from a recent article by Korean media outlet etnews citing industry sources.

SK hynix intends to use hybrid bonding technology to achieve this, which is expected to bring new packaging materials and components suppliers into the supply chain. The development process involves exploring new bonding materials and various technologies for connecting different wafers, including polishing, etching, deposition, and wiring. SK hynix aims to have the technology and infrastructure ready by the end of next year.

Silicon Motion Technology Corporation (NasdaqGS: SIMO) ("Silicon Motion," the "Company" or "we") today announced its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2024. For the second quarter of 2024, net sales (GAAP) increased sequentially to $210.7 million from $189.3 million in the first quarter of 2024. Net income (GAAP) increased to $30.8 million, or $0.91 per diluted American Depositary Share of the Company ("ADS") (GAAP), from net income (GAAP) of $16.0 million, or $0.48 per diluted ADS (GAAP), in the first quarter of 2024.

For the second quarter of 2024, net income (non-GAAP) increased to $32.5 million, or $0.96 per diluted ADS (non-GAAP), from net income (non-GAAP) of $21.6 million, or $0.64 per diluted ADS (non-GAAP), in the first quarter of 2024.

All financial numbers are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted.

Lam Research Corp. today extended its leadership in 3D NAND flash memory etching with the introduction of Lam Cryo 3.0, the third generation of the company's production-proven cryogenic dielectric etch technology. As the proliferation of generative artificial intelligence (AI) continues to propel the demand for memory with higher capacity and performance, Lam Cryo 3.0 provides etch capabilities critical for the manufacturing of future leading-edge 3D NAND. Leveraging ultra cold temperatures, high power confined plasma reactor technology, and innovations in surface chemistry, Lam Cryo 3.0 etches with industry-leading precision and profile control.

"Lam Cryo 3.0 paves the way for customers on the path to 1,000-layer 3D NAND," said Sesha Varadarajan, senior vice president of Global Products Group at Lam Research. "With five million wafers already manufactured using Lam cryogenic etch, our newest technology is a breakthrough in 3D NAND production. It creates high aspect ratio (HAR) features with angstrom-level precision, while delivering lower environmental impact and more than double the etch rate of conventional dielectric processes. Lam Cryo 3.0 is the etch technology our customers need to overcome the AI era's key NAND manufacturing hurdles."

Samsung Electronics today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2024. The Company posted KRW 74.07 trillion in consolidated revenue and operating profit of KRW 10.44 trillion as favorable memory market conditions drove higher average sales price (ASP), while robust sales of OLED panels also contributed to the results.

Memory Market Continues To Recover; Solid Second Half Outlook Centered on Server Demand
The DS Division posted KRW 28.56 trillion in consolidated revenue and KRW 6.45 trillion in operating profit for the second quarter. Driven by strong demand for HBM as well as conventional DRAM and server SSDs, the memory market as a whole continued its recovery. This increased demand is a result of the continued AI investments by cloud service providers and growing demand for AI from businesses for their on-premise servers.

Micron Technology, Inc., announced today that it is shipping ninth-generation (G9) TLC NAND in SSDs, making it the first in the industry to achieve this milestone. Micron G9 NAND features the industry's highest transfer speed of 3.6 GB/s, delivering unsurpassed bandwidth for reading and writing data. The new NAND enables best-in-class performance for artificial intelligence (AI) and other data-intensive use cases from personal devices and edge servers to enterprise and cloud data centers.

"The shipment of Micron G9 NAND is a testament to Micron's prowess in process technology and design innovations," said Scott DeBoer, executive vice president of Technology and Products at Micron. "Micron G9 NAND is up to 73% denser than competitive technologies in the market today, allowing for more compact and efficient storage solutions that benefit both consumers and businesses."

DapuStor Corporation, a pioneer in high-performance data storage solutions, announced today that it is expanding its collaboration with Marvell to deliver breakthrough Flexible Data Placement (FDP) technology optimized for Quad-Level Cell (QLC) and Triple-Level Cell (TLC) Solid-State Drives (SSDs). This collaboration aims to revolutionize the storage industry by addressing the inherent challenges of QLC SSDs, enhancing their performance, endurance, and capacity, thereby providing a robust and cost-effective solution for data centers, cloud computing, and high-performance computing environments.

