SK hynix is set to release SK hynix Beetle X31, a portable solid-state drive (SSD) for consumers, in global markets starting with the U.S. later in June. As the company's first portable SSD, the X31 has been praised for its superior performance, convenient portability, and stylish design following its launch in South Korea in May 2023. In particular, the SSD can reach operating speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second (Gbps) while it also possesses exceptional heat management capabilities. Released amid a growth in the portable SSD market, the X31 meets the rising demand for storage devices to not only rapidly read and write but also store data safely on-the-go.

The X31 combines SK hynix's technologies which enabled optimal power consumption in the Gold P31 and the highest specifications for a consumer SSD in the Platinum P41. Moreover, while DRAM-less SSDs have become widespread as part of industry efforts to cut costs, SK hynix opted to maximize the performance of the X31 by applying DRAM as a buffer inside of the SSD. Accordingly, the X31 can deliver a maximum sequential read speed of 1,050 megabytes per second (MB/s) and a maximum sequential write speed of 1,000 MB/s. At these speeds, it is possible to transfer a 1 GB file in just one second. More specifically, the X31 is able to transfer 500 GB of data while maintaining an optimal speed of over 900 MB/s. This is because the X31 strikes a balance between managing heat generated from fast data movement and maximizing write speeds.

SK hynix Inc. today announced availability of the "Platinum P41" PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD that distills technical excellence driven by unmatched speeds and reliability. The Platinum series represents the company's flagship retail lineup geared towards gamers and content creators looking to turbo-boost PC performance. Launched as SK hynix's first PCIe 4.0 SSD built with advanced 176-layer NAND flash memory, the Platinum P41 is now available for purchase on Amazon in the U.S. in 500 GB, 1 TB and 2 TB capacity options.

Designed to excel among PCIe 4.0 SSDs, the Platinum P41 offers sequential read speeds up to 7,000 MB/s and sequential write speeds up to 6,500 MB/s with an industry-leading endurance rating of up to 1,200 TBW. The Platinum P41 also provides further assurance of reliability with an SK hynix in-house "Aries" controller, which in itself contributes to the superior read/write speeds.

SK hynix today unveiled the Platinum P41, the fastest M.2 NVMe SSD under the NAND flash and DRAM manufacturer's own marquee. Built in the M.2-2280 form-factor, the drive is targeted at the DIY PC enthusiast segment, and is the company's first client-segment drive to take advantage of the PCI-Express 4.0 x4 host interface. The drive combines an in-house controller design by the company, codenamed "Aries," with the company's latest 176-layer 3D NAND flash, and a DDR4 DRAM cache.

The SK hynix Platinum P41 comes in three variants based on capacity—500 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB. All three feature a compact design. The company didn't release variant-specific performance numbers, but made broad performance claims for the series. It offers sequential reads of up to 7,000 MB/s, with up to 6,500 MB/s sequential writes, up to 1.4 million IOPS 4K random reads; and up to 1.3 million IOPS 4K random writes. The endurance claims for the 500 GB variant are 500 TBW, for the 1 TB are 750 TBW, and for the 2 TB variant are 1,200 TBW. The drives are backed by 5-year warranties. The company will release pricing and availability later into Q1 2022 (before April).

Update Jan 4th: Additional technical details on the 176-layer NAND flash can be found here and here.

Hynix also confirmed to us that the Platinum P41 uses Hynix components exclusively: "The P41 uses TLC, SK hynix Aries controller, SK hynix NAND & DRAM." This also clarifies that the drive is TLC, so there's no chance for stealth component changes to QLC like on some other vendors.