Intel teases upcoming QLC-powered SSDs for Datacenters
Intel teases upcoming QLC-powered SSDs for Datacenters
QLC offers users increased levels of storage density per NAND cell, with QLC being capable of storing four bits of information per memory cell. This memory type allows SSD makers to offer higher memory capacities in smaller form factors, facilitating the creation of high-capacity, compact storage mediums.
Now, Intel has started to tease a new 3D QLC SSD for the Datacenter market, with earlier reports claiming that the company was working on a 20TB U.2 SSD that fitted into the standard 2.5-inch SSD form factor. Intel says that they have plans to announce more at this year’s Flash Memory Summit, which takes place between August 7th and 9th.
So far, Intel and their competitors have not announced any QLC-based consumer SSDs, an innovation that could deliver end users high-value SSDs that provide low prices for relatively large banks of storage. Leaked roadmaps have stated that Intel has a QLC-based 660p SSD in the works, offering SATA surpassing NVMe speeds in an M.2 form factor, though these leaks have not been officially confirmed.
It is likely that Intel’s planned 20TB QLC drive will be the largest QLC drive that the company plans to ship at launch, though Samsung has already released a larger 30.72 TB TLC-based SSD in the same form factor.
It is possible that Intel has larger QLC-based SSDs planned for the future, especially if they manage to upgrade their QLC technology from a 64-layer 3D stack to a 96-layer stack, the same layer count as Intel’s latest TLC NAND offerings.
You can join the discussion on Intel’s planned QLC-powered datacenter SSD on the OC3D Forums.