Storage

Most PC gamers don't even have a Gen5 SSD yet, but the world of Gen6 SSDs won't be thrusted upon us for years to come, says the founder and CEO of Silicon Motion.

In a new interview with Tom's Hardware, Wallace C. Kou, the founder and chief executive officer of Silicon Motion, said we won't be seeing any Gen6 SSDs for consumer PC systems until 2028. Gen4 SSDs already drive 7GB/sec+ right now, with Gen5 SSDs either requiring active cooling, a specific Gen5 SSD slot on your motherboard or inside of your laptop, but they'll drive upwards of 14GB/sec+ if you use one.

PC OEMs have zero interest in Gen6 SSDs right now, with AMD and Intel not even wanting to talk about them yet. We did see Gen6 teased at Computex 2025 in Taipei just a few weeks ago, but Gen6 SSDs won't be hitting the market until at least 2030.

HighPoint has just announced a new "landmark pricing strategy" for its Gen5 x16 4x M.2 NVMe AIC series, at $999 and $899, the Rocket 7604A RAID AIC and Rocket 1604A Switch AIC offer over 50GB/sec+ of real-world SSD transfer speeds.

HighPoint's Rocket 7604A and Rocket 1604A AICs change up the storage game for space-constrained industrial and edge computing environments, powered by the company's in-house PCIe Gen5 Switching Architecture and Broadcom's PEX89048 PCIe Switch IC, we have over 50GB/sec+ of real-world transfer speeds using x4 lanes of dedicated Gen5 bandwidth available to each M.2 port.

In order to meet the needs of its industrial customers, HighPoint's engineering team meticulously re-engineered the AIC PCB to conform to the FH-HL form factor, resulting in an unprecedentedly compact PCIe device measuring just 167mm in length - dramatically shorter than typical 4-Port Gen5 cards, which often exceed 290mm.

Lost data can cause immediate concern and even panic. Files that were once accessible - whether a digital photo or an important document - are no longer accessible.

For individuals or businesses running a Synology/QNAP NAS for file storage, there are ways to mitigate the risk of data loss through regular manual or automated backups, storing files in multiple locations, and regularly reviewing these processes.

But what happens when specific files and folders can no longer be opened? Your Synology NAS is no longer on your network as a storage location. You might also hear noises and clicks coming from inside the device. Thankfully, there are solutions.

Computex 2025 wasn't all that exciting when it came to memory products. Most of what we saw were evolutionary updates with higher DDR5 speeds and new heatspreader designs, but that doesn't mean the show was boring on the memory front. Computex never is.

Patriot showed off some interesting products, including a peek at some next generation SODIMMs, speedy desktop memory and an interesting little device that combines storage, USB-C with PD, HDMI support and a MicroSD card reader in one.

With Intel readying its Panther Lake mobile CPU family for an early 2026 release, it's confirmed that some models will come with SODIMMs with integrated clock drivers. In other words, CUDIMMS in laptop form factors. That's great news as currently available SODIMMs cannot scale anywhere near the speeds of desktop memory even without a CKD. And, being able to upgrade is a welcome advantage over soldered laptop memory.

Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage Service is all about bringing cost-effective, fast, and reliable cloud storage solutions to small, midsize, and enterprise customers. Since 2022, the company has been working closely with KIOXIA to deliver access to SAS and NVMe SSDs.

As part of this collaboration, KIOXIA's high-performance enterprise and data-center NVMe SSDs are now available as part of Wasabi's Hot Cloud Storage Service. This includes KIOXIA's high-speed, low-latency CM7 Series PCIe 5.0 NVMe Enterprise SSDs for server and storage applications, flash-based storage designed for demanding workloads like AI and processing online transactions.

KIOXIA's CM7 Series is available in capacities ranging from 1.6 TB to a massive 30.72 TB. It supports both the 2.5-inch (US) and E3.S SSD form factors and is compliant with PCIe 5.0 and NVMe 2.0 specifications. The CM7 Series is joined by KIOXIA's CD8 Series PCIe 4.0 data center NVMe SSDs, which offer double the bandwidth, 16 GT/s (gigatransfers), compared to traditional PCIe 3.0 SSDs.

At Computex 2025, Synology debuted its new flagship product for businesses - the PAS7700 storage solution. With what the company is calling "active-active" NVMe all-flash storage, it's designed for high-performance and "mission-critical" workloads. And when it comes to capacity and speed, it's something of a beast.

