At FMS 2024, Phison gave us the standard updates on their consumer flash options. The E31T Gen 5 mainstream controller has already been seen at a number of tradeshows beginning with Computex 2023, whereas the USB4 native flash controller for high-end PSSDs was unveiled at CES 2024. The new answer being demonstrated was the E29T Gen Four mainstream DRAM-less controller. Phison believes that there’s nonetheless efficiency to be eked out on the Gen Four platform with a low-cost DRAM-less answer.
| Phison NVMe SSD Controller Comparison | |||||||||
| E31T | E29T | E27T | E26 | E18 | |||||
| Market Segment | Mainstream Consumer | High-End Consumer | |||||||
| Manufacturing Process |
7nm | 12nm | 12nm | 12nm | 12nm | ||||
| CPU Cores | 2x Cortex R5 | 1x Cortex R5 | 1x Cortex R5 | 2x Cortex R5 | 3x Cortex R5 | ||||
| Error Correction | seventh Gen LDPC | seventh Gen LDPC | fifth Gen LDPC | fifth Gen LDPC | 4th Gen LDPC | ||||
| DRAM | No | No | No | DDR4, LPDDR4 | DDR4 | ||||
| Host Interface | PCIe 5.Zero x4 | PCIe 4.Zero x4 | PCIe 4.Zero x4 | PCIe 5.Zero x4 | PCIe 4.Zero x4 | ||||
| NVMe Version | NVMe 2.0 | NVMe 2.0 | NVMe 2.0 | NVMe 2.0 | NVMe 1.4 | ||||
| NAND Channels, Interface Speed | Four ch, 3600 MT/s |
Four ch, 3600 MT/s |
Four ch, 3600 MT/s |
eight ch, 2400 MT/s |
eight ch, 1600 MT/s |
||||
| Max Capacity | eight TB | eight TB | eight TB | eight TB | eight TB | ||||
| Sequential Read | 10.eight GB/s | 7.Four GB/s | 7.Four GB/s | 14 GB/s | 7.Four GB/s | ||||
| Sequential Write | 10.eight GB/s | 6.5 GB/s | 6.7 GB/s | 11.eight GB/s | 7.Zero GB/s | ||||
| 4KB Random Read IOPS | 1500ok | 1200ok | 1200ok | 1500ok | 1000ok | ||||
| 4KB Random Write IOPS | 1500ok | 1200ok | 1200ok | 2000ok | 1000ok | ||||
Compared to the E27T, the important thing replace is using a more recent LDPC engine that permits higher SSD lifespan in addition to compatibility with the most recent QLC flash, together with further energy optimizations.
The firm additionally had a U21 USB4 PSSD reference design (full with a MagSafe-compatible casing) on show, together with the standard CrystalDiskMark benchmark outcomes. We got to grasp that PSSDs primarily based on the U21 controller are very near delivery into retail.
Phison has been identified for taking the lead in introducing SSD controllers primarily based on the most recent and biggest interface choices – be it PCIe 4.0, PCIe 5.0, or USB4. The competitors is often within the type of tier-one distributors choosing their in-house answer, or Silicon Motion stepping in a number of quarters down the road after the market takes off with a extra power-efficient answer. With the E29T, Phison is aiming to make sure that they nonetheless have a viable play within the mainstream Gen Four market with their newest LDPC engine and supporting the very best out there NAND flash speeds.
