5G and AIoT need more speed and more capacity. And PCIe 4.0 delivers, doubling the speed of PCIe 3.0 and providing the much-needed performance boost to keep pace with innovation and industry trends. Not only speed and capacity, but tolerance of wide-range temperature is also crucial. Consumer-grade products aren't tough enough to withstand the high temperatures of outdoor and industrial settings, so Innodisk is introducing the first industrial-grade PCIe 4.0 SSDs built to handle those challenging conditions.

PCIe 4.0 increases the maximum capacity to 4 TB, doubles the bandwidth, and raises the speed to 16 GT/s which is twice that of PCIe Gen3. Although third-generation PCIe offered only modest speed increases over the popular SATA III for storage applications, it did provide the much sought-after advantages of full forward and backward compatibility. PCIe 4.0 retains that coveted compatibility while also adding noticeable speed increases.

Seagate today introduced the IronWolf 525, a line of M.2 NVMe SSDs for NAS applications. Built in the M.2-2280 form-factor, these drives take advantage of the PCI-Express 4.0 x4 interface, and come in capacities of 500 GB (model: ZP500NM30002), 1 TB (ZP1000NM30002), and 2 TB (ZP2000NM30002). What sets these drives apart is the endurance. Seagate claims 2,800 TBW for the 2 TB variant, 1,400 TBW for the 1 TB variant, and 700 TBW for the 500 GB. The drives are backed by 5-year warranties. Under the hood, the Seagate IronWolf 525 series combines a high-endurance variant of KIOXIA 96-layer 3D TLC NAND flash, with Phison E16-series controller.

In terms of performance, the 2 TB variant offers up to 740,000 IOPS 4K random reads, up to 700,000 IOPS 4K random writes; up to 5000 MB/s sequential reads, and up to 4400 MB/s sequential writes. The 1 TB variant does up to 760,000 IOPS 4K random reads, up to 700,000 IOPS 4K random writes; and up to 5000 MB/s sequential reads, with up to 4400 MB/s writes. The 500 GB variant is the slowest, with up to 420,000 IOPS 4K random reads, up to 630,000 IOPS 4K random writes, up to 5000 MB/s sequential reads, and up to 2500 MB/s sequential writes. Seagate did not reveal prices, but we expect these drives to eventually replace the IronWolf 510 series, with the 500 GB variant going for roughly $100, the 1 TB variant for roughly $180, and the 2 TB variant roughly $370.

Leading global memory brand TEAMGROUP has been expanding in the industrial field for many years. Today, the company launched multiple industrial-grade innovative technology solutions, including the M.2 SATA SSD S750-M80, the mSATA SSD S750-3A, and the DDR4 WT DIMM product series. They feature a graphene cooling solution patented in the U.S. (Patent No. US 11,051,392 B2) and Taiwan (Patent No. I703921) to deliver the industry's best performance and heat dissipation technology. Utilizing this novel technology, TEAMGROUP is doubling down on high-speed 5G computing, on-board computing, AIoT, and edge computing applications. Every industrial product from TEAMGROUP has passed military-grade testing standards for shock (MIL-STD-202G and MIL-STD-883K) and vibration resistance (MIL-STD-810G), guaranteeing stability and durability to overcome the extreme conditions of industrial applications.

Lexar unveiled out the Professional NM800, a premium follow-up to its NM620 performance-segment SSD from Spring. The NM800 takes advantage of PCI-Express Gen 4 and NVMe 1.4 protocol, and comes in capacities of 512 GB and 1 TB. The 512 GB variant offers sequential transfer rates of up to 7000 MB/s reads with up to 3000 MB/s writes, and random-access throughput of 200k/500k (read/write) IOPS. The 1 TB variant, on the other hand, does up to 7400 MB/s sequential reads, up to 5800 MB/s sequential writes, and 400k/750k IOPS. The company didn't put out which combination of controller and NAND flash it is using, but we suspect that the drive is based on the Innogrit IG5236 "Rainer" controller, and Micron 3D TLC NAND flash. Endurance of the drives is rated at 250 TBW for the 512 GB variant, and 500 TBW for the 1 TB variant. The 512 GB variant is expected to be priced at 99€, and the 1 TB variant at 179€.

