KIOXIA BG5 PCIe 4.0 SSD is compatible with Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Windows 11 PC

Solid state drives continue to get faster, with PCIe 4.0 variants leading the pack nowadays. Of course, most PCs don't have PCIe 4.0 support, so these ultra-fast drives are reserved for enthusiasts and those with brand new computers. If you have such a cutting-edge PC, you will probably want to get a PCIe 4.0 SSD to maximize your performance. True, it is largely for bragging rights and benchmarks, but you might as well go for the best if the difference in price isn't totally obscene.

Today, KIOXIA unveils its latest solid state drive. Called "BG5," it uses PCIe 4.0 x4 to achieve up to 3,500 MB/s read and 2,900 MB/s write. Yeah, this DRAM-less SSD is actually a bit slow compared to other PCIe 4.0 drives, but it does have a very cool feature -- it is being offered in the M.2 2230 form factor. This means it will fit inside Microsoft's all-new Surface Pro 8.

"As a virtual multi-LUN (VML)-enabled client SSD, the KIOXIA BG5 Series unlocks back-end flash performance while maintaining affordability, making it an especially attractive option for a wide range of commercial and consumer notebooks and desktops. KIOXIA BG5 SSDs also support the latest Host Memory Buffer (HMB) technology to realize a finely optimized DRAM-less SSD. The KIOXIA BG5 ships in a compact M.2 2230 single-sided, thermally optimized form factor enabling mobility and work-from-home lifestyles. M.2 2280 single-sided form factor versions are also available," says KIOXIA.

Neville Ichhaporia, the company's VP of SSD marketing and product management adds, "With this latest addition to our comprehensive PCIe 4.0 SSD portfolio, KIOXIA is delivering premium performance to the mainstream swim-lane by enabling PCIe 4.0 without sacrificing affordability. We are committed to leading the transition to next generation storage for gaming, mobile computing and workstation applications, and will continue to develop advanced technologies for high-performance, small-footprint SSDs."

KIOXIA shares drive features below.

• Up to 3,500 MB/s sequential read and 2,900 MB/s sequential write
• Up to 500,000 IOPS random read and 450,000 IOPS random write
• Support for the latest TCG Pyrite and Opal standards, as well as End-to-End Data Protection ensures data is secure whether at home or in the office
• Forward-looking support for the NVMe 1.4 feature set and basic management command over System Management Bus (SMBus)
• Power Loss Notification signal support to protect data against forced shut downs

Pricing and availability for the BG5 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD are currently unknown, with KIOXIA only offering samples to PC manufacturers at this time. However, what we do know for sure are the planned capacities -- 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. Surface Pro 8 owners should be very excited that more M.2 2230 drives are on the way!