$\"Corsair$ <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Image: Corsair<\/span>\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Recent computing equipment typically supports the 16Gbps PCIe 4.0 protocol<\/a> as its baseline data transfer\/SSD storage technology. <\/p>\n

While Gen 4 is slowly being supplanted by 32Gbps PCIe 5.0 (most computers mix the two), the difference in real-world performance is not as great as you might think. A lot of software, which unfortunately includes Windows, can\u2019t take full advantage. Alas, PCIe 5.0 still demands a hefty surcharge.<\/p>\n

As to surcharges\u2026 At the time we were bringing this article up to date, SSD prices were soaring and availability shrinking \u2014 thanks in large part to the AI gold rush. Hence, the newly researched prices shown below will not match the older ones in the linked reviews.<\/p>\n

The recommendations below represent the cream of the nearly three dozen PCIe 4.0 SSDs that we\u2019ve reviewed, best suited for a variety of needs. Whether you want to upgrade or add more storage, there\u2019s a PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD for you. Read on to learn more, including what to look for.<\/p>\n

Why you should trust PCWorld for PCIe 4.0 SSD reviews and buying advice:<\/strong> We\u2019re not called PCWorld for nothing. Our reviewers have been testing PC hardware for decades. Our storage evaluations are exhaustive, testing the limits of every product \u2014 from performance benchmarks to the practicalities of regular use. As PC users ourselves, we know what makes a killer product stand out. Only the best SSDs have made our list of picks.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWD Black SN7100 SSD\/SanDisk Optimux GX 7100 \u2013 Best PCIe 4.0 SSD\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
\n
\n
$\"WD$ <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
\n
Pros<\/h3>\n
\n
Top-notch HMB performance<\/li>\n
Affordable<\/li>\n
Sexy name<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n
\n
Cons<\/h3>\n
\n
Slower random performance than DRAM designs<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPrice When Reviewed:\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t500GB: $60 I 1TB: $90 I 2TB: $140 \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBest Prices Today: \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/p>\n
\n
$\"Amazon\"$ \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
Who should buy the WD Black SN7100\/Optimus GX 7100?<\/h3>\n
Those looking for top sequential performance for a bit less money should be all over the WD Black SN7100, which is still available under that name but will be sold as the SanDisk Optimux GX 7100 going forward. (SanDisk was acquired, then recently divested by WD.)<\/p>\n
We were wowed by the 2TB SN7100\u2019s host memory buffer (HMB) performance, though it was supplanted as number one by an extremely narrow margin by the Lexar Play 2280<\/a>. However, unlike the latter, we were still able to find the Black SN7100 for sale online at the time of this writing, hence it\u2019s our best of pick.<\/p>\n
WD Black SN7100\/SanDisk Optimus GX 7100: Further considerations<\/h3>\n
There\u2019s a trade-off with HMB (host memory buffer) design SSDs, such as the SN7100. They use the host system\u2019s memory for primary caching duties, which can actually result in slightly faster sequential transfers, but weaker random performance. In other words, DRAM drives offer significantly better random\/4K file performance if that\u2019s what you\u2019re looking for.<\/p>\n
Why might you want better random performance? For a slightly snappier OS experience, though this can be very hard to spot with the naked eye.<\/p>\n
The Black SN7100 carries the industry standard five-year warranty \/ 600TBW rating (terabytes that can be written) per TB, and you\u2019re looking at probably the best PCIe 4.0 SSD for average users as well as gamers.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tRead our full
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWD Black SN7100 review \t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWD SN5100\/SanDisk Optimus 5100 \u2013 Best budget PCIe 4.0 SSD\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
\n
\n
$\"WD$ <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
\n
Pros<\/h3>\n
\n
Good everyday performance<\/li>\n
Very affordable<\/li>\n
