SK hynix Wraps up Dev Work on High-End PCB01 PCIe 5.0 SSD for OEMs, Launching Later This Year
SK hynix early in Friday announced that the company has finished the development of it's PCB01 PCIe Gen5 SSD, the company's forthcoming high-end SSD for OEMs. Based on the company's new Alistar platform, the PCB01 is designed to deliver chart-topping performance for client machines. And, as a sign of the times, SK hynix is positioning the PCB01 for AI PCs, looking to synergize with the overall industry interest in anything and everything AI.
The bare, OEM-focused drives have previously been shown off by SK hynix, and make no attempt to hide what's under the hood. The PCB01 relies on SK hynix's Alistar controller, which features a PCIe Gen5 x4 host interface on the front end and eight NAND channels on the back end, placing it solidly in the realm of high-end SSDs. Paired with the Alistar controller is the company's latest 238-layer TLC NAND (H25T1TD48C & H25T2TD88C), which offers a maximum transfer speed of 2400 MT/second. Being that this is a high-end client SSD, there's also a DRAM chip on board, though the company isn't disclosing its capacity.
As with other high-end PCIe 5.0 client SSDs, SK hynix is planning on hitting peak read speeds of up to 14GB/second on the drive, while peak sequential write speeds should top 12GB/second (with pSLC caching, of course) – performance figures well within the realm of possibility for an 8 channel drive. As for random performance, at Computex the company was telling attendees that the drives should be able to sustain 4K random read and write rates of 2 million IOPS, which is very high as well. The SSDs are also said to consume up to 30% less power than 'predecessors,' according to SK hynix, though the company didn't elaborate on that figure. Typically in the storage industry, energy figures are based on iso-performance (rather than peak performance) – essentially measuring energy efficiency per bit rather than toal power consumption – and that is likely the case here as well.
At least initially, SK Hynix plans to release its PCB01 in three capacities – 512 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB. The company has previously disclosed that their 238L TLC NAND has a capacity of 512Gbit, so these are typical capacity figures for single-sided drives. And while the focus of the company's press release this week was on OEM drives, this is the same controller and NAND that is also going into the company's previously-teased retail Platinum P51 SSD, so this week's reveal offers a bit more detail into what to expect from that drive family as well.
Specs aside, Ahn Hyun, the Head of the N-S Committee at SK hynix, said that multiple global CPU providers for on-device AI PCs are seeking collaboration for the compatibility validation process, which is underway, so expect PCB01 drives inside PCs in this back-to-school and holiday seasons.
"We will work towards enhancing our leadership as the global top AI memory provider also in the NAND solution space by successfully completing the customer validation and mass production of PCB01, which will be in the limelight," Ahn Hyun said.
SSDs
Posted by The Techinical Support
Western Digital Introduces 4 TB microSDUC, 8 TB SDUC, and 16 TB External SSDs 
Western Digital's BiCS8 218-layer 3D NAND is being put to good use in a wide range of client and enterprise platforms, including WD's upcoming Gen 5 client SSDs and 128 TB-class datacenter SSD. On the external storage front, the company demonstrated four different products: for card-based media, 4 TB microSDUC and 8 TB SDUC cards with UHS-I speeds, and on the portable SSD front we had two 16 TB drives. One will be a SanDisk Desk Drive with external power, and the other in the SanDisk Extreme Pro housing with a lanyard opening in the case.
All of these are using BiCS8 QLC NAND, though I did hear booth talk (as I was taking leave) that they were not supposed to divulge the use of QLC in these products. The 4 TB microSDUC and 8 TB SDUC cards are rated for UHS-I speeds. They are being marketed under the SanDisk Ultra branding.
The SanDisk Desk Drive is an external SSD with a 18W power adapter, and it has been in the market for a few months now. Initially launched in capacities up to 8 TB, Western Digital had promised a 16 TB version before the end of the year. It appears that the product is coming to retail quite soon. One aspect to note is that this drive has been using TLC for the SKUs that are currently in the market, so it appears unlikely that the 16 TB version would be QLC. The units (at least up to the 8 TB capacity point) come with two SN850XE drives. Given the recent introduction of the 8 TB SN850X, an 'E' version with tweaked firmware is likely to be present in the 16 TB Desk Drive.
The 16 TB portable SSD in the SanDisk Extreme housing was a technology demonstration. It is definitely the highest capacity bus-powered portable SSD demonstrated by any vendor at any trade show thus far. Given the 16 TB Desk Drive's imminent market introduction, it is just a matter of time before the technology demonstration of the bus-powered version becomes a retail reality.
Storage
Samsung's 128 TB-Class BM1743 Enterprise SSD Displayed at FMS 2024 
Samsung had quietly launched its BM1743 enterprise QLC SSD last month with a hefty 61.44 TB SKU. At FMS 2024, the company had the even larger 122.88 TB version of that SSD on display, alongside a few recorded benchmarking sessions. Compared to the previous generation, the BM1743 comes with a 4.1x improvement in I/O performance, improvement in data retention, and a 45% improvement in power efficiency for sequential writes.
