SK hynix develops SSD for on-device AI computers set for mass production this year

SK hynix' solid state drive named PCB01 for on-device AI PCs [SK HYNIX]

SK hynix developed a solid state drive (SSD) for on-device AI computers as the Korean memory chipmaker looks to expand its lead in AI memory chips from high bandwidth memory (HBM) to NAND flash.

The company said Friday it has developed an SSD named the PCB01 that has an increase in power efficiency of 30 percent as well as improved data processing speed due to the deployment of single-level cell (SLC) in some parts of the NAND.

"The company expects the latest advancement in the NAND solution space to add to its success stories in the high-performance DRAM area led by HBM, enhancing its leadership in the overall AI memory space," the chipmaker said in a release.

The PCB01, the first drive to adopt the fifth generation of the eight-channel technology, is capable of sequential read and write speeds of 14GB and 12GB per second, making it fast enough to run large language models for AI training and inference.

The SSD will launch with three storage options: 512GB, 1TB and 2TB.

The product is undergoing validation with PC customers, with a plan for mass production within this year, the company said. The delivery of units to clients will also commence within this year.

"We will work toward enhancing our leadership as the global top AI memory provider also in the NAND solution space by successfully completing customer validation and mass production of the PCB01, which will be in the spotlight," said Ahn Hyun, head of the N-S Committee at SK hynix.

While premium DRAMs like HBM were the stars in the early stage of AI boom, the maturing market has prompted increasing demand for NANDs as well for more diverse AI applications.

Revenue in the NAND market in the first quarter rose by 28.1 percent compared to the previous quarter, according to TrendForce, to $14.7 billion. The market tracker said revenue is expected to increase by an additional 10 percent in the second quarter.

BY JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]