Fastest NVMe SSD of any ilk we\u2019ve tested writing 450GB<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n
\n
Cons<\/h3>\n
\n
Top performance requires HMB support<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPrice When Reviewed:\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t500GB: $55 I 1TB: $80 I 2TB: $143 I 4TB: $300\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBest Prices Today: \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/p>\n
\n
\n
$\"Amazon\"$ \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$129.99\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
$\"Walmart\"$ \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$129.99\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
Who should buy the WD Blue SN5100\/SanDisk Optimus 5100?<\/h3>\n
It\u2019s hard to describe any SSD these days as \u201cbudget,\u201d but you will currently save quite a few bucks with this DRAM-less (HMB\/Host Memory Buffer) design. Once available at 2TB for $150, that drive is now $285. Thanks, OpenAI. That said, the SN5100, now remonikered as the SanDisk Optimus 5100, is still available which can\u2019t be said for a lot of the competition.<\/p>\n
The WD Blue SN5100 is the successor to our former bargain pick \u2014 the WD Blue SN5000<\/a>. The newer drive does better in most tests, most markedly in sustained\/sequential throughput. At the moment, the pricing is exactly the same, so we say go with the faster of the two.<\/p>\n
WD Blue SN5100\/SanDisk Optimus 5100: Further considerations<\/h3>\n
In our testing, the Blue SN5100 ranked third among all the HMB SSDs we\u2019ve tested \u2014 and was first by a large margin writing our 450GB file. You lose nothing in sequential performance these days with HMB.<\/p>\n
The drive sports a five-year warranty limited by a TBW rating (terabytes that may be written) of 600TBW per 1TB of capacity.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tRead our full
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWD Blue SN5100 review \t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCrucial P310 (2230) \u2013 Best PCIe 4.0 SSD for Steam Deck\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
\n
\n
$\"Crucial$ <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
\n
Pros<\/h3>\n
\n
Fastest 2230 SSD we\u2019ve tested<\/li>\n
Available with up to 2TB of capacity<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n
\n
Cons<\/h3>\n
\n
Low TBW endurance rating<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPrice When Reviewed:\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1TB: $115 I 2TB: $215\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBest Prices Today: \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/p>\n
\n
\n
$\"Amazon\"$ \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$179.99\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
$\"B&H\"$ \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$179.99\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
$\"Best$ \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$179.99\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
$\"Walmart\"$ \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$179.99\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
Who should buy the Crucial P310 (2230)?<\/h3>\n
If you need a small form-factor, 2230 (22mm wide, 30mm long) NVMe SSD for your Steam Deck or other device, look no further than the Crucial P310. It\u2019s the fastest 2230 SSD I\u2019ve tested, and by a rather large margin.<\/p>\n
The P310 bested our previous favorite 2230 drive \u2014 the WD Black SN770M<\/a> \u2014 in every benchmark save for the 450GB transfer, where the latter lost steam (pun intended) at the 85 percent mark after running out of secondary cache. That said, writes that large are rare for most users, and almost unheard of in a Steam Deck.<\/p>\n
Crucial P310 (2230): Further considerations<\/h3>\n
As of March 2026, the 1TB P310 2230 was still available and still comparatively (especially to 2280 models) affordable at $169. The TBW rating (terabytes that my be written to the drive) was still quite low at 225TBW per 1TB of capacity. That\u2019s still quite likely enough to last as long as your Steam Deck, and certainly the five-year warranty period.<\/p>\n
If optimum speed is what you\u2019re after, and you don\u2019t foresee regularly moving large amounts of data, the P310 is the 2230 ticket.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tRead our full
