Monday, March 30th 2026
Samsung Readies PCIe 5.0 QLC SSD with a Custom RISC-V Controller
Samsung has developed a new SSD controller based on the open-source RISC-V instruction set, moving away from the Arm ISA in some of its SSD controllers. With the introduction of the BM9K1 PCIe 5.0 QLC NAND SSD, Samsung has officially created a proprietary RISC-V IP that will serve as a foundation for many SSDs the company plans to release. Announced at the China Flash Market Summit 2026, the BM9K1 SSD has been showcased with just one metric: sequential read speed. Achieving a maximum sequential read speed of 11.4 GB/s, Samsung has reached impressive speeds for QLC NAND Flash. While the sequential write speed is unknown, it is expected to be around 10 GB/s, varying slightly depending on Samsung's design. Typically, high-performance SSDs use TLC NAND, as seen in Samsung's own 9100 Pro SSD, which we reviewed. It features 3D TLC V-NAND V8 with 236 layers. While this SSD uses TLC NAND and has a proprietary Samsung Presto 5 nm controller running on Arm-based cores, Samsung might transition a significant portion of its SSD lineup to a RISC-V based design with the BM9K1, offering satisfactory performance with QLC NAND.
Interestingly, Samsung has designed this SSD with considerations for size, power, and AI. For instance, the BM9K1 PCIe 5.0 SSD replaces the previous BM9C1 PCIe 4.0 SSD controller. Although both use QLC NAND, the newer BM9K1 features a new RISC-V controller and a fresh PCIe 5.0 interface, doubling the performance in sequential reads on average. The power efficiency of the new RISC-V design is also improved. Samsung claims a 23% increase in power efficiency, thanks to the flexibility of RISC-V, which allows for greater customization and optimization of the controller firmware to match I/O patterns with the QLC NAND, resulting in nearly a quarter less power consumption. This improvement is expected to have a significant impact on small form factor PCs and client laptops. The main drawback of the design is the use of QLC NAND, but Samsung may introduce TLC NAND SSDs with RISC-V controllers in the future. For now, these remain on the 5 nm Presto Arm-powered controllers.
Samsung is targeting a 2027 launch for this SSD, offering capacities of 512 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB. Pricing and exact availability are not yet known, but more information is expected throughout the year. Other specifications, such as write speeds and endurance, are still unknown.
Source:
BigGo Finance
Interestingly, Samsung has designed this SSD with considerations for size, power, and AI. For instance, the BM9K1 PCIe 5.0 SSD replaces the previous BM9C1 PCIe 4.0 SSD controller. Although both use QLC NAND, the newer BM9K1 features a new RISC-V controller and a fresh PCIe 5.0 interface, doubling the performance in sequential reads on average. The power efficiency of the new RISC-V design is also improved. Samsung claims a 23% increase in power efficiency, thanks to the flexibility of RISC-V, which allows for greater customization and optimization of the controller firmware to match I/O patterns with the QLC NAND, resulting in nearly a quarter less power consumption. This improvement is expected to have a significant impact on small form factor PCs and client laptops. The main drawback of the design is the use of QLC NAND, but Samsung may introduce TLC NAND SSDs with RISC-V controllers in the future. For now, these remain on the 5 nm Presto Arm-powered controllers.
33 Comments on Samsung Readies PCIe 5.0 QLC SSD with a Custom RISC-V Controller
I do wonder where the rest of the capacities are at, 2tb is so 2010
- first - quickest SSD for hot data, need to be fast, size is limited by price,
- second - slower SSD like QLC for partially cold data, compromise between performance and size,
- third - HDD for really cold data, size matters.
To be paid for by users who are unwilling to pay for the higher subscription fees and will just end up dumping the service as they lost their jobs.
QLC is great for non-boot/OS incidental usage models. Anything write heavy, no. QLC is bad juju..
Or maybe I'm hallucinating that people think because something is RISC-V, all CPUs made from it are also "open."
/s
Had it been 2x the capacity with 8TB and even 16TB M.2 drives at the same price as 4TB TLC drives then people would have likely accepted the lower speed and worse endurance.
SLC > MLC > TLC was always meaningful progression. Despite the worse endurance of each generation, performance actually went up because of the interface speeds.
Now there are no interface speed ups that are meaningful for consumers. PCIe 6.0 for consumers is years away and when it does come it will only help sequential speeds. First drives will be even more expensive and hot, just like first PCIe 5.0 drives were.
QLC will likely never be cheaper than TLC to justify it's existence. PLC is nowhere.
Prices are high for years to come etc.