The 128 TB-class QLC SSD boasts of sequential read speeds of 7.5 GBps and write speeds of 3 GBps. Random reads come in at 1.6 M IOPS, while 16 KB random writes clock in at 45K IOPS. Based on the quoted random write access granularity, it appears that Samsung is using a 16 KB indirection unit (IU) to optimize flash management. This is similar to the strategy adopted by Solidigm with IUs larger than 4K in their high-capacity SSDs.
A recorded benchmark session on the company's PM9D3a 8-channel Gen 5 SSD was also on display.
The SSD family is being promoted as a mainstream option for datacenters, and boasts of sequential reads up to 12 GBps and writes up to 6.8 GBps. Random reads clock in at 2 M IOPS, and random writes at 400 K IOPS.
Available in multiple form-factors up to 32 TB (M.2 tops out at 2 TB), the drive's firmware includes optional support for flexible data placement (FDP) to help address the write amplification aspect.
The PM1753 is the current enterprise SSD flagship in Samsung's lineup. With support for 16 NAND channels and capacities up to 32 TB, this U.2 / E3.S SSD has advertised sequential read and write speeds of 14.8 GBps and 11 GBps respectively. Random reads and writes for 4 KB accesses are listed at 3.4 M and 600 K IOPS.
Samsung claims a 1.7x performance improvement and a 1.7x power efficiency improvement over the previous generation (PM1743), making this TLC SSD suitable for AI servers.
The 9th Gen. V-NAND wafer was also available for viewing, though photography was prohibited. Mass production of this flash memory began in April 2024.
Storage
Micron Expands Datacenter DRAM Portfolio with MR-DIMMs 
The compute market has always been hungry for memory bandwidth, particularly for high-performance applications in servers and datacenters. In recent years, the explosion in core counts per socket has further accentuated this need. Despite progress in DDR speeds, the available bandwidth per core has unfortunately not seen a corresponding scaling.
The stakeholders in the industry have been attempting to address this by building additional technology on top of existing widely-adopted memory standards. With DDR5, there are currently two technologies attempting to increase the peak bandwidth beyond the official speeds. In late 2022, SK hynix introduced MCR-DIMMs meant for operating with specific Intel server platforms. On the other hand, JEDEC - the standards-setting body - also developed specifications for MR-DIMMs with a similar approach. Both of them build upon existing DDR5 technologies by attempting to combine multiple ranks to improve peak bandwidth and latency.
How MR-DIMMs Work
The MR-DIMM standard is conceptually simple - there are multiple ranks of memory modules operating at standard DDR5 speeds with a data buffer in front. The buffer operates at 2x the speed on the host interface side, allowing for essentially double the transfer rates. The challenges obviously lie in being able to operate the logic in the host memory controller at the higher speed and keeping the power consumption / thermals in check.
The first version of the JEDEC MR-DIMM standard specifies speeds of 8800 MT/s, with the next generation at 12800 MT/s. JEDEC also has a clear roadmap for this technology, keeping it in sync with the the improvements in the DDR5 standard.
Micron MR-DIMMs - Bandwidth and Capacity Plays
Micron and Intel have been working closely in the last few quarters to bring their former's first-generation MR-DIMM lineup to the market. Intel's Xeon 6 Family with P-Cores (Granite Rapids) is the first platform to bring MR-DIMM support at 8800 MT/s on the host side. Micron's standard-sized MR-DIMMs (suitable for 1U servers) and TFF (tall form-factor) MR-DIMMs (for 2U+ servers) have been qualified for use with the same.
The benefits offered by MR-DIMMs are evident from the JEDEC specifications, allowing for increased data rates and system bandwidth, with improvements in latency. On the capacity side, allowing for additional ranks on the modules has enabled Micron to offer a 256 GB capacity point. It must be noted that some vendors are also using TSV (through-silicon vias) technology to to increase the per-package capacity at standard DDR5 speeds, but this adds additional cost and complexity that are largely absent in the MR-DIMM manufacturing process.
The tall form-factor (TFF) MR-DIMMs have a larger surface area compared to the standard-sized ones. For the same airflow configuration, this allows the DIMM to have a better thermal profile. This provides benefits for energy efficiency as well by reducing the possibility of thermal throttling.
Micron is launching a comprehensive lineup of MR-DIMMs in both standard and tall form-factors today, with multiple DRAM densities and speed options as noted above.
MRDIMM Benefits - Intel Granite Rapids Gets a Performance Boost
Micron and Intel hosted a media / analyst briefing recently to demonstrate the benefits of MR-DIMMs for Xeon 6 with P-Cores (Granite Rapids). Using a 2P configuration with 96-core Xeon 6 processors, benchmarks for different ... Memory
Western Digital Introduces 4 TB microSDUC, 8 TB SDUC, and 16 TB External SSDs
Western Digital's BiCS8 218-layer 3D NAND is being put to good use in a wide range of client and enterprise platforms, including WD's upcoming Gen 5 client SSDs and 128 TB-class datacenter SSD. On the external storage front, the company demonstrated four different products: for card-based media, 4 TB microSDUC and 8 TB SDUC cards with UHS-I speeds, and on the portable SSD front we had two 16 TB drives. One will be a SanDisk Desk Drive with external power, and the other in the SanDisk Extreme Pro housing with a lanyard opening in the case.