Silicon Motion Technology Corporation, a global leader in designing and marketing NAND flash controllers for solid-state storage devices, today launched its new SM2320 single-chip high performance, lower power and cost effective solution for external portable SSDs. The new SM2320 controller solution is designed with integrated hardware and firmware as well as high-level security features which meet the needs of game console users requiring high performance and the low power requirements of laptop users. The external portable SSD market is growing due to the performance, low power consumption, reliability and portability of such devices enabled by NAND memory. Customers include Kingston Technology, which has designed SM2320 into its new XS2000 external portable SSD, as well as other module and NAND flash providers.

"Kingston is thrilled to collaborate with SMI for the launch of our new pocket-sized XS2000 portable SSD," said Keith Schimmenti, SSD Business Manager, Kingston. "Our Kingston engineers continue to focus on improving the performance of our products and with the new SM2320 controller, we are able to get XS2000 in the hands of our customers and meet the high performance and high capacity demands they need to keep up with the ever-evolving digital world."

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, announces today that its AORUS Gen4 7000s SSD is fully compliant with PS5 M.2 storage expansion. With the read speed of 7000 MB/s and maximum storage capacity of 2 TB far beyond specification requirements, it allows users to enjoy the best gaming experience.

Enhanced by the latest generation PCIe 4.0 controller with advanced 3D-TLC NAND Flash, The AORUS Gen4 7000s SSD boosts more performance than previous generation PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD. It equips big aluminium thermal interface in different sizes and double side thermal pad with Nanocarbon coating for improved heat dissipation. In response to the latest announcement from Sony for the compatibility of M.2 SSD storage extensions on PS5, GIGABYTE engineers has further verified the original structure and performance of AORUS Gen4 7000s SSD to be the perfect choice of M.2 storage expansion for PS5. In addition, the read speed of up to 7000 MB/s ensures users with optimized data accessing and smoother gaming experience.

A number of manufacturers have been caught red-handed, so to speak, by changing components on their SSD products without as much as a product specifications change. This has happened in the past with ADATA, Patriot, and more recently with Western Digital and its WD Blue SN550; now, it's Samsung that's being on the receiving end of a more attentive look at their recent batches of the 970 EVO SSD - particularly its 1 TB configuration.

According to Computerbase, a YouTube channel in Asia seems to have first noticed the difference. They've tested the older version of Samsung's 970 Evo Plus 1 TB (product number MZVLB1T0HBLR, April 2021 production date, a Phoenix controller [S4LR020] and 96-layer 3D TLC NAND) against the newer (product number MZVL21T0HBLU and is equipped with an Elpis controller [S4LV003] and 3D-NAND with the identifier K9DUGY8J5B-CCK0), which likely features different packaging and density for the same 96-layer 3D TLC NAND.

Kingston today made available its new Industrial microSD card lineup with a rated operating temperature of -40 °C to 85 °C, allowing normal operation even in "extreme desert heat and subzero conditions" based on the information provided by the company. The cards use TLC NAND in pSLC mode to provide transfer speeds of up to 100 MB/s, and are rated for endurance of up to 1920 TBW with 30K P/E cycles. There is a built-in feature set specific to endurance, performance and industrial needs. Kingston's Industrial microSD ships with a UHS-I SD adapter and is available in capacities from 8 GB-64 GB. Industrial features include bad block management, ECC engine, power failure protection, wear levelling, auto-refresh read distribution protection, dynamic data refresh, SiP - System in Package, garbage collection, and health monitoring.

Greenliant is now sampling SATA M.2 2242 ArmourDrive PX Series solid state drives (SSDs) that support 5K program-erase (P/E) cycles and advanced EX series SSDs with superior data retention and high endurance that support 60K, 120K and industry-leading 300K P/E cycles. SATA M.2 2242 ArmourDrive SSDs operate at industrial temperatures (-40 to +85 degrees Celsius) and are rigorously tested for shock and vibration to withstand the most extreme environments. See SATA M.2 ArmourDrive product information at http://bit.ly/SATA-M2-SSD.

