Intel launches the Intel 665p SSD with potentially superior performance

Intel has launched the Intel 665p SSD which promises better performance, more endurance, and a higher capacity than its predecessor: the Intel SSD 660p. 

Previously announced in September, the second generation of Intel's QLC flash storage complies with the M.2 2280 form factor that the 660p before it uses, sliding into a standard PCIe 3.0 x4 interface. It also has the same Silicon Motion SM2263 SSD controller as before too, so what's the difference? 

Some of its potential superiority is down to its new dynamic SLC cache feature. While quad-level chip based SSDs suffer from decreased performance once you start saturating the cache, the dynamic SLC cache feature will circumvent that. Intel reckons it will lead to 13% better performance than before, while also increasing endurance by a whopping 50%. That's also in part thanks to the 665p's NAND chips which uses Intel's 96-layer 3D QLC chips, over the 660p's 64-layer variant. 

Intel promises that all of that will lead to improved speeds across the board. The firm suggests that sequential read speeds will be up to a peak of 2,000 Mbps over the 660p's 1,800 Mbps, with sequential write figures coming in at the same for the 2TB variant and dipping ever so slightly to 1,925Mbps for the 1TB variant. 

When it comes to random read, expect 250,000 IOPS on the 2TB variant compared to the 660p's equivalent of 220,000 IOPS. For the 1TB variant, IOPS for the 665p is 160,000 IOPS with the older model clocking in at 150,000 IOPS. 

Random write offers similar improvements, with both 665p SSDs providing 250,000 IOPS over the predecessor's 220,000 IOPS. 

Statistically, that works out at a 11.1% higher sequential for the 2TB 665p and a 13.6% boost for random performance. The 1TB version isn't quite as impressive but there's still likely to be improvements of 11.1% sequential reads and a 6.9% improvement for sequential writes. Random reads come in at 6.6% over the predecessor and random writes with a 13.6% improvement. 

Regardless of the size you go for, there's support for AES-256 encryption, Pyrite 2.0, enhanced power loss data protection and end-to-end data protection.

There's no word yet on a specific release date but Intel has stated that the Intel SSD 665p 1TB will be available sometime this quarter, with the 2TB version launching in the first quarter of 2020. Unfortunately for those looking for a smaller hard drive but a decent performance boost, unlike the 660p before it, there won't be a 512GB version.