All of these are using BiCS8 QLC NAND, though I did hear booth talk (as I was taking leave) that they were not supposed to divulge the use of QLC in these products. The 4 TB microSDUC and 8 TB SDUC cards are rated for UHS-I speeds. They are being marketed under the SanDisk Ultra branding.
The SanDisk Desk Drive is an external SSD with a 18W power adapter, and it has been in the market for a few months now. Initially launched in capacities up to 8 TB, Western Digital had promised a 16 TB version before the end of the year. It appears that the product is coming to retail quite soon. One aspect to note is that this drive has been using TLC for the SKUs that are currently in the market, so it appears unlikely that the 16 TB version would be QLC. The units (at least up to the 8 TB capacity point) come with two SN850XE drives. Given the recent introduction of the 8 TB SN850X, an 'E' version with tweaked firmware is likely to be present in the 16 TB Desk Drive.
The 16 TB portable SSD in the SanDisk Extreme housing was a technology demonstration. It is definitely the highest capacity bus-powered portable SSD demonstrated by any vendor at any trade show thus far. Given the 16 TB Desk Drive's imminent market introduction, it is just a matter of time before the technology demonstration of the bus-powered version becomes a retail reality.
Storage
Samsung's 128 TB-Class BM1743 Enterprise SSD Displayed at FMS 2024
Samsung had quietly launched its BM1743 enterprise QLC SSD last month with a hefty 61.44 TB SKU. At FMS 2024, the company had the even larger 122.88 TB version of that SSD on display, alongside a few recorded benchmarking sessions. Compared to the previous generation, the BM1743 comes with a 4.1x improvement in I/O performance, improvement in data retention, and a 45% improvement in power efficiency for sequential writes.
The 128 TB-class QLC SSD boasts of sequential read speeds of 7.5 GBps and write speeds of 3 GBps. Random reads come in at 1.6 M IOPS, while 16 KB random writes clock in at 45K IOPS. Based on the quoted random write access granularity, it appears that Samsung is using a 16 KB indirection unit (IU) to optimize flash management. This is similar to the strategy adopted by Solidigm with IUs larger than 4K in their high-capacity SSDs.
A recorded benchmark session on the company's PM9D3a 8-channel Gen 5 SSD was also on display.
The SSD family is being promoted as a mainstream option for datacenters, and boasts of sequential reads up to 12 GBps and writes up to 6.8 GBps. Random reads clock in at 2 M IOPS, and random writes at 400 K IOPS.
Available in multiple form-factors up to 32 TB (M.2 tops out at 2 TB), the drive's firmware includes optional support for flexible data placement (FDP) to help address the write amplification aspect.
The PM1753 is the current enterprise SSD flagship in Samsung's lineup. With support for 16 NAND channels and capacities up to 32 TB, this U.2 / E3.S SSD has advertised sequential read and write speeds of 14.8 GBps and 11 GBps respectively. Random reads and writes for 4 KB accesses are listed at 3.4 M and 600 K IOPS.
Samsung claims a 1.7x performance improvement and a 1.7x power efficiency improvement over the previous generation (PM1743), making this TLC SSD suitable for AI servers.
The 9th Gen. V-NAND wafer was also available for viewing, though photography was prohibited. Mass production of this flash memory began in April 2024.
Storage
Micron Expands Datacenter DRAM Portfolio with MR-DIMMs
The compute market has always been hungry for memory bandwidth, particularly for high-performance applications in servers and datacenters. In recent years, the explosion in core counts per socket has further accentuated this need. Despite progress in DDR speeds, the available bandwidth per core has unfortunately not seen a corresponding scaling.
The stakeholders in the industry have been attempting to address this by building additional technology on top of existing widely-adopted memory standards. With DDR5, there are currently two technologies attempting to increase the peak bandwidth beyond the official speeds. In late 2022, SK hynix introduced MCR-DIMMs meant for operating with specific Intel server platforms. On the other hand, JEDEC - the standards-setting body - also developed specifications for MR-DIMMs with a similar approach. Both of them build upon existing DDR5 technologies by attempting to combine multiple ranks to improve peak bandwidth and latency.
How MR-DIMMs Work
The MR-DIMM standard is conceptually simple - there are multiple ranks of memory modules operating at standard DDR5 speeds with a data buffer in front. The buffer operates at 2x the speed on the host interface side, allowing for essentially double the transfer rates. The challenges obviously lie in being able to operate the logic in the host memory controller at the higher speed and keeping the power consumption / thermals in check.
The first version of the JEDEC MR-DIMM standard specifies speeds of 8800 MT/s, with the next generation at 12800 MT/s. JEDEC also has a clear roadmap for this technology, keeping it in sync with the the improvements in the DDR5 standard.
