Sandisk has introduced its largest SSD yet for enterprise clients, powered by its UltraQLC technology. Designed for applications that benefit from maximum storage density, the Sandisk 256TB1 offers, as the name suggests, up to 256TB of capacity in the usual U.2 form-factor. It represents the brand’s response to the growing demand for storage, spearheaded by the AI boom and cloud services.
To achieve this breakthrough in SSD capacity, Sandisk leveraged its latest technology advancements, combining BiCS8 QLC CBA NAND with custom multi-core controllers and firmware optimisations. The result is a power-efficient, high-capacity drive well suited for data-intensive workloads, improving the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for cloud hyperscalers.
The Sandisk 256TB1 is also noted for its lower latency, higher bandwidth, and greater reliability, all of which are integral to nowadays AI and cloud demands. Key innovations include:
- Direct Write QLC, which eliminates SLC buffering by enabling power-loss safe writes on the first pass.
- BiCS8 2Tb QLC die that doubles storage density while maintaining compact die sizes.
- UltraQLC power optimisation, which uses Dynamic Frequency Scaling for up to 10% higher performance for a given power level (projected).
- Scalable multicore controller that helps ensure high throughput and endurance at extreme capacities.
- Data Retention (DR) profile that reduces DR recycles by up to 33 percent (projected), improving drive reliability, resilience and continuous access to data while decreasing power consumption.
“As we move into the next phase of the AI era, flash storage is becoming a critical enabler of intelligent, high-performance workloads,” said Khurram Ismail, Chief Product Officer at Sandisk. “Our UltraQLC platform is the culmination of years of work and learnings to build a flexible and robust architecture that achieves extraordinary capacities and maximum performance while maintaining efficiency. This enables us to further expand our portfolio to meet AI demands at scale and helps our customers move faster, process more and turn data into real innovation.”
The Sandisk UltraQLC 256TB1 NVMe SSD will be available in U.2 form factor in the first half of 2026, with additional formats coming later in the year. It will go against solutions such as the 245TB 6600 ION from Micron or the 122TB D5-P5336 from Solidigm. The brand also plans to release a 512TB version by 2027, followed by a 1PB (1,000TB) SSD sometime after.
