Enterprise SSD prices could explode past $300,000
SanDisk has confirmed it is now sampling BiCS10, its 10th-generation 3D NAND flash chip, built jointly with longtime manufacturing partner Kioxia.
The 1Tb TLC chip packs 332 memory layers into a die that reaches an area bit density above 29Gb per square millimetre, which the company calls industry-leading.
That figure represents a 59% improvement in bit density compared to the previous BiCS8 generation currently in mass production.
BiCS10 uses Sandisk's CMOS directly bonded to an array architecture, paired with a new Toggle DDR6.0 interface that pushes data transfer speeds up to 4.8Gb/s.
This marks a 33% improvement over the prior generation's interface speed, according to SanDisk's own announcement of the sampling milestone.
Power efficiency also improved substantially, with input power consumption dropping 10% and output power consumption falling 34% relative to BiCS8.
SanDisk has already confirmed a broader roadmap built around this chip, targeting a 256TB SSD in 2026 and a 512TB drive in 2027.
The company has also teased an eventual 1PB data center drive, though it has not committed to a specific year for that product.
These capacity jumps depend on QLC memory adoption, with SanDisk shifting toward QLC for most capacity-focused products by 2028.
The technology behind these future drives comes from a new 332-layer 3D NAND generation developed through the SanDisk and Kioxia partnership.
The chip is built as a 1Tb TLC die, with capacity increases coming through layer stacking and improved lateral scaling rather than adding more bits per cell.
Instead of adding more bits into each memory cell, the companies are increasing density through additional layers, improved layouts, and new circuit designs.
The company reported that the new generation achieved a 4.8Gbps data transfer rate while reducing read energy consumption by 29% compared with previous designs.
These improvements are aimed at increasing capacity without sacrificing endurance and reliability as much as higher-bit-per-cell methods could create.
Existing high-capacity enterprise drives offer the clearest signal of where 512TB pricing will eventually land.
Solidigm's 122.88TB D5-P5336 series currently retails between roughly $49,275 and $64,168, depending on configuration and packaging options chosen.
Scaling that per-terabyte cost toward a 512TB drive suggests a price comfortably beyond $300,000 once SanDisk's version reaches market in 2027.
Competition in this space remains intense, with Kioxia, Samsung, Solidigm, and Micron all racing toward similar capacity milestones on comparable timelines.
Samsung has separately confirmed plans for a 512TB PCIe 6.0 drive around 2027, following a 256TB Gen 5 launch expected in 2026.
NAND supply itself remains tight, with flash contract prices projected to rise 70 to 75% quarter over quarter heading into mid-2026.
That shortage, driven largely by enterprise demand tied to generative AI infrastructure, will likely keep pricing on these drives elevated well beyond initial launch.
SanDisk's BiCS10 sampling marks only the earliest technical step toward that 2027 target, with mass production and finished drives still several years from broad availability.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.
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.
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.