Solidigm’s 61.44TB QLC Enterprise SSD D5-P5336, released in mid-2023, has seen unprecedented demand over the past few quarters, driven by insatiable demand for high-capacity storage in AI data centers. Many vendors have recognized this need and have begun preparing products to serve this demand, but Solidigm seems to have taken the lead in terms of actual market availability.
At FMS 2024, Solidigm showed off the U.2 version of its upcoming 122TB enterprise QLC SSD. The Gen 4 proof-of-concept drives were running live in a 2U server, and Solidigm is preparing them for an early 2025 release.
Considering the capacity play, Solidigm will be relying on QLC technology. However, the company was reticent to confirm the generation of NAND used in the product.
Source: Advantages of Floating Gate Technology (YouTube)
The 61.44TB D5-P5336 currently uses Solidigm’s 192L 3D QLC based on a floating-gate architecture. This has a clear advantage in QLC endurance compared to the charge trap architecture also available for Solidigm from SK hynix. That said, SK hynix’s 238L NAND also has a QLC avatar, giving Solidigm the flexibility to use both NAND in the 122TB production version of the drive. Solidigm expects to confirm this by the end of the year in preparation for mass shipment in the first half of 2025.
