Intel releases 1TB 665p SSD with 96-layer QLC Nand memory

Intel has released its 665p SSD. For the time being, there is only a variant with 1TB flash memory. A 2TB version is coming early next year. The SSD uses qlc-nand which is made up of 96 layers. The 665p is pretty much the same as the 660p.

Like the Intel 660p SSDs, the new 665p versions use an SM2263 controller and feature a 256MB ddr3 cache and a large amount of variable slc cache. With the 1TB version, a maximum of 140GB of the nand is controlled as slc memory and with the 2TB version that is a maximum of 280GB.

Intel was one of the first manufacturers to use qlc nand memory in its 660p SSD. The new 665p SSDs are also based on nand memory with four bits per cell, but this time it concerns memory chips that consist of 96 layers. The 660p series still used 64-layer memory. There will be no 512GB and 256GB versions of the 665p SSD, AnandTech reports. Intel did make it with the 660p series. With small capacities, the disadvantages of qlc memory are visible more quickly.

According to Intel, the move to 96-layer nand memory results in performance improvements and longer life. The speed will increase by a maximum of 13.6 percent compared to the predecessors, but the lifespan would increase by 50 percent. However, the lifespan of qlc nand memory is still lower than that of tlc memory.

The Intel 660p SSDs have been among the cheapest M2 NVME SSDs on the market since their introduction. The 1TB model currently costs 109 euros. Various media outlets, including TechPowerUp, report that the 665p version will have a suggested retail price of $125. The new SSD has not yet appeared at web shops.