If you’re still sad that Micron retired its Crucial brand late last year to focus on providing system memories for the development of artificial intelligence, here’s some good news: The storage and memory maker today announced at CES 2026 the Micron 3610 NVMe, its first PCIe Gen 5 QLC NVMe SSD for mainstream PCs, both desktops and laptops.
As it seems, Micron’s support for general consumers hasn’t died completely, just the Crucial brand. Still, the effect of AI in the whole process remains true.
Micron 3610: First consumer-grade PCIe Gen 5 QLC NVMe SSD
The Micron 3610 is not Micron’s first Gen 5 NVMe SSDs—far from it if you count those available previously under the Crucial brand.
However, compared with the previous drive, it’s the first to use quad-level-cell (QLC) NAND flash for storage. Previously, all Gen 5 NVMe SSDs used tri-level-cell (TLC) storage, and QLC NAD was only available in PCI Gen 4 drives.
The combination of QLC and PCIe Gen 5 means NVMe SSDs can be faster while retaining the low cost and high capacities. That’s the idea that makes the Micron 3610 significant.
A fast, versatile drive designed with AI in mind
According to Micron, the new NVMe is built on its G9 NAND flash memory and can deliver up to 11,000 MB/s in sequential reads and 9,300 MB/s in sequential writes. It also uses significantly less energy compared with its previous Gen 5 NVMe SSDs, which in turn means it’ll be less hot—heat has been a major issue with Gen 5 SSDs.
The drive is also available in various lengths, ranging from 2230 (as with the Crucial P310) to 2280 (the common standard). As a result, it’ll fit in many applications, from desktops and game consoles to ultra-thin laptops and, you guessed it, AI-capable devices.
According to Micron, here are the highlights of the new 3610 NVMe SSD:
- Performance at scale: Up to 11,000 MB/s sequential read, 9,300 MB/s sequential write, 1.5M IOPS random read, and 1.6M IOPS random write, delivering instant app launches, seamless multitasking, and smooth media-rich workflows.
- Uncompromising power efficiency: A DRAM-less architecture with host memory buffer (HMB) and DEVSLP low-power states improves performance per watt by 43% compared to Gen 4 TLC, extending battery life and lowering BOM costs.
- AI-ready speed: Loads 20 billion-parameter AI models in under three seconds, enabling real-time AI insights and premium experiences for mainstream client devices.
- User experience: Achieved up to 30% better scoring and 28% better bandwidth versus Gen4 QLC SSDs, making it ideal for various industry workloads.
- Thermal control for ultra-thin design: Host-controlled thermal management gives OEMs precise control over thermal thresholds, enabling sustained performance in ultra-thin, fanless designs.
- Enhanced SSD security: The new drive includes advanced security features, such as data object exchange (DOE) and the device identifier composition engine (DICE), helping improve the protection of user data.
Datacenter-grade SSD for the masses
Micron says the new 3610 SSD is built based on its premium Gen 5 4600 series, made for datacenters, and its value-oriented Gen 4 options to deliver “uncompromising performance, trusted reliability and clear value at scale”.
From the look of it, though, the new Micron 3610 seems to offer a similar experience as Micron’s previous Crucial T700, but likely without the excessive heat. That means it won’t be the fastest Gen 5 drive on the market, but it will still be much faster than most Gen 4 counterparts, and if the heat issue is indeed no longer, which is to be determined, it can make an excellent, rounded option.
Avialabilty
Micron says it’s currently sampling its first post-Crucial NVMe SSD drive, the Micron 3610, to select OEM partners. It’ll be available in various forms later this year with capacities ranging from 1TB to 4TB.
Can’t wait for it? Below are Micron’s top Crucial NVMe SSDs you can bring home today.
