Specifications & Features
Specifications and features
The sample that has arrived for testing is a 512GB version of the drive. The series as stated will be fitted with TLC (Triple-level cell written) written NAND flash memory from Toshiba. This allows them to offer the big storage volume at a lower price point. In 3D NAND, NAND layers, not chips, are stacked in a single IC. The good news is continued cost reduction, smaller die sizes and more capacity per NAND chip. Also, installed NAND toolsets in the wafer fabs can, for the most part, be reused, thereby extending the useful life of the fab equipment.
Phison 5012-E12 controller
The Toshiba NAND ICs are driven by a Phison 5012-E12 controller. The PS5012-E12 makes use of the latest NVMe revision 1.3 protocol and as you have been able to notice from the SSD specifications, this controller is advertised at a very fast ~3000 MB/s (depending on volume size) across four PCIe lanes for read and write operations respectively, over a x4 PCIe Gen 3 lane connection that is. The controller can address 8 channels.
It is also ready for QLC and upcoming 96-layer NAND. The controller will offer support for up-to 8 TB storage as well as offering support for external Thunderbolt 3 SSDs. The PS5012-E12 is available in three versions: the 'normal' PS5012-E12 for high-end SSDs, the PS5012-E12C for mid-range devices and the PS5012-E12DC for the business market. After reading all that, believe it or not, this is a value SSD. I mean 15 cents per GB remember?