Glossary term
SSD (Solid-State Drive)
NAND-flash storage with no moving parts; high-end NVMe SSDs form the data layer for AI training pipelines.
An SSD (Solid-State Drive) is a storage device built on NAND flash memory with no moving parts, offering far higher throughput and lower latency than spinning hard drives. High-end NVMe SSDs form the data-staging layer for AI training, where data must be fed to GPUs fast enough to keep them busy. SSD demand benefits from both the AI data layer and the broader shift away from mechanical drives. See Memory Wall 101.