Samsung is stirring excitement by teasing two innovative SSD products ahead of the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which is still nearly two months away. While most companies usually unveil their flagship products during the event itself, Samsung has given us a sneak peek at some cutting-edge storage solutions—one of which could particularly appeal to portable gaming enthusiasts. The other, more specialized device, isn’t aimed at everyday consumers but holds intriguing potential for future applications beyond its initial target market.
Let’s start with the standout for automotive and industrial sectors: the Detachable AutoSSD. Built around the E1.A form factor, this product is quite unconventional because it separates the SSD controller from the NAND storage chips. Samsung claims this design enhances heat dissipation—an essential factor in high-performance environments—and extends the lifespan of the device. Plus, the modular nature of the controller and NAND makes upgrades and replacements simpler, which could revolutionize how automotive and other embedded systems manage storage—imagine easier servicing and longer-lasting components in vehicles or machinery.
Now, shifting focus to a more mainstream, yet still impressive product: the PM9E1 M.2 2242 SSD. This is an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) drive designed in the compact M.2 2242 form factor. Interestingly, this might be the first time we’re seeing an M.2 2242 SSD that supports PCIe 5.0, the latest and fastest interface for high-speed drives. What makes this drive even more noteworthy is that it includes onboard DRAM, which isn’t always common in drives of this size—often, smaller form factor SSDs rely on system memory instead.
Samsung reports that the PM9E1 can deliver blazing fast read speeds of up to 14.8 gigabytes per second and write speeds reaching 13.4 gigabytes per second. These impressive figures are credited to the Presto SSD controller paired with Samsung’s V8 TLC V-NAND technology, promising both speed and durability. The drive will be available in capacities up to 4 terabytes, which means it’s a double-sided design with components on both sides of the circuit board. While this layout might make cooling a bit more challenging, it also means ample storage—perfect for high-performance portable devices.
For gamers using handheld consoles like the Steam Deck, this SSD could become one of the top options for combining high-speed performance with substantial storage capacity. Whether you’re loading up a massive game library or transferring large files, Samsung’s latest SSDs seem poised to meet those demands with style.
