KIOXIA Europe unveils the groundbreaking 245.76TB NVMe SSD

KIOXIA Europe, a renowned leader in memory solutions, has taken a monumental step in the world of data storage with its latest announcement. The company has expanded its high-capacity KIOXIA LC9 Series enterprise SSD line-up, unveiling the industry's first 245.76 terabyte (TB) NVMe SSD. This innovation is available in 2.5-inch and the Enterprise and Datacenter Standard Form Factor (EDSFF) E3.L form factor.

This groundbreaking advancement complements the previously launched 122.88 TB model aimed at meeting the growing demands of generative AI environments which require both exceptional performance, speed and efficiency. In particular, generative AI places rigorous demands on storage to manage vast datasets, essential for training large language models (LLMs), creating embeddings, and supporting inference via retrieval-augmented generation (RAG).

KIOXIA's LC9 Series SSDs incorporate a 32-die stack of 2 terabit (Tb) BiCS FLASH™ QLC 3D flash memory utilizing CMOS directly Bonded to Array (CBA) technology. This unique combination delivers the required speed, capacity, and power efficiency that AI-centric workloads demand. Thanks to advancements in wafer processing, material design, and wire bonding technologies, KIOXIA has achieved notable strides, offering up to 8TB in a compact 154 BGA package.

LC9 Series SSDs offer immense advantages for data lakes, where high-volume data ingestion and speedy processing are crucial. Unlike traditional HDDs, which can impede performance and result in underutilized GPUs, these SSDs allow for dense storage within a smaller footprint, potentially replacing multiple HDDs. Lower power consumption alongside more efficient cooling could result in lower total cost of ownship.

Features of the KIOXIA LC9 Series SSDs include:

• Storage capabilities up to 245.76 TB in advanced form factors.
• Support for PCIe 5.0 specifications, NVMe 2.0, and NVMe-MI 1.2c standards.
• Compliance with the Open Compute Project (OCP) Datacenter NVMe SSD specification v2.5.
• Flexible Data Placement (FDP) support, minimizing write amplification.
• Enhanced security options with future quantum security standards in mind.

“We continue to drive innovation with the new KIOXIA LC9 Series, providing cutting-edge technology that enables our data center and hyperscaler customers to stay ahead,” said Paul Rowan, VP & CMO at KIOXIA Europe GmbH. “The 32-die stack of 2 terabit (Tb) BiCS FLASH™ QLC 3D flash memory coupled with our innovative CBA technology and the E3.L form factor within the LC9 Series SSDs address their unique requirements of Generative AI applications for speed, scale and efficiency.”