Turbopuffer abandons vector-primary storage to end write amplification
RIP, vector database
Turbopuffer is rebuilding its storage engine, moving from a vector-primary layout to one where ANN search becomes just another secondary index. The old design caused storage and write amplification and capped block sizes, limiting non-vector query performance. The new engine, turbopuffer v3, passes all CI tests but currently regresses performance; the team is now tuning it and sharing benchmark results as they go.
The solution to these problems is simple: don't key on the ANN address. That is precisely the change turbopuffer v3 makes.