KIOXIA LC9 Series Becomes the Highest Capacity PCIe 5.0 Enterprise SSD; Features 32-die Stack BiCS FLASH QLC 3D Flash Memory
SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–KIOXIA America, Inc. has expanded its high-capacity KIOXIA LC9 Series enterprise SSD lineup by introducing the industry’s first1 245.76 terabyte (TB)2 NVMe™ SSD in a 2.5-inch and Enterprise and Datacenter Standard Form Factor (EDSFF) E3.L form factor. This new capacity and form factor option complements the previously announced 122.88 TB (2.5-inch) model and is purpose-built for the performance and efficiency demands of generative AI environments.
Generative AI places unique demands on storage, including the need to store vast datasets for training large language models (LLMs), and to create embeddings and vector databases that support inference through retrieval augmented generation (RAG). These workloads require storage solutions with large capacity, high speed, and exceptional power efficiency.
Featuring a 32-die stack of 2 terabit (Tb)3 BiCS FLASH™ QLC 3D flash memory with innovative CBA (CMOS directly Bonded to Array) technology, KIOXIA LC9 Series SSDs deliver the speed, scale, and density required to support the next wave of AI-centric workloads. This combination of advanced memory architecture and CBA technology enables 8 TB3 in a small 154 BGA package – also an industry first1. This milestone was made possible with advancements in Kioxia’s high-precision wafer processing, material design, and wire bonding technologies.
KIOXIA LC9 Series SSDs are well-suited for data lakes, where massive data ingestion and rapid processing are essential. Unlike HDDs, which often bottleneck performance and leave costly GPUs underutilized, KIOXIA LC9 Series SSDs enable dense storage in a compact footprint. By delivering up to 245.76 TB, each drive can replace multiple power-hungry HDDs, offering superior performance, lower overall power consumption, fewer drive slots used, and more efficient cooling, which would significantly lower total cost of ownership (TCO).
KIOXIA LC9 Series SSDs Features Include:
- Up to 245.76 TB in 2.5-inch and E3.L form factors
- Up to 122.88 TB available in 2.5-inch and E3.S form factors
- Designed to PCIe® 5.0 (max. 128 GT/s Gen5 single x4, dual x2), NVMe 2.0, and NVMe-MI™ 1.2c specifications
- Open Compute Project (OCP) Datacenter NVMe SSD specification v2.5 support (not all requirements)
- Flexible Data Placement (FDP) support to minimize write amplification and extend SSD lifespan4
- Security options: SIE, SED, FIPS SED
- CNSA 2.0 signing algorithm adopted5, designed with future quantum security standards in mind
“KIOXIA has a long history of advancing flash storage, and the KIOXIA LC9 Series continues that legacy by setting a new benchmark for capacity and innovation in the SSD space,” said Neville Ichhaporia, senior vice president and general manager of the SSD business unit at KIOXIA America, Inc. “As generative AI reshapes data center architecture, we’re delivering the kind of breakthrough technology that enables our customers to optimize their IT infrastructure investments – pushing boundaries in performance, efficiency, and scale.”
KIOXIA LC9 Series SSDs are now sampling to select customers and will be featured at the Future of Memory and Storage 2025 conference, taking place August 5–7 in Santa Clara.
For more information, please visit www.kioxia.com, and follow the company on X, formerly known as Twitter and LinkedIn®.
About KIOXIA America, Inc.
KIOXIA America, Inc. is the U.S.-based subsidiary of KIOXIA Corporation, a leading worldwide supplier of flash memory and solid-state drives (SSDs). From the invention of flash memory to today’s breakthrough BiCS FLASH™ 3D technology, KIOXIA continues to pioneer innovative memory, SSD and software solutions that enrich people’s lives and expand society’s horizons. The company’s innovative 3D flash memory technology, BiCS FLASH, is shaping the future of storage in high-density applications, including advanced smartphones, PCs, automotive systems, data centers and generative AI systems. For more information, please visit KIOXIA.com.
© 2025 KIOXIA America, Inc. All rights reserved. Information in this press release, including product pricing and specifications, content of services, and contact information is current and believed to be accurate on the date of the announcement, but is subject to change without prior notice. Technical and application information contained here is subject to the most recent applicable KIOXIA product specifications.
Notes:
1: As of July 21, 2025, based on Kioxia survey.
2: Definition of SSD capacity: Kioxia Corporation defines a kilobyte (KB) as 1,000 bytes, a megabyte (MB) as 1,000,000 bytes, a gigabyte (GB) as 1,000,000,000 bytes, a terabyte (TB) as 1,000,000,000,000 bytes, and a kibibyte (KiB) is 1,024 bytes. A computer operating system, however, reports storage capacity using powers of 2 for the definition of 1GB = 2^30 bytes = 1,073,741,824 bytes and 1TB = 2^40 bytes = 1,099,511,627,776 bytes and therefore shows less storage capacity. Available storage capacity (including examples of various media files) will vary based on file size, formatting, settings, software and operating system, and/or pre-installed software applications, or media content. Actual formatted capacity may vary.
3: The flash memory capacity is calculated as 1 terabit (1 Tb) = 1,099,511,627,776 (2^40) bits, and 1 terabyte (1 TB) = 1,099,511,627,776 (2^40) bytes.
4: For RocksDB purposes, Kioxia confirmed the Write Amplification Factor (WAF) is approximately 1.1 when using the FDP function with the plug-in (a function extension program released on the Kioxia GitHub account. https://github.com/kioxia-jp/ufrop).
5: The KIOXIA LC9 Series SSD supports Leighton-Micali Signature (LMS) algorithm acknowledged by CNSA 2.0 (Commercial National Security Algorithm Suite 2.0) as a digital signature algorithm to prevent firmware tampering in preparation for threats to conventional cryptographic algorithms posed by quantum computers. Advanced Encryption Standard (AES-256) with a key length of 256 bits, which is the data encryption algorithm used in KIOXIA LC9 Series SSD, is also acknowledged by CNSA 2.0.
2.5-inch indicates the form factor of the SSD and not its physical size.
Read and write speed may vary depending on various factors such as host devices, software (drivers, OS etc.), and read/write conditions.
NVMe and NVMe-MI are registered or unregistered trademarks of NVM Express, Inc. in the United States and other countries.
PCIe is a registered trademark of PCI-SIG.
The OCP and OPEN COMPUTE PROJECT marks are owned by and used with the permission of the Open Compute Project Foundation.
Sanitize Instant Erase (SIE), Self-Encrypting Drive (SED) and FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards) SED security optional models are available.
Security optional models are not available in all countries due to export and local regulations.
LinkedIn is a trademark of LinkedIn Corporation and its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries.
Other company names, product names and service names may be trademarks of third-party companies.
Contacts
Media Contact:
Dena Jacobson
Lages & Associates
Tel: (949) 453-8080
[email protected]
Company Contact:
Mia Cool
KIOXIA America, Inc.
Tel: (408) 526-3087
[email protected]
