The WD Black SN7100 2 TB SSD sets a new standard as the fastest Gen 4 SSD we've ever tested. It's also priced well and highly energy-efficient, which helps keep temperatures down. Fast, efficient, and affordable—the WD Black SN7100 hits all the marks.
The Klevv Genuine G560 is a PCI-Express 5.0 M.2 solid-state-drive that can reach transfer rates of over 14 GB/s. Unlike other drives it comes with a decent fanless heatsink preinstalled. In our testing we're not only looking at raw performance, but also thermals and throttling.
The Team Group AirFlow I SSD Cooler offers a powerful solution for managing the heat output of M.2 SSDs. It comes with a large cooling stack and two heatpipes. Testing in our review confirms that it is able to completely avoid throttling on the most powerful 14 GB/s Gen 5 drives.
The Team Group A440 Lite is a competitively priced SSD that features the new Phison E27T controller. In our review we found solid performance and improved power consumption over its predecessor. The NAND flash is Toshiba 162-layer 3D TLC BiCS6.
The Corsair MP700 Elite marks our first test of an SSD built around Phison’s new E31 controller. The E31 supports PCI-Express 5.0 but is specifically designed to minimize power usage, enabling fan-free operation. Our review confirms: no thermal throttling and excellent performance.
The Acer Predator GM7 is an incredibly fast SSD, rivaling the performance of top-tier models like the Samsung 990 Pro and WD SN850X. Priced at $270, it offers excellent value for its speed and capabilities. The only concern is global availability, which seems quite limited at this time.
The Klevv CRAS C925 is offered at amazing pricing of just $108 for the 2 TB model. Thanks to the MAP1602 solid-state-drive controller, it achieves performance levels that are extremely impressive, matching or beating much more expensive high-end drives.
The Team Group G50 comes at outstanding pricing of just $105 for the 2 TB version. It still offers performance that's "good enough" for virtually all scenarios. Unlike other value drives, Team Group is giving you TLC NAND flash at an amazing price, which is much faster than QLC, especially when the SLC cache is exhausted.
The Phison E31T controller brings fresh wind to the PCIe 5.0 SSD space. It's a value-oriented solution that boasts impressive energy efficiency. This enables 10 GB/s+ solid-state drives that can run without a fan-cooled thermal solution, which was one of the biggest issues people had with existing designs.
The Orico O7000 uses the very popular Maxiotech MAP1602 controller, paired with QLC NAND, to build a highly affordable soild-state drive. The real-life testing in our review confirms: this is the fastest QLC based SSD, even beating most other TLC SSDs on the market.
The ADATA Legend 970 Pro is the first SSD that supplies power to the integrated fan internally. There is no need for the bulky, external power cable that we saw on all other Gen 5 drives so far. Built on the Innogrit IG5666 controller, the Legend 970 Pro is challenging Phison's dominance, with mixed results though.
The Kingston NV3 SSD is built using a new Silicon Motion controller, which provides good improvements in real-life performance over the NV2. Our review confirms that the NV3 is highly efficient in energy use and consumes very little power when idle, too.
The new Team Group GE Pro M.2 NVMe SSD with Innogrit's IG5666 controller enters the PCIe Gen 5 arena, challenging the Phison E26. In our review, we put it through synthetic and real-life tests, and measure power draw to see if it’s a worthy competitor.
The HighPoint Rocket 1608A is a PCIe Gen 5 controller card that lets you add up to eight Gen 5 drives. Performance is truly incredible, we were able to measure raw sequential speeds of over 56 GB/s in our review.
The Corsair MP600 Mini 2 TB SSD delivers outstanding storage performance for the Steam Deck, thanks to its TLC flash and the new Phison E27T controller. While pricing is a bit high, it might be acceptable for people looking to get the best out of their portable console.
