Solidigm launches world's largest capacity SSD for data centers

Solidigm, the NAND flash-making subsidiary of South Korea's semiconductor titan SK Hynix Inc., on Monday announced the release of its solid state drive (SSD) D5-P5336, a model based on quadruple-level cells (QLC) for use at data centers.

SSD is a PC storage device using NAND flash memory.

NAND flash is divided into single-level (one piece), multi-level (two), triple-level (three), or TLC, QLC (four) and penta-level cells (five) depending on how many bits of information are stored in a cell.

A QLC has four bits in one cell. As data storage capacity increases, more information can be saved in the same area.

Solidigm's new SSD comes in seven capacities ranging from 7.68 to 61.44 terabytes, the largest among QLC SSDs for data centers.

Solidigm said its SSDs can store up to six times more data than a hard disk drive (HDD) in the same space and twice as much as a TLC SSD at TLC speed.

The read performance of the D5-P5336 surpasses that of select TLC SSDs, it added.

TLC models account for most SSDs used at data centers.

A QLC has a larger capacity than a TLC at a cheaper price but is considered inferior in reading and writing performance.

Solidigm said its new SSD overcomes these limits and is suitable for artificial intelligence and machine learning thanks to its ability to access large data volumes at high speed.

The D5-P5336 can reduce power and cooling costs and its less operating costs are 17% lower than a TLC SSD's and 47% lower than an HDD's.

Write to Jeong-Soo Hwang at hjs@hankyung.com