Lexar AI Storage Core und Gen5 SSDs Image © LexarLexar AI Storage Core und Gen5 SSDs (Image © Lexar)

The AI Storage Core is based on hardware-software integration with a Gen5 Storage Processing Unit (SPU) developed by Longsys. Based on a 5nm process, the SPU utilizes a DRAM-free architecture that ensures high performance for AI applications while mitigating the impact of current DRAM limitations.

To complement the hardware, Lexar implemented an Intelligent Scheduling Engine. This engine is designed to handle the complexity of AI inference, especially the demands of large Mixture-of-Experts (MoE) models and the rapid growth of KV caches. By using predictive prefetch algorithms and a sophisticated cache management system, the platform reduces the required DRAM capacity for these operations by about 40 percent.

Storage and memory solutions with high bandwidth

As part of the AI Storage Core launch, Lexar unveiled several high-performance hardware components tailored for AI PCs and professional creative workflows.

A key offering is the NM1090 PRO, a PCIe Gen5 x4 SSD with up to 8TB of storage. The drive is capable of sequential read speeds of 14,400 MB/s and write speeds of 13,400 MB/s, enabling the simultaneous operation of multiple local AI models and high-resolution assets.

For system memory, the company has introduced ARES RGB DDR5 in 128GB configurations (two 64GB modules) with speeds of 6400 C32 and 6000 C32. This capacity is designed to support generative AI workloads and complex multitasking. In addition, Lexar unveiled Gen5 SSD and memory stick concepts with bandwidths up to 11 GB/s optimized for the thermal and power requirements of compact edge devices.

Ecosystem expansion and ASUS partnership

Lexar and ASUS have formed a technical partnership focused on three primary segments: AI PCs, handheld gaming and high-performance storage.

For the AI PC segment, Lexar is providing AI-optimized Gen4 SSDs for the ASUS NUC 15 Pro Mini PC. The two companies are also researching future AI-specific storage formats to enable more flexible hardware expansion in compact systems. In gaming, the PLAY X PCIe 4.0 M.2 NVMe SSD for the ROG XBOX ALLY was introduced. This drive supports both M.2 2230 and 2280 form factors and delivers read speeds of 7,400 MB/s and write speeds of 6,500 MB/s. The PLAY X is currently available via Amazon in the UK, France and Germany.

In addition, the ARES RGB DDR5 memory has received official certification for ASUS ROG motherboards to ensure hardware compatibility and stable performance.