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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:dc="https://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"> <channel> <atom:link href="https://www.tomshardware.com/feeds/all" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <title><![CDATA[ Tomshardware ]]></title> <link>https://www.tomshardware.com</link> <description><![CDATA[ ]]></description> <lastBuildDate>Fri, 26 Apr 2024 07:21:14 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en</language> <item> <title><![CDATA[ Best Flash Drives 2024: Fast, Roomy, Pocketable USB Storage ]]></title> <dc:content><![CDATA[ <div class="fancy-box"><div class="fancy_box-title">Best Flash Drives</div><div class="fancy_box_body"><p class="fancy-box__body-text">1. <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="#section-best-fast-affordable-flash-drive">Fast and Affordable</a><br>2. <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="#section-fastest-flash-drive">Fastest</a><br>3. <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="#section-best-cheap-and-tiny-flash-drive">Cheap and Tiny</a><br>4. <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="#section-best-high-capacity-flash-drive">High Capacity</a><br>5. <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="#section-flash-drive-shopping-considerations">Shopping Tips</a><br>6. <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="#section-other-flash-drives-we-tested">Others We Tested</a></p></div></div><p>USB flash drives have remained the go-to option for those who need local, pocketable access to key files for decades now. These tiny drives are still sold everywhere (including chain drug stores, usually at highly inflated prices), despite companies like Google, Microsoft, and DropBox making cloud storage a convenient and often free (depending on capacity) alternative.</p><p>Because flash drives often seem to last forever, you could be hanging onto one that’s pitifully slow by today’s standards, and too cramped to hold all the data you want. Capacities of up to 2TB are an option with some models (and 1TB is becoming common), and the performance of the fastest flash drives approaches that of some of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-external-hard-drive-ssd,5987.html">best external SSDs</a>.</p><p>We’ve tested dozens of recent flash drives from leading brands to help find the best options for you, and listed the best USB flash drives below. However, if fast performance is important to you and you can live with a device that's just a little bit bigger, an external SSD might be a better buy. And if you have a spare M.2 SSD from upgrading a laptop or desktop, you may find more value by <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/build-your-own-external-ssd,6294.html">building your own external SSD</a>.</p><h2 id="xa0-best-flash-drives-you-can-buy-today-2"> Best Flash Drives You Can Buy Today</h2><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-best-fast-affordable-flash-drive"><span>Best Fast, Affordable Flash Drive</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:4000px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.30%;"><img id="H8uJ2i86T3P2qinzrRNwhK" name="20230622_140446.jpg" alt="Kingston DataTraveler Max" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/H8uJ2i86T3P2qinzrRNwhK.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="4000" height="2252" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="buying-guide-block"><h3 id="1-kingston-datatraveler-max-256gb-2"><span class="title__text">1. Kingston DataTraveler Max (256GB)</span><span class="chunk rating"><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span></span></h3><div class="_hawk subtitle"><p>Best Fast, Affordable Flash Drive</p></div><p class="specs__container"><strong>Capacities: </strong>256GB, 512GB, 1TB | <strong>Interface: </strong>USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) | <strong>Connector: </strong>USB-A (USB-C model also available) | <strong>Dimensions: </strong>3.24 x 0.87 x 0.36 inches | <strong>Warranty: </strong>5 years</p><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Extremely fast</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">256GB model is around $30</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Long 5-year warranty</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">USB-C connector is too short for motherboards</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Plastic shell feels a little cheap</div></div><p> Just like its roomier 1TB variant, the 256GB Kingston DataTraveler Max is a speed demon in the flash drive world, even if it falls a bit short of the newer Transcend ESD31C Portable SSD (see our next pic, below). But at $30-$35, Kingston’s 256GB drive is a great balance of speed, affordability and capacity for those who don’t want to spend much more on a roomier fast alternative. <br><br>Available with either a USB-C or USB-A connector (though not both, like Transcend’s drive), the 256GB DataTraveler Max performed nearly as well as its more spacious 1TB sibling in our PCMark, DisBench, and CrystalDiskMark tests, making it the second-fastest flash drive we’ve tested (third if you count the 1TB Kingston drive as competition). And it’s also fairly slim, making it easy to slip into a pocket. <br><br>Just note that, if you’re a desktop user and you opt for the model with the USB-C port, you will likely have problems plugging the drive into rear USB-C ports on the motherboard. Thanks to the two-piece plastic slide mechanism that protects the drive’s port when not in use, the USB-C connector is just a bit too short to plug into most motherboards successfully. I tried this with three boards I have on hand and had the same issue with each. But, if your PC case has a front USB-C port or you’re using a laptop, this shouldn’t be an issue. I only had a problem with rear motherboard ports and this drive.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-fastest-flash-drive"><span>Fastest Flash Drive</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:3098px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.23%;"><img id="SuZYBX9UBKFmPnuTajhEpN" name="SK hynix Tube T31 In Hand 2.jpg" alt="SK hynix Tube T3" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/SuZYBX9UBKFmPnuTajhEpN.