Patriot Memory, a leading manufacturer of high-performance gaming memory modules, SSDs, flash memory, and gaming peripherals, today announced the launch of its latest innovation under the Viper Gaming brand: the Viper PV573 PCIeGen5 x4 M.2 2280 SSD. This product reinforces Patriot's leadership in cutting-edge technology, pushing speed boundaries beyond its predecessor, the PV553.

The Viper PV573 SSD utilizes advanced 3D NAND vertical stacking technology, significantly enhancing storage density while reducing power consumption and delivering faster read and write speeds. This innovation also improves durability, making it a reliable choice for users with demanding storage needs. With capacity options of up to 4 TB, the Viper PV573combines powerful performance in a compact, portable form factor, achieving the perfect balance of high capacity and efficiency within a small footprint.

Greenliant is now sampling high-endurance EnduroSLC NVMe M.2 2242 and 2280 ArmourDrive EX Series solid state drives (SSDs), providing 75,000 and 150,000 program-erase (P/E) cycles. Operating between -40 and +95 degrees Celsius, NVMe M.2 ArmourDrive EX Series SSDs offer high reliability and long-term support required by leading customers in aerospace and defense, industrial, transportation and networking.

Greenliant is also sampling upgraded NVMe M.2 2242 / 2280 ArmourDrive PX Series SSDs with high-quality industrial 3-bit-per-cell (TLC) 3D NAND that support 5,000 P/E cycles. Optimized for high performance and low power consumption, both EX and PX series products provide the convenience of removability. Offered from popular 2280 (GLS88AS) to small 2242 (GLS88CS) form factors and available in a wide range of capacities, these single-sided, thin-profile SSDs are ideal for space-constrained designs.

Recent reports from South China Morning Post unveil developments in China's semiconductor industry, with significant progress in two critical areas: advanced memory chips and silicon photonics. These breakthroughs mark important steps in the country's pursuit of technological self-reliance amid global trade tensions. In Wuhan, a startup called Numemory has unveiled a new storage-class memory (SCM) chip. The "NM101" chip boasts an impressive 64 GB capacity, far surpassing the megabyte-range offerings currently dominating the market. This novel chip blends the strengths of traditional DRAM and NAND flash storage, delivering rapid, non-volatile, persistent memory ideal for server and data center applications. The NM101's design prioritizes high capacity, density, and bandwidth while maintaining low latency. These characteristics make it particularly well-suited for data centers and cloud computing infrastructures. Initial reports suggest that storage devices incorporating this SCM technology can write an entire 10 GB high-definition video file in a mere second.

Concurrently, another Wuhan-based institution, JFS Laboratory, has achieved a milestone in silicon photonics research. The state-backed facility successfully merged a laser light source with a silicon chip, a feat previously unrealized in China. This innovation in silicon photonics leverages light signals for data transmission, potentially circumventing the looming physical constraints of traditional electric signal-based chip designs. This accomplishment is viewed as addressing a crucial gap in China's optoelectronics capabilities, which used to lag behind Western chip designers and startups. Using silicon photonics, infrastructure scale-out can be sustained on a much larger scale without significant power consumption increase. While these developments represent significant progress, it's important to note that bridging the gap between laboratory breakthroughs and mass-produced, commercially viable products remains a substantial challenge. The path from research success to market dominance is often long and complex, requiring sustained investment and further technological refinement.

Micron Technology, Inc. today announced results for its fourth quarter and full year of fiscal 2024, which ended August 29, 2024.

Fiscal Q4 2024 highlights

• Revenue of $7.75 billion versus $6.81 billion for the prior quarter and $4.01 billion for the same period last year
• GAAP net income of $887 million, or $0.79 per diluted share
• Non-GAAP net income of $1.34 billion, or $1.18 per diluted share
• Operating cash flow of $3.41 billion versus $2.48 billion for the prior quarter and $249 million for the same period last year

Fiscal 2024 highlights

• Revenue of $25.11 billion versus $15.54 billion for the prior year
• GAAP net income of $778 million, or $0.70 per diluted share
• Non-GAAP net income of $1.47 billion, or $1.30 per diluted share
• Operating cash flow of $8.51 billion versus $1.56 billion for the prior year

Samsung Electronics, the world leader in advanced memory technology, today announced the release of the 990 EVO Plus, adding to its lineup of leading SSD products. With PCIe 4.0 support and latest NAND technology, the 990 EVO Plus is an ideal solution for consumers seeking enhanced performance and power efficiency on their PCs. Optimized for gaming, business and creative endeavors.

"Our daily lives are increasingly demanding more data with the images we share on social media and high-quality video streaming," said Hangu Sohn, Vice President of Memory Brand Product Biz Team at Samsung Electronics. "The 990 EVO Plus is built for laptop and desktop PC users seeking faster processing speeds and expanded storage capacity."

