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Solidigm’s 122TB Enterprise QLC SSD Did Ship: What the D5-P5336 Does and Who It’s For

By Freedom251 Team · · 6 min read

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Short answer: Solidigm’s D5-P5336 122.88TB enterprise SSD is real and did reach the market. Solidigm announced it on November 13, 2024, initially describing customer sampling and early-2025 availability. A May 2025 report confirmed the 122.88TB U.2 version was on sale. As of August 18, 2026, Solidigm still lists the drive, but channel stock, form-factor availability and pricing vary.

This is a specialized PCIe 4.0 QLC data-center drive for dense, read-intensive storage—not a consumer, gaming or general-purpose replacement for TLC SSDs.

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What the D5-P5336 actually is

The Solidigm D5-P5336 is an enterprise NVMe SSD built with 192-layer quad-level-cell (QLC) NAND. Its largest version provides 122.88TB of user capacity, which is why it is commonly called a “122TB SSD.” The precise capacity and original availability language appear in Solidigm’s November 2024 announcement and product materials.

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QLC stores four bits per NAND cell. That increases capacity and lowers the number of drives needed for a petabyte-scale deployment, but generally provides less write endurance and less forgiving sustained-write behavior than performance-oriented TLC products. Solidigm therefore positions the P5336 for capacity tiers where read throughput, watts per usable terabyte and rack density matter more than maximum write performance.

#1 Best Overall
SOLIDIGM D5-P5430 15.36 TB - 2.5 Internal - U.2 [PCI Express NVMe 4.0 x4] - Read Intensive
  • High Capacity: 15.36 TB solid state drive provides ample storage for demanding applications
  • Fast Data Transfer: U.2 NVMe 4.0 x4 interface delivers up to 6 Gbps data transfer speeds
  • Compact Design: 2.5-inch form factor is ideal for desktop and laptop computers
  • Reliable Performance: PCIe NVMe interface ensures high speed data access and low latency
  • Easy Installation: Pre-installed Windows 10 software makes setup simple

Target workloads include AI and machine-learning data lakes, object storage, content-delivery infrastructure, scale-out NAS, big-data analytics and space-constrained edge systems.

Launch timeline: announcement versus commercial availability

  1. November 13, 2024: Solidigm announced the 122TB-class D5-P5336 and said it was sampling to customers.
  2. Early 2025: The company’s original plan called for availability in Q1 2025, with U.2 and E1.L versions identified for the 122TB class.
  3. May 23, 2025: TechRadar reported that the 122.88TB U.2 model had officially gone on sale.
  4. August 18, 2026: Solidigm’s homepage continues to present the 122TB drive as available, while its older product page still contains the historical early-2025 wording. Availability should therefore be checked by exact SKU and form factor.

“Available” can mean a distributor listing, qualification stock, quote-only supply or inventory in one region. It does not guarantee that every U.2, E1.L or E3.S configuration is simultaneously in stock.

Verified specifications

Specification D5-P5336 122.88TB detail
Product family Solidigm D5-P5336
Maximum user capacity 122.88TB
NAND 192-layer QLC NAND
Interface PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe
Form factors listed in the brief U.2, E1.L and E3.S
Maximum active power 25W
Idle power Less than 5W
Endurance 0.60 drive writes per day (DWPD) for five years
Total endurance 134.3 petabytes written (PBW)
Power-off retention Three months at 40°C
Uncorrectable bit error rate Less than one sector per 1017 bits read
MTBF 2 million hours
Standards and features listed OCP 2.0 support, NVMe 2.0 compliance and FIPS 140-3 Level 2 listed in the product brief

These are manufacturer-published specifications, not independent test results. Solidigm’s older product page describes FIPS certification as in progress, so buyers requiring validated FIPS status should confirm the certification for the exact SKU.

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Performance: read-focused, not a single universal speed

Solidigm’s product brief reports up to 7.4GB/s sequential read in cited CDN and object-storage comparisons. In a cited general-purpose-server workload, the 122.88TB model delivers approximately 6.1GB/s total bandwidth. Product-page and secondary reports place 4KB random-read performance around 930,000 to 1,005,000 IOPS, depending on configuration and source.