The Team Group T-Force G70 Pro SSD uses the InnoGrit IG5236 controller paired with 128-layer TLC NAND from YMTC. Unlike most other value drives, the G70 Pro includes 2 GB of physical DRAM cache. Also included is an aluminum heatsink, but even that is having a hard time avoiding throttling when heavily loaded.
The Kioxia Exceria Plus G3 M.2 NVMe SSD is a fantastic choice for those seeking excellent value. Our review confirms solid performance that beats many other budget drives. However, it's worth noting that the drive tends to run a bit hot under heavy loads, so additional cooling might be required.
The Corsair MP700 Pro SE solid-state-drive boasts impressive speeds of up to 14 GB/s, thanks to the lightning-fast PCI-Express 5.0 interface. In our review we're testing the 4 TB version, which offers tons of space and incredible performance that's the best of all the drives we tested so far.
The MSI Spatium M580 is the company's first 14 GB/s PCI-Express Gen 5 SSD, and it's available in a 4 TB version. Unlike many competitors, MSI has chosen a passive heatsink, which ensures there's no additional fan noise. Testing in our review confirms that there's no thermal throttling either.
Designed specifically for portable devices like the Valve Steam Deck, the PNY CS2142 SSD enables storage capacities of up to 2 TB for your gaming collection. Our comprehensive review delves into its performance, heat management, power usage, and other significant aspects.
Crucial's T500 SSD comes at competitive pricing and still includes a preinstalled heatsink and a dedicated DRAM cache chip. It sees strong competition from drives like the Lexar NM790 which are similarly priced, but offer slightly higher performance.
The Corsair MP600 Elite PCIe Gen 4 SSD features the new Phison E27T controller, which provides improved performance and lower power consumption than its predecessor. Additionally, it comes with a preinstalled heatsink and uses Toshiba's latest 163-layer TLC NAND flash.
Crucial T700 Pro is the only PCI-Express Gen 5 SSD on the market with a 4 TB variant. Unlike some vendors who adopt fan-cooled solutions, Crucial has opted for a passive heatsink, which is why thermals are an important part of our review. We'll also look at power consumption and performance, too, of course.
The HP FX700 2 TB is our first review of a solid-state-drive using YMTC's 232-layer QLC NAND flash. Performance results are much better than expected, and the drive is able to compete and beat high-end TLC SSDs from other vendors, at much more affordable pricing.
The MSI Spatium M570 Pro Frozr comes with a big cooling solution that features three heatpipes. Even without a fan, it kept the drive very cool during all testing in our review, there was no thermal throttling. Performance is excellent, too, thanks to a speed rating for up to 12 GB/s.
The Lexar NM790 enjoys immense popularity, thanks to its competitive pricing and exceptional performance. Now, there's an additional variant equipped with a heatsink. Our review's thermal tests confirm its excellent performance—no thermal throttling, even under heavy loads.
Tailored specifically for devices such as the Valve Steam Deck, the Corsair MP600 Core Mini SSD offers capacities of up to 2 TB for your gaming library. Our detailed review thoroughly explores its performance, thermal behavior, power consumption, and other important factors.
The PNY CS3150 XLR8 SSD features ARGB illumination and is the first PCIe 5.0 solid-state-drive on the market that includes a temperature controlled active cooling solution. Its idle-fan-stop feature will bring the fans to a complete halt when the drive is not in use or is under light load, and users can adjust the fan curve manually through software.
Tailor-made for the Valve Steam Deck and similar portable devices, the Corsair MP600 Mini SSD offers a generous storage capacity to accommodate your gaming library. Unlike many alternatives, the MP600 Mini uses TLC NAND flash, which outpaces the speed of QLC options offered by competing products.
The Samsung 870 EVO SSD has been on the market for a while and is still the fastest SATA solid-state-drive offered by Samsung. Right now it is available used for $150 for the reviewed 4 TB model, which makes this an interesting way to upgrade your storage, especially if you're out of M.2 slots.
