The data storage industry is undergoing a profound transformation. SSDs with capacities as high as 122TB and beyond are emerging. The growth of applications like AI/ML and big data is explosive. Traditional HDDs face unprecedented challenges in the data center. This transformation is not only about the shift in storage media. It also signifies a comprehensive evolution of data center storage architectures. This article will analyze the market landscape. It will explore technological advantages and cost-effectiveness. The potential disruption of HDDs by high-capacity SSDs will be considered. The article will also look ahead to future trends in data center storage development.
High-Capacity SSD Market: Manufacturers Competing to Lead
By the end of 2024, the SSD market has seen a flourishing landscape, with several suppliers launching products with capacities exceeding 60TB and even 100TB, making the competition extremely fierce:
- Micron: In the first quarter of fiscal 2024, its data center revenue surpassed 50% of total revenue. This happened for the first time. This achievement set new records in both data center SSD and overall SSD market share. Micron predicts that high-capacity SSDs will start to replace capacity-driven HDDs in data centers in the coming years. This forecast is significant, indicating that industry leaders have recognized the trend of SSDs replacing HDDs.
- Samsung: As a leader in the NAND flash market, Samsung has introduced SSDs with capacities exceeding 60TB. Still, it lags behind in the 100TB+ category. This shows a strategic adjustment or a focus on different technological roadmaps.
- SK hynix: SK hynix has launched the 61.44TB PS1012 SSD and plans to release a 122TB version in the third quarter of 2025. It is also developing a 244TB drive using its latest 321-layer NAND technology, actively embracing the storage demands of AI. SK hynix’s proactive positioning demonstrates its focus on the high-capacity SSD market and its insight into future AI application needs.
- Solidigm: As a subsidiary of SK hynix, Solidigm launched the milestone 61.44TB QLC SSD, D5-P5336, in July 2023 and later introduced a 122TB version. Solidigm leads in the QLC SSD space. This suggests that QLC technology will play a key role in the high-capacity storage market.
- Phison: Phison has also joined the high-capacity SSD race, releasing the 122.88TB Pascari D205V SSD, utilizing PCIe Gen 5 for enhanced performance. Phison’s entry further diversifies market options and drives the adoption of new technologies like PCIe Gen 5.
These manufacturers’ active strategies accelerate the adoption of high-capacity SSDs. They also drive innovations in NAND flash technology. This includes increased 3D NAND stacking layers and the application of QLC technology.
Technical Analysis: A Comprehensive Comparison of SSD vs HDD
To clearly illustrate the advantages of SSDs over HDDs, we need to delve into a comparison of their technical characteristics and performance:
Capacity Density: In the same 2U rack space, SSDs have much higher capacity density than HDDs. For example, a 2U HDD array only offers 384TB of capacity, utilizing 12 x 32TB HDDs. A 2U SSD array can supply 2,928TB of raw capacity with 24 x 122TB SSDs. After 3:1 data deduplication, it has an actual usable capacity of up to 8,784TB. At the 40U rack level, the capacity advantage of SSDs is even more pronounced. A rack filled with 19 2U SSD enclosures can give up to 166.9PB of capacity, 22.8 times that of an HDD rack. In the future, with the introduction of higher-capacity SSDs like 250TB models, SSD capacity density will continue to improve. This means that within the same data center space, SSDs can store more data, significantly increasing space utilization.
Performance: SSDs have a clear advantage in terms of latency and bandwidth. The latency of a 122TB SSD is only 30μs, while the latency of an HDD is as high as 4.16ms. In terms of sequential read bandwidth, SSDs using PCIe Gen 5 can reach 14,600 MB/s. HDDs are limited to just 269 MB/s. This makes SSDs 54.3 times faster. This massive performance gap benefits SSDs significantly. They are more beneficial when handling latency-sensitive workloads. These workloads are high-throughput and data-intensive, especially in AI training and inference scenarios. High-speed read and write performance is critical for applications like AI and big data analytics.
