Micron 3610 NVMe – first consumer PCIe 5.0 SSD based on QLC memory

Micron, which announced in December that it would exit the consumer market, seems to have adjusted its strategy. The manufacturer has introduced the Micron 3610 NVMe solid-state drive – the industry’s first PCIe Gen5 client SSD built on QLC NAND. The novelty is aimed at mass laptops, ultra-thin devices and PCs that need high speed at a reasonable price.

Next-generation performance and memory

The Micron 3610 is built on the company’s G9 QLC memory and demonstrates indicators that are not typical for drives of this class. The sequential read speed is 11,000 MB/s, and writes – up to 9,300 MB/s. When working with random data, the drive provides up to 1.5 million IOPS for reading and up to 1.6 million IOPS for writing, which brings it closer to more expensive TLC solutions.

M.2 2230 Form Factor and Up to 4TB Capacity

One of the key features of the Micron 3610 was the appearance of a 4TB version in a compact single-sided M.2 2230 form factor. This is the first Gen5 SSD on QLC memory with such a capacity in such a small size. The solution is designed for ultra-thin laptops, portable game consoles and other devices without active cooling.

Energy efficiency and DRAM-free architecture

The drive uses a DRAM-less architecture with Host Memory Buffer support, which allows you to reduce power consumption and improve thermal conditions. This approach seems relevant against the background of a shortage of RAM chips. According to Micron, the 3610 provides up to 43% better power efficiency compared to PCIe Gen4 SSDs on TLC memory.

Focus on AI workloads

Micron specifically emphasizes the suitability of the new SSD for client AI tasks. According to the company, the drive is capable of loading AI models with 20 billion parameters in less than three seconds, which makes it an interesting option for local work with large models on laptops and PCs.

Positioning and release dates

The Micron 3610 will be available in 1, 2 and 4 TB versions. The manufacturer positions the new product as a solution that “democratizes Gen5 speed” and makes high-performance SSDs more accessible to the mass market. The start of sales of the new drive is expected later in 2026.