We Found a Prototype 4 TB Intel QLC SSD with 500 P/E Cycles

The storage industry is getting exciting again. In order to increase capacity of NAND SSDs and lower costs, there are two different routes being taken: either increase the number of bits per cell from 3bpc (TLC) to 4bpc (QLC) for a 33% increase, or increase the number of TLC layers per chip from 64 layers to 96 layers for a 50% increase. Each method has benefits and issues, however we have been waiting for the two technologies to actually be found on upcoming drives (rather than just on a press release). As part of the show we found a 4 TB SATA-based drive using a Maxio Technology controller and Intel's latest QLC NAND flash, as well as a drive each from Maxio and SMI using Micron's latest 96-layer TLC memory. We also scored some data on the speeds, as well as the state of play of each of the technologies, including the current P/E cycles of the QLC.