Corsair is updating their MP700 PCI-Express Gen 5 SSD. On the "Pro" model you now get speeds of up to 12 GB/s and a great heatsink is included, too. Our review confirms that the cooling solution can handle the controller's heat output easily, even when heavily loaded. Performance is excellent, too.
Designed with the Valve Steam Deck and similar handheld devices in mind, the WD Black SN770M 2 TB SSD provides generous storage for expanding gaming libraries. Under the hood we found TLC NAND flash, which is much faster than the QLC offered by the competition.
At just $205 for the 4 TB model in our review, the Addlink A93 SSD is a fantastic offer. Its standout feature is the inclusion of a large heatsink, allowing seamless integration with the Sony PlayStation 5, providing gamers with a cost-effective storage expansion solution.
The Lexar NM790 2 TB offers fantastic performance at outstanding pricing. The 2 TB model sells for just $110, which makes it the most affordable high-end SSD available. Real-life performance results are even better than the 4 TB version, which helps make up ground against the PCIe 5.0 competition.
Team Group's Z540 PCI-Express Gen 5 SSD achieves incredible speeds, reaching up to 12 GB/s. Thanks to its well-designed cooling system, heat is effectively dissipated. Unlike competing Gen 5 SSDs that run their coolers at constant maximum speed, the Z540 lets you adjust fan speed through your motherboard BIOS.
The Lexar NM710 comes at outstanding pricing of just $47 for the 1 TB model. Testing in our review confirms, that this SSD can deliver good performance that is able to compete with other popular midrange SSDs like the Samsung 970 EVO Plus and Crucial P5 Plus.
The Team Group MP44S SSD is a storage solution designed specifically for the Valve Steam Deck and other similar handheld devices. Offering capacities of up to 2 TB, it provides ample space for expanding gaming storage. Our in-depth review covers performance, thermals, power consumption and more.
The Neo Forza NFP495 is available at an astonishingly low cost of only $175 for the 4 TB model, and it's the first SSD we've reviewed that utilizes the new TenaFE TC2201 controller. Price/performance is topping our charts and real-life numbers are really good, too.
The SSTC Tiger Shark Elite offers blazing fast PCIe Gen 5 speeds of up to 12 GB/s. This makes the drive the fastest SSD we've ever tested. In our comprehensive review we're taking a closer look at real-life performance and how it compares to PCIe Gen 5 10 GB/s drives.
The Lexar NM790 is one of the fastest SSDs we've ever tested, being able to match the Samsung 990 Pro. It is still priced very competitively, at just $210 for the 4 TB version. Not long ago that only got you 2 TB. Thanks to a highly optimized controller design, the NM790 runs very efficiently and doesn't put out a ton of heat.
Samsung 990 Pro is the company's flagship M.2 NVMe SSD. Compared to the 980 Pro, it comes with an improved controller and more modern flash. Our review confirms: this is the fastest PCI-Express 4.0 drive you can buy right now, beating the competition from WD, Phison and Solidigm.
ADATA's Legend 970 SSD comes with support for the blazing fast PCI-Express Gen 5 interface, which allows transfer rates of up to 10,000 MB/s. In order to keep the drive cool, ADATA includes a preinstalled heatsink that comes with a tiny little fan, to improve airflow.
The Netac NV7000-T is available at unbelievable pricing of $80 for 2 TB. It still is one of the fastest SSD's we've ever tested, matching WD Black SN850, Samsung 980 Pro and Phison E18 drives. Netac even includes an optional heatsink with their solid-state-drive.
The MSI M480 Pro is based on the highly popular combination of Phison E18 PCIe Gen 4 controller paired with 176-layer 3D TLC NAND from Micron. In our review, the M480 Pro achieves impressive performance results, making it one of the fastest drives we've ever tested.
Want more storage for your Steam Deck? 2 TB? Then the Addlink S91 is for you. It's an M.2 NVMe SSD using the compact M.2 2230 form factor, which ensures the drive can be used to upgrade the Steam Deck and ROG Ally game consoles. In our in-depth review we're taking a look at performance, thermals and power consumption.