Micron MR-DIMMs - Bandwidth and Capacity Plays
Micron and Intel have been working closely in the last few quarters to bring their former's first-generation MR-DIMM lineup to the market. Intel's Xeon 6 Family with P-Cores (Granite Rapids) is the first platform to bring MR-DIMM support at 8800 MT/s on the host side. Micron's standard-sized MR-DIMMs (suitable for 1U servers) and TFF (tall form-factor) MR-DIMMs (for 2U+ servers) have been qualified for use with the same.
The benefits offered by MR-DIMMs are evident from the JEDEC specifications, allowing for increased data rates and system bandwidth, with improvements in latency. On the capacity side, allowing for additional ranks on the modules has enabled Micron to offer a 256 GB capacity point. It must be noted that some vendors are also using TSV (through-silicon vias) technology to to increase the per-package capacity at standard DDR5 speeds, but this adds additional cost and complexity that are largely absent in the MR-DIMM manufacturing process.
The tall form-factor (TFF) MR-DIMMs have a larger surface area compared to the standard-sized ones. For the same airflow configuration, this allows the DIMM to have a better thermal profile. This provides benefits for energy efficiency as well by reducing the possibility of thermal throttling.
Micron is launching a comprehensive lineup of MR-DIMMs in both standard and tall form-factors today, with multiple DRAM densities and speed options as noted above.
MRDIMM Benefits - Intel Granite Rapids Gets a Performance Boost
Micron and Intel hosted a media / analyst briefing recently to demonstrate the benefits of MR-DIMMs for Xeon 6 with P-Cores (Granite Rapids). Using a 2P configuration with 96-core Xeon 6 processors, benchmarks for different ... Memory
![](https://twitter.com/share?url=https://compbuddey.blogspot.com/2024/07/sk-hynix-wraps-up-dev-work-on-high-end_31.html&text=SK hynix Wraps up Dev Work on High-End PCB01 PCIe 5.0 SSD for OEMs, Launching Later This Year <p align="center"><a href="https://www.anandtech.com/show/21460/sk-hynix-wraps-up-dev-on-high-end-pcie-5-pcb01-oem-ssd"><img src="https://images.anandtech.com/doci/21460/sk-hynix-pcb-01-ssd-678_crop_575px.jpg" alt="" /></a></p><p><p>SK hynix early in Friday announced that the company has finished the development of it's PCB01 PCIe Gen5 SSD, the company's forthcoming high-end SSD for OEMs. Based on the company's new Alistar platform, the PCB01 is designed to deliver chart-topping performance for client machines. And, as a sign of the times, SK hynix is positioning the PCB01 for AI PCs, looking to synergize with the overall industry interest in anything and everything AI.</p>
<p>The bare, OEM-focused drives have <a href="https://news.skhynix.com/sk-hynix-unveils-highest-performing-ssd-for-ai-pcs-at-nvidia-gtc-2024/">previously been shown off by SK hynix</a>, and make no attempt to hide what's under the hood. The PCB01 relies on SK hynix's Alistar controller, which features a PCIe Gen5 x4 host interface on the front end and eight NAND channels on the back end, placing it solidly in the realm of high-end SSDs. Paired with the Alistar controller is the company's latest <a href="https://news.skhynix.com/sk-hynix-develops-worlds-highest-238-layer-4d-nand-flash/">238-layer TLC NAND</a> (H25T1TD48C & H25T2TD88C), which offers a maximum transfer speed of 2400 MT/second. Being that this is a high-end client SSD, there's also a DRAM chip on board, though the company isn't disclosing its capacity.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.anandtech.com/show/21460/sk-hynix-wraps-up-dev-on-high-end-pcie-5-pcb01-oem-ssd"><img alt="" src="https://images.anandtech.com/doci/21460/IMG_1305_575px.jpg" /></a></p>
<p>As with other high-end PCIe 5.0 client SSDs, SK hynix is planning on hitting peak read speeds of up to 14GB/second on the drive, while peak sequential write speeds should top 12GB/second (with pSLC caching, of course) – performance figures well within the realm of possibility for an 8 channel drive. As for random performance, at Computex the company was telling attendees that the drives should be able to sustain 4K random read and write rates of 2 million IOPS, which is very high as well. The SSDs are also said to consume up to 30% less power than 'predecessors,' according to SK hynix, though the company didn't elaborate on that figure. Typically in the storage industry, energy figures are based on iso-performance (rather than peak performance) – essentially measuring energy efficiency per bit rather than toal power consumption – and that is likely the case here as well.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.anandtech.com/show/21460/sk-hynix-wraps-up-dev-on-high-end-pcie-5-pcb01-oem-ssd"><img alt="" src="https://images.anandtech.com/doci/21460/IMG_1304_575px.jpg" /></a></p>
