Table of Contents
Highlights
- Micron begins mass production of the world’s first Micron PCIe Gen6 SSD.
- The Micron 9650 SSD delivers up to 28 GB/s read speeds for AI and cloud workloads.
- PCIe 6.0 doubles bandwidth over Gen5, accelerating next-gen data-center performance.
- Early production gives Micron a competitive lead in enterprise storage innovation.
Mass-produced Micron 9650 SSDs will offer storage to data center machines at significantly higher speeds than conventional hard disk drives and, therefore, will increasingly serve as a means of supporting AIs, cloud computing, et cetera, with PCI-E 6 doubling the bandwidth of its predecessor (PCI-E 5). Additional speed/efficiency will be attained in applications using large amounts of data processing.
What the Micron 9650 SSD Offers
The Micron 9650 SSD is built for enterprise use. It is not for home users or gamers. This drive is made for servers inside large data centers.
Micron announced that the drive has the capability of achieving transfer rates of 28 gigabytes per second (GB/s) when reading and 14 GB/s when writing. This is quicker than almost any current SSD used in the enterprise market.
With this increase in speed, all components within an AI system can transfer data rapidly, enabling models to access large amounts of data instantly.
Why PCIe Gen6 Is Important
PCIe is the connection standard that links storage and processors inside a system. Every new version increases data speed. PCIe 6.0 has twice the bandwidth of PCIe 5.0, making it possible for more data to travel through simultaneously.
Storage needs to evolve as AI server technology advances. If there is insufficient storage capacity to handle requests, it will slow down the entire server’s operation. This is the problem that PCIe Gen6 is intended to resolve.
Designed for AI and Cloud Data Centers
AI workloads are growing fast. Training large models needs constant and fast data access. Cloud services also handle huge traffic every second.
According to Micron, the 9650 SSD uses their cutting-edge NAND technology and has a controller optimized for PCIe 6.0 Speed, designed with stability of performance in mind during prolonged use.
In addition, this drive provides essential enterprise-level features, including support for Power Loss Protection, high levels of endurance, and strong Security Support. These features are necessary in large data centers where system failures can cause major issues.
Mass Production Has Begun
Many businesses have discussed new technology; however, achieving mass production is a significant step.
Micron has made an initial production run of 9650 (PCIe 6.0 solid-state disk) products available for select customer orders. This milestone is the first time PCIe 6.0 SSDs have been shipped to customers in volume, which presents a great opportunity for Micron in the enterprise SSD space.
Although PCIe 6.0 servers are being built and will be delivered soon, Micron’s first shipment places them in a position to capitalize on this new market.
Form Factors and Compatibility
The Micron 9650 SSD will be available in E3.S and E1.S form factors. These are common designs used in modern server systems. This makes it easier for cloud providers and large companies to adopt the new drive in future-ready server setups.
Competition in Enterprise Storage
There are many different companies competing for the enterprise SSD business. Other large enterprises are also developing next-gen PCIe storage drives.
By launching mass production early on, it was possible to be ahead of the competition in the high-speed storage market. As global AI infrastructure expands, demand for faster enterprise SSDs will continue to increase.
Final Note
The Micron 9650 SSD marks an early step into the PCIe Gen6 era. It brings higher speed and better data handling for AI and cloud servers. PCIe 6.0 adoption will take time, but Micron has made it clear that the next phase of enterprise storage has already started.