Western Digital's new WD Blue SN580 is the best budget M.2 SSD drive out there. Despite its impressive price point of $45 it comes with fantastic performance that easily matches most high-end drives. Compared to the SN570, the interface has been upgraded to PCIe 4.0, and the SLC cache is now more than 25x as big.
The TeamGroup MP44L is a value-oriented M.2 NVMe SSD that comes at a super attractive price point of just $43 for the 1 TB version. Thanks to its TLC-based design, performance is much better than the various QLC drives out there. Our review confirms that the MP44L can even beat the Samsung 980.
The Lexar NM800 Pro is a high-end SSD that plays in the same league as Samsung 980 Pro and WD Black SN850. It comes with an excellent heatsink that ensures there's no thermal throttling, no matter what you throw at the drive. Pricing is highly competitive too, only $130 for 2 TB.
The Corsair MP700 is the first PCI-Express 5.0 SSD that we're reviewing. With transfer rates of up to 10 GB/s this drive is crazy fast. Our review confirms, this is the fastest SSD we've ever tested. With up to 10 W, the MP700 is also the most power-hungry SSD, and it puts out a lot of heat, too.
The Corsair MP600 Core XT is a competitively priced entry-level M.2 NVMe solid-state-drive with support for PCI-Express 4.0. Under the hood it uses a Phison E21 controller, paired with 176-layer 3D QLC NAND flash from Micron.
The Acer Predator GM7 uses Maxio's new MAP1602A controller paired with YMTC 128-Layer TLC at an aggressive price point of only $66 for the tested 1 TB version. Our review confirms, this new drive is able to match the performance of famous drives like Samsung 980 Pro and WD Black SN850.
The Acer Predator GM7000 is finally available in a 4 TB version. In our review we thoroughly test this M.2 NVMe drive that's built using the Innogrit IG5236 controller paired with Micron's 176-layer 3D TLC NAND. While $450 for the 4 TB version isn't exactly cheap, it's much more affordable than similar-sized drives from Kingston and Corsair.
The Kingston Fury Renegade has been upgraded with a heatsink. Thanks to its solid metal construction, the heatsink can absorb a lot of heat and reduce temperatures considerably. Thermal testing in our review reveals that there is no thermal throttling, even when the drive is hit with hundreds of GB of incoming writes.
The Corsair MP600 GS is a value-optimized M.2 NVMe SSD built using Phison's new E21 controller. Thanks to the E21, temperatures are low and there's no thermal throttling, despite the lack of a heatsink. In our testing we also found that the sustained write rate is very high, better than most competing drives.
The ADATA Legend 960 is the first Silicon Motion SM2264-based M.2 NVMe SSD that we're testing. In their package, ADATA includes a heatsink, which can easily be installed to reduce the drive's temperatures. Synthetic performance results are also very good, matching competing high-end drives.
Team Group's T-Force Vulcan Z SSD comes at amazing pricing for a solid-state drive. It's just $120 for the 2 TB version, and it uses TLC flash, not QLC. Our in-depth review shows that performance is solid, even though the drive is DRAM-less, the very large SLC cache definitely helps.
The Solidigm P44 Pro is the company's new PCIe 4.0 flagship M.2 NVMe SSD. It is built using the blazing fast Hynix ACNS075 controller paired with 176-layer 3D TLC NAND. In our review we saw impressive performance numbers, making the P44 Pro the fastest SSD we ever tested.
The Kingston NV2 is a huge improvement over the NV1. It comes at similar pricing but is significantly faster. Thanks to the new Phison E21 controller, the drive offers the highly popular PCIe 4.0 capability at only $80 for the 1 TB version, making it a great choice for any cost-optimized system.
The ADATA XPG Atom 50 is now available in a 2 TB variant. Unlike the 1 TB model, which used an Innogrit controller, the 2 TB version is built using Silicon Motion's new SM2269 XT controller, which supports PCI-Express 4.0, and DRAM-less operation.