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="3098" height="1742" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="buying-guide-block"><h3 id="2-sk-hynix-tube-t31-1tb-2"><span class="title__text"><a href="https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/external-ssds/sk-hynix-tube-t31-review">2. SK hynix Tube T31 (1TB)</a></span><span class="chunk rating"><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span></span></h3><div class="_hawk subtitle"><p>Fastest Flash Drive</p></div><p class="specs__container"><strong>Capacities: </strong>512GB, 1TB | <strong>Interface: </strong>USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) | <strong>Connector: </strong>USB-A | <strong>Dimensions: </strong>3.64 x 1.20x 0.55 inches | <strong>Warranty: </strong>3 years</p><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Simple, solid-feeling design</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Bulky for a flash drive</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Only offered in two capacities (max 1TB)</div></div><p>The line between flash drives and external SSDs is increasingly indistinct, and Sk hynix's Tube T31 blurs it even more, by putting an actual M.2 drive on a small PCB and shoving it into a somewhat bulky but inarguably speedy flash drive form factor. Capacity is limited to just 512GB and 1TB models, but this is the fastest "SSD stick" we've tested yet, surpassing Transcend's ESD310C and Kingston's DataTraveler Max drives on most of our tests. Priced at $85-$90 when we wrote this, it's also slightly more affordable than those drives at the 1TB capacity. <br><br>If you're after a simply designed portable drive and don't need 20 Gbps speeds or a capacity higher than 1TB, it's a great choice. Its bulk might get in the way of nearby ports. But on a laptop, the USB-A port (if you still have one) is likely set apart from other USB ports. And on a desktop, you probably have several USB-A ports to choose from, unlike USB-C. <br><br><strong>Read: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/external-ssds/sk-hynix-tube-t31-review"><u>SK hynix Tube T31 Review</u></a> </p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-best-cheap-and-tiny-flash-drive"><span>Best Cheap and Tiny Flash Drive</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1368px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.21%;"><img id="" name="Samsung Fit Plus.jpg" alt="Samsung Fit Plus (128GB)" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7tQ5k8yNoy8L6jUuVyMbhN.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1368" height="769" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="buying-guide-block"><h3 id="3-samsung-fit-plus-128gb-2"><span class="title__text">3. Samsung Fit Plus (128GB)</span><span class="chunk rating"><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star half"></span></span></h3><div class="_hawk subtitle"><p>Best Cheap and Tiny Flash Drive</p></div><p class="specs__container"><strong>Capacities: </strong>32GB, 64GB, 128GB, 256GB | <strong>Interface: </strong>USB 3.1 (5Gbps) | <strong>Connector: </strong>USB-A | <strong>Dimensions: </strong>0.93 x 0.74 x 0.29 inches | <strong>Warranty: </strong>5 years</p><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Tiny</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Affordable</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Decent performance</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Much slower writes than larger, pricier options</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Capacity tops at 256GB</div></div><p>If you're after a drive that's small enough to leave plugged into your laptop most of the time, or you just want something you can clip to your keychain and forget about until you need it, Samsung's FIT Plus stands out. The 128GB model we tested sells for $18, and when we wrote this the top-capacity 256GB model was selling for just <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.samsung.com/us/computing/memory-storage/usb-flash-drives/usb-3-1-flash-drive-fit-plus-256gb-muf-256ab-am/"><u>$25 direct from Samsung</u></a>. At less than an inch long including its USB-A connector, it will stick out of your port less than an inch when plugged in. And it has a hole for a lanyard, it feels solid – in fact, this sub-$20 drive feels better than the most expensive drives on our list. And Samsung says it's rated to survive in up to 1 meter of water for 72 hours. In case it doesn't, the company covers the drive with a generous five-year warranty.<br><br>That being said, our testing shows this tiny drive is in a much lower performance class than the bigger, pricier, roomier models. On our real-world DiskBench 10GB test, the Samsung Fit Plus read our files at a decent 319.7 MB/s, but could only write at 58.4 MB/s. That's just over half the read speed and less than 15% of the write speed of Kingston's 1TB DataTraveler Max. That said, the Samsung drive's performance was still significantly better than most of the drives we tested with capacities less than 1TB. SanDisk's Extreme Pro 128GB wrote our test files about twice as fast, but it costs nearly 2.5 times as much and is more than six times longer. </p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-best-high-capacity-flash-drive"><span>Best High Capacity Flash Drive</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:4000px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.30%;"><img id="" name="Buffalo SSD-PUT.jpg" alt="Buffalo SSD-PUT (2TB)" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZyxisogcwKkCaZS6QZFf9Q.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="4000" height="2252" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="buying-guide-block"><h3 id="4-buffalo-ssd-put-2tb-2"><span class="title__text">4. Buffalo SSD-PUT (2TB)</span><span class="chunk rating"><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star half"></span></span></h3><div class="_hawk subtitle"><p>Best High Capacity Flash Drive</p></div><p class="specs__container"><strong>Capacities: </strong>500GB, 1TB, 2TB | <strong>Interface: </strong>USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) | <strong>Connector: </strong>USB-A (USB-C adapter included) | <strong>Dimensions: </strong>2.70 x 0.90 x 0.40 inches | <strong>Warranty: </strong>3 years</p><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Very good performance</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Cheaper than many 2TB external SSDs</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Plastic exterior feels a little cheap</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Bulky for a flash drive</div></div><p>There are loads of insanely cheap no-name 2TB flash drives available on Amazon and sites like Aliexpress if you like throwing your money at scammy garbage tech – but the 2TB Buffalo SSD-PUT is real and (at $160 when we wrote this) a surprisingly good deal. It's cheaper than most larger 2TB external SSDs (although some of those will definitely be faster), and significantly smaller (although still bulky for a flash drive). Overall, this drive did slightly better on our benchmarks than its 1TB sibling, meaning it doesn't beat or often quite match the Kingston DataTraveler Max. But for the price -- and especially considering it's one of a very few 2TB drives available from a known brand, this is a very impressive performer.<br><br>On the minus side, the drive has the same creaky, cheap-feeling plastic shell as the 1TB model, and it's nearly an inch wide, making it a tight fit on some laptops where the ports are placed close together. But you get a roomy 2TB of pocket-friendly storage at fast speeds (for a flash drive), and a bundled USB-C adapter should your device not have a USB-A port handy. If Buffalo would just release this drive in solid-feeling metal housing (or even a solid-feeling plastic one), this would arguably be the perfect flash drive for those who need lots of storage in their pocket.