As large language models like ChatGPT and DeepSeek continue to emerge and dominate trending topics, and as AI generates a thesis in 30 seconds or autonomous vehicles produce 20GB of sensory data per second, an AI-driven storage revolution has officially begun. High-capacity and high-performance storage solutions have become essential, and SSDs are expected to take the lead, propelling a new wave of development in the storage industry in the AI era.
01
SSDs Accelerate AI Innovation
While embracing AI opportunities, SSDs also face greater challenges, primarily including:
◆ High Throughput Demand — AI model training, especially with large datasets, requires extremely high sequential read bandwidth to ensure full GPU utilization;
◆ Latency Sensitivity — As training progresses, models become increasingly sensitive to latency. In real-time AI inference, stable and ultra-low latency is essential for rapid data retrieval and prediction; inadequate latency severely affects the responsiveness of AI applications;
◆ Stability — Large AI models often require frequent switching between sequential and random access modes during data preparation and inference. Some SSDs may experience temporary performance drops or unexpected latency spikes during these transitions, disrupting AI processing;
◆ Endurance — The petabyte-level data flood generated by AI training accelerates P/E cycle wear of NAND flash, posing a serious challenge to SSD durability.
To meet AI-driven challenges, SSDs are undergoing innovations in multiple dimensions, including breakthroughs in storage media, controller technology upgrades, and evolution of interfaces and protocols. Emerging technologies such as PCIe 6.0 SSDs, RISC-V architecture SSDs, and optical SSDs are driving SSDs toward ultra-high capacity and performance.
02
PCIe 6.0 SSD Poised for Launch
PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) is the technology connecting CPUs and peripherals, and its version evolution directly determines data transmission bandwidth and speed. While PCIe 5.0 is being commercialized, PCIe 6.0 is poised for deployment.
PCIe 6.0 doubles the per-lane bandwidth from PCIe 5.0’s 32GT/s to 64GT/s. Combined with PAM4 (Pulse Amplitude Modulation 4-level) encoding, its theoretical effective bandwidth can reach 128GB/s—enough to transfer a 4K ultra HD movie in just one second.
The final PCIe 6.0 specification was released in January 2022. In terms of PCIe 6.0 SSD development, in August 2024, Micron announced the industry’s first PCIe 6.0 data center SSD for ecosystem support. Part of its 9550 NVMe SSD series, it achieves a sequential read speed of 26GB/s. In February this year, Micron and Astera Labs jointly announced a breakthrough in boosting SSD performance to 27GB/s and successfully completed PCIe 6.0 interoperability demonstrations.
Despite the performance leap and promising prospects, PCIe 6.0 SSDs still face cost and compatibility challenges. The first batch of PCIe 6.0 SSDs is priced between $500–800 (1TB), three to five times the cost of standard PCIe 4.0 SSDs. These products also require CPUs and motherboards that support PCIe 6.0.
Industry experts believe that with technical maturity and mass production, PCIe 6.0 SSDs will likely reach mainstream pricing by around 2026, becoming standard for high-end gaming PCs and workstations, and supporting the development of AI and other applications.
03
RISC-V SSDs on the Rise
With advantages like open-source availability, no licensing fees, and high scalability, RISC-V (the fifth-generation Reduced Instruction Set Computing) is reshaping the chip industry. In the AI era, from model training to data processing to large-scale intelligent applications, each scenario demands high computing power and massive data, requiring fast, high-performance storage solutions. RISC-V’s flexible and open architecture is increasingly advantageous in storage, particularly SSDs.
Traditional SSDs use ARM or proprietary architectures, which involve high licensing costs and difficulty in customization. RISC-V’s open-source nature offers SSDs a new path forward.
RISC-V-based SSD controllers are emerging with strong performance. In 2023, Alibaba’s T-Head released the Zhenyue 510 SSD controller chip, integrating the Xuantie R910 RISC-V multicore system with frequencies up to 1.6GHz, targeting enterprise SSDs.
In 2024, InnoGrit launched the mass-produced YRS820 PCIe 5.0 controller, developed from RISC-V’s open-source architecture into a custom multicore, parallel solution with enhanced interface efficiency.
Also in 2024, Starblaze introduced the STAR1500 PCIe 5.0 controller with the Xuantie C908 64-bit RISC-V multicore processor. Its multi-core design enables parallel processing of complex tasks, such as frontend protocol parsing, backend flash control, and user command handling, significantly improving operational efficiency and system responsiveness. Besides performance, Xuantie processors support user-defined customizations for storage management and communication protocols. Combined with advanced architecture and manufacturing processes, these chips offer high bandwidth, low latency, and high QoS while maintaining low power consumption.
Looking ahead, Xuantie and Starblaze plan to jointly develop next-generation high-performance storage controller chips like PCIe Gen6 and compute-storage integrated chips, further expanding and optimizing RISC-V innovation and application in the storage field.
04
Optical SSDs as a Key Force in Storage
Compared to PCIe 6.0 and RISC-V SSDs, optical SSDs represent a more advanced and longer-term storage solution.
Currently, NAND flash dominates the SSD market, but the industry continues to explore alternatives, with optical storage as one major direction.
Optical SSDs replace traditional electrical signals with optical signals for data transmission. They combine optical storage media (e.g., laser) with semiconductor chip technology and use fiber optics or waveguides to read and write data. This aims to overcome traditional SSD limitations in bandwidth, latency, and transmission distance.
Compared to traditional SSDs, optical SSDs offer single-lane bandwidth of up to 128GT/s (PCIe 7.0 optical solution), whereas PCIe 5.0 SSDs offer 32GT/s. Optical SSDs also have lower latency—only nanoseconds for optical transmission—making them ideal for low-latency scenarios such as high-frequency trading and AI training. They also have strong anti-interference properties, are immune to electromagnetic interference (EMI), ensure better signal integrity, and feature superior heat dissipation, enabling remote placement of storage devices and reducing localized heat density in data centers.
On the industrial front, Kioxia has partnered with Kyocera and others to develop a PCIe 5.0 optical SSD prototype with a transmission distance of 40 meters. Future plans include supporting PCIe Gen8 and beyond, with distance expanding to 100 meters, overcoming copper cable limitations. Samsung is also developing SSDs based on optical interconnects, aiming to support PCIe 7.0 and above with transmission distances of 100 meters.
With high bandwidth, low latency, long-distance transmission, strong anti-interference, and good heat dissipation, optical SSDs show great promise. However, as an emerging technology, they are still in development and face challenges such as high cost, lack of standardization (interface specifications and compatibility), and low market penetration.
Industry experts believe that as optoelectronic integration processes mature and standardization progresses, optical SSDs are expected to become a key force in the future storage market.
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