Priced at $110, the Silicon Power UD90 is an affordable PCI-Express 4.0 M.2 NVMe SSD, offering transfer rates of up to 4.8 GB/s. Under the hood, the UD90 uses the new Phison E21 controller and Micron's 176-layer 3D TLC NAND.
The Netac NV7000 is the company's flagship PCIe 4.0 M.2 NVMe SSD. It is based on the highly popular and battle-tested combination of a Phison E18 controller paired with Micron's latest and greatest 176-layer 3D TLC NAND. With their drive, Netac is including an excellent heatsink that ensures there's no thermal throttling.
The SK Hynix P41 offers amazing performance thanks to a new PCI-Express 4.0 compatible controller. In our Hynix Platinum P41 review we find that this drive is faster than Samsung 980 Pro and WD Black SN850. Thanks to an energy efficient design, there is no thermal throttling, even without heatsink.
Priced at just $105 for the 1 TB variant, the HP FX900 1 TB is one of the most affordable PCI-Express 4.0 SSDs. It's not only affordable, but also runs very fast, beating every single PCIe 3.0 drive we've ever tested. A preinstalled heatsink is included, too—there's no thermal throttling at all.
The Kioxia Exceria Pro is the company's first PCI-Express 4.0 SSD offering. As the controller, the highly popular Phison E18 is used, paired with 112-layer 3D TLC NAND flash from Toshiba. This combination achieves excellent performance that's breathing down the necks of the Samsung 980 Pro and WD Black SN850.
With the M480 Play, MSI upgrades its SSD offerings to use the latest and greatest 176-layer 3D TLC flash from Micron. What MSI also improved is the heatsink, which is now fully compatible with the Sony PlayStation 5 and looks fantastic, thanks to a great mix of colors and a matte surface structure.
The Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 4 TB offers tons of capacity for all your games, applications, and files. Thanks to the combination of Phison E18 controller and Micron B47R 176-layer TLC NAND, it's also able to match the WD Black SN850, which is the fastest SSD we ever reviewed.
The competitively priced Western Digital WD Black SN770 achieves impressive performance results that match the more expensive Samsung 980 Pro, WD Black SN850, and Kingston KC3000. It seems WD has found a solution to overcome the limitations of DRAM-less designs—very impressive.
Priced at $130 for 1 TB, the Silicon Power XS70 is one of the most affordable PCIe 4.0 SSDs. It still offers outstanding performance because of the Phison E18 controller and Micron 176-layer TLC NAND combination. An excellent heatsink is preinstalled, too. The drive never reaches its thermal throttle point.
MSI's Spatium M450 uses the fast PCI-Express 4.0 interface for improved transfer speeds. It is built using Phison's brand-new E19 controller and Micron's best 176-layer 3D TLC. In our review of the MSI Spatium M450, we take a closer look at how well this 4-channel DRAM-less design performs with various workloads.
The Kioxia Exceria SATA is a highly affordable 2.5" SATA SSD that only costs $80 for the reviewed 1 TB version. It is built using a Phison S11 controller paired with 64-layer 3D TLC NAND flash from Toshiba. A DRAM cache is not available due to the drive's low price point.
Priced at $130, the Neo Forza NFP455 1 TB is one of the most affordable PCI-Express 4.0 drives. It uses the Innogrit IG5236 controller paired with 128-layer YMTC TLC flash, and 1 GB of DRAM cache is included, too. In our review, we saw excellent performance that's very similar to the Samsung 980 Pro and WD Black SN850.
The Corsair MP600 Pro LPX is optimized for gaming on Sony PlayStation 5 and the PC. In our review's real-world game load tests we saw a clear lead in load times compared to other flagship SSDs like the Samsung 980 Pro and WD Black NVMe. Thanks to the preinstalled heatsink there's no thermal throttling either.
