As for Samsung, we’ve learned that the company has an affordable SSD project in the works. This SSD would feature a PCIe 4.0 interface and a DRAM-less design. However, it would rely on HMB technology to compensate for the lack of dedicated cache and maintain performance, for better or worse. Unfortunately, this model has not yet been officially named; only a screenshot of a product sheet is available.
Samsung: Heading Toward the Launch of an Affordable PCIe 4.0SSD?
No dedicated DRAM cache!
Apparently, Samsung is set to offer an M.2-format SSD that utilizes a PCIe 4.0 interface rather than PCIe 5.0. To cut costs, Samsung is reportedly skipping the dedicated DRAM cache, which saves on memory costs and simplifies the PCB design, among other things.
Furthermore, users shouldn’t expect a sluggish SSD, as the sequential transfer speeds are said to match what’s expected from a PCIe 4.0 model. Read speeds are expected to reach 7,150 MB/s, compared to 6,450 MB/s for write speeds. For now, capacities are expected to be quite standard, with at least a 1 TB model available. Without DRAM cache, Samsung would rely on HMB technology to support performance and store mapping tables and metadata in system RAM.
The endurance of the 1 TB version is said to be 400 TBW, which is average for SSDs of this capacity. Admittedly, this isn’t the 700 TBW found on the most durable models, but it’s still a far cry from the 200 TBW or less of entry-level models. Furthermore, given this endurance rating, we can suspect the use of QLC memory, a high-density NAND type.
No prices are known yet:
For now, prices are unknown, especially since Samsung has removed the page for this SSD. However,SSD prices have seen a significant increase. Expect to pay between €185 and €190 for an entry-level 1 TB model with limited endurance and performance that’s far from top-tier for PCIe 4.0.
