Nimbus Data first to release 100 TB SSDs, but prices are way too high

The record for the largest capacity SSD drive has been recently broken by Nimbus Data with its Exadrive 100 TB model. The previous record holder was a 60 TB Seagate SSD launched back in 2016. Nimbus Data is also offering a 50 TB model and both variants are now open order as opposed to pricing on demand, although these will probably not sell like hot cakes due to their exorbitant prices.

Both models are available with SATA or SAS interfaces, and the 50 TB is going for US$12,500 ($250 per TB), while the 100 TB version will set you back a whopping US$40,000 (US$400 per TB). For reference, the 60 TB Seagate SSD iswas priced around US$11,500 at launch, but that model used slower memory chips.

The Nimbus Data “behemoths” do not require additional cooling like the Seagate model, but they still come in the larger 3.5-inch form factor. They also integrate enterprise-grade MLC 3D NAND memory chips instead of the consumer-grade QLC chips we usually see in affordable SSDs. Sequential read / write speeds for both models can reach up to 500 / 460 MB/s and the IOps rating revolves around 114,000 / 105,000. MTBF rating is around 2.5 million hours and Nimbus Data offers a 5-year warranty.

It will be a while until we see large capacity SSDs with decent price tags, as the server and enterprise sectors are still relying on HDDs.