SK Hynix Starts Shipping 321-Layer QLC Client SSDs With Dell First In Line

SK hynix says it has begun supplying client solid state drives (SSDs) based on its 321-layer quad-level cell (QLC) NAND flash memory that it trumped last summer, starting with Dell. Designed for the AI PC era, these consumer SSDs are shipping 1TB and 2TB capacities, and presumably in the shortened M.2 2230 form factor, according to images shared by the company.

While Dell is getting first dibs on the industry's first SSDs based on 321-layer QLC NAND flash memory, SK hynix hinted at other OEMs and system builders joining the party, saying it pans to continuously expand its partnerships with more customers all around the world.

"The supply of the 321-layer QLC-based cSSD marks an important milestone that demonstrates our leadership in the AI PC market," said an SK hynix official. "We will continue to lead the high-performance NAND solution market on the strength of our overwhelming technological capabilities."

These first shipments arrive at a time when there is significant upheaval in the memory and storage market, driven primarily by data center customers that are riding the AI wave. This has caused a spike in prices for certain PC parts, especially DDR5 memory and SSDs in general.

As the name implies, QLC chips pack four bits of data per cell, along with up to 16 voltage states. QLC chips are generally more affordable than triple-level cell (TLC) chips, as they typically trade performance (particularly with writes) for greater storage density and cheaper pricing. Likely for this reason, SK hynix points out that QLC NAND in the global consumer SSD market is expected to see major growth, citing IDC's forecast of going from 22% last year to 61% in 2027.

We'll have to wait and see if SK hynix shipping 371-layer QLC NAND-based SSDs moves the needle in terms of storage availability and pricing. Additionally, we'll be curious to see if the added density leads to consumer SSD capacities beyond 2TB, as currently offered.