Samsung Meets the Mobile Edge with the PM9E1 SSD

AI first started in the cloud, but is gaining traction in other applications and platforms. The latest AI algorithms are driving intelligence processing and collection operations, such as machine learning, towards edge devices. As a result, devices such as smartphones, computers, and automobiles are demanding greater compute power and memory capacity as well as on-demand responsiveness and unbreakable security. Samsung is already there to meet this demand and to equip these edge devices with sufficient compute and memory power.

The PM9E1 is an SSD for PC/client OEMs that supports PCIe 5.0 and is based on an eight-channel controller. Its sequential read speed is twice as fast as its predecessor and it also brings improved power efficiency. The eight-channel controller offloads data transfer tasks from the CPU to improve efficiency and performance, moving 14.5GB of AI data to DRAM in less than a second.

The Core Advantage of PM9E1

The advantage that PM9E1 brings to the market is its combination of NVMe-v2.0c, 8-channel NAND, and PCIe 5.0, which enables sequential read speeds of 14,500 MB/s and sequential write speeds of 13,000 MB/s.  Random reads reach 2,100K IOPS and random writes reach 2,640K IOPS. The capacity of the PM9E1 ranges from 512GB to 4TB with the M.2 2280 (22mm wide x 80mm long) module size. This speed and capacity combination is just what users need to keep up with the new demands of AI on edge technologies.

Making the Shape Count

This exciting new SSD utilizes the M.2 form factor specification that makes it smaller with the same amount, if not more, of needed storage capacity. M.2 supports NVM Express (NVMe) as the logical device interface, which matters in how the data is actually moved to and from the PCIe-connected storage device. The M.2 form factor, connected by way of an M.2 slot on the motherboard supporting NVMe, give the device exceptional speed when data is being transferred.

Efficiency and Endurance of PM9E1

The PM9E1 offers an optimal power-efficient solution, with a 50% improvement compared to its predecessor. The power state numbers have been established at: PS4 < 7mW, D3hot < 3mW, and an operating power efficiency for sequential reads at 1751 MB/s per watt and for sequential writes at 1633 MB/s per watt (@4TB). 

The endurance for PM9E1 is 2400 terabytes written (TBW) (@ 4TB). TBW is a metric that indicates how much data can be cumulatively written to an SSD over its lifetime. 2400 TBW is a 100% endurance increase over the 1200 TBW of its predecessor.

Staying Safe in the Cloud

Samsung PM9E1 SSD is so security-conscious that Samsung has validated the self-encrypting security feature against SED, TCG OPAL, eDrive, Pyrite 2.01, Secure Booting, JTAG Disable, TCG DICE, PCI-SIG DOE, CMA, and DMTF SPDM. This due diligence is typically not required for encrypted SSDs but Samsung wants to make sure that your data is encrypted and safe at all times. This is a critical component of the PM9E1 SSD as the use of this device can be integrated into a variety of business sectors.   

Summary

Samsung’s PM9E1 SSD is poised to give the storage market the lift it needs to move forward with the Artificial Intelligence evolution. The ability to store and move data using NVMe over PCIe 5.0 on an M.2 form factor makes it the right answer for the compute power needed by OEM computers and other devices where space is limited but high-speed storage and compute power are required.