Exascend has marked a milestone in storage with the launch of the first 16 TB NVMe M.2 SSD. This device, in the compact 2280 format, concentrates a capacity previously reserved for multiple units or hard drives. However, its price, close to $16,000, makes it a technological demonstration product, out of reach for the average user. It is an advance that shows the way, but one that few will be able to follow.
Extreme density and efficiency, priorities over peak speed 🚀
The technical achievement lies in integrating 16 TB into a single M.2 2280 slot, a notable leap in density. To achieve this, the SSD uses QLC NAND memory and focuses on energy efficiency and massive capacity. Its performance, via PCIe 4.0 interface, reaches sequential speeds of 3,270 MB/s read and 2,980 MB/s write. These figures are solid, but not aimed at breaking records; the goal is to offer a huge and manageable data store in a minimal form factor.
A SSD to store your meme collection... and the house mortgage? 💸
It's the dream of any digital collector: having an entire video library, dozens of games, and work files in a single stick. Of course, to be able to buy it, you might first have to sell the car that costs the same. You could fill it with thousands of hours of 4K video, although the most valuable file you store is probably the invoice for the unit itself. A product that undoubtedly makes it easier to look at your 1 TB SSD with affection.