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCrucial P310 NVMe SSD (2230) review \t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSeagate Game Drive \u2013 Best PCIe 4.0 SSD for PS5\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
\n
\n
$\"Seagate$ <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
\n
Pros<\/h3>\n
\n
Very good overall performance<\/li>\n
Excellent 4K performance<\/li>\n
Low-profile heatsink<\/li>\n
Twice the TBW rating of the competition<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n
\n
Cons<\/h3>\n
\n
A bit pricey<\/li>\n
No 4TB model<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPrice When Reviewed:\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1TB: $100 I 2TB: $150 \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBest Prices Today: \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/p>\n
\n
\n
$\"Best$ \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$169.99\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
$\"Walmart\"$ \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$189.99\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
$\"Best$ \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$202.96\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
$\"Amazon\"$ \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$319.99\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
Who should buy the Seagate Game Drive PS5 NVMe SSD?<\/h3>\n
The Seagate Game Drive PS5 NVMe SSD is a PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD aimed specifically at next-gen game consoles \u2014 the PS5 in particular. It doesn\u2019t disappoint, using DRAM for primary caching duties, which is almost essential to wring top performance out of Sony\u2019s console system.<\/p>\n
The PS5 doesn\u2019t support HMB, so without DRAM SSD you\u2019re relying exclusively on an HMB SSD\u2019s slower secondary caching. The Game Drive ships in 1TB and 2TB capacities, so you\u2019ll have plenty of space to store all of your games. Note that when I checked recently (March 2026), this drive was still available, but in short supply.<\/p>\n
Seagate Game Drive PS5 NVMe SSD: Further considerations<\/h3>\n
While the Seagate Game Drive is optimized for a PS5, it\u2019s perfectly viable with any computing device with a PCIe M.2 2280 slot. It did remarkably well in our performance testing, earning the spot as the second-fastest PCIe 4.0 SSD to date with random ops. Seagate provides a generous five-year warranty with the drive and it has an astounding 1,275TBW rating \u2014 more than double the industry norm. PS5 owners simply can\u2019t go wrong with the Seagate Game Drive.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tRead our full
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSeagate Game Drive review \t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCorsair MP600 Micro \u2013 Best 2242 form-factor SSD\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
\n
\n
$\"Corsair$ <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
\n
Pros<\/h3>\n
\n
Direct fit for Lenovo 2242 M.2 slots<\/li>\n
Good performance<\/li>\n
Priced affordably<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n
\n
Cons<\/h3>\n
\n
Too long for 2230 slots<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPrice When Reviewed:\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1TB: $99.99\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBest Prices Today: \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/p>\n
\n
$\"Best$ \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$127.49\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
Who should buy the Corsair MP600 Micro?<\/h3>\n
The Corsair MP600 Micro fills a niche for devices that can accommodate an SSD that\u2019s larger than the 2230 form factor used by handheld gaming consoles, but can\u2019t accept a standard 2280 modules that are used in most PCs and laptops. We\u2019re talking about the 2242 form factor \u2014 meaning 22mm wide by 42mm long.<\/p>\n
Corsair MP600 Micro: Further considerations<\/h3>\n
Lenovo started the 2242 trend with its Legion Go and Thinkpad portables and there are now respectable storage upgrade options \u2014 the best of which is the Corsair MP600 Micro.<\/p>\n