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world leader in advanced memory technology, today announced it has successfully developed the industry's first PCIe 4.0 automotive SSD based on eighth-generation vertical NAND (V-NAND). With industry-leading speeds and enhanced reliability, the new auto SSD, AM9C1 is an optimal solution for on-device AI capabilities in automotive applications. With about 50% improved power efficiency compared to its predecessor, the AM991, the new 256 GB auto SSD will deliver sequential read and write speeds of up to 4400 MB/s and 400 MB/s, respectively.

"We are collaborating with global autonomous vehicle makers and providing high-performance, high-capacity automotive products," said Hyunduk Cho, Vice President and Head of Automotive Group at Samsung Electronics' Memory Business. "Samsung will continue to lead the Physical AI1 memory market that encompasses applications from autonomous driving to robotics technologies."

KLEVV, the premier consumer memory and storage brand introduced by Essencore, is keen to unveil the all-new GENUINE G560 PCIe Gen5x4 NVMe M.2 SSD and CRAS C715 PCIe Gen3x4 NVMe M.2 SSD. Strategically named for its raw, unrivaled performance, the GENUINE G560 PCIe Gen5x4 NVMe M.2 SSD offers top-of-the-line hardware and cutting-edge storage technology packed into a highly refined product.

As KLEVV's first-ever PCIe Gen 5 SSD, it boasts exceptional speeds with sequential read and write capabilities of up to 14,000 MB/s and 12,000 MB/s, respectively. Alongside an impressive 4K random IOPS of up to 1,400K, the GENUINE G560 sets a new standard in advanced storage solutions. Engineered with a revolutionary 23x-layer 3D NAND, the GENUINE G560 delivers unparalleled efficiency and reliability, ideal for professional gamers, content creators, and casual use.

Transcend Information Inc. (Transcend), a global leader in industrial memory storage, is proud to announce its first industrial-grade PCIe M.2 22110 SSD, the MTE730P. This SSD features Power Loss Protection (PLP) technology, ensuring robust data integrity even in the most demanding environments. With PCIe Gen 4 performance and capacities of up to 4 TB, the MTE730P meets the needs of high-end industrial automation, blade servers, data centers, and other modern storage applications.

Power Loss Protection: Create Higher Data Integrity
The MTE730P's Power Loss Protection (PLP) technology is a critical feature for applications such as automated manufacturing, medical systems, transportation systems, and financial transaction. It ensures that the built-in tantalum capacitors provide power to the controller and DRAM cache during power fluctuations or outages, guaranteeing maximum data integrity and security.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world leader in advanced memory technology, today announced it has begun mass producing PM9E1, a PCle 5.0 SSD with the industry's highest performance and largest capacity. Built on its in-house 5-nanometer (nm)-based controller and eighth-generation V-NAND (V8) technology, the PM9E1 will provide powerful performance and enhanced power efficiency, making it an optimal solution for on-device AI PCs. Key attributes in SSDs, including performance, storage capacity, power efficiency and security, have all been improved compared to its predecessor (PM9A1a).

"Our PM9E1 integrated with a 5 nm controller delivers industry-leading power efficiency and utmost performance validated by our key partners," said YongCheol Bae, Executive Vice President of Memory Product Planning at Samsung Electronics. "In the rapidly growing on-device AI era, Samsung's PM9E1 will offer a robust foundation for global customers to effectively plan their AI portfolios."

The first reviews of Silicon Motion's new PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD controller, the SM2508 are starting to appear online, and the good news is that the controller is as power efficient as promised by the company. Tom's hardware has put up their review of a reference design M.2 SSD from Silicon Motion and in their testing, equipped with 1 TB of Kioxia's 162-layer BiCS6 TLC NAND. It easily bests the competition when it comes to power efficiency. In their file copy test, it draws nearly two watts less than its nearest competitor and as much as three watts less than the most power hungry drive. It's still using about one watt more than the best PCIe 4.0 drives, but it goes to show that the production nodes matters, as the SM2508 is produced on a 6 nm node, compared to 12 nm for Phison's E26.

We should point out that the peak power consumption did go over nine watts, but only one of the Phison E26 drives managed to stay below 10 watts here. The most power hungry PCIe 5.0 SSD controller in the test, the InnoGrit IG5666 peaks at nearly 14 watts for comparison. Idle power consumption of the SM2508 is also very good, still drawing more than the PCIe 4.0 drives it was tested against, but far less than any of the other PCIe 5.0 drives. What about performance you ask? The reference drive places itself ahead of all the Phison E26 drives when it comes to sequential file transfers, regardless if it's to or from the drive. Random read IOPS also places right at the top, but it's somewhat behind when it comes to random writes, without being a slow drive by any means. Overall we're looking at a very promising new SSD controller from Silicon Motion with the SM2508 and TPU has also received a sample that is currently undergoing testing, so expect a review here soon.

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.