Micron has updated its 176-layer 3400 workstation SSD to the 3500, which uses 232-layer NAND Technology, claiming best-in-class SPECwpc performance.
The raw performance numbers of this M.2 2280 with TLC flash are significantly better than the 3400, with both using an NVMe PCIe 4 x 4 interface and having 512 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB capacity points. It delivers up to 1,150,000 for both read and write IOPS compared to the 3400’s 720,000 random read and 700,000 random write numbers. The sequential bandwidth is up to 7 GBps for both read and write with the 3400 pumping out up to 66 GBps when reading and 5 GBps when writing. Latency numbers of 50μs read/12μs write also improve on the 3400’s 55μs read/14μs write. The endurance numbers are the same with up to 1,200 TB written in its working life and a 2 million hours MTBF rating.
Prasad Alluri, Micron VP and GM of Client Storage, stated: “With impressive specs like a remarkable 132 percent improvement in scientific computing benchmark scores, the 3500 SSD will turn your next PC or workstation into a powerhouse to enable insights and empower creativity.”
However, Micron’s 3500 SPECwpc benchmark result has not been published as of December 6, meaning it is based on its internal testing with no workstation configuration details published either (see bootnote below).
Micron claims it loads the biggest, newest games like Valorant up to 38 percent faster than the top four competitive suppliers of client OEM SSDs by revenue as of November 2023. Again, this is internal testing with no numbers exposed. The drive also supports Microsoft’s DirectStorage.
It says content creators who work with native 4K and 8K video can load and edit files faster with the 3500 SSD.
The Micron 3500 is now shipping to select PC OEMs.
Bootnote
The SPECwpc benchmark measures aspects of workstation performance based on more than 30 professional workloads to test CPU, graphics, I/O, and memory bandwidth. The PCs involved obviously have storage, such as M.2 SSDs, and the benchmark results publicize the workstation configurations.
SPECwpc can be used by vendors to present benchmark results for different vertical market segments like energy, life sciences, media and entertainment, and more. Larger scores indicate greater speed. SPECwpc 2.1 runs under the 64-bit versions of Microsoft Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1 SP1, and Windows 10.