The MP600 Micro isn\u2019t the fastest PCIe 4.0 SSD we\u2019ve tested, but it was the fastest 2242 type and turned in a performance that compared well against many 2280 SSDs. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tRead our full
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCorsair MP600 Micro review \t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
Other notable PCIe 4.0 SSD reviews<\/h2>\n
The Orico OS5<\/a> is marketed for the PS5, but uses a non-supported HMB design; the Teamgroup T-Create C47<\/a> stands out in super-long writes; and the Lexar NQ780<\/a> makes a very good showing in a field of stiff competition<\/p>\n
The Orico IG740-Pro<\/a> is a fast enough, decently affordable SSD that ships with some nice-to-have extras; the PNY CS2342<\/a> is a 2230 small form-factor SSD sized for Steam Deck, which performs very well with light workloads; and the Teamgroup MP44Q<\/a> is a great everyday performer.<\/p>\n
Addlink\u2019s A93\/S93<\/a> is a solid-performing PCIe 4.0, DRAM-less NVMe SSD that might save you a few bucks. But the A93 with its heatsink faces heavy competition from many similarly priced and often faster SSDs. <\/p>\n
New to the lineup, the WD SN850X 8TB SSD<\/a> is far faster than the previously tested 2TB version, but currently you\u2019ll pay a staggering premium for it; the 990 EVO Plus<\/a> is an update to Samsung\u2019s 990 EVO hybrid drive that can use either the PCIe 4.0 or PCIe 5.0 interface \u2014 although the latter is limited to PCIe 4.0\u2019s theoretical bandwidth.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re looking to stretch your SSD dollar (and who isn\u2019t these days), the T-Force G50<\/a> should be on your short list. It\u2019s a relatively inexpensive, solid performing PCIe 4.0 drive for everyday tasks; <\/p>\n
The Kingston NV3<\/a> is proof that DRAM-less drives \u2014 those use a Host Memory Buffer (HMB) as cache \u2014 can offer competitive performance; the Sabrent Rocket Nano 2242<\/a> features a smaller form factor (22mm x 42mm) that was tailor-made for Lenovo\u2019s Legion Go and Thinkpads \u2014 but can also be used in a standard slot as well.<\/p>\n
\n
How PCWorld tests PCIe 4.0 SSDs<\/h2>\n
Drive tests for most of the drives listed above utilized Windows 11, 64-bit running on an X790 (PCIe 4.0\/5.0) motherboard\/i5-12400 CPU combo with two Kingston Fury 32GB DDR5 4800MHz modules (64GB of memory total). Both 20Gbps USB and Thunderbolt 4 are integrated to the back panel and Intel CPU\/GPU graphics are used. The 48GB transfer tests utilize an ImDisk RAM disk taking up 58GB of the 64GB of total memory. The 450GB file is transferred from a 2TB Samsung 990 Pro<\/a> which also runs the OS.<\/p>\n
Newer SSDs were tested with Windows 11 24H2, 64-bit running off of a PCIe 4.0 Samsung 990 Pro in an\u00a0 Asus Z890-Creator\u00a0<\/a>WiFi (PCIe 4.0\/5.0) motherboard. The CPU is a Core Ultra i5 225 feeding\/fed by two\u00a0 Crucial 64GB DDR5 5600MHz\u00a0<\/a>modules (128GB of memory total). Both 20Gbps USB and Thunderbolt 5 are integrated and Intel CPU\/GPU graphics are used.\u00a0SSDs involved in the test are mounted in either a\u00a0 HighPoint 7604A 16x 4-slot PCIe 5.0 RAID adapter card<\/a>\u00a0or a single-slot Asus ROG M.2 PCIe 5.0 adapter.<\/p>\n
We run the\u00a0 CrystalDiskMark 8<\/a>,\u00a0 AS SSD 2<\/a>, and\u00a0 ATTO 4<\/a>\u00a0synthetic benchmarks to find the storage device\u2019s potential performance, then a series of 48GB and 450GB transfers tests using Windows Explorer drag-and-drop to show what you\u2019ll see under Window, as well as the far faster FastCopy to show what\u2019s possible. A two-drive 25GBps RAID 0 array on the\u00a0 HighPoint 7604A 16x PCIe 5.0 adapter card<\/a>\u00a0is used as the secondary source\/destination.<\/p>\n
Each test is performed on a newly formatted and TRIM\u2019d drive so the results are optimal. Note that in normal use, as a drive fills up, performance may decrease due to less NAND for secondary caching, as well as other factors. This can be less of a factor with the current crop of SSDs with far faster late-generation NAND.<\/p>\n
Caveat: <\/strong>The performance numbers shown apply only to the drive we were shipped and to the capacity tested. SSD performance can and will vary by capacity due to more or fewer chips to shotgun reads\/writes across and the amount of NAND available for secondary caching. Vendors also occasionally swap components. If you ever notice a large discrepancy between the performance you experience and that which we report, by all means, let us know.<\/p>\n