Unlocking the Potential of QLC SSDs with FDP Technology
QLC SSDs are renowned for their ability to store four bits of data per memory cell, offering significant capacity advantages and a lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) compared to other SSD types. Despite these benefits, QLC SSDs face challenges such as lower endurance and slower write speeds. The innovative FDP technology supported in the Marvell Bravera SC5 SSD controller with firmware level solution developed by DapuStor directly addresses these issues.

Chinese memory manufacturer YMTC has filed a lawsuit against U.S.-based Micron in California, alleging infringement of 11 patents related to 3D NAND Flash and DRAM products. YMTC seeks to halt Micron's sales of the allegedly infringing products in the U.S. and demands royalty payments. Founded in Wuhan, China, in 2016, YMTC is a key player in China's efforts to develop a domestic chip industry. However, in October 2022, the U.S. government placed YMTC on its Entity List, restricting its access to advanced U.S. manufacturing equipment for 3D NAND chips with 128 layers or more.

Before these restrictions, YMTC had obtained certification from Apple for its 128-layer 3D NAND chips, with the US tech giant considering using YMTC chips to reduce costs and diversify its supply chain beyond Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron. The lawsuit specifically targets Micron's 3D NAND Flash products with 96, 128, 176, and 232 layers, as well as certain DDR5 SDRAM products. This legal action follows a similar suit filed by YMTC against Micron in November, alleging infringement of eight U.S. patents related to 3D NAND Flash. With government backing, Chinese firms are increasingly engaging in patent litigation both domestically and internationally. Last year alone, Chinese courts handled over 5,000 technical intellectual property and monopoly cases.

TrendForce's latest report on the memory industry reveals that DRAM and NAND Flash revenues are expected to see significant increases of 75% and 77%, respectively, in 2024, driven by increased bit demand, an improved supply-demand structure, and the rise of high-value products like HBM.

Furthermore, industry revenues are projected to continue growing in 2025, with DRAM expected to increase by 51% and NAND Flash by 29%, reaching record highs. This growth is anticipated to revive capital expenditures and boost demand for upstream raw materials, although it will also increase cost pressure for memory buyers.

Micron Technology, Inc., today announced the availability of the Crucial P310 2230 Gen 4 NVMe solid-state drive (SSD), which empowers enthusiasts of handheld gaming and users of mini PCs and ultrathin laptops to store more games and data-intensive content at their fingertips without sacrificing speed or performance. With read and write speeds of 7,100 and 6,000 megabytes per second (MB/s), respectively, and capacities up to 2 terabytes (TB), the P310 2230 SSD packs a unique punch, offering high performance and capacity in a compact, power-efficient form factor.

"Today's contemporary games are storage- and performance-hungry, and this is especially true for handheld gamers who want to be able to quickly access all their favorite games at their fingertips," said Jonathan Weech, senior director of product marketing for Micron's Commercial Products Group. "We've built our Crucial P310 2230 Gen 4 SSD to satisfy this need for speed and more capacity, providing a dynamic, power-efficient SSD that allows gamers to build their dream gaming libraries, load multiworld games faster and extend battery life for a richer gaming experience on the go."

TrendForce reports that while the enterprise sector continues to invest in server infrastructure—especially with the rising adoption of AI driving demand for enterprise SSDs—the consumer electronics market remains lackluster. This, combined with NAND suppliers aggressively ramping up production in the second half of the year, is expected to push the NAND Flash sufficiency ratio up to 2.3% in the third quarter, curbing the blended price hike to a modest 5-10%.

This year, NAND Flash prices saw a robust rebound as manufacturers kept production in check during the first half, helping them regain profitability. However, with a noticeable ramp-up in production and sluggish retail demand, wafer spot prices have dropped significantly. Some wafer prices are now over 20% below contract prices, casting doubts on the sustainability of future price hikes.