Maxio unveils PCIe Gen5 SSD controllers: up to 14.8 Gbps read speeds
Maxio, a Chinese company under JMicron, recently unveiled prototypes of PCIe Gen5 SSD controllers boasting impressive speed capabilities. Despite its relatively recent establishment in 2016, Maxio has made significant progress in the industry with previous releases of SATA, PCIe Gen3, and Gen4 controllers.
This latest endeavor focuses on taking full advantage of the potential of the Gen5 interface to achieve previously unattainable speeds, edging closer to the maximum interface speed. Maxio showcased three different controllers: MAP1802 targeting the mainstream market, MAP1803 catering to the business and data-center sector, and MAP1806 serving as the flagship model.
Each controller offers unique advantages suited for different purposes. The MAP1802 promises sequential read speeds of up to 14.8 GB/s and write speeds of 14.4 GB/s. In contrast, the MAP1806, featuring a larger chip, slightly lowers the speeds to 14.5 GB/s for reads and 14.0 GB/s for writes. However, it compensates with an expanded capacity support of up to 16 TB, unlike the 8 TB limit of the 1802 version.
Moreover, the MAP1803, equipped with the largest chip, boasts support for up to 16 NAND channels, enabling a massive capacity of up to 64 TB. Despite its extensive capacity, it maintains impressive speeds of 14.0 GB/s for reads and 13.5 GB/s for writes.
PCIe Gen5 controllers, Source: Maxio/MyDrivers
| Maxio PCIe Gen5 Controllers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardware&Co | MAP1802 | MAP1803 | MAP1806 |
| Targeted segment | mainstream | business | top of the line |
| Interface | PCIe 5.0 x4 | ||
| Protocol | NMVe 2.0 | ||
| Manufacturing process | 12nm? SMIC or TSMC? | ||
| Chip Dimensions | 9 x 13mm | 23 x 23mm | 11 x 14.5mm |
| NAND Channels (CE) | 4 (32) | 16 (128) | 8 (32) |
| Maximum capacity supported | 8 TB | 64 TB | 16 TB |
| Maximum supported speed for NAND interface | 4800 MT/s | 3200 MT/s | 3600 MT/s |
| Sequential reading | 14,800 MB/s | 14,000 MB/s | 14,500 MB/s |
| Sequential writing | 14,400 MB/s | 13,500 MB/s | 14,000 MB/s |
| 4K shuffle | 3400K IOPS | 3500K IOPS | 3500K IOPS |
| 4K Random Write | 3400K IOPS | 450K IOPS | 3500K IOPS |
| ECC | 4K LPDC correction | ||
| Production date (prototypes?) | Week 8 of 2024 | Week 3 of 2024 | Week 5 of 2024 |
PCIe Gen3/4/5/SATA controllers, Source: Maxio/MyDrivers
Entering a fiercely competitive market, Maxio faces established players like Innosilicon, Samsung, SK Hynix, and Phison, all of whom have made updates to their SSD offerings. While the first PCIe Gen5 mainstream platform emerged in 2022, 2023 witnessed a number of hardware releases, indicating the industry’s rapid evolution in that area.
Closing the gap to maximize the Gen5 interface speed would require the development of more efficient controllers, a challenge that is only now being addressed with the emergence of new technologies in the market. More power-efficient controllers will result in less generated heat and a lower requirement for heat dissipation.
Although Maxio has not provided a release date or mentioned when these prototypes will be integrated into actual SSDs, the company is actively refining both hardware and firmware.
Source: MyDrivers via Hardware&Co