<p>At least initially, SK Hynix plans to release its PCB01 in three capacities – 512 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB. The company has previously disclosed that their 238L TLC NAND has a capacity of 512Gbit, so these are typical capacity figures for single-sided drives. And while the focus of the company's press release this week was on OEM drives, this is the same controller and NAND that is also going into the company's <a href="https://www.anandtech.com/show/21313/sk-hynix-platinum-p51-gen5-ssd-with-238l-nand-spotted-at-gtc">previously-teased retail Platinum P51 SSD</a>, so this week's reveal offers a bit more detail into what to expect from that drive family as well.</p>
<p>Specs aside, Ahn Hyun, the Head of the N-S Committee at SK hynix, said that multiple global CPU providers for on-device AI PCs are seeking collaboration for the compatibility validation process, which is underway, so expect PCB01 drives inside PCs in this back-to-school and holiday seasons.</p>
<p>"We will work towards enhancing our leadership as the global top AI memory provider also in the NAND solution space by successfully completing the customer validation and mass production of PCB01, which will be in the limelight," Ahn Hyun said.</p>
</p> SSDs){kind=link}
![](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://compbuddey.blogspot.com/2024/07/sk-hynix-wraps-up-dev-work-on-high-end_31.html&media=https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_t0x1_sY0UIcw4iA5oNTXdXHNwLGYDi2rxY-uv47GSVc7Mf6CVxpr-bhD2Mjg3n8cmG8e5qCLN3SO8S-DTSbgApUe4d0iVdjGpp8pnMt88JPs-jmxxmNNCiFBmm2fBVbrjneBldrP5s5c2EyoX2A3EDGA&description=SK hynix Wraps up Dev Work on High-End PCB01 PCIe 5.0 SSD for OEMs, Launching Later This Year <p align="center"><a href="https://www.anandtech.com/show/21460/sk-hynix-wraps-up-dev-on-high-end-pcie-5-pcb01-oem-ssd"><img src="https://images.anandtech.com/doci/21460/sk-hynix-pcb-01-ssd-678_crop_575px.jpg" alt="" /></a></p><p><p>SK hynix early in Friday announced that the company has finished the development of it's PCB01 PCIe Gen5 SSD, the company's forthcoming high-end SSD for OEMs. Based on the company's new Alistar platform, the PCB01 is designed to deliver chart-topping performance for client machines. And, as a sign of the times, SK hynix is positioning the PCB01 for AI PCs, looking to synergize with the overall industry interest in anything and everything AI.</p>
<p>The bare, OEM-focused drives have <a href="https://news.skhynix.com/sk-hynix-unveils-highest-performing-ssd-for-ai-pcs-at-nvidia-gtc-2024/">previously been shown off by SK hynix</a>, and make no attempt to hide what's under the hood. The PCB01 relies on SK hynix's Alistar controller, which features a PCIe Gen5 x4 host interface on the front end and eight NAND channels on the back end, placing it solidly in the realm of high-end SSDs. Paired with the Alistar controller is the company's latest <a href="https://news.skhynix.com/sk-hynix-develops-worlds-highest-238-layer-4d-nand-flash/">238-layer TLC NAND</a> (H25T1TD48C & H25T2TD88C), which offers a maximum transfer speed of 2400 MT/second. Being that this is a high-end client SSD, there's also a DRAM chip on board, though the company isn't disclosing its capacity.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.anandtech.com/show/21460/sk-hynix-wraps-up-dev-on-high-end-pcie-5-pcb01-oem-ssd"><img alt="" src="https://images.anandtech.com/doci/21460/IMG_1305_575px.jpg" /></a></p>
<p>As with other high-end PCIe 5.0 client SSDs, SK hynix is planning on hitting peak read speeds of up to 14GB/second on the drive, while peak sequential write speeds should top 12GB/second (with pSLC caching, of course) – performance figures well within the realm of possibility for an 8 channel drive. As for random performance, at Computex the company was telling attendees that the drives should be able to sustain 4K random read and write rates of 2 million IOPS, which is very high as well. The SSDs are also said to consume up to 30% less power than 'predecessors,' according to SK hynix, though the company didn't elaborate on that figure. Typically in the storage industry, energy figures are based on iso-performance (rather than peak performance) – essentially measuring energy efficiency per bit rather than toal power consumption – and that is likely the case here as well.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.anandtech.com/show/21460/sk-hynix-wraps-up-dev-on-high-end-pcie-5-pcb01-oem-ssd"><img alt="" src="https://images.anandtech.com/doci/21460/IMG_1304_575px.jpg" /></a></p>
<p>At least initially, SK Hynix plans to release its PCB01 in three capacities – 512 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB. The company has previously disclosed that their 238L TLC NAND has a capacity of 512Gbit, so these are typical capacity figures for single-sided drives. And while the focus of the company's press release this week was on OEM drives, this is the same controller and NAND that is also going into the company's <a href="https://www.anandtech.com/show/21313/sk-hynix-platinum-p51-gen5-ssd-with-238l-nand-spotted-at-gtc">previously-teased retail Platinum P51 SSD</a>, so this week's reveal offers a bit more detail into what to expect from that drive family as well.</p>
