SK Hynix launches high-speed SSD to compete with Samsung

South Korean company SK Hynix has introduced its new high-end SSD, the PCB01, aimed at AI PCs, and is designed to deliver high performance for on-device AI tasks.

SK Hynix's PCB01 is set to compete with Samsung's SSDs by offering high speeds and efficiency at a potentially lower cost, making it a strong contender in the market.

According to Techradar, the PCB01 is a PCIe Gen 5.0 SSD with impressive read and write speeds of 14GB and 12GB per second. It also offers 4K random read and write speeds of 2 million IOPS, making it suitable for quick LLM training and inference tasks.

Additionally, it provides over a 30% improvement in power efficiency compared to previous models, enhancing the stability of large-scale AI tasks.

This SSD features SLC caching, which improves performance by placing single-level cells in some parts of the NAND cell, ensuring a faster computing experience for both AI services and everyday tasks. It also includes a root of trust (ROT) solution to prevent cybersecurity attacks and protect personal data.

SK Hynix plans to mass-produce and ship the PCB01 later this year in three capacities: 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB. Initially targeted at OEMs, these drives are part of the Alistar platform, using an 8-channel interface and 238-layer TLC NAND technology.

The PCB01 does not include additional features like a heatsink, which means it is likely to be cheaper than Crucial's T705, though exact pricing is not yet available.