Lexar Thor Ultra Aims To Prove Gen 5 SSDs Don’t Need DRAM For 11GB/s Speeds
Lexar has quietly launched a solid state drive (SSD) line for consumers that promises "Gen 5 speed for all," suggesting that its new Thor Ultra series will be priced more affordably than competing models. There is somewhat of a catch, though—these drives ditch the dedicated DRAM cache, similar to what we saw when testing the DRAM-less Phison E31T platform.
Designed for desktop and laptop gaming rigs, the Thor Ultra series evidently aims to prove DRAM is not the be-all, end-all for performance. Lexar is making the drives available in capacities ranging from 512GB up to 4TB, with sequential read speeds rated to hit up to 11,000MB/s (11GB/s) and sequential writes rated to hit up to 10,000MB/s (10GB/s).
Precise ratings vary by capacity:
- 4TB: 11GB/s seq. reads, 10GB/s seq. writes / 2,000K IOPS 4K random reads, 1,900K IOPS 4K random writes
- 2TB: 11GB/s seq. reads, 10GB/s seq. writes / 2,200K IOPS 4K random reads, 1,900K IOPS 4K random writes
- 1TB: 11GB/s seq. reads, 10GB/s seq. writes / 1,500K IOPS 4K random reads, 1,900K IOPS 4K random writes
- 512GB: 9.9GB/s seq. reads, 5GB/s seq. writes / 900K IOPS 4K random reads, 1,200K IOPS 4K random writes
To put some of those speed ratings into context, NVMe SSDs leveraging an x4 PCIe 5.0 interface can hit a theoretical maximum speed of around 15.75GB/s before accounting for overhead. Topping out at 11GB/s, the Thor Ultra series is not the fastest on the market, but it is certainly up there and well above the theoretical 7.88GB/s maximum for Gen 4 models, even if it trails flagship Gen 5 SSDs reaching nearly 15GB/s.
Instead of DRAM, Lexar points to a large dynamic SLC cache design to supposedly maintain peak performance for longer under heavy workloads. Of course, cooling matters when it comes to sustained performance, too.
"Intelligent power management and an advanced 6nm controller optimize thermal regulation and power efficiency for smooth, stable performance during demanding workloads," Lexar says.
Lexar is backing its Thor Ultra SSD series with a five-year warranty. There is no mention of price, and we're not seeing these drives at retail yet. As a point of reference, Lexar's 1TB NM1090 Pro SSD rated for up to 14GB/s sequential read and 10GB/s sequential write speeds lists for $229.99 at Amazon (23% off currently). We also recently saw a 4TB Team Group Gen 4 SSD fall to under 10 cents per gigabyte, so hopefully the added competition in consumer storage will result in more deals and discounts.