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-flash-drive-shopping-considerations"><span>Flash Drive Shopping Considerations</span></h3><h2 id="flash-drive-shopping-considerations-2">Flash Drive Shopping Considerations</h2><p>One thing to keep in mind when shopping is what type of ports you'll be plugging your flash drive into. Some drives are offered with either a USB-A connector or USB-C, and some come with adapters to convert from USB-A to USB-C or vice versa. A few drives have both connectors on the same drive, which is certainly more convenient than having to keep track of an adapter and have it with you every time you need it. All of the faster flash drives we've tested have a single Type-A or Type-C connector. Also, note that drives that promise speeds of 500 MB/s or more use USB 3.x Gen 2 (10 Gbps) ports. That means if you're plugging those drives into a USB 3.0/USB 3.1 Gen1 (5Gbps) port (those are still far more common than the faster Gen 2 ports), performance won't be as fast as it could be. </p><p>Still, the performance differences between the lower-cost, lower-performing drives in our testing below and the higher-performing 1TB drives that top our test results are at times nearly a factor of 10, especially when it comes to write speeds. So even when you plug one of the fastest drives into a slower 5Gbps port, you should get much better performance than you would if using an older or cheap sub-$20 flash drive.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-how-we-test-flash-drives"><span>How We Test Flash Drives</span></h3><h2 id="how-we-test-flash-drives-2">How We Test Flash Drives</h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1979px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.24%;"><img id="" name="Best Flash Drives Testing.jpg" alt="Best Flash Drives" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2C7Q4t7MZNFTxbD8Fuo93N.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1979" height="1113" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure><p>We ran our benchmark tests on a custom desktop running Windows 10 Pro on an AMD Ryzen 7 3700X CPU and a Gigabyte X570 Aorus Master motherboard with 16GB of RAM and an older (but still speedy) Samsung 960 Pro boot drive. We also spot-checked our first few drives on a newer system using a Ryzen 5 5600X CPU and a much faster PCIe 4.0 Corsair MP600 Pro XT boot drive. But because none of these drives even get close to the bandwidth limitation of PCIe 3.0, there was no discernable performance differences between the two test systems.</p><p>All of our benchmark testing was done with drives plugged into the system's rear USB 3.1 Gen 2/ USB 3.2 (10 Gbps) ports. The Aorus board we used has one Type-C and one Type-A port rated for these speeds, so we were able to accommodate drives with both types of connectors.<br><br>To get a sense of how these flash drives compare to a larger (though still usually pocketable) external SSD, we also ran our flash drive tests on the Mushkin's CarbonX, a 1TB External SSD that's rated to similar speeds as the fastest flash drives, or "Up to 1,000 MBps." This drive is no longer widely available, but you can expect similar performance from some of the more affordable options on our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-external-hard-drive-ssd,5987.html"><u>Best External SSDs</u></a> list. </p><p>Given the falling prices of external SSDs and their general ability to perform better on longer-duration workloads (and particularly small file writes, which we'll see shortly in testing) an external SSD is often a better option if you are going to frequently be moving large amounts of files on and off your drive, and especially if you plan to run programs from your portable storage device. The larger surface area and improved controllers and components of external SSDs tend to be better at those kinds of tasks, though there are of course noticeable performance differences in that product category as well.</p><h2 id="trace-testing-pcmark-10-storage-benchmark-2">Trace Testing - PCMark 10 Storage Benchmark</h2><p>PCMark 10 is a trace-based benchmark that uses a wide-ranging set of real-world traces from popular applications and everyday tasks to measure the performance of storage devices.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1370px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:71.97%;"><img id="BXrg2N4xSoJAJU8ztg5emU" name="image001.png" alt="SK hynix Tube T31" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BXrg2N4xSoJAJU8ztg5emU.png" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1370" height="986" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure><p>On this first test, the SK hynix Tube T31 lands in third place. It's a respectable showing, but slightly behind our two other flash drive speedsters.</p><h2 id="transfer-rates-x2013-diskbench-2">Transfer Rates – DiskBench</h2><p>We use the DiskBench storage <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/tag/benchmark">benchmarking</a> tool to test real-world file transfer performance with a custom 50GB dataset. We copy 4,617 files (images, videos, and software ISO files) to a folder on the test drive (write). Then, after leaving the system idle for five minutes, we run the same test in reverse, moving the test folder to a different location on our PCIe 4.0 testing drive.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1349px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:72.05%;"><img id="N4UmDYY8NNY5SMCEZXzptU" name="image003.png" alt="SK hynix Tube T31" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/N4UmDYY8NNY5SMCEZXzptU.png" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1349" height="972" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Round two of our benchmarks sees the SK hynix drive rocket to the top in real-world read performance, about 135-142 MB/s faster than its closest competitors. And only Silicon Power's DS72 was faster on writes. This is a great showing for the SK hynix drive.</p><h2 id="synthetic-testing-crystaldiskmark-2">Synthetic Testing CrystalDiskMark</h2><p>CrystalDiskMark (CDM) is a free and easy-to-run storage benchmarking tool that SSD companies commonly use to assign product performance specifications. It gives us insight into how each device handles different file sizes. We run this test at its default settings.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1060px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:82.17%;"><img id="hqjYSawYARkZY25Mt6PozU" name="image005.png" alt="SK hynix Tube T31" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hqjYSawYARkZY25Mt6PozU.png" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1060" height="871" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure><p>On this test, the Tube T31 lands on top in both sequential reads and writes, proving itself to be more than 100MB/s faster on writes and 81MB/s faster than the 1TB Kingston DataTraveler Max.