Kioxia Announces GP1 XL-FLASH PCIe Gen6 SSD for AI Workloads
Kioxia has announced the GP1 series, its first PCIe Gen6 and NVMe 2.2 SSD designed for direct GPU memory access. Utilizing second-generation XL-FLASH Storage Class Memory, it achieves an ultra-high random read performance of 100 million IOPS. This SSD offers a cost-effective alternative to expensive HBM or DRAM expansions by serving as a high-speed memory layer for GPUs, helping to alleviate AI memory bottlenecks. It allows AI systems to process larger datasets at a fraction of the cost while maintaining high GPU utilization. The GP1 SSD supports fine-grained 512-byte data access, features an endurance of up to 50 DWPD, and will be available in EDSFF E3.S and E1.S form factors. However, Kioxia does not plan to begin shipping samples until late 2026.
## BACKGROUND
Storage Class Memory (SCM) is a hybrid technology that bridges the performance gap between fast, volatile DRAM and slower, non-volatile NAND flash. EDSFF (Enterprise and Data Center Standard Form Factor) is a family of SSD form factors, including E1.S and E3.S, designed to optimize density, cooling, and scalability in modern data centers.