Intel shows new Ruler SSD form factor for datacenters

Intel is touting a new "Ruler" form factor for solid state disks. The chip giant claims this new form factor allows datacenters to install up to 1PB of storage capacity in a single 1U server. To achieve the same thing with traditional hard disk drives, datacenters need to install 100 HDDs with a capacity of 10TB in a 4U server. So this new form factor enables a much higher storage density. Not a lot of other information about this thing, we don't know when it will ship.

The new “ruler” form factor, so-called for its long, skinny shape, shifts storage from the legacy 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch form factors that follow traditional hard disk drives, and the add-in card form factor, which takes advantage of PCIe card slots, and delivers on the promise of non-volatile storage technologies to eliminate constraints on shape and size. The new form factor delivers the most storage capacity for a server, with the lowest required cooling and power needs. The next-generation “ruler” form factor SSDs using Intel® 3D NAND technology will enable up to 1PB in a 1U server – enough storage for 300,000 HD movies, or about 70 years of nonstop entertainment. Both Intel Optane SSDs and Intel® 3D NAND SSDs in the “ruler” form factor will come to market in the near future.