Newly discovered Microsoft Z1000 SSD baffles experts -- no...

A newly-discovered, Microsoft-branded SSD suggests the tech giant may be - or has been at least - exploring new ways to optimize its data center storage. The leaked images of a Microsoft Z1000 SSD show a 1TB NVMe M.2 drive, apparently boasting sequential read speeds of up to 2,400MB/s and write speeds of 1,800MB/s. The Z1000 SSD, originally revealed by @yuuki_ans on X, is made up of a mix of components from various companies, including Toshiba NAND flash chips, Micron's DDR4 RAM cache, and a controller from CNEX Labs, a company best known for its work with data center hyperscalers. Up to 4TB capacity Back in 2018, CNEX Labs closed a $23 million Series D funding round led by Dell Technologies Capital which also included Microsoft's venture fund M12. This money was partially used to fund a proprietary, advanced CNX-2670 controller that delivered 550,000 IOPS, a 25% performance increase...