Designed with Greenliant's EnduroSLC Technology, the new EX Series SSDs are available in 4 GB, 8 GB, 20 GB, 40 GB, 80 GB, 160 GB and 320 GB capacities, and are included in Greenliant's Long-Term Availability (LTA) program for 1-bit-per-cell (SLC) NAND based products (http://bit.ly/SSD-LTA-program). The new PX Series SSDs, available in 64 GB, 128 GB, 256 GB and 512 GB capacities, use 3-bit-per-cell (TLC) 3D NAND flash memory to provide cost-effective industrial storage.

Chinese manufacturer Asgard has announced the company's (and the Chinese market's) first PCIe 4.0 SSD. The AN4 pairs 128 Layer 3D TLC NAND manufactured by YMTC (Yangtze Memory Technologies Co., Ltd) Xtacking 2.0 technology, which uses a two-step manufacturing process wherein both NAND cells and interconnects are manufactured in two separate wafers and then optically fused. The NAND memory is then paired with Innogrit's IG5236 Rainier controller. The AN4 is rated for 7,500 MB/s and 5,500 MB/s sequential read and write speeds and features a "high" TBW endurance rating, though Asgard didn't clarify the exact random performance figures, nor the TBW rating for the SSD. Pricing is similarly up in the air - Asgard has only announced market availability for the 1 TB SSD solution come August, with additional 2 TB and 512 GB capacities being readied to market for a later timeframe.

The manufacturing technology of YMTC results in NAND that's as fast as Micron's latest 192-layer NAND tech, and beats well-established Kioxia's 96-layer technology performance-wise. One Bilibili forum user put the drive through its paces, and discovered that to unlock its full potential, one has to have a system capable of 512 bit maximum payload size (MPS), which is currently only supported by AMD motherboards - maximum Intel MPS currently stands at 256 bit, which "only" enables sequential performance of up to 7,150 MB/s. The user put the AN4 through a variety of tests, including PCMark 10's Drive Performance Consistency Test - a 10 to 20 hours workload marathon that puts more than 23 TB of drives on the SSD. It seems that Chinese manufacturers have achieved parity with the top western manufacturers, meaning there is one more option in the global, high-performance NAND market.

Samsung has recently provided a few details of their PM1743 PCIe Gen 5 E3.S 1T EDSFF SSD set to release in Q2 2022. The PM1743 is an upcoming enterprise SSD from Samsung with PCIe 5.0 x4 connectivity which can enable a theoretical maximum speed of 15.7 GB/s. The SSD features V6 TLC NAND flash and comes with 1 Drive Writes Per Day (DWPD) of write endurance. The drive features an enterprise E3.S 1T single-width form factor (111.5 mm × 31.5 mm) popular in server deployments and will likely come with a TDP of 20-25 W. Samsung has provided a basic mechanical drawing of the SSD but we expect to find out more information closer to release.

Intel has partnered with Sabrent to ship NUC 11 Pro Mini PCs with pre-installed Sabrent Rocket 4.0 M.2 NVMe SSDs, on the NUC11TNKv7. The drives feature Toshiba 96-layer 3D TLC NAND flash, and are capable of up to 5 GB/s sequential reads, and up to 4.4 GB/s sequential writes, taking advantage of the PCI-Express 4.0 x4 host interface. On machines with PCIe Gen 3, the drives can attain up to 3.4 GB/s reads, with up to 2.75 GB/s writes. Lower models of the pre-built NUC 11 Pro feature Transcend TS512GMTS430S M.2 SATA drives.

Kingston, the flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., a world leader in memory products and technology solutions, today announced the availability of the DC1500M, a U.2 data center NVMe PCIe SSD for mixed-use workloads. Leveraging a high-performance Gen 3.0 x4 PCIe NVMe design, the DC1500M delivers predictable random IO performance as well as predictable latencies over a wide range of workloads.

"DC1500M adds support for multiple namespaces making it ideal for environments including virtualisation and web hosting," said Tony Hollingsbee, SSD business manager, Kingston EMEA. "From high-performance cloud services, media capture and transport to a range of big-data applications, DC1500M sets the standard for applications where QoS and predictability of performance are paramount. Data centers need drives that are reliable, have serviceable form factors and are equipped with the enterprise-grade features that make it easier to maintain SLAs."