<p>Specs aside, Ahn Hyun, the Head of the N-S Committee at SK hynix, said that multiple global CPU providers for on-device AI PCs are seeking collaboration for the compatibility validation process, which is underway, so expect PCB01 drives inside PCs in this back-to-school and holiday seasons.</p>
<p>"We will work towards enhancing our leadership as the global top AI memory provider also in the NAND solution space by successfully completing the customer validation and mass production of PCB01, which will be in the limelight," Ahn Hyun said.</p>
</p> SSDs){kind=link}
![](https://web.whatsapp.com/send?text=SK hynix Wraps up Dev Work on High-End PCB01 PCIe 5.0 SSD for OEMs, Launching Later This Year <p align="center"><a href="https://www.anandtech.com/show/21460/sk-hynix-wraps-up-dev-on-high-end-pcie-5-pcb01-oem-ssd"><img src="https://images.anandtech.com/doci/21460/sk-hynix-pcb-01-ssd-678_crop_575px.jpg" alt="" /></a></p><p><p>SK hynix early in Friday announced that the company has finished the development of it's PCB01 PCIe Gen5 SSD, the company's forthcoming high-end SSD for OEMs. Based on the company's new Alistar platform, the PCB01 is designed to deliver chart-topping performance for client machines. And, as a sign of the times, SK hynix is positioning the PCB01 for AI PCs, looking to synergize with the overall industry interest in anything and everything AI.</p>
<p>The bare, OEM-focused drives have <a href="https://news.skhynix.com/sk-hynix-unveils-highest-performing-ssd-for-ai-pcs-at-nvidia-gtc-2024/">previously been shown off by SK hynix</a>, and make no attempt to hide what's under the hood. The PCB01 relies on SK hynix's Alistar controller, which features a PCIe Gen5 x4 host interface on the front end and eight NAND channels on the back end, placing it solidly in the realm of high-end SSDs. Paired with the Alistar controller is the company's latest <a href="https://news.skhynix.com/sk-hynix-develops-worlds-highest-238-layer-4d-nand-flash/">238-layer TLC NAND</a> (H25T1TD48C & H25T2TD88C), which offers a maximum transfer speed of 2400 MT/second. Being that this is a high-end client SSD, there's also a DRAM chip on board, though the company isn't disclosing its capacity.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.anandtech.com/show/21460/sk-hynix-wraps-up-dev-on-high-end-pcie-5-pcb01-oem-ssd"><img alt="" src="https://images.anandtech.com/doci/21460/IMG_1305_575px.jpg" /></a></p>
<p>As with other high-end PCIe 5.0 client SSDs, SK hynix is planning on hitting peak read speeds of up to 14GB/second on the drive, while peak sequential write speeds should top 12GB/second (with pSLC caching, of course) – performance figures well within the realm of possibility for an 8 channel drive. As for random performance, at Computex the company was telling attendees that the drives should be able to sustain 4K random read and write rates of 2 million IOPS, which is very high as well. The SSDs are also said to consume up to 30% less power than 'predecessors,' according to SK hynix, though the company didn't elaborate on that figure. Typically in the storage industry, energy figures are based on iso-performance (rather than peak performance) – essentially measuring energy efficiency per bit rather than toal power consumption – and that is likely the case here as well.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.anandtech.com/show/21460/sk-hynix-wraps-up-dev-on-high-end-pcie-5-pcb01-oem-ssd"><img alt="" src="https://images.anandtech.com/doci/21460/IMG_1304_575px.jpg" /></a></p>
<p>At least initially, SK Hynix plans to release its PCB01 in three capacities – 512 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB. The company has previously disclosed that their 238L TLC NAND has a capacity of 512Gbit, so these are typical capacity figures for single-sided drives. And while the focus of the company's press release this week was on OEM drives, this is the same controller and NAND that is also going into the company's <a href="https://www.anandtech.com/show/21313/sk-hynix-platinum-p51-gen5-ssd-with-238l-nand-spotted-at-gtc">previously-teased retail Platinum P51 SSD</a>, so this week's reveal offers a bit more detail into what to expect from that drive family as well.</p>
<p>Specs aside, Ahn Hyun, the Head of the N-S Committee at SK hynix, said that multiple global CPU providers for on-device AI PCs are seeking collaboration for the compatibility validation process, which is underway, so expect PCB01 drives inside PCs in this back-to-school and holiday seasons.</p>
<p>"We will work towards enhancing our leadership as the global top AI memory provider also in the NAND solution space by successfully completing the customer validation and mass production of PCB01, which will be in the limelight," Ahn Hyun said.</p>
</p> SSDs | https://compbuddey.blogspot.com/2024/07/sk-hynix-wraps-up-dev-work-on-high-end_31.html){kind=link}