The brief’s comparison table shows the 122.88TB drive performing close to the 61.44TB model in simulated CDN, general-purpose-server, object-storage and write-pressure workloads. The figures come from specified vendor tests and simulations using particular servers, CPUs, operating systems, FIO versions, transfer sizes and workload definitions. They should not be treated as guaranteed results on every server or array.

Rank #2
SOLIDIGM D5-P5430 7.68 TB Solid State Drive - 2.5 Internal - PCI Express NVMe [PCI Express NVMe 4.0 x4] - Read Intensive
  • Size: 2.5
  • Storage Capacity: 7.68TB
  • Interface Type: Pcie 4.0 X4, Nvme
  • Form Factor: U.2 15mm
  • Lithography: 4th Gen Qlc 3d Nand

Why QLC makes sense at this capacity

At 122.88TB, the primary benefit is storage density. Fewer devices can mean fewer drive bays, cables, controllers, replacement events and watts consumed by the storage tier. QLC is not automatically unsuitable for enterprise use; the deciding factors are write rate, latency targets, data temperature, endurance policy and redundancy design.

Solidigm’s modeled density claims

In a modeled 16PB NAS comparison, Solidigm says an all-QLC D5-P5336 design could reduce storage requirements from nine racks to one, use about 90% less storage power and free enough power for roughly 50% more compute capacity. The announcement also cites up to 4PB per rack unit and up to a 4:1 NAS-footprint reduction compared with legacy HDD-plus-TLC arrangements.

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Those are modeled comparisons, not universal guarantees. The result depends on the compared drive capacities, servers, networking, controllers, cooling, redundancy, software and workload. A six-drive array also has less usable capacity after parity, replication, hot spares, metadata, filesystem overhead and reserved free space.

“Unlimited random-write endurance” explained

Solidigm’s announcement used the phrase “unlimited Random Write endurance for five years.” That does not mean the NAND is physically incapable of wearing out. The product brief explains that, under specified continuous 100%-duty-cycle tests, the drive retained approximately 5% of its life after five years of 32KB random writes or approximately 10% after 4KB random writes.

The formal published rating remains 0.60 DWPD, or 134.3PB written over five years for the 122.88TB model. Actual wear depends on write amplification, block size, overprovisioning, temperature, firmware, workload mix and system configuration. Treat the “unlimited” wording as a Solidigm claim for defined workloads and a five-year period—not as infinite endurance or a blanket guarantee for every application.

Rank #3
SOLIDIGM D7-P5520 3.84 TB Solid State Drive - 2.5 Internal - U.2 [PCI Express NVMe 4.0 x4]
  • Solidigm D7 Series D7-P5520 - SSD - 3.84 TB - internal - 2.5" - U.2 PCIe 4.0 x4 (NVMe)

Where the drive fits—and where it does not

Good candidates Poor fits
AI training-data repositories and inference-data stores Write-heavy transactional databases
Object-storage backends and CDN origin or cache tiers Logging systems with sustained high write rates
Scale-out NAS and large read-heavy analytics datasets Applications requiring consistently minimal write latency
Edge deployments constrained by rack space, power or cooling Consumer desktops, gaming PCs and ordinary NAS appliances
HDD replacement in a performance-sensitive capacity tier Systems that need PCIe Gen5 throughput above capacity density

For write-intensive or latency-sensitive services, a higher-endurance TLC SSD—potentially from Solidigm’s performance-oriented D7 family—may be more appropriate even if it provides less capacity per device.

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Form factors and deployment requirements

U.2

U.2 fits common enterprise 2.5-inch NVMe bays, but the server still needs a compatible backplane, cabling, PCIe lanes, power delivery and airflow. The May 2025 sale report concerned the U.2 model.

E1.L

E1.L is a long “ruler” form factor designed for high-density hyperscale chassis. It requires an E1.L-compatible chassis or carrier and should not be assumed interchangeable with U.2.

E3.S

E3.S is a compact enterprise form factor. Capacity and availability combinations must be checked against the exact Solidigm SKU rather than inferred from the family name.

Before purchase, qualify the drive in the intended server, confirm firmware and NVMe compatibility, verify the backplane’s power and thermal limits, and design replication, erasure coding, hot spares and fault domains around the much larger amount of data exposed by one device.

