Depending on when it's available, this means Intel will be on the market with 144-layer NAND whereas major competitors will have 128-layers. Samsung may be the only one with denser NAND as the South Korean giant's 160-layer NAND is expected towards the end of the year. Intel is also developing its own PLC (5-bits-per-cell) technology, which will boost density 25 percent versus QLC.
Development of second-generation 3D Xpoint technology is also progressing. The new Optane-based products will feature four layers instead of two. The first product is called "Alder Stream", this PCI Express 4.0 server product will launch later this year in a single-port configuration, with dual-port models to follow in 2021.