Kioxia CM9-R 15.36TB E3.S NVMe SSD Review

Today we are looking at the Kioxia CM9-R 15.36TB E3.S PCIe Gen5 SSD. Compared with the 7.68TB CD9P-R we tested earlier we expect similar read speeds, but the CM9-R should offer better write speeds. As a result, it seems like something fun to review, so let us get to it.

The silver faceplate features a blue-and-white Kioxia CM9 label. This EDSFF E3.S drive measures 7.5mm thick and provides 15.36TB of capacity. It is strange to think of that as a midrange or even lower capacity drive, but now that we are in the era of 245/256TB-class SSDs, it is where we are.

The protruding edge connector requires a compatible E3.S bay. Kioxia specifies PCIe Gen5 operation in either single x4 or dual x2 modes. With its CMx series of drives, Kioxia usually targets enterprise deployments where dual-port operation is important for high-availability arrays.

The black underside displays a white regulatory sticker and model information but not much else.

The following specification table covers the 15.36 TB E3.S configuration. Kioxia rates endurance at 1 DWPD with a five-year warranty.

Normally, we have slides for the drive, but we did not have spec slides from the launch here, so we made a table. We covered the launch a few quarters ago, but now is our opportunity to test one out, so let us get to that.