The Synology PAS7700 features 48 NVMe SSD bays in a relatively compact form factor (a 4U chassis) and can scale to 1.65 PB of capacity. 1.65 PB or Petabytes translates to an impressive 1650 TB or Terabytes, but that's just part of the story. The PAS7700 also features an AMD EPYC processor, redundant memory (up to 2TB), and support for 100GbE networking.

Optimized for the most demanding environments and workloads, the PAS7700 leverages flash's enhanced speed for ultra-low latency, up to 2 million 4K random read IOPS, and 30GB/s 64K sequential throughput.

Just as PCIe Gen 5 is getting more traction on motherboards, with more and more Gen5 SSDs available to enterprise and consumers -- and most recently Phison with its new E28 Gen5 SSD -- we got our first glimpse into some early Gen6 tech at Computex 2025.

Trawling the halls of Nangang in Taipei at Computex 2025 this year, I bumped into a booth that had some (very) early PCIe Gen6 running. The actively-cooled Gen6 AIC was installed into a x16 slot running full PCIe Gen6 x16, with a riser card connected through Gen5. There was nothing run on it -- as there are no Gen6 SSDs available, but it was more of a showcase of what's to come in the years ahead.

You can see in the shot above that the LinkSpeed on the system says "Gen6" and it's using the full x16 lanes available, but as we said above, there's no Gen6 SSDs available. But... when they are, a Gen6 SSD installed into a x4 slot on a future-gen motherboard will provide you with an astonishing 32GB/sec.

With the Nintendo Switch 2 launch around the corner, many early adopters will consider buying a microSD card to expand the console's storage and install more games. Although many felt blindsided by the announcement that microSD cards compatible with the original Nintendo Switch won't be compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2, the decision does make a lot of sense.

Like PlayStation and Xbox, the next-gen Nintendo Switch 2 has dramatically increased the speed of its internal flash storage to cut loading times and support more data streaming for complex games, which means its microSD card slot will only be compatible with brand-new, fast microSD Express cards.

The good news is that the size of games isn't dramatically increasing with the Switch 2. Mario Kart World clocks in at 23.4 GB, Donkey Kong Bananza at 10 GB, and the Nintendo GameCube classics collection at 3.5 GB. At Computex 2025, we saw PNY's new microSD Express Flash Memory Cards with read speeds of up to 890 MB/s and write speeds of up to 750 MB/s.

KIOXIA had its spread of storage and memory on display at Computex 2025, including its new 10th-gen 332-layer 4.8GB/sec 3D NAND with a wicked display that breaks down how it looks (but in a gigantic version). Check it out:

The new KIOXIA 10th-gen 332-layer 4.8GB/sec 3D NAND uses Advanced Scaling Technology, revolutionary CBA (CMOS directed Bonded to Array) technology, Cell Array, and the CMOS Circuit -- all displayed directly in front of the suite at KIOXIA at Computex 2025.

KIOXIA showed off its new flagship EXCERIA PRO G2 Gen5 SSD, with sequential reads over 14GB/sec which is under development, as well as its EXCERIA PLUS G4 Gen5 SSD with sequential reads of 10GB/sec and writes of 8.2GB/sec on the 2TB variant, as well as 10GB/sec reads and 7.9GB/sec writes on the 1TB variant. Both of 1300K IOPS max random reads, and 1400K IOPS with random writes.

Phison teased its new E28 Gen5 SSD at Computex 2025, with a single drive pushing up to 14.8GB/sec reads, but the company used 32 of them inside of a Gen5 AIC card and pushing -- and yeah, wait for this -- 113GB/sec (that's 113,000MB/sec).

A single Phison E28-based SSD will pump 14.8GB/sec, but the company installed 32 x Phison E28 Gen5 SSDs across 3 separate Apex Storage X16 Gen5 AICs in a high-end workstation PC running an ASUS PRO WS WRX90E-SAGE SE motherboard using an AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7985WX processor.

Once installed, those 32 x Phison E28 Gen5 SSDs were pumping speeds so fast that the company was actually hitting the absolute limits of the Windows kernel itself, with maxed-out speeds reaching 113GB/sec (or 113,601MB/sec to be exact) reads, and an equally as impressive 104GB/sec (or 104,628MB/sec to be exact) for writes. Mix loads saw an even more impressive 146GB/sec (or 146,454MB/sec to be exact).

Phison had an astonishing new PS5028-E28 Gen5 SSD in the flesh at Computex 2025, pushing up to 14.9GB/sec in bursts, but a guaranteed 14.8GB/sec reads... and better yet: silently, and just sipping 7W while doing it.

The new Phison E28 Gen5 SSD controller is fabbed on the TSMC 6nm process node, with 8-channel with 32 CEs, and capacities of up to a gigantic 32TB. We've got a quad-CPU architecture, support for 3D TLC, the Phison 8th Gen LDPC and RAID ECC, and falls into the M.2 2280 form factor.

