The faster an SSD is, the more power it typically uses. However, SanDisk seems to have cracked the code, and its latest fifth-generation PCIe 5.0 SSD pushes the speed of the current interface to the limit while maintaining power consumption comparable to modern Gen4 drives.

Western Digital's flash memory unit SanDisk unveiled a pair of new solid-state drive platforms at an investor event last week. These products are designed to provide a balance of performance and value.

Among high-end products, a new flagship hard drive will push the PCIe5.0 interface to the limit. According to reports from Tom's Hardware, the SSD is expected to have sequential read and write speeds of 14,500MB/s and 14,000MB/s respectively in the 2TB configuration. But best of all, it achieves these speeds while consuming just 7 watts of power.

The power consumption of most Gen4 drives currently hovers around 7 watts, while the fastest Gen5 products on the market often consume close to 10 watts under peak load. It is reported that this new hard drive may use SiliconMotion's efficient SM2508 controller.

The as-yet-unnamed drive will share SanDisk's performance-oriented TLCNAND platform with the existing WDBlack gaming SSD series. When available in the second quarter of 2025, capacities will range from 512GB to 4TB.

SanDisk will also launch a QLC-based solid-state drive platform that continues to be compatible with PCIe4.0 and has a storage capacity of up to 2TB. A hard drive based on this platform is the Western Digital PCSN5100S. Compared with the previous generation product SN5000S, the random read speed has increased by 53% and the random write performance has increased by 44%.

Speaking of QLCNAND, SanDisk has ambitious plans to expand the use of this higher-density (but shorter-lived) flash memory. The company aims to have QLC technology powering 75% of its storage product line by 2028 to maximize capacity. At the same time, the company is also preparing to fully transition from the PCIe Gen4 to the Gen5 standard within the same time frame.

Both new SSD series will feature Western Digital's latest 3DBiCS8 NAND flash memory to further push the performance envelope.