(Credit: Micron)
Storage giant Micron today unveiled the 3610, a PCI Express 5.0 M.2 internal SSD that combines elite read and write speeds, energy efficiency, and thermal control in a one-sided design that enables it to fit thin laptops and other client devices. These elements should make it useful for on-device AI, immersive streaming, and other heavy workloads.
The 3610 will be sold to PC manufacturers for inclusion in products with Gen 5 M.2 slots, helping to spur the development of such devices and bring PCIe 5 performance to a wider range of products and users.
Micron says the 3610 is a DRAM-less PCIe 5 SSD built on the company’s G9 QLC NAND flash. The company is positioning it as a mainstream Gen 5 SSD, sandwiched between its premium Gen5 4600 series and value-oriented Gen4 offerings. According to Micron, the 3610 SSD offers sequential read speeds up to 11,000MBps and sequential write speeds up to 9,300MBps.
Consumers won't be able to purchase the 3610; this SSD is only for PC manufacturers like Dell and HP to include in their future products.
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Micron cites the drive's 1.5M IOPS random read and 1.6M IOPS random write in emphasizing its ability to handle performance-intensive workflows. QLC NAND flash helps keep production costs down, and its DRAM-less architecture—relying on its computer's host memory buffer (HMB) in lieu of on-board DRAM—reduces power consumption, helping both in thermal management and prolonging its device's battery life.
The Micron 3610's one-sided design, with all the chips on the top of its M.2 circuit board, allows it to fit in tight spaces. According to Micron, it will be available in capacities ranging from 1TB to 4TB, and will be the first 4TB Gen 5 SSD available in a single-sided M.2 2230 form factor, ideal for ultra-thin laptops and AI-capable devices.
Products such as the 3610, which is currently being sampled by select OEM partners, should help democratize the Gen 5 standard and enable more manufacturers to introduce computers with PCI Express 5 M.2 slots.