Silicon Motion gives a glimpse of its PCIe 6.0 controller for client SSDs — 25+ GB/s sequential reads, 3.5 million random IOPS, coming 2028-2029

2TB SanDisk memory card card surfaces for eye-watering $2,000 — top-tier Extreme Pro UHS-II SD promises more than 300 MB/s sequential read and write performance

SanDisk has released a 2TB Extreme Pro UHS-II SD card with impressive sequential read and write speeds of up to 310 MB/s and 305 MB/s, respectively, targeting professional videographers and photographers working with high-resolution content. Priced at a steep $1,999.99, this card is significantly more expensive than lower-tier options but offers superior performance. The current chip shortage may be contributing to the high cost of manufacturing SD cards, prompting companies to focus on premium products with higher price points. While this card may be worth the investment for users requiring top-notch speed and capacity, it may be excessive for others who can opt for more affordable alternatives.

SMI SM2504XT ES 2TB SSD Review: A Mid-Range PCIe 5.0 Challenger

Silicon Motion introduces the SM2504XT ES 2TB SSD controller as a competitor in the mid-grade PCIe 5.0 segment, offering high performance, 10+ GB/s transfers, and power efficiency. The controller supports up to 11,500 / 11,000 MB/s for sequential reads and writes and up to 1,700K / 2,000K random read and write IOPS, putting it on par with the Phison E31T controller. The SM2504XT ES is a DRAM-less solution suitable for laptops, mobile devices, and small-form-factor desktops, offering a balance of performance and power efficiency. The controller's triple-core Arm Cortex-R8 processor enables up to 2 million IOPS, showcasing significant power for a mid-range drive.

DNA ‘cassette tape’ research hints at petabyte-scale cartridges and multi-century lifespan on paper — petabytes-per-meter density possible, but today it writes at kilobytes per hour

Researchers from SUSTech and Shanghai Jiao Tong University have created a DNA cassette tape drive that combines DNA storage with a physical tape-based medium, aiming for petabytes-per-meter density and multi-century lifespan. The system currently writes at kilobytes per hour, with a capacity of over half a terabyte per kilometer. While the prototype shows promise in durability and potential data storage, the slow read-write speeds hinder practical application. The DNA tape is encased in a protective shell for longevity, with estimated shelf life of over 300 years at room temperature. Despite challenges in scaling for commercial use, the project highlights the need for new data storage solutions beyond semiconductor-based memory.

Silicon Motion announces new devices at Future of Memory and Storage summit 2025: PCIe 6.0 SSDs, 256 / 512 TB drives, and next-gen 16K LDPC