Kioxia's XL-Flash is coming with 10 million IOPS

Kioxia has unveiled its new SSD series, GP1, featuring a groundbreaking capability of achieving up to 10 million input/output operations per second (IOPS). These drives are specifically designed for artificial intelligence servers, enabling accelerators to access data directly from the storage devices. The focus is not on maximizing transfer rates but rather on optimizing for numerous parallel and random accesses, which are critical for AI workloads. The GP1 series utilizes Kioxia's XL-Flash technology, which divides memory into more segments than traditional NAND flash used in standard SSDs. This approach is similar to the High Bandwidth Flash (HBF) developed by competitors such as SanDisk and SK Hynix, though with different objectives. While HBF aims for high transfer speeds measured in terabytes per second, XL-Flash emphasizes rapid and low-latency access to random addresses. To enhance this performance, Kioxia employs Multi-Level Cell (MLC) technology, limiting each cell to a maximum of two bits. Traditional SSDs typically use three, four, or even five bits per cell (TLC, QLC, PLC), making MLC less common in consumer-grade products. This design choice allows for faster and more efficient handling of small data blocks, which are crucial for many AI applications. The 10 million IOPS figure applies specifically to very small data blocks measuring 512 bytes. In contrast, conventional PC SSDs usually handle data blocks ranging from 4 kilobytes to 16 kilobytes. Kioxia has not yet disclosed many detailed specifications beyond these figures. Calculations suggest a sequential transfer speed of approximately 5 gigabytes per second. With larger block sizes and using PCIe 6.0 interfaces, higher transfer rates could potentially be achieved. Current high-end SSDs for desktop PCs and laptops can reach up to 2.6 million IOPS via PCIe 5.0. Anounced PCIe 6.0 controllers are designed for up to seven million IOPS, although these numbers represent ideal conditions. In practice, the GP1 series might perform better than suggested by theoretical benchmarks. Kioxia believes its XL-Flash technology can scale up to 100 million IOPS in future generations. According to the company, this level of performance could become achievable by 2027 with the third generation of storage technology and PCIe 7.0. Partners will receive evaluation samples of the GP1 series by the end of the year. However, the actual launch is expected to occur in 2027. The GP1 series will be available in server form factors E3.S and E1.S, offering varying widths. The previous FL6 series was available in capacities up to 3.2 terabytes but is already five years old. The GP1 models should offer significantly greater storage capacity. Kioxia positions XL-Flash as an additional layer of storage between AI accelerators and conventional storage devices. This strategic placement underscores the importance of tailored solutions for specialized computing environments. The company plans to send evaluation samples to partners by the end of the year. The actual introduction of the GP1 series is anticipated for 2027.