![](mailto:?subject=SK hynix Wraps up Dev Work on High-End PCB01 PCIe 5.0 SSD for OEMs, Launching Later This Year <p align="center"><a href="https://www.anandtech.com/show/21460/sk-hynix-wraps-up-dev-on-high-end-pcie-5-pcb01-oem-ssd"><img src="https://images.anandtech.com/doci/21460/sk-hynix-pcb-01-ssd-678_crop_575px.jpg" alt="" /></a></p><p><p>SK hynix early in Friday announced that the company has finished the development of it's PCB01 PCIe Gen5 SSD, the company's forthcoming high-end SSD for OEMs. Based on the company's new Alistar platform, the PCB01 is designed to deliver chart-topping performance for client machines. And, as a sign of the times, SK hynix is positioning the PCB01 for AI PCs, looking to synergize with the overall industry interest in anything and everything AI.</p>
<p>The bare, OEM-focused drives have <a href="https://news.skhynix.com/sk-hynix-unveils-highest-performing-ssd-for-ai-pcs-at-nvidia-gtc-2024/">previously been shown off by SK hynix</a>, and make no attempt to hide what's under the hood. The PCB01 relies on SK hynix's Alistar controller, which features a PCIe Gen5 x4 host interface on the front end and eight NAND channels on the back end, placing it solidly in the realm of high-end SSDs. Paired with the Alistar controller is the company's latest <a href="https://news.skhynix.com/sk-hynix-develops-worlds-highest-238-layer-4d-nand-flash/">238-layer TLC NAND</a> (H25T1TD48C & H25T2TD88C), which offers a maximum transfer speed of 2400 MT/second. Being that this is a high-end client SSD, there's also a DRAM chip on board, though the company isn't disclosing its capacity.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.anandtech.com/show/21460/sk-hynix-wraps-up-dev-on-high-end-pcie-5-pcb01-oem-ssd"><img alt="" src="https://images.anandtech.com/doci/21460/IMG_1305_575px.jpg" /></a></p>
<p>As with other high-end PCIe 5.0 client SSDs, SK hynix is planning on hitting peak read speeds of up to 14GB/second on the drive, while peak sequential write speeds should top 12GB/second (with pSLC caching, of course) – performance figures well within the realm of possibility for an 8 channel drive. As for random performance, at Computex the company was telling attendees that the drives should be able to sustain 4K random read and write rates of 2 million IOPS, which is very high as well. The SSDs are also said to consume up to 30% less power than 'predecessors,' according to SK hynix, though the company didn't elaborate on that figure. Typically in the storage industry, energy figures are based on iso-performance (rather than peak performance) – essentially measuring energy efficiency per bit rather than toal power consumption – and that is likely the case here as well.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.anandtech.com/show/21460/sk-hynix-wraps-up-dev-on-high-end-pcie-5-pcb01-oem-ssd"><img alt="" src="https://images.anandtech.com/doci/21460/IMG_1304_575px.jpg" /></a></p>
<p>At least initially, SK Hynix plans to release its PCB01 in three capacities – 512 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB. The company has previously disclosed that their 238L TLC NAND has a capacity of 512Gbit, so these are typical capacity figures for single-sided drives. And while the focus of the company's press release this week was on OEM drives, this is the same controller and NAND that is also going into the company's <a href="https://www.anandtech.com/show/21313/sk-hynix-platinum-p51-gen5-ssd-with-238l-nand-spotted-at-gtc">previously-teased retail Platinum P51 SSD</a>, so this week's reveal offers a bit more detail into what to expect from that drive family as well.</p>
<p>Specs aside, Ahn Hyun, the Head of the N-S Committee at SK hynix, said that multiple global CPU providers for on-device AI PCs are seeking collaboration for the compatibility validation process, which is underway, so expect PCB01 drives inside PCs in this back-to-school and holiday seasons.</p>
<p>"We will work towards enhancing our leadership as the global top AI memory provider also in the NAND solution space by successfully completing the customer validation and mass production of PCB01, which will be in the limelight," Ahn Hyun said.</p>
</p> SSDs&body=https://compbuddey.blogspot.com/2024/07/sk-hynix-wraps-up-dev-work-on-high-end_31.html){kind=link}
TSMC: Performance and Yields of 2nm on Track, Mass Production To Start In 2025 
In addition to revealing its roadmap and plans concerning its current leading-edge process technologies, TSMC also shared progress of its N2 node as part of its Symposiums 2024. The company's first 2nm-class fabrication node, and predominantly featuring gate-all-around transistors, according to TSMC N2 has almost achieved its target performance and yield goals, which places it on track to enter high-volume manufacturing in the second half of 2025.
TSMC states that 'N2 development is well on track and N2P is next.' In particular, gate-all-around nanosheet devices currently achieve over 90% of their expected performance, whereas yields of 256 Mb SRAM (32 MB) devices already exceeds 80%, depending on the batch. All of this for a node that is over a year away from mass production.
Meanwhile, average yield of a 256 Mb SRAM was around 70% as of March, 2024, up from around 35% in April, 2023. Device performance has also been improving with higher frequencies being achieved while keeping power consumption in check.
