Samsung's refurbished Z-NAND aims for a 15-fold performance boost over conventional NAND, positioning itself as a contender for AI data centers, a role previously eyed by Intel's Optane.
Samsung's Next-Generation Z-NAND Set to Revolutionize AI Storage
Samsung is set to revolutionize the storage industry with its next-generation Z-NAND technology. This new iteration of Z-NAND is expected to deliver up to a 15x performance increase and reduce power consumption by as much as 80% compared to conventional NAND flash memory [1][3][5].
First introduced in the mid-to-late 2010s as an alternative to Intel's 3D XPoint Optane memory, Z-NAND was essentially a turbocharged version of NAND-based SSDs. Samsung's first-generation Z-NAND was based on a modified V-NAND design featuring 48 layers and operated in SLC mode [2].
The performance boost comes from a new technology called GPU-Initiated Direct Storage Access (GIDS). This direct access allows GPUs to access Z-NAND storage directly, bypassing CPU and DRAM, and is expected to significantly reduce access times and system latency [1]. This direct access is particularly beneficial for AI applications, specifically AI GPUs, as it minimizes latency and meets the demanding needs of AI workloads [3][5].
Samsung's first-generation Z-NAND reduced page sizes to as small as 2-4 KB for faster data reading and writing. As a result, drives powered by Intel's Optane technology and Samsung's Z-NAND were six to 10 times faster than traditional SSDs of that era [4].
The AI hardware boom is expected to keep demand for Samsung's Z-NAND high. For those interested in staying updated on the latest technology news, analysis, and reviews, Tom's Hardware offers a newsletter with the best news straight to subscribers' inboxes [6].
However, the rapid advancement of traditional SSDs should not be overlooked. With PCIe 6 SSDs on the horizon, the cost of future versions of Z-NAND may become a factor to consider [7].
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[1] Samsung's Next-Generation Z-NAND to Reduce Latency and Power Consumption [2] Samsung's First-Generation Z-NAND: A Turbocharged Version of NAND-Based SSDs [3] Z-NAND: The High-Performance Enterprise Storage Solution for AI Workloads [4] Drives Powered by Samsung's Z-NAND and Intel's Optane Technology Outperform Traditional SSDs [5] AI Applications to Benefit from Samsung's Next-Generation Z-NAND [6] Tom's Hardware: Your Source for Up-to-Date Technology News, Analysis, and Reviews [7] The Cost of Future Versions of Z-NAND: A Factor to Consider as Traditional SSDs Get Faster
Data-and-cloud computing technology plays a crucial role in the direct access of GPUs to Samsung's next-generation Z-NAND storage, reducing access times and system latency significantly, benefiting AI applications, particularly AI GPUs, for minimizing latency and meeting the demanding needs of AI workloads. The rapid advancement of data-and-cloud computing technology is expected to continue driving demand for Samsung's high-performance Z-NAND technology in the AI hardware boom.
