- SK Hynix units new milestone with 321-layer QLC NAND for PC SSDs
- Efficiency and effectivity enhancements come earlier than enterprise and AI server rollout
- Customers unlikely to see low cost high-capacity SSDs till prices fall additional
SK Hynix has confirmed it has began mass manufacturing of its new 321-layer QLC NAND flash reminiscence, making it the primary within the business to cross the 300-layer threshold with QLC expertise.
The corporate accomplished growth of the chip earlier in 2025, and says it plans to launch industrial merchandise within the first half of 2026, as soon as buyer validation is completed.
The chip options 2Tb capability per die, double that of earlier options.
Energy effectivity enhancements
To handle the slower efficiency that always comes with higher-density QLC NAND, SK Hynix expanded the variety of planes inside the chip from 4 to 6.
This alteration permits for larger parallel processing, which improves learn and write speeds whereas retaining energy use low.
The corporate says its information switch speeds are twice as quick in comparison with its prior QLC choices, with write speeds as much as 56% sooner and skim efficiency improved by 18 %.
Energy effectivity throughout write operations can also be up by greater than 23%, one thing that may matter in massive information environments the place power prices are carefully monitored.
Though the long-term purpose is to make use of the expertise in enterprise SSDs for information facilities and ultra-high-capacity storage aimed toward AI servers, the corporate says PC SSDs would be the first merchandise to ship with the 321-layer chips.
Meaning customers might even see advantages earlier than enterprise prospects, though the preliminary focus is not going to essentially be on low-cost, high-capacity drives.
“With the beginning of mass manufacturing, now we have considerably strengthened our high-capacity product portfolio and secured price competitiveness,” stated Jeong Woopyo, Head of NAND Growth.
“We’ll make a significant leap ahead as a full-stack AI reminiscence supplier, in step with the explosive development in AI demand and high-performance necessities within the information heart market.”
SK Hynix additionally plans to make use of its stacking expertise, which permits as much as 32 dies in a single bundle, in future ultra-capacity options. It expects this to be particularly essential in AI-driven storage markets the place each density and effectivity are key promoting factors.
Whereas the arrival of this NAND marks an enormous step towards bigger, extra inexpensive storage, it’s unlikely that low cost 8TB shopper SSDs will arrive any time quickly, attributable to excessive manufacturing prices, packaging complexity, and validation cycles.