</p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1058px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:83.18%;"><img id="LJ84ydMaukreKB5rwjfe9V" name="image007.png" alt="SK hynix Tube T31" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LJ84ydMaukreKB5rwjfe9V.png" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1058" height="880" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure><p>Here the 2TB Buffalo SSD-Put shows up near the top of our charts for the first time, but the SK hynix drive is just two MB/s behind it on reads and lands in third place on writes.</p><p>SK hynix also touts the Tube T31's "consistent performance, even when full." This sounds great, and indeed could be an important differentiator for some users. I filled the Tube T31 to roughly 90% of its capacity and, in both our DiskBench file transfer test and CrystalDiskMark, it performed roughly the same (within run-to-run variance) as it did when it was empty. But I did the same thing with the competing Transcend and Kingston drives, and those drives didn't slow down when nearly full, either. Buffalo's 2TB SSD-PUT did slow down in sequential speeds in the same scenario, but it was roughly 10-15%.</p><hr><h2 id="a-note-on-temperatures-2">A Note on Temperatures</h2><p>If you've used a flash drive in the past and written lots of data on it, there's a good chance you've grabbed it to yank it out when you're done and winced at the hot – or at the very least surprisingly warm – exterior. We've certainly dealt with uncomfortably toasty drives before, but perhaps that's becoming an issue of the past. </p><p>None of the drives we tested felt hot to the touch after testing. And we used an IR thermometer to check the temperature of several during a long 100GB write test. After several minutes of sustained writing, the Transcend and PNY drives got the warmest, but were still under 94 degrees Fahrenheit. The solid-feeling metal-clad Orico drive got up to just 83.4 degrees, and the similarly solid OWC Envoy Pro Mini remained the coolest, at just 78.5 degrees Fahrenheit. The tiny Samsung Fit Plus, which barely has any surface area compared to the other drives, topped out at 82.1 degrees in our testing. Doubtlessly the Samsung drive is helped here by the fact that it writes much more slowly than many of the larger drives.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-other-flash-drives-we-tested"><span>Other Flash Drives We Tested</span></h3><h2 id="other-flash-drives-we-tested-2">Other Flash Drives We Tested</h2><p><strong>Silicon Power MS70 (1TB) and DS72 (1TB): </strong>These two drives from Silicon Power perform roughly the same and have similarly solid-feeling shells and flip-up caps. The DS72 has a USB-C connector on one and and USB-A on the other, while the MS70 makes do with just USB-A.<br><br></p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:4000px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.30%;"><img id="za35jvcycQKV32veLCs8z5" name="20240305_151704.jpg" alt="Silicon Power MS70 and DS72 flash drives" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/za35jvcycQKV32veLCs8z5.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="4000" height="2252" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure><p>The Silicon Power drives also perform fairly well overall, but were inconsistent on our tests. In Crystal Diskmark's sequential tests, they were the best flash drives we've tested yet, and they were also among the best on our 10GB DiskBench test. But on the PCMark 10 Data Drive benchmark, they consistently delivered scores that were roughly half of what the Transcend and Kingston drives we tested and they weren't particularly impressive in our 4K test, either.<br><br>Pricing for the 1TB models that we tested was also in an awkward middle area, between our favorite mainstream drive from Buffalo and the better-performing options from Transcend and Kingston. Still, if the price drops by $10-$20, these would be good options, particularly if you mostly want a drive to move files from one place to another rather than to run programs from, directly. Their physical design and build quality feels better than some of the more expensive options out there. </p><p>We tested more than a dozen drives for this list in the quest to find the best flash drives, and will be adding more in the near future. Many of the lower-capacity, lower-priced drives performed poorly overall, proving the adage "you get what you pay for." However, some expensive 1TB drives suffered from disappointing performance in some benchmarks, proving you don't always get a great drive even if you're willing to spend close to $100. Below are some of the drives that stood out but didn't make the list.</p><p><strong>Orico USSD-X (512GB): </strong>Orico's latest flash drive is wrapped completely in metal, and feels surprisingly solid in your hand. And supposedly it will be offered in several colors. Its performance in our testing hovered between middle of the pack and near the top, excelling in our PCMark and Diskbench tests, especially. That said, its performance didn't stand above the rest in any single test, and at the time of testing, we couldn't find it for sale in the US. Hopefully, the company improves its supply issues, because this USB-A drive feels better to hold and use than arguably any other flash drive we've tested. And its performance is quite solid. We just need to know how much it will cost.<strong><br><br>OWC Envoy Pro Mini (1TB): </strong>This drive was the second-fastest overall and sports a solid metal shell. But its design is overly complicated, as is its setup process (which forces you to agree to a EULA which, when we wrote this, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://eshop.macsales.com/software-license-agreement">was still 404ing</a>). Really though, the primary problem with OWC's drive is price. At $149 for the most spacious 1TB model, it's nearly as expensive as the 2TB Buffalo drive. And often the Buffalo drive goes on sale for less.</p><p><strong>Patriot Supersonic Rage Prime (1TB): </strong>With a name this obnoxiously aggressive (and $90 price to match), we were expecting impressive things from Patriot's top-end flash drive. And it did quite well in some tests, but struggled on our 10GB file transfer test, managing to write at just 91.7 MB/s–behind all but the lower-capacity, much lower-priced drives on this list.<br><br><strong>PNY Pro Elite (1TB): </strong>We like the solid metal shell of this PNY drive, but its $130 asking price is higher than any other 1TB drive we've tested. And it struggled on our 10GB write test, managing just 96.9 MB/s, which was slower than even Samsung's 256GB Duo Plus drive. There isn't much that's pro or elite about that.