Kioxia to Launch AI SSD with NVIDIA by 2027

On September 11, Kioxia announced plans to commercialize AI-optimized SSDs by 2027, promising data read speeds nearly 100 times faster than conventional SSDs. These next-generation drives are being developed in collaboration with NVIDIA for servers handling generative AI workloads, aiming to partially replace HBM memory traditionally used for GPU acceleration.

The project is advancing according to NVIDIA's specifications, with Kioxia expected to ship the first samples in the second half of 2026 and officially launch the AI SSD in 2027. These drives will support the PCIe 7.0 standard and are designed to connect directly to GPUs rather than through CPUs, enabling much faster data transfers.

Performance projections indicate random read speeds could reach 100 million IOPS, significantly accelerating GPU data processing compared to traditional SSDs. Industry insiders note that NVIDIA's target is 200 million IOPS, which Kioxia aims to achieve by operating two AI SSDs in tandem.

Kioxia also anticipates that by 2029, nearly half of all NAND demand will be driven by AI applications. Current trends suggest the market may experience a NAND flash supply shortage between late 2026 and early 2027.