Seagate today announced its newest PC gaming SSD, the FireCuda 530, at the company's inaugural virtual gaming event, SG21. The new drive offers gamers the latest PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD technology and the fastest performance from the company's line of PC gaming storage products - bringing speed, endurance, and high capacity to the peak of PC performance.

Delivering sequential read speeds of up to 7300 MB/s, the FireCuda 530 catalyzes PCIe Gen4 power with transfer rates up to two times faster than PCIe Gen3 SSDs and 12 times faster than SATA-based SSDs. The drive is built with a Seagate-validated E18 controller and the latest 3D TLC NAND to provide the most advanced speed and durability for PC gaming. Seagate also offers a minimalist heatsink option, specially designed by EKWB that swaps out cooling fins for a more massive, high-grade aluminium block with a finely textured finish, maximizing cooling.

Enterprise SSD procurement has been rising on the back of growing server shipments since 2Q21, according to TrendForce's latest investigations. In particular, the share of 8 TB products in shipments of SSDs to data centers has shown the most noticeable growth, which is expected to persist through 3Q21. However, certain SSD components and parts may be in shortage due to insufficient foundry capacity. TrendForce is therefore revising the QoQ hikes in contract prices of enterprise SSDs for 3Q21 to 10-15% from the previous projection of 5-10%.

TrendForce further indicates that the high demand for enterprise SSDs in 3Q21 is attributed to several factors. First, North American cloud service providers (hyperscalers) have pretty much completed their inventory adjustments and now continue to expand their storage capacity. Second, the flow of incoming orders to traditional server brands is getting stronger over the quarters as government agencies and SMBs increase their budgets for IT infrastructure. Third, Intel and AMD are ramping up production for server CPUs based on their respective new processor platforms. Following the adoption of new CPUs, the overall demand for enterprise SSDs has also shifted to higher-density products because clients want to upgrade their computing power and storage capacity. Specifically, demand is mainly trending toward 4/8 TB SSDs since raising NAND Flash density can lower the cost of SSD deployment.

Marvell today announced its new Bravera SC5 controller family, bringing unprecedented performance, best-in-class efficiency, and leading security features to address ever-expanding workloads in the cloud. The massive amount of data to be processed in cloud data centers is driving demand for faster and higher bandwidth storage in these environments. Marvell's Bravera SC5 SSD controllers address the critical requirements for scalable, containerized cloud storage infrastructure. By enabling the highest performing flash storage solutions, Marvell's controllers are poised to be the foundation for data centers that offer ultra-low latency, real-time applications while also providing cost-optimized, cloud-scale capacity.

As the industry's first SSD controllers to support PCIe 5.0 and NVMe 1.4b, Marvell's Bravera SC5 doubles the performance compared to PCIe 4.0 SSDs. This contributes to accelerated workloads and reduced latency, dramatically improving the user experience. In order to meet cloud service providers' stringent security requirements to ensure users' data is safe and protected, the controllers offer FIPS-compliant root of trust (RoT), AES 256-bit encryption and multi-key revocation. The new controllers are the first with a hardware-based Elastic SLA Enforcer to assure quality of service (QoS) and provide metering capabilities per customer to increase overall storage efficiency and utilization while lowering total cost of ownership (TCO).

GIGABYTE today unveiled the M30 line of solid state drives built in the M.2-2280 form-factor, which leverage PCI-Express 3.0 x4 host interface. The drives combine an unknown controller with 256 MB of DDR3L DRAM cache, and 3D TLC NAND flash memory; and comes in capacities of 512 GB and 1 TB. Both these capacity variants have the same amount of DRAM cache. GIGABYTE is using a high-density PCB with 2 oz copper layers, which it claims, can lower controller temperature by up to 15 °C and NAND flash temperature by up to 5 °C.

As for performance, GIGABYTE claims that both capacity variants offer sequential reads of up to 3500 MB/s, and sequential writes of up to 3000 MB/s. The 1 TB variant offers 4K random reads of up to 308,000 IOPS, and random writes of up to 332,000 IOPS; while the 512 GB variant is slightly faster, offering up to 350,000 IOPS 4K random reads, and 302,000 IOPS 4K random writes. The drives are backed by 5-year warranty, the 1 TB variant offers an endurance of 650 TBW, and the 512 GB variant 350 TBW. The company didn't reveal pricing.

