Crucial presented prototypes of the new USB4 SSDs, next-generation SSDs that will enable a new leap in performance thanks to the use of the latest port options for connecting peripherals.

The advantages of SSD that we enjoy with internal disks have also been transferred to external solutions and even if with a smaller offer, we can find very interesting solutions that can be carried in the pocket anywhere and connected to almost any device thanks to such a standard. like USB. In 2024, USB4 and its new features must be massively deployed, its convergence with Intel Thunderbolt (another major interface) and basic bandwidth up to 40 Gbps.

Crucial is preparing to launch these USB4 SSDs, currently in the prototype stage, with two versions that it unveiled at CES. The first comes in a small chassis that fits in your pocket. This is a PCB with an M.2-2280 slot and PCIe Gen 4 x4 cabling, connected to an ASMedia ASM2464PD bridge chip for USB4 support.

A Micron Gen 4 SSD used by OEM laptop manufacturers is installed in this drive. It uses 232-layer 3D TLC NAND flash memory and includes LPDDR4 DRAM caches. The performance of this unit is 3821 MB/s sequential read and 885 MB/s sequential write.

The second solution is an external SSD designed for desktop use or for use with video game consoles. Its metal chassis is about the size of a 3.5-inch hard drive and can accommodate multiple drives, increasing capacity and performance.

Here we also see the ASMedia ASM2464PD chip, which is responsible for connecting the SSD and the USB4 port to achieve data transfer in sequential mode up to 3,792 MB/s in read mode and a significant increase in sequential writing to 3,803 MB/s.