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Kioxia SSD Boosts GPU Memory Beyond Limits
23 Mar
Summary
- New Kioxia SSD offers direct memory expansion for GPUs.
- It uses Storage Class Memory (SCM) to bridge DRAM and NAND gap.
- The drive supports Nvidia's Storage-Next initiative to ease bottlenecks.
Kioxia has introduced the GP Series SSD, a novel solution designed to function as direct memory expansion for GPUs. Announced at Nvidia GTC 2026, this drive acts as an additional tier in the memory hierarchy, extending the capacity beyond High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) limits.
The new SSD leverages Storage Class Memory (SCM), specifically Kioxia's XL-FLASH technology, to bridge the performance gap between system DRAM and conventional NAND flash. This SCM prioritizes low latency and high random IOPS, enabling fine-grained data access crucial for memory-intensive AI models.
This development directly addresses the increasing demand for memory driven by AI models with trillions of parameters. Nvidia's Storage-Next initiative, which the Kioxia GP Series supports, aims to alleviate these bottlenecks by enabling direct GPU-to-storage connectivity.
Kioxia Corporation's Senior Director of the SSD Division stated the company fully supports the initiative and will deliver purpose-built SSDs to meet GPU-accessible memory needs. While aiming for millions of IOPS, the industry is exploring even higher targets, potentially requiring new memory classes. Competitors are also entering this niche, with drives like the InnoGrit N3X SSD utilizing Kioxia's XL-Flash for extreme endurance.