ATP Electronics, the global leader in specialized storage and memory solutions, has announced the launch of its tiniest NVMe flash storage offering: the N700 Series PCIe Gen3 x4 NVMe solid state drives (SSDs, which are available as M.2 Type 1620 heatsink ball-grid array (HSBGA) package. Complying with M.2 specifications, the M.2 Type 1620 HSBGA measures just 16 (L) x 20 (W) x 1.6 (H) mm, supporting high-speed PCIe 3.0 interface x4 lanes and NVMe protocol to deliver up to 32 Gb/s bandwidth at 8 Gb/s per lane. The soldered-down design makes them vibration-proof, while the 291-ball packaging takes up minimal space within tightly confined systems.

For customers who prefer a removable and field-replaceable design, ATP can accommodate the HSBGA onto an M.2 2230 module with the same firmware and NAND configuration. Both variants are suitable for thin and light systems in embedded, industrial and mobile applications. N700 Series SSDs are built with 3D triple-level cell (TLC) configured as pseudo single-level cell (pSLC) NAND flash. By storing only one bit per cell, they increase the reliability and endurance of the NAND flash memory, while benefiting from the lower cost compared with native SLC, due to the higher cell density.

Patriot Memory's gaming brand, Viper Gaming, today announced the VP4300 series M.2 NVMe SSDs that take advantage of the PCI-Express 4.0 x4 bus. The drives combine Innogrit IG5236 controllers with 3D TLC NAND flash memory, and come in 1 TB and 2 TB capacity variants. On offer are sequential transfer rates of up to 7400 MB/s sequential reads, with up to 6800 MB/s writes for the 2 TB variant, and up to 5500 MB/s writes for the 1 TB variant; along with 4K random access performance of up to 800,000 IOPS.

The Viper VP4300 comes with two thermal solutions in the box. You can choose to run it bare (in notebooks, where it might thermal-throttle); with a thin copper heatspreader that uses a graphene-based thermal pad, or a slightly thicker aluminium heatsink. The drives are backed by 5-year warranties.

Update Apr 16th: Patriot reports that the 1 TB version will be priced at USD $254.99, and the 2 TB version at $499.99.

Novachips Co., Ltd., an innovator in flash storage solutions, today announced that it has started shipping a newcomer in its SCALAR Series of high-capacity SSDs. The new entrant, SCALAR-20T, is a 2.5-inch SATA MLC (Multi-Level Cell) 20 TB SSD that is entirely based on in-house hardware and firmware. SCALAR-20T utilizes Novachips' NVS3800 controller, and no third-party components—including JBOD and RAID component chips—are built into the device.

Since launching the world's first 2.5-inch SATA and NVMe MLC 8 TB in 2015, Novachips has consistently broken new ground in the massive capacity flash storage arena. The standard bus topology interface between SSD controllers and NAND flash memory has proven a limiting factor in flash storage capacity innovation. Novachips has resolved this structural problem by using a unique point-to-point ring topology. This technology has helped Novachips build its most recent, 20 TB capacity SSD, without compromising on performance or reliability from channel noise over its guaranteed lifetime.

At a media event in China, MSI unveiled a handful new products it hasn't yet launched globally. These include the ATX MEG Z590 Unify series, and the new Spatium line of high-end M.2 NVMe SSDs. The company already launched the MEG Z590I Unify Mini-ITX motherboard, which will soon be joined by the larger MEG Z590 Unify and the MEG Z590 Unify-X, in the standard ATX form-factor. Both these Unify motherboards are targeted at professional overclockers, and are armed with powerful 16+2 phase CPU VRM solutions that use 90 A DrMOS, 8-layer PCBs, a trio of PCIe Gen 4 M.2 slots (possibly using PCIe segmentation of the x16 PEG slot); and the company's latest Audio Boost 5 onboard audio solution.