At just $120 for 1 TB, the ADATA XPG Atom 50 is one of the most affordable PCIe 4.0 M.2 NVMe SSDs out there. In our review, we found that it still offers incredible performance that rivals the Samsung 980 Pro and WD Black SN850 at much better pricing. Thermals are great, too, as there's no throttling, no matter what you throw at it.
The Kingston NV1 is the company's most affordable M.2 NVMe SSD. Priced at just $85 for the 1 TB version, it offers a tremendous value proposition. Performance numbers in our review of the Kingston NV1 are disappointing though, but the attractive pricing will still make it an option for many.
The Neo Forza NFP455 is the company's first PCI-Express 4.0 SSD. The combination of Innogrit IG5236 controller, 128-layer YMTC flash, and fast 3200 MHz DRAM achieves excellent benchmark results. What's even more impressive is pricing. At $295, it's one of the most affordable 2 TB high-performance PCIe 4.0 SSDs out there.
The WD Blue SN570 is priced extremely competitively at only $90 for the 1 TB version. While pricing suggests "entry-level," the drive is actually the second-fastest PCIe 3.0 SSD we ever tested, faster than the Kingston KC2500, ADATA SX8200 Pro, and HP EX950.
The Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus uses the famous Phison E18 controller. In our real-life testing, it achieves a top score, almost matching the Samsung 980 Pro and WD Black SN850 at better pricing. We also tested the Sabrent PlayStation 5 heatsink, which is custom-shaped to fit the opening in the PS5 for maximized heat transfer.
The Team Group T-Force Cardea A440 Pro is based on the magical combination of a Phison E18 controller and Micron 176-layer 3D TLC flash. In our review, the drive achieves performance levels that are among the best we've ever seen. Team Group has also included a large heatsink that avoids thermal throttling completely.
The Kingston KC3000 is built using the Phison E18 controller and Micron's best 176-layer TLC NAND flash. In our performance testing, the drive can beat the Samsung 980 Pro and is the fastest SSD we ever tested. It shares that performance throne with the WD Black SN850.
The Crucial P5 Plus is the latest flagship SSD from Crucial. It is built using a new in-house PCI-Express 4.0 controller made by Micron, paired with the company's state-of-the-art 176-layer 3D TLC NAND flash. At $180, the Crucial P5 is priced similarly to the offerings of WD and Samsung, but does it have the performance to match?
The Kioxia Exceria is the new price/performance king in our SSD reviews. This Phison E12-based drive is priced at just 9 cents per GB, yet offers performance besting most value solid-state drives. This is the drive you want if money is tight.
The MSI Spatium M390 is based on the brand-new Phison E15 controller, which offers excellent performance while being cost-efficient to manufacture. It's one of the first drives I'd call "DRAM-less done right." With $110, the MSI Spatium M390 is priced very competitively and has the potential to kill all the QLC drives out there.
The Kioxia Exceria Plus G2 offers excellent real-life performance that rivals the best PCIe Gen 3 SSDs out there, but it's unfortunately not available in the US. Priced at around $270, the 2 TB drive in our review is quite affordable, too, and definitely worth considering when looking for a high-performance 2 TB M.2 NVMe SSD.
The Acer Predator GM7000 is a high-end SSD that's competing with the Samsung 980 Pro, WD Black SN850, and Corsair MP600 Pro. Powered by an Innogrit IG5236 controller paired with 96-layer TLC NAND from Micron, the Acer Predator GM7000 achieved excellent performance results in our review.
The SanDisk Ultra 3D is the most affordable 4 TB SSD available, currently selling for only $390. In terms of performance, it's nearly as fast as other high-end 2.5" SATA drives, and write speeds are sustained very well since there's no TLC write hole.
Finally! The Hynix Gold P31 SSD is available as a 2 TB version. Built exclusively with Hynix in-house components, the Gold P31 achieves impressive performance results, making it the fastest PCIe 3.0 SSD we ever tested. It's actually even faster than some PCIe 4.0 models, and much more affordable.
