New Mini SSD Standard Offers PCIe Speeds in MicroSD-Like Form Factor

Biwin, a Chinese SSD manufacturer, has introduced a new storage device form factor called a Mini SSD. These tiny storage drives are more akin in size to a microSD card, measuring just 15 millimeters by 17 millimeters, but offer capacities and performance much more familiar to NVMe SSDs. There aren’t many devices that can use these yet, but the first is the new GPD Win 5 handheld gaming device.

If you have a small device and want additional storage space, your conventional options are microSD cards or 2230 M.2 SSDs. The former are tiny, but their performance and storage capacities aren’t that great, while the latter are much faster but bigger and require a larger interface, too. The Mini SSD is a way to combine the benefits of both these standards into a single, durable design.

Biwin’s Mini SSD design is available in capacities up to 2TB, with sustained read/write speeds of 3,700 MBps and 3,400 MBps, respectively. It uses the PCIe 4 x2 interface (not quite the latest PCIe 5) and NVMe 1.4 protocol. Built around 3D TLC NAND, it leverages a bespoke slot similar to the smartphone SIM tray. As VideoCardz explains, you use a pin to eject the tray, making it possible to swap different drives in and out.

If accurate, these drives would perform around three times faster than even the quickest microSD cards. They’re also entirely dust-proof and waterproof and durable against drops, which could make them particularly useful in more rugged portable laptops, tablets, and gaming systems. They could also be used in more industrial and enterprise settings, where extreme environments can be more common.

How about a fully waterproof Steam Deck? Gaming in the bath sounds sublime.

Biwin hasn’t announced retail pricing or availability of these new drives just yet, but the GPD Win 5 and OneXPlayer Super X tablet will use them, which means the drives will make it to market in the near future.

Interested in a more traditional SSD? Here are the best deals we can find in August.