Transmission speed 112%↑ than 176-Layer
Able to Read 5GB Write 4GB per second
Fierce pursuit to Samsung·SK hynix technology
US Micron has released the world's first consumer solid state drive (SSD) equipped with more than 200-layer NAND flash. Following the 200-layer breakthrough for the first time in NAND, it also won the title of 200-layer breakthrough for the first time in the SSD market. Micron recently shipped the SSD model for consumers, 'Micron 2550 NVMe' using 232-layer NAND with PC original equipment manufacturer (OEM) method.
Micron mass-produced 232-layer NAND in July. It was the industry's first 6-sided TLC (storing three pieces of information in one cell) method ever been adopted for the 232-layer NAND. Samsung Electronics, which has the hightest NAND market share, and SK hynix, which developed the world’s largest 238-Layer NAND flash, both applied 176-layer NAND flash to their latest consumer SSD products.
According to Micron, the new SSD transfer files up to 112% faster than the competing product. Game loading speed and content creation application execution speed improved by up to 57% and 78%, respectively. Sequential read and sequential write speeds are 5GB/S and 4GB/S. 43% and 33% improvement over existing Micron products, respectively.
Power efficiency has also improved by applying a process optimization for the controller and host memory buffer (HMB) technology without DRAM. Heat control performance has also been enhanced. It adopted the data transmission standard PCIe 4.0.
According to market research firm TrendForce, Micron ranked fifth with a 12.3% share of the NAND flash market in the third quarter. It has been evaluated that there is a gap in memory technology compared to Korean companies such as Samsung Electronics with the first place and SK hynix with the third place (including its subsidiary Solidigm). However, following mass production of the world's first 176-layer and 232-layer NAND flashes, they quickly caught up with Korean companies by releasing the first SSD with 232-layer NAND.
Praveen Vaidyanathan, vice president of Micron's Client Storage Group, said, "Using industry-leading 232-layer NAND, we focused on thermal control and efficient power design. We will provide PC users with an excellent experience through new products.”
By Staff Reporter Yun-sub Song (sys@etnews.com)