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Samsung's New SSD Ditches DRAM for Budget Speed
11 Jul
Summary
- Samsung is launching a budget PCIe 4.0 SSD without DRAM cache.
- It utilizes Host Memory Buffer (HMB) to access system memory.
- Leaked specs show 7,150 MB/s sequential read speeds.
Samsung is reportedly developing a new budget-friendly PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD that notably excludes onboard DRAM. This design choice aims to reduce manufacturing costs amidst rising component prices in the storage industry. The unannounced drive, which briefly appeared on Samsung's website, is expected to utilize NVMe's Host Memory Buffer (HMB) feature.
HMB will allow the SSD controller to access a small segment of the host system's RAM for storing mapping metadata. This approach aims to compensate for the absence of dedicated DRAM, mitigating potential performance impacts during demanding tasks. Leaked specifications suggest a 1TB model capable of sequential read speeds up to 7,150 MB/s and write speeds of 6,450 MB/s.
This drive's reported 400 TBW endurance rating for a 1TB capacity suggests the use of Quad-Level Cell (QLC) NAND flash. While QLC NAND offers cost and density benefits, it typically results in lower sustained write performance and durability compared to Triple-Level Cell (TLC) NAND. Samsung has yet to officially announce pricing, availability, or the specific NAND technology used in this upcoming drive.
