The market for semiconductor storage devices is rapidly evolving, with manufacturers engaging in fierce competition. However, the new Silicon Motion SM2508 controller has the potential to change the game and revolutionize PCIe 5.0 SSD technology.
The PCIe 5.0 standard, which offers twice the bandwidth of PCIe 4.0, is already being integrated into home systems with the latest processors from AMD and Intel. As a result, even more powerful SSDs are appearing on store shelves, such as the Corsair MP700 PRO and PNY CS3150.
While many manufacturers currently offer PCIe 5.0 solid-state drives, most of them utilize the same components. The Phison E26 controller and Micron 3D TLC NAND chips are almost universally employed. However, this may soon change.
During the Memory Trend Seminar 2023 in Taiwan, Silicon Motion presented an updated specification for their SM2508 controller. This controller, which supports the PCIe 5.0 interface, is said to surpass the competition in terms of performance, power consumption, and temperature.
One of the main advantages of this new solution is its 6nm TSMC lithography, while competitors still rely on 12nm. This gives Silicon Motion an edge in reducing power consumption, up to 45%. Additionally, Silicon Motion utilizes a specialized PMC power management chip, unlike Phison.
The SM2508 controller boasts impressive performance, with read speeds of up to 14,500 MB/s, sequential write speeds of up to 14,000 MB/s, and up to 2,500,000 IOPS for random operations – significantly surpassing the capabilities of the Phison E26 controller.
Furthermore, the new Silicon Motion controller has a low power consumption of less than 3.5W, compared to the competition’s potential 5W. This translates to lower temperatures, potentially eliminating the need for large radiators and/or additional fans in SSDs. The first semiconductor storage devices featuring the Silicon Motion SM2508 controller are expected to hit stores later this year.
The revolution in PCIe 5.0 SSD technology is within reach thanks to the innovative Silicon Motion SM2508 controller.