At $300 for the reviewed 2 TB version, the ADATA XPG Gammix S70 Blade is one of the most affordable PCIe 4.0 SSDs available today. Despite its low price, it offers compatibility with Sony's PlayStation 5, and performance is comparable to the Samsung 980 Pro, WD Black SN850, and Corsair MP600 Pro.
With $220 for the 2 TB version, the Neo Forza eSports NFP075 is a well-priced SSD based on the trusty combination of the Phison E12S controller and 96-layer 3D TLC NAND from Toshiba. In our performance tests, it achieved good performance comparable to the Crucial P5, Samsung 970 EVO, HP EX950, and Kingston A2000.
The Team Group MP34Q is a QLC-based M.2 NVMe SSD that uses the PCIe 3.0 interface, Phison's highly popular E12 controller, and 96-layer 3D QLC NAND from Micron. In our testing, we saw good performance results, but price/performance suffers due to the high price.
The MSI Spatium M480 is a flagship SSD based on the Phison E18 controller, featuring support for the fast PCI-Express 4.0 interface. Inside the box, you'll find a heatsink that looks fantastic and very sleek to provide cooling for this 7 GB/s monster.
With the Spatium Series, MSI is entering the highly competitive SSD market. The Spatium M470 uses a Phison E16 controller paired with 96-layer TLC flash from Toshiba, which makes it one of the fastest drives we ever tested, also thanks to support for the PCI-Express 4.0 interface.
With the Cardea Zero Z44Q, Team Group is exploring the possibility of QLC NAND on PCI-Express 4.0 powered by a Phison E16 controller. Included with the drive are two heatsinks: a flat foil for laptops and a full-sized heatsink for desktop. We test thermals of all three cooling configurations to see how much of a difference they can make.
The Sabrent Rocket Q4 is a PCI-Express 4.0 M.2 NVMe SSD that uses QLC NAND flash paired with a Phison E16 controller. Performance, especially in synthetic tests, is good, and the super-large SLC cache is able to soak up even the largest bursts of write activity. A very decent heatsink is included, too.
Priced at just $80 for the reviewed 1 TB version, the Neo Forza NFS01 2.5" SATA SSD is one of the most affordable drives on the market. While it won't break any speed records, its performance is good enough for many use cases, and the price point is very convincing.
The Samsung 980 is the company's first attempt at releasing a DRAM-less SSD for the consumer market. While such designs usually are slow and have terrible random write rates, Samsung has found a way around that. Our Samsung 980 review confirms that this is one of the fastest SSDs you can buy.
The SK Hynix Gold P31 M.2 NVMe SSD achieves truly impressive performance thanks to its Hynix "Cepheus" controller, which is paired with 128-layer NAND flash. It is the fastest PCIe Gen 3 drive we ever tested, beating even some Gen 4 drives, at a much better price.
The Addlink S95 is based on the ultra-fast Phison E18 controller paired with Micron 96-layer 3D TLC flash. Support for the PCI-Express 4.0 interface means that this drive is fast. In our testing, we saw transfer rates of up to 7 GB/s, making the S95 one of the fastest SSDs we ever tested.
Phison has improved their E18 controller to work with Micron's new 176-layer 3D TLC NAND. The result is an SSD that's faster than even the Samsung 980 Pro in both real-life and synthetic testing. What's even more impressive is that sustained write rates finally beat the MLC-based Samsung 970 Pro.
The Silicon Power XD80 uses a Phison E12 controller paired with 96-layer TLC flash from Toshiba. In our testing, the drive reached performance levels similar to the best PCIe Gen 3 SSDs. Priced at $240 for the 2 TB version, the Silicon Power XD80 is quite affordable, too.
The Acer FA100 solid-state drive is an entry-level M.2 NVMe SSD. In our extensive testing, we saw decent performance that matches competing SSDs. The SLC cache is also big enough to soak up the largest write bursts, and there's no thermal throttling.
