SK Hynix to delve further into consumer market with two new NVMe SSDs featuring 128-layer...

[Shawn Knight]

In a nutshell: SK Hynix, for those not familiar, is a major supplier of DRAM and flash memory chips to OEMs from around the world. With its newest drives, the company is further expanding its reach into the consumer market. This past summer, SK Hynix launched its Gold S31 SATA drives in 250GB, 500GB and 1TB capacities in the US which are built using controllers designed and developed in-house.

South Korean semiconductor supplier SK Hynix is preparing to showcase two new solid state drives at next month’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The Gold P31 and Platinum P31 PCIe NVMe solid state drives utilize the company’s own 128-layer 4D NAND flash which entered mass production just six months ago. At the time, SK Hynix said its 128-layer 1Tb 4D NAND increased bit productivity per wafer by 40 percent compared to its earlier 96-layer 4D NAND.

SK Hynix wasn’t too forthcoming with regard to details about its new drives. As such, we don’t know what capacities they’ll be offered in, what sort of speeds to expect, how much they’ll cost or even when they will be available to purchase.

Fortunately, SSD prices in general have come way down as of late. SSDs still aren’t as affordable as spinning alternatives but they’re much closer than they used to be and given the massive performance benefits afforded, it’s finally worth it for most to jump ship to flash storage.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/83343-sk-hynix-delve-further-consumer-market-two-new.html

 

[Uncle Al]

Another welcome addition that should force the market price even lower .... we hope!

 

[QuantumPhysics]

I want as many companies as possible to push SSD prices as low as possible.

Anything less than 500GB should be ignored in favor of 2TB and 4TB models.

 

[VitalyT]

Does this memory reshape in time? Does it keep memory in another dimension? If not, then using 4D in its name is a marketing sham.

 

[QuantumPhysics]

Does this memory reshape in time? Does it keep memory in another dimension? If not, then using 4D in its name is a marketing sham.

If it works, it lasts and they get it to me inexpensively, they can call it whatever they want.

 

[VitalyT]

If it works, it lasts and they get it to me inexpensively, they can call it whatever they want.

Evidently, this is what they called it,... and I'm not very comfortable with that...

 

[pcnthuziast]

I'll completely abandon spinning rust when sata ssd'd are around $50 per tb and I can get a 4tb ssd for around 200.

 

[QuantumPhysics]

I'll completely abandon spinning rust when sata ssd'd are around $50 per tb and I can get a 4tb ssd for around 200.

The issue, I believe, is that laptops - specifically gaming laptops - use SSD just like desktops and even gaming consoles do, so the demand for SSD is considerably high - especially in large capacities.

Demand for HDD is lower because desktop drives don't work in laptops or gaming consoles beyond PS4...while prices for USB HDD drives remains stable.

A 4TB SSD is about $400 (Samsung QVO) and that's a significant amount of storage. Just one of them would be a huge upgrade for a gamer with a laptop.

 

[Rayneofpayne]

Does this memory reshape in time? Does it keep memory in another dimension? If not, then using 4D in its name is a marketing sham.

It's a marketing term but also a technical one like the term , glued together, it just means it has a 4th stack layer rather than the 3 layer wafers we are currently seeing on the market. They use the term 3d Nand to simply quantify a stacked architecture.

 

[erickmendes]

That's good news for enterprise storage. Cheap 128 layers flash can be used as second tier storage, enabling cheaper all flash solutions using higher grade faster flash for hot data and cheaper 128 layer flash for large capacity.

 

[NewMaxx]

Does this memory reshape in time? Does it keep memory in another dimension? If not, then using 4D in its name is a marketing sham.

It's a marketing term for PUC (Periphery Under Cell) which other manufacturers have already done. Intel and Micron have used CUA (CMOS Under the Array), for example, and Samsung will have COP (Core Over Periphery). Basically putting the flash/NAND above the logic circuitry. Hynix's PUC also uses CTF (Charge Trap Flash) rather than floating gate which also isn't new as pretty much everybody but Intel will be using CTF moving forward.

 

[Evernessince]

The issue, I believe, is that laptops - specifically gaming laptops - use SSD just like desktops and even gaming consoles do, so the demand for SSD is considerably high - especially in large capacities.

Demand for HDD is lower because desktop drives don't work in laptops or gaming consoles beyond PS4...while prices for USB HDD drives remains stable.

A 4TB SSD is about $400 (Samsung QVO) and that's a significant amount of storage. Just one of them would be a huge upgrade for a gamer with a laptop.

1) Current consoles all use HDDs (except the switch). Next-gen isn't confirmed and I doubt they will include 1TB SSDs, $100 just on storage is far too much for a console.

2) You do realize 2.5" HDDs have been a thing right? Your comment "Demand for HDD is lower because desktop drives don't work in laptops or gaming consoles beyond PS4" makes zero sense. 2.5" HDDs are still HDDs. Not being in a larger form factor for desktops doesn't change that fact. I feel obligated to also mention that sales of HDDs to enterprise far outweigh any looses from laptops going SSD. Your laptop may run on an SSD but your microsoft account and it's data are stored on a HDD. The cloud has increased enterprise demand for HDDs.

3) For $400 I can buy 4 8TB HDDs for a total of 32TB. So yeah, that's 4TB of SSD storage vs 32TB of HDD storage. Better yet, buy a 1TB SSD and use it with storeMI or stablebit drivepool as a cache drive. All the advantages of an SSD while not having to spend nearly as much across a large array of storage.

 

[QuantumPhysics]

1) Current consoles all use HDDs (except the switch). Next-gen isn't confirmed and I doubt they will include 1TB SSDs, $100 just on storage is far too much for a console.
...

I was obviously talking about regular sized Desktop HDD.

Most deskstops DO NOT USE 2.5" HDD because they are slower and a desktop - typically does not need a smaller HDD. Obviously - since I have to spell everything out - the 2.5 using desktops are probably smaller form factor workstations... But whatever.


#3 for $400-$450 a 4TB Samsung QVO outperforms ANY HDD you can match it against. I'm not worried about the cost.


PS4 did the smart thing allowing users to pick their own HDD. Microsoft Didn't. Bottom line is: Desktop HDD are not in as high demand as SSD for the exact reasons I mentioned.