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Rank #4
Solidime Solidigm Internal SSD D3 S4520 Read Speed: 550MB/s (Max), Random Read Speed (100% Span): 79000 IOPS (4K Blocks), 2.5 inch, 480GB / (SSDSC2KB480GZ01 /A) / Authorized Japanese Dealer
  • SATA drive with capacity up to 7.68TB and standard durability
  • Designed for increased server efficiency for cloud storage and IOPS/TB performance significantly exceeds traditional hard disk drives (HDDs)
  • Interface : SATA 3.0 6GB/S
  • Form Factor : 2.5" 7MM

Pricing is a procurement question, not a stable MSRP

TechRadar reported a Tech-America listing at $12,399 on May 23, 2025. A later retrieval of the Tech-America product page showed $41,831 and out of stock. These are dated reseller snapshots, not a dependable manufacturer MSRP. Enterprise SSD pricing can vary with region, allocation, warranty, lead time and negotiated volume.

For a current quote, use Solidigm’s authorized distributor locator. Listed procurement routes include Arrow Electronics, Avnet, ASI Computer Technologies, Ingram Micro, Mouser, TD Synnex and WPG, although stock and lead times must be confirmed directly.

Evaluate the purchase by cost per usable petabyte, watts per usable terabyte, rack units, read QoS under write pressure, endurance, rebuild exposure and controller or networking costs—not by the drive’s headline capacity alone.

Capacity concentration and failure-domain risk

Replacing many smaller SSDs with 122.88TB devices simplifies a capacity tier, but each failure affects more data. Arrays need adequate replication or erasure coding, hot spares and rebuild plans. A drive-level 134.3PBW rating does not guarantee array-level rebuild durability, controller compatibility, latency under every workload or performance when the drive is nearly full.

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Likewise, Solidigm’s launch-era “world’s highest-capacity PCIe SSD” language is time-sensitive. It should be understood as a dated company positioning claim, not a permanent industry ranking.

Verdict

The D5-P5336 is a meaningful enterprise-density product that did ship after its early-2025 announcement. Its 122.88TB capacity can reduce device count, rack space and storage-tier power in read-heavy deployments. Its trade-offs are equally clear: PCIe 4.0 rather than Gen5, QLC-oriented write endurance, specialized form factors, concentrated failure impact and highly variable enterprise pricing.

For AI data lakes, object storage, CDN infrastructure and other capacity tiers, the right comparison is cost and power per usable petabyte at the system level. For consumer PCs, write-heavy databases or latency-critical services, the 122TB headline is not a reason to replace a suitable TLC SSD.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1
SOLIDIGM D5-P5430 15.36 TB - 2.5 Internal - U.2 [PCI Express NVMe 4.0 x4] - Read Intensive
SOLIDIGM D5-P5430 15.36 TB - 2.5 Internal - U.2 [PCI Express NVMe 4.0 x4] - Read Intensive
Fast Data Transfer: U.2 NVMe 4.0 x4 interface delivers up to 6 Gbps data transfer speeds; Compact Design: 2.5-inch form factor is ideal for desktop and laptop computers
$8,999.40
Bestseller No. 2
SOLIDIGM D5-P5430 7.68 TB Solid State Drive - 2.5 Internal - PCI Express NVMe [PCI Express NVMe 4.0 x4] - Read Intensive
SOLIDIGM D5-P5430 7.68 TB Solid State Drive - 2.5 Internal - PCI Express NVMe [PCI Express NVMe 4.0 x4] - Read Intensive
Size: 2.5; Storage Capacity: 7.68TB; Interface Type: Pcie 4.0 X4, Nvme; Form Factor: U.2 15mm
$2,943.00
Bestseller No. 3
SOLIDIGM D7-P5520 3.84 TB Solid State Drive - 2.5 Internal - U.2 [PCI Express NVMe 4.0 x4]
SOLIDIGM D7-P5520 3.84 TB Solid State Drive - 2.5 Internal - U.2 [PCI Express NVMe 4.0 x4]
Solidigm D7 Series D7-P5520 - SSD - 3.84 TB - internal - 2.5" - U.2 PCIe 4.0 x4 (NVMe)
$1,803.85
Bestseller No. 4

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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AI infrastructureD5-P5336data-center storageEnterprise-SSDQLC NANDSolidigm

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