Elementary Mr. Watson: Chasing Checkmarks, Not Signal Integrity
Target Condition: Rethinking the PCB Stackup Recipe
Fresh PCB Concepts: Investing in Tomorrow's PCB Experts Today
Inference AI Driving Structural Shifts in High-Capacity Storage, Nearline SSD Demand Surges
September 22, 2025 | TrendForceEstimated reading time: 1 minute
TrendForce’s latest findings indicate that over the next two years, AI infrastructure will mainly focus on high-performance inference services. As traditional high-capacity HDDs face significant shortages, CSPs are increasingly sourcing from NAND Flash suppliers, boosting demand for nearline SSDs designed specifically for inference AI and catering to urgent market requirements.
NAND Flash vendors are quickly validating and adopting nearline QLC NAND Flash products to address the supply gap. QLC technology offers higher storage density at lower costs, making it essential for meeting large-capacity demand. Suppliers are also increasing QLC SSD production, with capacity utilization expected to steadily grow through 2026. The demand is likely to persist into 2027 as inference AI workloads expand, leading to tight supply conditions for enterprise SSDs by 2026.
TrendForce highlights that to enhance the competitiveness of nearline SSDs in AI storage and better replace HDDs, future products will focus on increasing capacities and lowering prices. Manufacturers are working on new nearline SSDs that surpass mainstream HDDs in capacity, offer better cost efficiency, and significantly cut power consumption.
Diversification of NAND Flash applications: Training and inference in parallel
Beyond inference AI, NAND Flash suppliers are also focusing on AI training applications by introducing High Bandwidth Flash (HBF) products, dividing the industry into two main technology groups. The first is led by SanDisk, which is developing a hybrid design that integrates HBM with HBF. This approach seeks to balance large capacity and high performance to fulfill the dual needs of data throughput and storage in AI model training.
The other group is led by Samsung and Kioxia, focusing on storage-class memory technologies like XL-Flash and Z-NAND. These offer a more affordable alternative to HBM, aiming to attract a wider range of customers.
TrendForce emphasizes that the rivalry among technology routes is driving NAND Flash beyond conventional storage, integrating it more deeply with AI computing. This suggests a future with more diverse NAND Flash applications.
Share on:
Testimonial
"Advertising in PCB007 Magazine has been a great way to showcase our bare board testers to the right audience. The I-Connect007 team makes the process smooth and professional. We’re proud to be featured in such a trusted publication."
Klaus Koziol - atgSuggested Items
NAND Flash Prices to Rise 5–10% in 4Q25, Driven by Spillover Demand for QLC Products
09/25/2025 | TrendForceTrendForce’s latest investigations have revealed that with consumer demand was concentrated in the first half of the year, leading to the traditional second-half peak season underperforming.
NAND Flash Revenue Surged Over 20% in 2Q25, SK Group Market Share Jumped to 21%
08/28/2025 | TrendForceTrendForce’s latest investigations reveal that the NAND Flash industry posted solid growth in 2Q25 despite slight declines in ASP.
3Q25 NAND Flash Contract Prices Projected to Rise 5–10%; Weak Smartphone Demand Limits eMMC and UFS Growth
07/09/2025 | TrendForceTrendForce’s latest investigations find that the NAND Flash market has seen significant improvement in supply-demand balance following production cuts and inventory reduction in the first half of 2025.
Micron Elevates PC Performance, Unveils Adaptive Write Technology and G9 QLC NAND
06/27/2025 | MicronSSDs are vital to enhancing user experience and system performance for PCs and client devices. Micron Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MU) announced the Micron 2600 NVMe™ SSD, a value client storage solution designed for OEMs.
Off-Season Slowdown and Inventory Pressure Drive Over 20% QoQ Revenue Drop for Top Five NAND Flash Brands in 1Q25
05/29/2025 | TrendForceTrendForce’s latest findings reveal that the top NAND Flash suppliers faced mounting inventory pressure and weakening end-market demand in the first quarter of 2025. Consequently, the industry saw a 15% QoQ decline in ASP and a 7% drop in shipment volume.