Solidigm has a new SSD. Unlike the Solidigm D7-P5520 7.68TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD we just reviewed on x86, Arm, and Power9 architectures, this drive is being branded as a Solidigm drive. Many will be familiar with the P41 as the SK hynix P41 Platinum 1TB NVMe PCIe Gen4 SSD we reviewed is one of our favorite 1TB M.2 SSDs. The Solidigm P41 Plus is a new Gen4 DRAM-less SSD that targets the “value” segment of the market.
Solidigm P41 Plus PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD
The new Solidigm P41 Plus is built around the Silicon Motion 2269XT controller and has fairly impressive specs for a value drive that is a HMB NVMe SSD. Capacities will range from 512GB to 2TB. It is notable that even for a value drive, we do not see sub 0.5TB capacities with this generation.
We asked Solidigm about “Platinum” versus “Plus” on the P41. We were told that the Plus line will be the company’s go-forward value segment branding. Platinum is the mainstream/performance-focused line. When we reviewed the SK hynix Platinum P41 1TB NVMe SSD, that is an 8-channel TLC drive. This is a HMB DRAM-less QLC drive designed for lower costs and lower power consumption, but also lower performance. One will quickly notice in the marketing performance slides that Solidigm is not putting the P41 Platinum on these slides as it is only focused on the value segment. Solidigm also has the Intel SSD 670p which was from the Intel side of the new company so that was also a previous generation product where the IP is now with Solidigm.
As part of the launch, Solidigm also has its Synergy software. Solidigm Synergy is designed to increase performance of NVMe SSDs by providing an alternative to stock NVMe stacks.
We were told that Solidigm Synergy is targeting Windows platforms at this point. for many of our readers that use these drives as boot devices for Linux/ FreeBSD systems or in Linux workstations, this is not being brought to those markets just yet.
Still, performance seems to be better. Solidigm is making a big deal of this new software stack.
Solidigm Synergy goes beyond firmware-based SLC v. QLC direction. Instead, the driver learns end-user behavior and gives hints to firmware to make caching more responsive and efficient.
The company is also planning a new annual cadence on getting headline features like this first release’s host-managed caching to get more performance.
Final Words
We will find a way to get one of these drives and have Will add to his growing dataset on current generation PCIe Gen3 and Gen4 M.2 NVMe SSDs.
We heard that the availability is targeted for the end of August and early September. We did not get pricing, but we expect it, as a value drive, to be below the P41 Platinum. The P41 Platinum we already consider a “value” in the higher-performance drive segment.
I wonder if these will be recognized in 11th gen RST supported machines as Intel branded drives?
I assume that they cleared it with Legal before finalizing the branding; but it seems really tacky to pick a name very easy to confuse with a higher end product from another vendor for your value-oriented line.
Of all Intel’s sins…having to see the letters that regurgitate the name Solidigm may in fact be the worse. I-G-M. Just kinda gags its way up the throat.