<br><br><strong>Orico UFSD-C (1TB): </strong>This metal-clad USB-C drive looks and feels great and performed quite well overall, though its benchmark results didn't stand out in any real way. Its main issue is availability. The company sent us the 1TB model we asked for, but it doesn't seem to be for sale anywhere in the US. You can order it on Aliexpress, but even there it's only available at up to 512GB, and its $82 current price is close to what we'd expect the 1TB model to sell for.<br><br><strong>TeamGroup Extreme Speed (1TB): </strong>This drive was another decent performer, delivering read and write speeds in our 10GB test of between 300 and 400 MB/s. But a few other high-end drives were faster, its plastic shell feels like something you'd expect on a $10 drive, and its $130 price means it's just not competitive when faster drives from Buffalo and Kingston cost less than $100. </p><p><strong>Corsair Flash Voyager GTX (1TB): </strong>The zinc alloy housing of Corsair's 1TB flash drive feels like it could survive a bomb blast or two, and its performance is better than some competitors at this capacity. But its $286 asking price on Amazon (and even crazier $334 price directly from Corsair) feels like a bomb on your credit card bill. Buffalo's 1TB drive performed better in most of our tests and costs a quarter the price. </p><p><strong>Samsung Duo Plus (256GB): </strong>This drive from Samsung delivered decent results, feels solid, and has a nicely designed housing that incorporates a USB-C-to-USB-A adapter. But it's no longer available at most major outlets, so we chose the smaller Fit Plus drive instead, which is widely available and performs similarly on many of our tests. <br><br><strong>Samsung USB-Type-C (128GB): </strong>One of Samsung's newer drives, this model sports solely a USB-C connector and isn't much bigger than the USB-A Fit Plus drive. But it's slightly more expensive than the Fit drive and had a tendency to land near the bottom of our tested Samsung drives in terms of performance. If you need USB-C and don't need a lot of speed (and particularly write speed) and capacity (it tops out at 256GB), this isn't a bad drive. It just doesn't stand out in any substantive way. And we wish its write speed were at least twice as fast as the 59-67 MB/s we saw in our sequential tests. Read speeds were, at least, much faster at more than 300 MB/s.</p><p><strong>SanDisk Extreme Pro (128GB): </strong>While SanDisk's high-end drive performed well compared to other 128GB models, its $43 price at that capacity is about 2.5x that of Samsung's Fit Plus. And while it is available in up to 1TB capacities, the most spacious model sells for between $130 and $200, making it much more expensive than competing drives.<br><br><strong>SanDisk Ultra (256GB): </strong>SanDisk's plastic-clad Ultra drive is exactly the kind of thing you'll see drastically overpriced at your local pharmacy or big-box store. Online, it seems fairly reasonable at about $20. But Samsung's Fit Plus is much smaller, performed better in most of our tests, and can be found for $5-10 more in the 256GB capacity. </p><div class='jwplayer__widthsetter'><div class='jwplayer__wrapper'><div id='futr_botr_1U36RYzO_3ctY47st_div' class='future__jwplayer'><div id='botr_1U36RYzO_3ctY47st_div'></div></div></div></div><p><strong>MORE: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-ssds,3891.html"><strong>Best SSDs</strong></a></p><p><strong>MORE: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-external-hard-drive-ssd,5987.html"><strong>Best External SSDs and Hard Drives</strong></a></p><p><strong>MORE: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/how-we-test-storage,4058.html"><strong>How We Test HDDs And SSDs</strong></a></p><p><strong>MORE: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/topics/ssd"><strong>All SSD Content</strong></a></p> ]]></dc:content> <link>https://www.tomshardware.com/best-picks/best-flash-drives</link> <description> <![CDATA[ Today's best flash drives are faster and speedier than ever. We've tested dozens to find the best. ]]> </description> <guid isPermaLink="false">TZMKhu5xjYoc2T8x5fyXvU</guid> <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UFhu3svnzmABHCoiveqdAP.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="0"></enclosure> <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 19:03:19 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[USB Flash Drives]]></category> <category><![CDATA[PC Components]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Storage]]></category> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UFhu3svnzmABHCoiveqdAP.jpg"> <media:credit><![CDATA[Tom's Hardware]]></media:credit> <media:text><![CDATA[Best Flash Drives]]></media:text> <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Best Flash Drives]]></media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title><![CDATA[ Nintendo forces Garry's Mod to delete 20 years of content — Garry confirms Nintendo is behind Steam Workshop purge ]]></title> <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>PC gaming classic <em>Garry's Mod</em> is nearly 20 years worth of content, as Nintendo has issued a takedown notice for all Nintendo-based user content in the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/4000/view/4200245595694413052">Steam Workshop</a> for the game. Garry, the eponymous creator of the game, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://x.com/garrynewman/status/1783501547361411494">confirmed on Twitter/X </a>today that there is no mistake, Nintendo themselves issued the major takedown notice.</p><div class="see-more see-more--clipped"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet hawk-ignore" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I have been assured that the takedowns have been verified by Nintendo as legit, so this will now continue as planned. Sorry. 🫸🍄🗑️<a href="https://twitter.com/garrynewman/status/1783501547361411494">April 25, 2024</a></p></blockquote><div class="see-more__filter"></div><div class="see-more__button-container"><span class="see-more__button" role="button" tabindex="0" aria-label="See more">See more</span></div></div><p><em>Garry's Mod</em> players spent the first hours after the announcement questioning whether Nintendo truly issued the takedown, pinning the potential blame on trolls. However, Garry took to the internet to confirm Nintendo's involvement. He tweeted, "I have been assured that the takedowns have been verified by Nintendo as legit, so this will now continue as planned. Sorry. 