What sets the MEG Z590 Unify apart from the Unify-X is that the latter features just two DDR4 DIMM slots, or one DIMM per memory channel. This is the most desirable topology for memory overclocking (and a reason why memory OC records are usually set on Mini-ITX motherboards). Next up, the company unveiled the Spatium series of high-end M.2 NVMe SSDs. Available with a number of heatsink (options?), these drives take advantage of PCI-Express 4.0 x4 host interface, and come in capacities of up to 4 TB. They use 3D TLC NAND flash, and offer sequential transfer rates of up to 7000 MB/s reads, with up to 6900 MB/s writes.

In a move that could confuse some of the lesser informed buyers, Samsung is ready with the new 980 M.2 NVMe SSD (not to be confused with the 980 PRO). Unlike the 980 PRO, the 980 is a cost-effective drive that uses PCI-Express 3.0 x4 host interface, and a DRAM-less controller. Luckily, Samsung didn't take the QLC route with these drives, as they feature 136-layer 3D TLC NAND flash memory of the same kind used in the 980 PRO.

The Samsung 980 offers sequential transfer speeds of up to 3,500 MB/s reads, with up to 3,000 MB/s writes, and comes in capacities of 250 GB, 500 GB, and 1 TB. It offers 4K random access performance in the neighborhood of 500,000 IOPS reads (4K, QD32), with up to 480,000 IOPS random writes (4K, QD1). Samsung is expected to formally launch the 980 on March 30, 2021.

ADATA has recently been in a spot of controversy when it comes to their XPG SX8200 Pro solid-state drive (SSD). The company has reportedly shipped many different configurations of the SSD with different drive controller clock speeds and different NAND flash. According to the original report, ADATA has first shipped the SX8200 Pro SSD with Silicon Motion SM2262ENG SSD controller, running at 650 MHz with IMFT 64-layer TLC NAND Flash. However, it was later reported that the SSD was updated to use the Silicon Motion SM2262G SSD controller, clocked at 575 MHz. With this report, many users have gotten concerned and started to question the company's practices. However, ADATA later ensured everyone that performance is within the specifications and there is no need to worry.

Today, we have another report about the ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro SSD. According to a Redditor, ADATA has once again updated its SSD with a different kind of NAND Flash, however, this time the report indicated that performance was impacted. Tom's Hardware has made a table of changes showing as many as five revisions of the SSD, all with different configurations of SSD controllers and NAND Flash memory. We have contacted ADATA to clarify the issues that have emerged, and this is the official response that the company gave us.

For professional photographers, videographers, and cinematographers, a reliable memory card is just as important as using high-end cameras and recorders. In addition, since the advent of 5G, the demand for high quality has become even more prevalent. SP Industrial's "Cinema Series" line of CF memory cards meet the latest CFast 2.0 specifications for outstanding performance, making them ideal solutions for shooting high-resolution Full HD, 4K. Hoping to further support professionals in this field, SP industrial has set in motion the development of a CFexpress Type B card, the Cinema Ex. The card will join the "Cinema Series" family, and promises to meet all requirements of the most demanding users by fully equipping them with the tools to shoot videos in 8K.

When it comes to memory cards, CF cards are the superior choice for professionals as they are faster and more durable than SD/microSD cards. Their ability to reach incredible read and write speeds are ideal for shooting extreme sports and action shots as well as capturing wildlife and fast-paced motion. Their greater durability allows them to be used in situations that cater to the environments of this type of footage, including the rugged outdoors and the forces of nature.

ADATA Technology, a manufacturer of high-performance DRAM modules, NAND Flash products, mobile accessories, gaming products, electric power trains, and industrial solutions, today announces the ADATA IEM5141A embedded multi media cards. Ideally suited for industrial and IoT applications, the ADATA IEM5141A meets JEDEC eMMC 5.1 HS400 standard that delivers high read/write speeds of up to 300/170 MB/s,and low-power consumption of optimized performance.

The IEM5141A is a fully integrated device with built-in controllerand NAND Flash for higher capacities, durability, and perfectly suited for space-constrained IPCs and server boot-up applications. Furthermore, the IEM5141A offers Auto sleep on/off mode for low power consumption, Partitioning Management, and Thermal Throttling. It also features wide-temperature operability (-40°C - +85°C) and a 3,000 P/E cycle for excellent stability and reliability.