Kioxia has pushed the boundaries of flash storage performance by unleashing an upgraded version of its GP series solid-state drive that surpasses 20 million random-read IOPS. The new storage hardware doubles the speed of the initial GP1 model unveiled in August 2026, which previously delivered roughly 10 million IOPS when processing 512-byte data blocks at random.
The massive leap in performance comes courtesy of Kioxia's third-generation XL-FLASH memory architecture. Engineers achieved this speed increase by shortening word and bit wiring to minimize RC delay while packing additional planes into each die compared to the 16 planes found in previous generations. This advanced design delivers up to three times the reading speed and roughly 150 percent higher writing speed than earlier iterations.
With these speed upgrades, Kioxia aims to position high-performance flash storage as a viable challenger to DRAM within modern artificial intelligence infrastructure. By offering memory-class speed alongside fine 512-byte access and low power consumption per operation, the company hopes to meet the rigorous performance demands driven by next-generation AI workloads.
Alongside the record-breaking GP drive, Kioxia also showcased the LD4, a high-capacity QLC drive utilizing a four-lane PCIe 5 link and 218-layer BiCS 8 flash. Designed for hyperscalers, the LD4 offers standard capacities of 15.36 TB and 30.72 TB, with architecture capable of scaling up to 122.88 TB. While detailed endurance and speed figures for the upgraded GP drive and the new LD4 remain undisclosed, the hardware signals a major push toward redefining enterprise storage standards.
Kioxia GP1 SSD Smashes Records With 20 Million IOPS
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