🫸🍄🗑️" The Garry's Mod Steam page notes that the process of complying with the takedown will take much time, adding "If you want to help us by deleting your Nintendo related uploads and never uploading them again, that would help us a lot." <br><br>Nintendo has a reputation for bringing litigation to companies that it belives harm its brand. The company received news coverage most recently for a lawsuit against the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/console-gaming/notoriously-litigious-nintendo-sues-maker-of-yuzu-switch-emulator-alleges-it-facilitates-piracy-at-a-colossal-scale">Yuzu Switch emulator</a>, arguing in their suit that all emulation in any form is illegal. This move angered game preservation and emulation enthusiasts. Today's Garry's Mod takedown is harder to argue with, as ripping or copying copyrighted assets is fair game for a DMCA request. <br><br>Garry's Mod will likely spark good memories longtime PC gamers. The Steam darling has been a fixture of the PC gaming landscape since 2006, inspiring many eras of internet culture like the multiplayer game modes Prop Hunt and Mafia-like Trouble in Terrorist Town which have seen extensive imitations in AAA games, and years of YouTube animations culminating in 2023 megahit Skibidi Toilet. The sandbox game is known for the massive workshop of user-made creations, which Nintendo took issue with when it discovered years' worth of ripped Nintendo assets in-game.<br><br>If you're feeling nostalgic and looking to boot Garry's Mod back up on your PC, it will thankfully run on almost any computer produced in the last 10 years. But if you're looking for an excuse to upgrade anyways, consider our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/best-picks/best-pc-builds-gaming">most recent build guide</a> on PCs at any budget.</p> ]]></dc:content> <link>https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/pc-gaming/nintendo-forces-garrys-mod-to-delete-20-years-of-content-garry-confirms-nintendo-is-behind-steam-workshop-purge</link> <description> <![CDATA[ Nintendo has issued takedowns on 20 years of Nintendo-based user content in Garry's Mod, confirms Garry himself. ]]> </description> <guid isPermaLink="false">tKXorSz375XcqBEPYFASsL</guid> <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2R74LKQH2b9bHk6iuzyhxM.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="0"></enclosure> <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 18:49:10 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[PC Gaming]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Video Games]]></category> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2R74LKQH2b9bHk6iuzyhxM.jpg"> <media:credit><![CDATA[Facepunch Studio]]></media:credit> <media:text><![CDATA[Screenshot from Garry's Mod]]></media:text> <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Screenshot from Garry's Mod]]></media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title><![CDATA[ Asus ROG Ally gets official AMD Fluid Motion Frames support for universal Frame Gen without custom drivers ]]></title> <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>The <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/asus-rog-ally-ryzen-z1-extreme">Asus ROG Ally</a> is receiving official support for AMD's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/gpu-drivers/amd-fluid-motion-frames-comes-out-of-preview-claims-up-to-97-more-fps-at-1080p-in-first-full-radeon-driver-release">Fluid Motion Frames</a>. The company revealed a forum post with <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://rog-forum.asus.com/t5/changelogs/changelog-april-25th-2024-rog-ally/ba-p/1012309">official changelog</a> posted to Asus' ROG Forums yesterday. While select ROG Ally users were already using the feature by using custom driver software, this official update from Asus will allow for AMD FMF to be used on ROG Ally, and allows for Frame Generation to be applied to nearly any game— even those without full <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/news/amds-fsr3-frame-generation-to-launch-today">AMD FSR 3</a> support.</p><p>Since the ROG Ally handhelds have a 16:10 1200p display resolution and run at up to 120 Hz, the addition of AMD FMF is sensible— particularly for the more powerful <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/asus-rog-ally-ryzen-z1-extreme">ROG Ally Z1 Extreme</a> model. AMD recommends only using AMD FMF when you're already reaching 60 frames per second — which would become a smooth 120 Hz on this screen with FMF, as long as you can really hit that FPS cap to begin with. AMD FMF may also work doubling lower FPS (like 40), but the best results will always start at 60 FPS real performance and higher.</p><p>Asus ROG Ally users will soon be able to test out AMD's Fluid Motion Frames for themselves via today's iGPU driver and ACSE updates that should already be pushed to their devices. An AFMF toggle is also set to be added to the ROG Command Center at some future update, though for now it has to be enabled in AMD's driver software once the update is complete.</p><p>Just because you have the cool feature to enable, Frame Generation still needs a good enough base framerate before you can start using it effectively without worsening input lag. Frame Gen isn't intended to be used on non-playable games to make them "playable." It's intended to make already-playable experiences smoother if the display hardware has the flex room. So, we generally don't recommend enabling Frame Gen on games that you already have trouble running, especially if you can't achieve 40-60 FPS or higher, on average.</p> ]]></dc:content> <link>https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/handheld-gaming/asus-rog-ally-gets-official-amd-fluid-motion-frames-support-for-universal-frame-gen-without-custom-drivers</link> <description> <![CDATA[ Asus ROG Ally enables Frame Generation on handhelds. ]]> </description> <guid isPermaLink="false">ELxb7nGUiKGmJQUq8KEwuT</guid> <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/D498YjM6G3u2kv2oeLFgoT.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="0"></enclosure> <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 17:43:35 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Handheld Gaming]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Video Games]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Console Gaming]]></category> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/D498YjM6G3u2kv2oeLFgoT.jpg"> <media:credit><![CDATA[Tom's Hardware]]></media:credit> <media:text><![CDATA[Asus ROG Ally]]></media:text> <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Asus ROG Ally]]></media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title><![CDATA[ Russian media claims server and storage supply has returned to pre-sanctions levels despite ongoing restrictions ]]></title> <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Despite the best efforts of the United States, Russia's stock of servers and computer storage has reportedly returned to heights it had not reached since before sanctions were leveled in February of 2022. Heavy sanctions on Russia's ability to access almost anything with a computer chip were leveled by the United States in 2022 in response to Russia's antagonism of Ukraine. </p><p>Russian news site <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.cnews.ru/news/top/2024-04-24_import_serverov_i_sdh_v_rossii">CNews</a> reported on the exact hardware numbers entering Russia on Wednesday. The flow of solid state drives entering the state has increased fivefold since 2022, up to 148,000 units in 2023. 