We've got sequential read speeds of up to 14.8GB/sec (14,800MB/sec) and writes of up 14GB/sec (14,000MB/sec) with random performance of up to 2600K IOPS for reads, and up to 3000K IOPS for writes.

TEAMGROUP had its new T-FORCE GE PRO Gen5 SSD in an ultra-high-capacity 8TB Gen5 SSD at Computex 2025, rolling out with up to 14GB/sec reads, and comes with a patented graphene heatsink for enhanced heat dissipation, too. Check it out:

The new TEAMGROUP T-FORCE GE PRO M.2 PCIe SSD features the InnoGrit IG5666 8-channel SSD controller with DRAM cache, with 3D TLC NAND flash, and that beautiful 8TB capacity. We have read speeds of up to 14GB/sec (14,000MB/sec) and writes of up to 11.8GB/sec (11,800MB/sec).

The company has an active cooler for those who want to never see below those advertised 14GB/sec read speeds, slotting onto the 8TB Gen5 SSD and keeping it even cooler than the stock graphene heatsink. There's no flashy RGB lighting here either, just the high 8TB capacity and super-quick 14GB/sec speeds. The active cooler would look schmick inside of your gaming PC, as well, but is not required to run the Gen5 SSD.

Computex 2025 is officially underway and TEAMGROUP has kicked off the trade show with a new product aimed directly at content creators, or anyone that likes to capture professional-grade video content on-the-go.

The CinemaPr P36D is a portable SSD that comes in 1TB and 2TB capacities, with the device featuring 3D NAND flash, users are able to perform transfers of up to 1,000 MB/s read, and 900 MB/s write. Who is this product for? TEAMGROUP told me that it's aiming the CinemaPr P36D at iPhone 15/16 Pro and Pro Max users who require an external storage device to capture high-quality professional Cinema-grade video. Notably, while both iPhone models (Pro and Pro Max) are capable of shooting video without an external storage, the phone is unable to save the footage to the internal storage of the device, which is why an external storage solution is required.

TEAMGROUP's CinemaPr P36D can be attached to a gimbal or even a tri-pod through its quarter-inch screw hole located at it's base. The idea behind this is to provide a portable solution for content creators that typically shoot video with a gimbal or a tripod for extremely stabilized shots. The CinemaPr P36D also comes equipped with an HDMI out for displaying the video out to an external monitor for viewing/shooting purposes. Moreove, the CinemaPr P36D features cable management slits that are designed to hook cables and keep them out the way while shooting.

Phison has just secured itself the highest distinction at Computex 2025, being awarded the Best Choice Golden Award for its groundbreaking innovation in its E28: the world's first 6nm AI-computing-capable SSD controller and module.

The Best Choice Award is the official and only award of Computex, hand-picked by a jury of experts from academia, industry, and government. The Golden Award is the highest distinction, recognizing products that demonstrate exceptional innovation, market potential, and industry impact. Phison's win this year confirms its global leadership in both storage and AI infrastructure innovation.

Large Language Models (LLMs) continue to scale bigger and bigger, driving the demand for GPUs and HBM through the roof, which has created a hardware bottleneck for edge AI development. This is where Phison steps in, launching its aiDAPTIV+ technology in 2024, introducing its patented aiDAPTIVLink architecture. This solution segments training data across a tiered caching system, using the aiDAPTIV+ AI-Series to allow LLMs to fine-tune train using existing hardware resources -- breaking through conventional memory computing limitations.

Dell Technologies World 2025 will take place next week, from May 19 to May 22, at The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas, and KIOXIA will be there showcasing its innovative range of SSD and memory solutions.

As a Dell strategic supplier for over two decades, KIOXIA will demonstrate how its range of cutting-edge solutions simplifies AI adoption and enables a more efficient, scalable IT infrastructure by accelerating data-driven workloads. As the inventor of NAND flash memory, the company will highlight its next-generation SSDs built using its cutting-edge 8th-generation BiCS FLASH technology.

This includes the impressive 122.88 TB high-capacity LC9 Series and the high-performance, efficient KIOXIA CM9 Series.

KIOXIA's 8th generation BiCS FLASH memory technology is here, bringing significant improvements and advances in power efficiency, performance, and density. KIOXIA notes that it allows for doubling the capacity per flash device, making the technology perfect for modern enterprise computing, data centers, automotive systems, and the AI era.

