Why it issues: Chinese language-made solid-state drives are beginning to present up in on a regular basis enterprise laptops, and Lenovo is likely one of the first massive PC makers to place certainly one of them in a extensively bought mannequin. The corporate’s ThinkBook 14 G9 IPL now ships in at the very least one configuration with an SSD from Yangtze Reminiscence Applied sciences (YMTC), a significant Chinese language NAND flash provider.
Notebookcheck says that is the primary YMTC laptop computer SSD it has examined and reviews that the ThinkBook makes use of a 512GB M.2 2242 PCIe 4.0 drive, based on its teardown and efficiency testing. The ThinkBook 14 G9 IPL is a 14-inch workplace pocket book constructed round Intel Core Extremely 200-series processors. It targets workplace and productiveness use moderately than gaming, so its storage setup often would not draw a lot consideration.
What stands out right here is the supply of the NAND. YMTC is certainly one of China’s predominant NAND flash suppliers, and its SSD turning up in a Lenovo enterprise pocket book reveals that Chinese language-made storage is beginning to seem alongside Samsung, Kioxia, and Western Digital drives in mainstream programs.
On paper, the YMTC drive appears like a contemporary PCIe 4.0 shopper SSD. In testing, although, Notebookcheck discovered that it runs slower than most SSDs it has measured in workplace laptops.
It reviews sequential learn speeds of as much as 3,950 MB/s and write speeds of as much as 2,514 MB/s. It additionally notes that the SSD throttles underneath load and that 4K efficiency is beneath common. Even so, the assessment says the drive remains to be quick sufficient for on a regular basis workplace use.
The examined ThinkBook 14 G9 IPL unit makes use of a 512GB SSD within the smaller M.2 2242 kind issue. A compact PCIe 4.0 boot drive matches the ThinkBook’s workplace function and helps Lenovo steadiness efficiency, capability, and value amid tighter SSD provide.
The YMTC SSD arrives in Lenovo’s workplace laptop computer because the broader reminiscence and storage market offers with sturdy demand from AI knowledge facilities. Provide of NAND, DRAM, and HDDs has tightened, driving up element costs and making laptops dearer.
Towards that backdrop, Lenovo’s use of a YMTC SSD seems to be a part of a wider shift. As demand for AI reshapes the reminiscence market, PC makers are wanting past the standard trio of flash suppliers to maintain elements flowing and handle pricing.
The ThinkBook 14 G9 IPL isn’t a efficiency showcase for YMTC – the benchmarks are strong however unspectacular – however it’s an early instance of Chinese language NAND turning up in an everyday workplace pocket book purchased by peculiar customers, not simply in headlines about knowledge facilities and provide chains.