126,000 foreign-based server units also entered the country, up 1% from pre-sanction 2021.<br><br>The lion's share of this influx likely came with help from Chinese distributors, whose willingness to send anything into Russia <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/cpus/nearly-90-of-chips-used-in-russia-come-from-china-despite-us-sanctions-report">has contributed 89% of the processors used in the country</a> today. While the report generally tracks with other sources that have indicated newly improved supply lines from China to Russia, as with all reports from Russia news sources, we should take the analysis with some salt given potential patriotic or government influences.</p><p>But Russia is reportedly also still buying from countries that have supposedly cut all ties with them; CNews also claims that Moscow is somehow <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://gov.cnews.ru/news/top/2024-03-29_departament_moskvy_predpochtet">purchasing 8 data centers</a> from HP Enterprise for 665 million rubles ($7.2 million). The absurd cost of the exchange likely comes from import fees from China, India, or the UAE, all of whom helped Russia get their hands on <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/cpus/russia-buys-chips-from-intel-amd-and-others-to-fuel-war-efforts-the-country-bought-dollar17-billion-in-2023">$1.7 billion</a> worth of Intel and AMD chips in 2023. The cost is necessary for Moscow to upgrade their aging smart transit system.</p><p>As much as the nation would celebrate tech independence, foreign servers are the lifeblood of Russia for now. 69% of all servers used privately in Russia are foreign-built, with demand steadily rising beyond the rate that extortionate import fees can cover. Domestic brands like Yadro or Aquarius try to fill the void for Russian-made hardware, but these are still built mostly with American components today, and the Russian tech industry can only survive so long in a sequestered state. </p><p>The race is on to see whether Russia ramps down its global antagonism to remove sanctions, or if they can find ways to domestically produce computer hardware at scale first. Forever using expensive import methods will hurt Russia in the long term, but in the modern day, the nation will likely pay any price for access to the high-end computing power needed to run their brutish, belligerent military force. Recent news points to Russia funding the development of its own new <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/desktops/servers/russia-prepares-128-core-server-platform-for-supercomputers-report">128-core HPC server platform</a>.</p> ]]></dc:content> <link>https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/russian-media-claims-server-and-storage-supply-has-returned-to-pre-sanctions-levels-despite-ongoing-restrictions</link> <description> <![CDATA[ Russia's server and storage supply was hampered by U.S.-imposed sanctions, but the state seems to have returned to normalcy nevertheless. ]]> </description> <guid isPermaLink="false">QcEMqDNPQ2LNJeTMNCag8Y</guid> <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nogfjdBeCWzCvra6GPh6KD.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="0"></enclosure> <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 17:29:54 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Tech Industry]]></category> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nogfjdBeCWzCvra6GPh6KD.jpg"> <media:credit><![CDATA[Pixabay]]></media:credit> <media:text><![CDATA[A Russian flag on the pin of a microchip]]></media:text> <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A Russian flag on the pin of a microchip]]></media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title><![CDATA[ Windows 11 will reportedly display a watermark if your PC does not support AI requirements ]]></title> <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>With Windows 11 24H2 all geared up to have AI-intensive applications, Microsoft has added a code that will <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-to-warn-if-your-windows-11-pc-doesnt-meet-system-requirements-for-ai-explorer/">warn you</a> if your PC does not meet the hardware requirements, according to code <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://twitter.com/thebookisclosed/status/1782399407310410044">dug up by Twitter/X sleuth Albacore</a> (via <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-to-warn-if-your-windows-11-pc-doesnt-meet-system-requirements-for-ai-explorer/">Neowin</a>). The warning will be displayed as a watermark so you know that you cannot use certain AI-powered built-in apps because of an unsupported CPU.</p><p>Earlier, it was thought that only PopCnt was the only requirement later but the coding revealed a mandatory SSE4.2 requirement. Regardless, this wouldn't make much difference to practically most users as CPUs that support Windows 11 have SSE 4.2 instructions. Still, it is interesting to see Microsoft adding this check for its AI-powered apps. Some of these applications are likely <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/software/windows/the-next-cortana-copilot-on-windows-is-no-reason-to-buy-a-new-pc">Advanced Copilot</a> and AI File Explorer. It was also revealed that the upcoming Windows 11 build will include a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/software/operating-systems/ai-super-resolution-scaling-for-all-apps-previewed-in-latest-windows-11-insider-build">DirectX AI Super Resolution</a>. </p><div class="see-more see-more--clipped"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet hawk-ignore" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Looking at bits present in insider build 26200, AI Explorer indeed checks these requirements and if they aren't met, a warning will be present in its overlays. You can however skip the check altogether by disabling ID 48486440. This only disables AIX making the check, not the API https://t.co/XmnjzCZqEw<a href="https://twitter.com/thebookisclosed/status/1782399407310410044">April 22, 2024</a></p></blockquote><div class="see-more__filter"></div><div class="see-more__button-container"><span class="see-more__button" role="button" tabindex="0" aria-label="See more">See more</span></div></div><p>Albacore investigated the Windows 11 Insider Build 26200 and found the AI Explorer to have an AI Explorer requirements coded in the operating system. The coding included hardware requirements for the CPU with the required instructions and a minimum of 16GB of memory. For example, he installed the Insider version on a system with an ARM64 CPU. Albacore did find a way to bypass this check by disabling ID 48486440 on the RTM build. </p><p>Interestingly, the software giant added this check since the Windows 11 24H2 will not boot without these instruction sets, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/software/windows/microsoft-updates-windows-11-24h2-requirements-cpu-must-support-sse42-or-the-os-will-not-boot">according to a previous