To learn more about our testing methodology see PCWorld\u2019s article on how we test internal SSDs<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Who curated this article<\/h2>\n
Jon L. Jacobi<\/a>\u00a0was around when computing meant flipping switches,\u00a0and has witnessed storage morph from punch cards and tape to solid state drives. He\u2019s been using and testing HDDs, SATA SSDs, and NVMe SSDs for PCWorld for more than two decades. To paraphrase a well-known commercial, you might say he\u2019s seen a thing or two.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
How to choose the best PCIe 4.0 SSD<\/h2>\n
There are a few things to look out for when purchasing a PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD, but most importantly you\u2019ll want to focus on capacity, price, and warranty length. Three-year warranties are standard with bargain drives, but nicer models are generally guaranteed for up to five years. <\/p>\n
A good indicator of expected longevity is an SSD\u2019s TBW (terabytes written) rating which mitigates the warranty period like the miles in an automobile warranty. This is the number of terabytes the vendor thinks you\u2019ll be able to write before it runs out of extra (overprovisioned) cells to replace worn ones. This is an equation based on the type of NAND being used, but also incorporates financial concerns. I.e., the cost of replacing the drive should it not last as long the rating.<\/p>\n
Unlike the early days of SSDs and NAND, modern drives won\u2019t generally wear out with normal consumer usage, as Tech Report<\/a> tested and proved years ago with a grueling endurance test. We\u2019re talking petabytes of writes in many cases. That said, QLC NAND generally carries a lower TBW rating than TLC NAND.<\/p>\n
Another crucial thing to watch out for is the technology used to connect the SSD to your PC. For more details and buying advice see below, or you can read our in-depth guide on which type of SSD you should buy<\/a>.<\/p>\n
A few handy definitions<\/h3>\n
PCIe<\/strong>: This is the standard modern memory transfer bus, to the tune of nearly 4GBps over PCIe gen 3 and well over 10GBps when you reach PCIe 5.0. The transport technology pairs nicely with the NVMe protocol (see the next entry) used by all modern M.2 PCIe SSDs. Most M.2 slots (some older ones are SATA \u2014 see below) are PCIe and you can buy adapters that allow you to employ \u201cgumstick\u201d (2280) M.2 drives in a PCIe slot. PCIe 4.0 drives are significantly faster than PCIe 3.0, but require an AMD Ryzen 3000-series or Intel Core 11th-gen (or newer) processor, along with a compatible PCIe 4.0 motherboard. PCIe 5.0 is even faster \u2014 up to 15GBps with storage.<\/p>\n
NVMe<\/strong>: Non-Volatile Memory Express technology takes advantage of PCIe\u2019s bountiful bandwidth and the unique properties of NAND such as multiple lanes and caching to create blisteringly fast SSD performance. Check out PCWorld\u2019s \u201cEverything you need to know about NVMe<\/a>\u201d for a nitty-gritty deep-dive.<\/p>\n
M.2<\/strong>: You might assume all M.2 drives are PCIe\/NVMe. However, before NVMe was a thing, some M.2 slots and SSDs were mSATA. If you\u2019re shopping to upgrade an older computer make sure which technology you need \u2014 NVMe or SATA.<\/p>\n
mSATA<\/strong> and U.2<\/strong>: You may also stumble across mSATA in older equipment, and U.2 SSDs for enterprise-grade servers and the like, but consumer motherboard support is almost nil for the latter. <\/p>\n
Speed matters, of course, but most modern SSDs, even the slower ones are ridiculously fast \u2014 so don\u2019t overbuy. A PCIe SSD will only perform as fast as the generation of the device it\u2019s installed in. In other words, don\u2019t expect a PCIe 5.0 SSD to perform at its rated speed on a PCIe 3.0 computer.<\/p>\n
Speaking of which, you can expect roughly 3.5GBps max from PCIe 3.0, 7.5GBps max from PCIe 4.0, and somewhere just north of 14GBps with PCIe 5.0 under optimal conditions \u2014 i.e., using synthetic benchmarks or software that supports NVMe\u2019s multiple queues. Single-queue Windows limits all flavors to under 4GBps during normal transfers, so again \u2014 don\u2019t overbuy in terms of performance.<\/p>\n