Power Efficiency: A single HDD consume less active power than an SSD. Still, SSDs have high-density characteristics that reduce the number of drives needed for the same capacity. This reduction lowers overall power consumption. According to research by Solidigm and Signal65, the average power consumption of a 122.88TB QLC SSD is 14.3W (90% read / 10% write), while a 24TB HDD consumes 8.2W in active power. Nonetheless, when comparing system-level power consumption, the advantage of QLC SSDs becomes even more obvious. Studies show that QLC SSDs are 3.3% to 19.5% more energy-efficient than TLC SSDs, and their advantage over hybrid HDD environments can reach as high as 79.5%. This energy efficiency not only reduces data center operating costs but also aligns with sustainable development goals.
Reliability and Durability: Pure Storage claims that its DirectFlash modules have an annual failure rate as low as 0.15%, which is far lower than the failure rates of traditional SSDs and HDDs. This helps reduce maintenance costs and downtime risks.
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): The first procurement cost of SSDs is higher than that of HDDs. Still, SSDs’ low power consumption contributes to cost efficiency. Their high performance and high density also play a significant role. Along with space savings, reduced cooling costs, and lower maintenance costs, their TCO is often more favorable. This is a key factor driving the widespread adoption of SSDs.
QLC SSD: A New Choice for High-Capacity Storage
The emergence of QLC technology has broken the traditional rules for choosing storage media.
High Density: QLC technology significantly improves storage density. It stores 4 bits of data in a single storage cell. This approach reduces the cost per unit of capacity.
Performance Improvement: QLC is slightly inferior to TLC in write performance. Yet, its read performance is nearly on par with TLC. This makes it suitable for most read-intensive workloads. SK hynix’s PS1012 QLC SSD offers up to 13GB/s of sequential read bandwidth. Solidigm’s QLC SSD also delivers similar read performance.
Energy Efficiency Advantage: QLC SSDs have a noteworthy energy efficiency advantage. This makes them an ideal choice for building green data centers.
Cost-Effectiveness: As QLC technology matures, its cost continues to decrease. The cost is gradually approaching the level of HDDs. This further accelerates its adoption in data centers.
Pure Storage’s Insights and Industry Trends
Pure Storage’s case reveals the ongoing transformation in the data center storage field.
All-Flash Strategy: Pure Storage has committed to all-flash storage solutions. Its CEO predicts that no new HDD systems will be sold after 2028.
Partnership with Hyperscale Data Centers: Pure Storage has partnered with a leading hyperscale data center. They offer flash technology and software. This marks a significant step in the adoption of SSDs in hyperscale data centers.
Power Cost Consideration: Pure Storage emphasizes that power costs are crucial in driving the demise of HDDs. SSDs consume much less power than HDDs.
DirectFlash Module (DFM) Technology: Pure Storage uses its proprietary DFM technology. They do not use off-the-shelf SSDs. Their 75TB and 150TB DFMs offer them a unique competitive advantage.
Responses from HDD Manufacturers
Although the rise of SSDs is unstoppable, HDDs will not disappear completely. In certain specific use cases, HDDs still have certain advantages. These include massive cold data archiving. They are also beneficial for applications that are highly cost-sensitive. Facing the challenge of SSDs, HDD manufacturers are not idle; they are attempting to defend their market share and actively seek transformation and development through the next approaches:
Emphasizing price advantages: In terms of price per TB, HDDs will keep a significant advantage in the foreseeable future. For example, Seagate believes that by 2027, HDDs will still have a 6:1 advantage over SSDs in price per TB.
Emphasizing capacity advantages: The production capacity of NAND flash can’t meet all storage demands. As a result, HDDs will continue to play an important role in the large-capacity storage market.
Emphasizing application scenarios: Most enterprise workloads do not need the high speed of SSDs. HDDs are still suitable for markets like nearline storage.
There are some flaws in these arguments. The price of SSDs is rapidly decreasing. The gap between SSDs and HDDs is continuously shrinking. With advancements in NAND technology and increased production scale, NAND flash capacity is also rising. As enterprise demand for high-performance and high-efficiency storage continues to grow, the advantages of SSDs will gradually become more obvious.
