The memory manufacturer Micron has now presented its first SSD with a 5th generation PCIe interface for end consumers. The new connection to the system should ensure significantly higher data transfer speeds.
Four capacity classes
The Micron 4600 comes in the M.2-2280 format and is available in four storage configurations: 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB and 4 TB. According to Micron, the new SSD doubles the bandwidth compared to the previous Gen4 SSDs. According to the manufacturer, the sequential read and write speeds reach up to 14.5 gigabytes per second and 12 gigabytes per second respectively, which represents a significant improvement on the previous Micron 3500 model.
The random read and write speeds have also been improved and reach up to 2.1 million IOPS. Data-intensive applications in particular, such as various AI applications and the training of large language models (LLMs), benefit from these performance increases.
In addition to the improvements over previous SSD generations, the Micron 4600 offers up to 11 percent more performance than other current PCIe Gen5 models according to the PCMark10 benchmark, the company explained. And significantly better results were also achieved in the SPECwpc5 benchmarks. However, independent tests of the SSD will have to show whether this is actually achieved in everyday practice.
Soon in finished PCs
In addition to the improved speeds, the new SSD also scores with optimized energy consumption. Thanks to the G9 TLC NAND technology, the Micron 4600 works more efficiently and consumes up to 8.5 watts at maximum performance. In addition, the average operating time is specified as two million hours.
The Micron 4600 PCIe Gen5 SSD is now available for OEM partners worldwide. It should therefore soon be found in high-end computers from various manufacturers that rely on the latest AMD Ryzen 9000 and Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processors. It has not yet been announced when the memory will be available in retail stores and how much it will cost.
Summary
Micron presents first PCIe Gen5 SSD for consumers
The new SSD achieves read speeds of up to 14.5 GB/s
Available in capacities from 512 GB to 4 TB in M.2-2280 format
Improved random read and write performance
Optimized energy consumption thanks to G9 TLC NAND technology
Initially available for OEM partners worldwide
Retail availability and pricing not yet known
