As newly released games (and their DLC) continue to take up more and more space on players' PCs and consoles, it's good to know that manufacturers are continuing to push the boundaries of storage drives. Specifically, Samsung have just introduced their new range of 870 Qvo Solid State Drives (SSDs), the biggest of which can challenge even the biggest Hard Disk Drives (HDD) for storage space, featuring an incredible 8 TB capacity.
The Samsung 870 Qvo SSD reaches this incredible capacity by using QLC memory, which stores 4-bits per cell, instead of the typically used TLC (which stores 3-bits per cell) and MLC (which stores 2-bits per cell) memory. This means more storage can fit into a smaller space, though it does result in a drop in read and write speeds, which is tackled by adding a large DRAM cache memory, for fast access to recently used files.
The QLC memory used in the 870 Qvo can also lower reliability, as the drive has to access a storage cell to retrieve any of the four bits stored within it, however the quoted reliability and durability are still more than sufficient for regular gamers. Indeed, SSDs are much loved by gamers for their blistering speed, which helps boost frame rates, but they have typically lacked capacity compared to traditional HDDs. This has led to players needing to find a balanced compromise, often combining a larger capacity HDD with a faster, but smaller capacity SSD for gaming, or for working with large files, such as when video editing. Samsung believes that the 870 Qvo solves this issue by providing the right balance of storage space, speed, and reliability.
As developers stretch their capabilities to provide better assets and 4k textures and put strong focus on downloadable expansions, game sizes are only going to continue rising. Gamers have already seen Quantum Break and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare reach over 175 GB each, with other titles such as Red Dead Redemption 2 and Gears of War 4 reaching over 100 GB each. Having just those four titles installed would fill almost two-thirds of a 1 TB drive.
The biggest issue with such large capacity drives (as with any premium technology) is price, with a decent quality 4 TB, and now 8 TB, Solid State Drives reaching the kind of prices that players expect to pay for top end graphics cards. The 4 TB 870 Qvo is available to pre-order for US$499.99, while the 8 TB flagship is expected to cost an eye-watering US$899.99.
However, perhaps surprisingly, this does mean that the 8 TB version of Samsung's "industry-leading" range works out cheaper per TB than either the 1 TB, 2 TB, or 4 TB versions. So although players who want the ultimate in SSD storage will have to fork out a lot of cash, it will at least provide better value in capacity per dollar.
The Samsung 870 Qvo SSD 1 TB is available now, the 2 TB and 4 TB models are expected to release in late July, with the 8 TB model launching in August.
Source: Eurogamer