Sabrent targets DirectStorage performance with new gaming SSD

pcinvasion.com:

Sabrent is a well-known memory manufacturer that’s now pushing into the gaming space with a PCIe 4.0 SSD that’s optimized for Microsoft’s new DirectStorage API. The new Rocket Plus G SSD will contain brand new firmware that’s “optimized for DirectStorage workloads.”

PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSDs are already popular due to the incredibly fast read/write speeds versus traditional HDDs and SATA SSDs. What’s interesting is that Sabrent intends to take things to the next level by directly tapping into the DirectStorage capabilities of Windows 11.

This is the same API driving the SSD-focused architecture for the Xbox Series X. The purpose of DirectStorage is to drive faster loading times and optimize data streaming for smoother in-game rendering and better overall gameplay experiences.

Sabrent’s Rocket 4 Plus G will be the first mainstream option to take advantage of DirectStorage on a firmware/software level for improved integration thanks to Sabrent’s O2 tech. As Sabrent lays it out, DirectStorage allows for the NVMe SSD to improve asset streaming by reducing CPU overhead. This removes the extra step of the SSD first talking to the RAM, then having the CPU decompress the data before it get sent back through the RAM and a copy handed off to the GPU.

While both of these processes involve data moving back and forth mere milliseconds between each other, DirectStorage opens up the throttle and widens the road to allow for a more streamlined, optimized transfer flow.

(Image credit: Sabrent).

A release date has not been revealed, but we do know the details for capacity, actual speed, and pricing. The base model will sport a 1 TB capacity, scaling all the way up to 4 TB on the high end. Pricing is set at a premium: the 1 TB model will set you