8th Gen BiCS FLASH incorporates CBA (CMOS directly Bonded to Array) technology, which KIOXIA notes is the architectural innovation that delivers these advances. Today, KIOXIA is announcing that the first enterprise PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSDs with 8th Gen BiCS FLASH, the new KIOXIA CM9 Series, are now in the prototype demonstration phase of their development and will be showcased at Dell Technologies World, which is taking place from May 19 to May 22 in Las Vegas.

With 2.5-inch form factor capacities up to 61.44 TB and E3.S capacities up to 30.72 TB, KIOXIA notes that its latest SSDs can deliver up to 65% more random write, 55% more random read, and 95% more sequential write performance compared to the previous generation.

A new report at The SSD Review has uncovered a potentially serious flaw with the latest Intel Core Ultra Series 200 CPUs and Z890 motherboards. According to the outlet's testing and investigation, high-speed PCIe 5.0 M.2 SDDs cannot achieve their maximum read throughput of 14GB/s or 14,0000 MB/s.

In 2025, several PCIe Gen5 SSDs are offering this speed (check out our recent review of the Samsung 9100 Pro 4TB SSD), so not being able to hit the maximum throughput means that pairing a fast PCIe Gen5 SSD with an Intel Core Ultra Series 200 CPU and Z890 motherboard means that these storage devices aren't running at their full or advertised capacity.

The SSD Review's investigation has found that these SSDs are topping out at 12GB/s or 12,000 MB/s. The outlet adds that it has been unable to find any review or record showcasing a 14GB/s capable Gen5 SSD hitting that speed on a Z890 motherboard. So then, what's going on?

The new WD_BLACK SN8100 Gen5 SSD isn't quite on the market yet, but it has been listed a little early on Amazon Germany with the 1TB Gen5 SSD variant costing around $225 and up to a blistering 14.9GB/sec read speeds.

We should expect a full unveiling of WD's new Gen5 SSDs at Computex 2025 in just a few weeks time, with a launch expected on May 30. Inside, Western Digital will use its in-house Gen5 SSD controller which uses BiCS8 218-layer 3D TLC NAND and features up to 8-channel DRAM and 4-channel non-DRAM.

The company says its new Gen5 SSD will have up to 2TB capacity and twice the performance of its Gen4 SSDs, with a 55% efficiency uplift over Gen4 SSDs. The company also showed off its new Gen5 SSDs inside of laptops (mobile workstations) at FMS 2024, with WD's new Gen5 SSDs slowly getting ready for their big reveal, it seems.

XPG, ADATA's enthusiast and gamer brand, has just launched its new MARS 980 Gen5 SSD Series - high-performance PCIe Gen5 SSDs with read speeds of up to 14,000 MB/s and an 'advanced 6nm process controller.' The flagship MARS 980 STORM looks like a tiny cryo or deep sleep chamber from a sci-fi film because it includes a hybrid liquid and active fan cooling system.

With a sequential read/write speed of 14,000/13,000MB per second, the MARS 980 STORM's performance is up there. XPG notes that its blend of liquid cooling and symmetrical dual-fan setup with copper heat pipes reduces temperatures by around 20% compared to a traditional fanless heatsink. The patented design is powered via the M.2 slot, so there's no need for additional cables, and is available in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB capacities.

The MARS 980 STORM is an SSD built for a high-performance gaming PC, whereas the MARS 980 BLADE is designed for laptops and compact mini-PCs looking to take advantage of the faster speeds PCIe Gen5 SSDs offer. Like the STORM, the BLADE also offers a sequential read/write speed of 14,000/13,000MB per second, using a "highly efficient 6nm controller" for low power consumption and thermal efficiency. Like the STORM, it's also available in capacities of up to 4TB.

Lexar has just launched its new Gen4 and Gen5 SSDs, with its new flagship Professional NM1090 PRO PCIe 5.0 SSD delivering up to 14GB/sec reads and up to 13GB/sec writes.

The new Lexar Professional NM1090 Gen5 SSD packs a new 6nm SSD controller that the company says has optimized heat control for improved performance and customers can pair it with a new AMD Ryzen or Intel Core Ultra 9 series processor for a "next-level game experience". The Gen5 SSD features DRAM cache and SLC dynamic cache to greatly improve data transfer speeds, reduce wait times, and improve system responsiveness.

Lexar also unveiled a new Gen4 SSD with the introduction of the NQ780 M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD that has been designed with "premium technologies" that deliver read and write speeds of 7GB/sec (7000MB/sec) and 6GB/sec (6000MB/sec), respectively. Lexar's new Gen4 SSD features a single-sided design with Intelligent Power Control that makes it a perfect SSD for your laptop.