INTRODUCTION

   When i first started testing/reviewing solid state drives (SSDs - 2.5") back in 2008 there were but a handful of such manufacturers around, one of which was Intel with their X18-M and X25-M models. Yes, Intel rarely ever led the SSD industry in terms of performance (leaving out their Octane models) but they produced some of the most durable models in the market, ideal for use in both client applications and data centers. In a rather sudden shift back in 2021 SK hynix announced plans to acquire Intel’s SSD business (along with their Dalian NAND Flash Manufacturing Facility assets in China) and by mid-2022 the California based Solidigm emerged as a cooperation between SK hynix and Intel. Unfortunately, somehow this flew beneath my radar until the beginning of this year and so finally i can take a look at their flagship client oriented PCIe 4.0 Gen4 M.2 NVMe SSD, the P44 Pro 2TB.

   Solidigm is a leading global provider of innovative NAND flash memory solutions. Solidigm technology unlocks data’s unlimited potential for customers, enabling them to fuel human advancement. Originating from the sale of Intel’s NAND and SSD business, Solidigm became a standalone U.S. subsidiary of semiconductor leader SK hynix in December 2021. Headquartered in Rancho Cordova, California, Solidigm is powered by the inventiveness of more than 2,000 employees in 20 locations around the world. For more information, please visit solidigm.com and follow us on Twitter and on LinkedIn. “Solidigm” is a trademark of SK hynix NAND Product Solutions Corp. (d/b/a Solidigm).

   The P44 Pro is currently available in 512GB/1TB/2TB capacities and is based on SK hynix's very own ACNS075 PHC631.00S-1 PCIe 4.0 Gen 4 (NVMe v1.4) NAND flash controller (codename ARIES) which they’ve paired with 2GB of their very own LPDDR4 DRAM and their very own 176-layer 3D TLC NAND flash. This is basically an 100% in-house model by Solidigm/SK hynix and if its specifications sound a bit familiar that's because the P44 Pro is pretty much identical to the Platinum P41 line by SK hynix (minus some firmware changes). So once again the ACNS075 PHC631.00S-1 PCIe 4.0 Gen 4 NAND flash controller is an 8-channel model that fully supports technologies like error correction, TRIM, SMART, device sleep (power management), garbage collection and AES-256bit encryption (TCG pyrite is supported). In regards to endurance Solidigm reports an MTBF (meantime between failures) of 1.6 million hours for the entire line and an TBW of 500, 750 and 1200 for the 512GB, 1TB and 2TB capacities respectively. As for warranty Solidigm covers their entire P44 Pro line of PCIe 4.0 Gen 4 SSDs with a 5-year limited warranty (same as SK hynix and their Platinum P41).