SK hynix (000660.KS), the world's second-largest memory chipmaker, has completed development of the industry's first solid-state drive (SSD) based on 321-layer quad-level cell (QLC) NAND flash, targeting the artificial intelligence (AI) PC era, and begun supplying the global market.
SK hynix said Wednesday that it will begin shipping the PQC21, its first 321-layer QLC-based client SSD (cSSD) for PCs and laptops, to Dell Technologies this month.
NAND flash is classified by the number of bits stored per cell: single-level cell (SLC, 1 bit), multi-level cell (MLC, 2 bits), triple-level cell (TLC, 3 bits), quad-level cell (QLC, 4 bits), and penta-level cell (PLC, 5 bits). The more bits stored per cell, the more data can be saved in the same area.
The core competitiveness of the new product lies in combining the industry's highest 321-layer stacking technology with QLC technology. While TLC-based products have dominated the market, the rapid spread of AI PCs with on-device AI capabilities has driven exponential growth in data processing demands, accelerating the adoption of high-capacity QLC solutions. According to global market research firm IDC, the share of QLC NAND in the worldwide cSSD market is projected to expand sharply from 22% last year to 61% by 2027, establishing it as the mainstream technology.
SK hynix maximized storage capacity per unit area by incorporating high-capacity, high-performance, and low-power characteristics into the PQC21. The product is available in two lineups: 1 terabyte (TB) and 2TB. Notably, the company applied "SLC caching" technology to address concerns about performance degradation. This technology makes a portion of NAND cells operate like SLC, the fastest data-processing cell type, enabling rapid reading and writing of data as needed.
Starting with shipments to Dell Technologies, a key global PC company, SK hynix plans to continuously expand partnerships with major global customers. Using this as a springboard, the company aims to secure a firm lead in the emerging next-generation AI PC storage market and aggressively grow its QLC-based cSSD market share.
"The supply of this 321-layer QLC-based cSSD will be an important milestone proving our firm technology leadership in the AI PC market," an SK hynix official said. "We will continue to lead the paradigm of the high-performance NAND solution market based on our overwhelming technological competitiveness."