Note<\/strong>: If you want better transfer performance from your SSDs, check out FastCopy<\/a>. It can transfer files two to three times faster than Windows Explorer.<\/p>\n
\n
FAQ <\/h2>\n
\n
\n
1.<\/span><\/p>\n
What is the best PCIe 4.0 SSD?<\/h3>\n
PCWorld\u2019s top pick for a PCIe 4.0 SSD is the WD Black SN7100<\/a> in up to 4TB of capacity. The 2TB version that we tested was the second-fastest PCIe 4.0 SSD overall in our benchmarks, but is still available, while the ever-so-slightly faster Lexar Play 2280 doesn\u2019t seem to be.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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2.<\/span><\/p>\n
What is the best cheap PCIe 4.0 SSD?<\/h3>\n
The best cheap SSD in our view is the WD Blue SN5100<\/a>, followed closely by Kingston\u2019s NV3<\/a>. Both of these PCIe 4.0 SSDs are fast and relatively affordable.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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3.<\/span><\/p>\n
What is the best PCIe 4.0 SSD for a gaming console?<\/h3>\n
Essentially, gaming consoles are computers so the same SSDs that are best for PCs are the also best for gaming consoles. That said, the excellent performance and super-generous TBW rating of Seagate\u2019s Game Drive PS5 NVMe SSD<\/a> makes it our current choice. The DRAM design (which uses onboard memory for secondary caching) results in class-leading random ops performance, as well a full compatibility with PS5.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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4.<\/span><\/p>\n
What is the best brand for a PCIe 4.0 SSD?<\/h3>\n
\n
If you want the best guarantees look to Seagate, some of their pricier models have two to three times the TBW rating and a period of free data recovery is also provided. Samsung and WD are also long-standing favorites with well-earned reputations for quality products.<\/p>\n
That said, nearly all vendors use the same controllers and NAND as the big boys. The differences generally lie in support and warranty periods. In other words, there aren\u2019t any real dogs among relatively well-known SSD sellers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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5.<\/span><\/p>\n
Are SSDs good for long-term storage?<\/h3>\n
SSDs are excellent for long-term storage, though that depends on what you consider long term. Theoretically, the NAND memory cells, which are voltage traps, could leak over time and become unreadable, but in the decade or so that SSDs have been in heavy use, we\u2019ve not seen this type of degradation. Short answer, a couple of decades, yes; a couple of millennia, perhaps not.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/body><\/div>\n
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\n\t\tAuthor: Jon L. Jacobi<\/a>, Contributor, PCWorld\t\t<\/h3>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Jon Jacobi is a musician, former x86\/6800 programmer, and long-time computer enthusiast. He writes reviews on TVs, SSDs, dash cams, remote access software, Bluetooth speakers, and sundry other consumer-tech hardware and software.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\t<\/main><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Read More<\/a>
\n Margherita Antes<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Skip to content Image: Corsair Recent computing equipment typically supports the 16Gbps PCIe 4.0 protocol as its baseline data transfer\/SSD storage technology. While Gen 4 is slowly being supplanted by 32Gbps PCIe 5.0 (most computers mix the two), the difference in real-world performance is not as great as you might think. A lot of software<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":892496,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4371,1618,46],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-892495","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-experts","8":"category-picks","9":"category-technology"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/892495","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=892495"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/892495\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/892496"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=892495"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=892495"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=892495"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}