Chip designer interest towards TSMC's first 2nm-class gate-all-around nanosheet transistor-based technology is significant, too. The number of new tape-outs (NTOs) in the first year of N2 is over two-times higher than it was for N5. Though with that said, given TSMC's close working relationship with a handful of high-volume vendors – most notably Appe – NTOs can be a very misleading figure since the first year of a new node at TSMC is capacity constrained, and consequently the bulk of that capacity goes to TSMC's priority partners.
Meanwhile, there were considerably more N5 tapeouts in its second year (some where N5P, of course) and N2 promises to have 2.6X more NTOs in its second year. So the node indeed looks quite promising. In fact, based on TSMC's slides (which we're unfortunately not able to republish), N2 is more popular than N3 in terms of NTOs both in the first and the second years of existence.
When it comes to the second year of N2, in the second half of 2026 TSMC plans to roll out its N2P technology, which promises additional performance and power benefits. N2P is expected to improve frequency by 15% - 20%, reduce power consumption by 30% - 40%, and increase chip density by over 1.15 times compared to N3E, significant benefits to move to all-new GAA nanosheet transistors.
Finally, for those companies that need the best in performance, power, and density, TSMC is poised to offer their A16 process in 2026. That node will also bring in backside power delivery, which will add costs, but is expected to greatly improve performance efficiency and scaling.
Semiconductors
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Western Digital Introduces 4 TB microSDUC, 8 TB SDUC, and 16 TB External SSDs
Western Digital's BiCS8 218-layer 3D NAND is being put to good use in a wide range of client and enterprise platforms, including WD's upcoming Gen 5 client SSDs and 128 TB-class datacenter SSD. On the external storage front, the company demonstrated four different products: for card-based media, 4 TB microSDUC and 8 TB SDUC cards with UHS-I speeds, and on the portable SSD front we had two 16 TB drives. One will be a SanDisk Desk Drive with external power, and the other in the SanDisk Extreme Pro housing with a lanyard opening in the case.
All of these are using BiCS8 QLC NAND, though I did hear booth talk (as I was taking leave) that they were not supposed to divulge the use of QLC in these products. The 4 TB microSDUC and 8 TB SDUC cards are rated for UHS-I speeds. They are being marketed under the SanDisk Ultra branding.
The SanDisk Desk Drive is an external SSD with a 18W power adapter, and it has been in the market for a few months now. Initially launched in capacities up to 8 TB, Western Digital had promised a 16 TB version before the end of the year. It appears that the product is coming to retail quite soon. One aspect to note is that this drive has been using TLC for the SKUs that are currently in the market, so it appears unlikely that the 16 TB version would be QLC. The units (at least up to the 8 TB capacity point) come with two SN850XE drives. Given the recent introduction of the 8 TB SN850X, an 'E' version with tweaked firmware is likely to be present in the 16 TB Desk Drive.
The 16 TB portable SSD in the SanDisk Extreme housing was a technology demonstration. It is definitely the highest capacity bus-powered portable SSD demonstrated by any vendor at any trade show thus far. Given the 16 TB Desk Drive's imminent market introduction, it is just a matter of time before the technology demonstration of the bus-powered version becomes a retail reality.
Storage
Samsung's 128 TB-Class BM1743 Enterprise SSD Displayed at FMS 2024
Samsung had quietly launched its BM1743 enterprise QLC SSD last month with a hefty 61.44 TB SKU. At FMS 2024, the company had the even larger 122.88 TB version of that SSD on display, alongside a few recorded benchmarking sessions. Compared to the previous generation, the BM1743 comes with a 4.1x improvement in I/O performance, improvement in data retention, and a 45% improvement in power efficiency for sequential writes.
The 128 TB-class QLC SSD boasts of sequential read speeds of 7.5 GBps and write speeds of 3 GBps. Random reads come in at 1.6 M IOPS, while 16 KB random writes clock in at 45K IOPS. Based on the quoted random write access granularity, it appears that Samsung is using a 16 KB indirection unit (IU) to optimize flash management. This is similar to the strategy adopted by Solidigm with IUs larger than 4K in their high-capacity SSDs.
A recorded benchmark session on the company's PM9D3a 8-channel Gen 5 SSD was also on display.
The SSD family is being promoted as a mainstream option for datacenters, and boasts of sequential reads up to 12 GBps and writes up to 6.8 GBps. Random reads clock in at 2 M IOPS, and random writes at 400 K IOPS.
Available in multiple form-factors up to 32 TB (M.2 tops out at 2 TB), the drive's firmware includes optional support for flexible data placement (FDP) to help address the write amplification aspect.
The PM1753 is the current enterprise SSD flagship in Samsung's lineup. With support for 16 NAND channels and capacities up to 32 TB, this U.2 / E3.S SSD has advertised sequential read and write speeds of 14.8 GBps and 11 GBps respectively. Random reads and writes for 4 KB accesses are listed at 3.4 M and 600 K IOPS.
Samsung claims a 1.7x performance improvement and a 1.7x power efficiency improvement over the previous generation (PM1743), making this TLC SSD suitable for AI servers.
The 9th Gen. V-NAND wafer was also available for viewing, though photography was prohibited. Mass production of this flash memory began in April 2024.
Storage
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