Newbie firm plans $2,800 add-in card that holds up to 21 PCIe 4.0 SSDs, 168TB
Enlarge / SSDs not included, of course. (credit: Apex Storage)
For high-capacity storage needs, the average consumer turns to hard disk drives (HDDs). They're generally not as speedy or reliable as SSDs, but they're a heck of a lot cheaper. The Apex Storage X21 add-in card (AIC) currently making its rounds on the Internet isn't about using the most cost-effective storage, though. Instead, the expansion card, which looks to be a debut product from a not-yet-known storage company, is for people or businesses willing to spend what it takes to stock the card with up to 21 8TB NVMe PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSDs.
Tom's Hardware first spotted the website for the X21 on Sunday, and Henry Hill, in engineering and sales at the company, confirmed the product to Ars Technica via email. He said the product will cost $2,800, with discounts available for volume purchases, which will ship by Q2. Samples are already available to volume customers, he said, and consumer shipments will start "before the end of 2023."
MIke Spicer, listed as Apex Storage's founder and CEO, launched a Kickstarter in 2021 with a concept that's similar to the X21. Instead of 21 M.2 SSDs, the Apex Storage Scaler claimed to support a modest 16 SSDs. It's unclear how many, if any, of these cards reached backers. However, in July, Spicer hinted at a "V2" of the product on Twitter.