A new generation of domestic QLC flash memory has come out, with a life span of up to 4,000 times, and there is hope for domestic SSDs

YMTC has good news again, a new generation of QLC 3D NAND flash memory is here, and the performance has skyrocketed.

This new generation of QLC flash memory, internally codenamed "X3-6070", has an IO interface speed of 2400MT/s, which is 50% higher than the previous generation of 1600MT/s, and the read and write speeds are also nearly 100% improved. What's more, what's even more incredible is that the P/E programming erase cycle life can reach an astonishing 4,000 times, which is 4 times that of the previous generation!

You must know that the conventional MLC flash memory can only do about 3000 times, the TLC flash memory is generally only about 1000 times, and the initial QLC flash memory is even lower, only 150 times.

Therefore, the X3-6070 can do 4,000 times, which also means that YMTC is strong enough in terms of technical capabilities.

Of course, 4000 times is generally an enterprise-level product, and consumer-level products can be done about 2000 times. In other words, depending on the product positioning, the parameter performance will also be slightly different. This is somewhat similar to the CPU, for example, the same i9 series, but divided into different models, with different parameter performance and different prices.

When it comes to flash memory technology, there are four main types: SLC, MLC, TLC and QLC, of which SLC is called single-layer unit flash memory, that is, each cell stores 1 bit of data. By analogy, MLC is a multi-layer cell flash memory, and each cell stores 2 bits of data. TLC is a three-tier cell flash memory, with each cell storing 3 bits of data. QLC is a four-tier cell flash memory, with each cell storing 4 bits of data.

Each of the four flash technologies has its own merits, with SLC being fast and long-lasting, but costly. MLC has a lower cost and a larger capacity, but it is slow and has a short lifespan. TLC and QLC further increase storage capacity and reduce costs, but the number of writes and read and write speeds are relatively low.

It can be seen that no technology is perfect, but based on cost and actual use scenarios, QLC is enough for most people, and if it can solve a certain degree of life and speed problems, QLC, which is at a disadvantage, will become the darling of the market, after all, the price is cheaper.

As early as 2020, YMTC mass-produced the first QLC flash memory chip X2-6070, based on Xtacking2.0 technology, and this X3-6070 is based on the latest Xtacking3.0 technology, so it has been greatly improved in terms of IO speed and lifespan.

At present, the domestic hard disk with X3-6070 chip has YMTC's own brand Zhizhi Ti600 series, which has a sequential read speed of 7000MB/s. By adopting advanced master control and error correction technology, the P/E life is effectively improved, such as the 4TB version of the Zhizhi Ti600 SSD, which can provide a service life of 1600TBW and a five-year warranty.

For foreign products using QLC particles, the 4TB version generally only has a service life of 800TBW.

In addition, Hikvision's A4000 series SSDs also use YMTC QLC chips, which have a sequential read speed of up to 7300MB/s, which is not inferior to TLC particles.

In short, the X3-6070 has excellent performance and can meet the application requirements of enterprise, consumer, and embedded scenarios.

At the just-concluded 2024 Storage Summit, Huo Zongliang, Chief Technology Officer of YMTC, said that global data is growing explosively, and the market expects storage products with higher density, faster read and write performance, and meeting the needs of different scenarios. QLC is the current market consensus among many ways to increase density. QLC based on the Xtacking architecture has excellent performance and high durability, which can better meet the needs of users for all-scenario applications. In other words, YMTC will continue to make efforts in QLC flash memory technology, and there will be better performance flash memory chips and products in the future.

In the past, the price of SSDs has remained high, and it is not until recent years that a large number of YMTC TLC flash memory shipments have brought down the price of SSDs, allowing domestic users to enjoy more benefits.

In recent months, there have been frequent rumors of price increases for memory chips, but in fact, in the terminal market, the price of solid-state drives has also begun to rise. And just a few days ago, Samsung's factory caught fire again, which is said to be caused by welding at a construction site, and it did not cause much damage. But friends who are familiar with the chip industry know that fire has become a strange accident for various manufacturers, and usually prices will start to rise later. In short, if there are no domestic memory chips, I wonder how much more money these foreign manufacturers will make from Chinese users?

Therefore, I also hope that you can support domestic memory chips and domestic solid-state drives.