Skip to main content Tech Radar Pro Tech Radar Gaming Tech Radar Pro TechRadar the business technology experts Search TechRadar View Profile België (Nederlands) Deutschland North America US (English) Australasia New Zealand Expert Insights Website builders Web hosting Best web hosting Best office chairs Best website builder Best antivirus Expert Insights Recommended reading Here's the first ever test of the world's largest SSD, and yes, an even bigger 246TB SSD may well land before the end of 2025 The King of capacity: world's largest SSD gets first review and this 123TB storage champion fully deserves its accolades Kioxia unveils 246TB SSD behemoth — the LC 9 is the largest SSD ever launched and can store 52,000 DVD movies The world's fastest SSD has been announced, but it won't fit in a PC — Micron 9650 is the first PCIe Gen6 SSD and will reach 28GB/s in sequential read Sandisk could use new architecture called Stargate to power its 256TB and 512TB SSDs in 2026 and beyond World's largest SSD is on sale for almost $12,400 and yes, it is quite a bargain - if you can afford it of course After Western Digital, Teamgroup introduces another PCIe Gen5 64TB SSD, and this one will almost certainly be a bargain No, that's not a misprint - Sandisk unveils massive 256TB SSD, but it will power the next generation of AI workloads, so don't think you'll ever get one Efosa Udinmwen 9 August 2025 Massive 256TB SSD with no cache and mysterious speeds When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Western Digital) Sandisk’s 256TB SSD skips cache entirely, raising concerns about short-burst workload performance Claims of faster speeds remain unverified without public benchmarks or IOPS performance numbers Direct Write QLC may sacrifice speed in exchange for higher reliability and data integrity Sandisk has announced a 256TB SSD, the UltraQLC SN670, which is set to ship in the first half of 2026. This model represents the largest SSD ever revealed by the company, marking a bold step toward high-density storage solutions tailored for AI and hyperscale infrastructure. Although the company plans to release the 128TB version to testers within weeks, full commercial availability remains months away. You may like Here's the first ever test of the world's largest SSD, and yes, an even bigger 246TB SSD may well land before the end of 2025 The King of capacity: world's largest SSD gets first review and this 123TB storage champion fully deserves its accolades Kioxia unveils 246TB SSD behemoth — the LC 9 is the largest SSD ever launched and can store 52,000 DVD movies An architecture built for scale, not speed At its core, the SN670 is built on a 218-layer BiCS 3D NAND architecture and features a CBA (CMOS directly Bonded to Array) 2Tb die. It connects through a PCIe Gen5 NVMe interface and is part of Sandisk’s new UltraQLC platform. Unlike conventional SSDs that buffer data through pseudo-SLC caches, this model uses a “Direct Write QLC” approach. This simplifies the writing process and makes the drive more power-loss safe, but it also introduces tradeoffs, especially when it comes to performance under heavy or short-burst loads. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Without an SLC cache, the SN670 may suffer from slower short-burst writes, inconsistent performance under load, and increased controller demands, making it less responsive during intensive or unpredictable workloads. However, Sandisk claims the SN670 delivers over 68% faster random reads and 55% faster random writes compared to a leading 128 TB Gen 5 QLC SSD. The sequential read speeds are over 7% better, while sequential write speeds improve by more than 27% in internal comparisons. Sandisk has emphasized benefits like Dynamic Frequency Scaling, which is said to improve performance by up to 10 percent at the same power level It also claims the Data Retention profile could reduce recycling wear by as much as 33%. Both features are intended to enhance longevity and reduce energy consumption. However, none of these claims are backed by disclosed performance data such as read/write speeds or endurance figures. Internally, the UltraQLC SN670 is supported by a custom controller and firmware, which Sandisk says enables better latency and bandwidth, but without actual benchmarks or IOPS comparisons, these statements remain marketing-driven projections. It is worth noting earlier iterations of Sandisk’s enterprise drives using QLC NAND showed limitations compared to TLC-based models. In this case, native QLC programming latencies could reach 800–1200 microseconds, several times slower than SLC-based designs. Sandisk may be relying on optimizations like large DRAM buffers or advanced die parallelism, but such architectural details have yet to be confirmed. The final product will arrive in U.2 form initially, with more variants expected later in 2026. For now, Sandisk’s 256TB drive is a symbolic leap toward future data infrastructure, not a realistic option for mainstream users. Via Blocks and Files You might also like Corsair's AI Workstation 300 is the 13th computer to launch with AMD's formidable Ryzen AI Max+ 365 CPU - and it costs less than $2000 These are the best NAS devices around We've also rounded up the best cloud storage platforms on offer Efosa Udinmwen Freelance Journalist Efosa has been writing about technology for over 7 years, initially driven by curiosity but now fueled by a strong passion for the field. He holds both a Master's and a PhD in sciences, which provided him with a solid foundation in analytical thinking. Efosa developed a keen interest in technology policy, specifically exploring the intersection of privacy, security, and politics. His research delves into how technological advancements influence regulatory frameworks and societal norms, particularly concerning data protection and cybersecurity. Upon joining TechRadar Pro, in addition to privacy and technology policy, he is also focused on B2B security products. Efosa can be contacted at this email: udinmwenefosa@gmail.com You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. Here's the first ever test of the world's largest SSD, and yes, an even bigger 246TB SSD may well land before the end of 2025 The King of capacity: world's largest SSD gets first review and this 123TB storage champion fully deserves its accolades Kioxia unveils 246TB SSD behemoth — the LC 9 is the largest SSD ever launched and can store 52,000 DVD movies The world's fastest SSD has been announced, but it won't fit in a PC — Micron 9650 is the first PCIe Gen6 SSD and will reach 28GB/s in sequential read Sandisk could use new architecture called Stargate to power its 256TB and 512TB SSDs in 2026 and beyond World's largest SSD is on sale for almost $12,400 and yes, it is quite a bargain - if you can afford it of course Latest in Pro LTX Studio AI video production review “Speed is everything” - how Arm and Aston Martin’s new wind tunnel venture looks to bring in a new era of success The Age of Agency: why Agentic AI will redefine the future of work How enterprises can transition their knowledge and systems for Agentic AI US government says BlackSuit and Royal ransomware gangs hit hundreds of major firms before shutdown Embracing the AI future Latest in News The DJI Osmo Nano is the latest DJI drone to leak ahead of its official release So many ChatGPT users have said they're missing the older GPT-4o model, OpenAI is going to bring it back NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, August 10 (game #791) NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, August 10 (game #525) Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, August 10 (game #1294) ICYMI: the week's 7 biggest tech stories from GPT-5's rocky debut to Sonos' upcoming price hike LATEST ARTICLES The next stage in AI power? 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