At the same time, HDD manufacturers are actively seeking transformation and development to adapt to market changes:
Technological innovation: HDD manufacturers are constantly introducing new technologies. These include HAMR (Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording) and MAMR (Microwave-Assisted Magnetic Recording). These innovations aim to increase the storage density and capacity of HDDs. These technologies are designed to narrow the gap between HDDs and SSDs in terms of capacity.
Vertical integration: Some HDD manufacturers are starting to enter the SSD market. They are acquiring or collaborating with SSD companies. This allows them to expand their product lines and tackle market changes.
Focusing on specific markets: HDD manufacturers are honing in on specific markets. These include enterprise-grade nearline storage and big data archiving. This focus helps them leverage their advantages in cost and capacity.
Future Outlook: The Inevitable Trend of SSD Replacing HDD
Technological Advancements: With continuous progress in NAND flash technology, we see an ongoing increase in 3D NAND stacking layers. The maturation of QLC and higher-density storage unit technologies is also progressing. As a result, SSDs will continue to increase in capacity. They will further reduce costs and improve performance. We can even foresee the emergence of new storage media. These media will be based on new materials and technologies. This will further drive innovation in storage technologies. For example, the ongoing evolution of BiCS (Bit Cost Scaling) technology will bring new breakthroughs. Additionally, new materials like ReRAM (Resistive Random Access Memory) and MRAM (Magnetic Random Access Memory) are being developed. These materials will contribute to future storage technologies.
Market Demand: Applications like AI/ML, big data analytics, and real-time data processing. These applications are driving exponential growth in storage performance and capacity requirements. These use cases have an urgent need for low-latency, high-bandwidth storage media, and SSDs meet these demands perfectly. Additionally, new computing models like cloud computing and edge computing are spreading widely. This widespread adoption accelerates the demand for high-performance storage. For example, autonomous driving requires real-time data processing. It also involves the analysis of massive amounts of data. This places extremely high demands on storage performance and reliability.
Cost-Effectiveness: Although the first buying cost of SSDs is higher than HDDs, there are considerable advantages to SSDs. The benefits include better performance, improved energy efficiency, reduced space usage, enhanced heat dissipation, and lower maintenance needs. Thus, the total cost of ownership (TCO) of SSDs is quickly approaching or even becoming lower than that of HDDs. Particularly in large-scale deployments and long-term operations, the TCO advantage of SSDs will be even more obvious. As the manufacturing cost of SSDs decreases, the price of SSDs will continue to drop. Market competition will also intensify this effect, making them even more competitive. For instance, through more efficient manufacturing processes and larger-scale effects, the unit cost of SSDs will continue to decrease.
Environmentally Friendly: The low power consumption of SSDs makes them an ideal choice for building green data centers. In a world increasingly focused on energy consumption, the efficiency of data centers is important. Environmental protection has made it a key consideration. The widespread adoption of SSDs helps reduce carbon emissions in data centers, aligning with the trend of sustainable development. For example, by reducing the electricity consumption and cooling requirements of data centers, SSDs help reduce environmental impact.
Software Ecosystem Improvement: Software and file systems are optimized for SSD characteristics. Technologies like NVMe over Fabrics (NVMe-oF) and other advancements are continuously emerging. They further enhance the performance and efficiency of SSDs. This allows them to integrate better into the infrastructure of data centers. For example, NVMe-oF can pool SSD resources through a network, enabling more efficient resource utilization and management.
Conclusion
The rise of high-capacity SSDs is leading the data center storage field towards a new paradigm. SSDs offer exceptional performance, capacity, and energy efficiency. They are also known for their reliability and continually decreasing costs. As a result, SSDs are gradually replacing HDDs as the new standard. HDDs still keep a certain share in specific niche markets in the short term. These include cold data storage, backup, and archiving in cost-sensitive scenarios. Still, the trend of SSDs replacing HDDs in the long run is unstoppable. For enterprises and hyperscale data centers, embracing SSD technology is essential. Actively adopting all-flash or hybrid-flash architectures will reduce costs. It will also improve efficiency, enhance application performance, and better meet future data storage demands. This transformation in storage media will profoundly impact the design, operation, and development direction of data centers.