report</a>. Though speculative, one would wonder if the company has this extra step in case someone uses bypasses to force the OS to boot with an unsupported CPU. </p><h2 id="check-comes-during-time-of-criticism-2">Check comes during time of criticism</h2><p>This check comes at a time where Windows 11 has been increasingly criticized by enthusiasts. Microsoft <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/software/operating-systems/windows-11-update-brings-advertisements-to-the-start-menu">decided to display ads</a> linking to its app store in the form of 'recommendations' <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/software/operating-systems/windows-11-update-brings-advertisements-to-the-start-menu">i</a>n the Start Menu. A few days ago, its Start menu's performance was criticized by a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/software/windows/ex-windows-developer-calls-windows-11-start-menu-performance-comically-bad-even-with-a-core-i9-and-128gb-of-ram">former developer</a>. Microsoft also stifled the ability to customize Windows 11's UI <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/software/operating-systems/microsoft-stifles-third-party-interface-customization-apps-in-windows-11-version-24h2">using well-known apps</a>.<br><br>We'll simply have to see how the user experience is with the upcoming update, and how flexible Microsoft is willing to be with the wide variety of CPUs and other components in use today.</p> ]]></dc:content> <link>https://www.tomshardware.com/software/operating-systems/windows-11-will-reportedly-display-a-watermark-if-your-pc-does-not-support-ai-requirements</link> <description> <![CDATA[ In an attempt to make its users aware, Microsoft will be overlaying a watermark on PCs with Windows 11 24H2 which will not have compatible CPUs using SSE 4.2 instructions as its native apps use it for AI. ]]> </description> <guid isPermaLink="false">XCMp6iBXj7zm78RZNziKyf</guid> <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/35VQkXsW8WPQ29LfnDrSZS.png" type="image/png" length="0"></enclosure> <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 16:52:53 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Operating Systems]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Software]]></category> <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/35VQkXsW8WPQ29LfnDrSZS.png"> <media:credit><![CDATA[Microsoft]]></media:credit> <media:text><![CDATA[Windows 11]]></media:text> <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Windows 11]]></media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title><![CDATA[ Asus creates motherboard specifically for overclocking Chinese CPUs — boosts homegrown KX-7000 clocks by 25% ]]></title> <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>China's Zhaoxin KX-7000 CPU was tested in several benchmarks against similarly performing Intel and AMD CPUs. <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://twitter.com/9550pro/status/1783075530499387494?t=vKFsAsgJxnwPDSoLo4VgnQ&s=31">@9550pro on X</a> was the first to find the information in a now-deleted video posted to bilibili. The benchmarks revealed that the KX-7000 is 2x to 3x faster than its predecessor, but is only capable of competing with Kaby Lake quad-core CPUs. The chip was tested by Asus' Tony Yu on a new Asus motherboard made specifically for the KX-7000.</p><p>Testing was conducted in several benchmarks including Geekbench 6 and CPU-Z 2.08, comparing the KX-7000 to the Core i5-7500, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/intel-kaby-lake-core-i7-7700k-i7-7700-i5-7600k-i5-7600,4870.html">Core i7-7700K</a>, and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/amd-ryzen-7-1700x-review,4987.html">Ryzen 7 1700X</a>. At stock clocks, the KX 7000 achieved 351 points in the CPU-Z single-core score and 2,654 points in the multi-core score. In CPU-Z the KX-7000 was 20% slower than the Core i5-7500 but 43% quicker in the mutli-core test. </p><div class="see-more see-more--clipped"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet hawk-ignore" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">ASUS X Zhaoxin KX-7000 https://t.co/Dsmtbde2k9 pic.twitter.com/mnJWph94S5<a href="https://twitter.com/9550pro/status/1783075530499387494">April 24, 2024</a></p></blockquote><div class="see-more__filter"></div><div class="see-more__button-container"><span class="see-more__button" role="button" tabindex="0" aria-label="See more">See more</span></div></div> <p>Against the Core i7-7700K, the KX-7000 showed virtually identical multi-core performance, but the i7 counterpart was 29% quicker in the single-core test. The only CPU that managed to outperform the KX-7000 in both tests emphatically was the Ryzen 7 1700X, which was 17% quicker in the single-core benchmark and nearly 2x faster in the multi-core test. Tony Yu only tested the KX-7000 against the Core i5-7500 in other benchmarks, but similar to the CPU-Z benchmark the KX-7000 showed similar performance to the Kaby Lake part.</p><p>Overclocked from 3.2 GHz base to 3.6 GHz OCed, the KX-7000 gained an impressive 21% additional multi-core performance and 10% more single-core performance. It wasn't enough for the KX-7000 to overthrow the Core i5, i7, or Ryzen 7 parts, but it did bring its single-core performance close to the i5-7500 while still vastly outperforming it in multi-core performance.</p><p>Despite the overclocking focus, Asus' KX-7000 compatible motherboard is anything but fancy. The board shares many similarities with entry-level H610/B660 motherboards on the market, including what looks like a middling power delivery system and no VRM heatsinks whatsoever. Overclocking is rated at up to 5 GHz but only for extreme cases such as LN2 overclocking, regular overclocking is rated at up to 4 GHz.</p><p>The KX-7000 compatible Asus board comes with a 6+2 phase VRM power delivery system, two DIMM slots, a single <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/glossary-m2-definition,5887.html">M.2</a> slot, two <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-ssds,3891.html">SATA 3</a> ports, two <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/pcie-definition,5754.html">PCIe x16 Gen 4</a> slots, and a single x1 Gen 4 slot. All I/O capabilities are handled by the CPU itself, resulting in a lack of a motherboard chipset altogether.</p><p>Despite its power delivery system not being anything special, it is more than enough to power the KX-7000. Power consumption was rated at just 85W stock in multi-threaded tests, which is not much power at all. Overclocked power consumption was not tested, but it appears to be low enough for the 6+2 phase power delivery system to handle it.</p><p>The KX-7000 might not be the fastest CPU in the world, but it is one of the best CPUs China is capable of producing at this time. The Chinese processor features Zhaoxin's latest "<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/cpus/chinese-chipmaker-with-x86-license-releases-surprisingly-modern-new-chips-made-with-a-mystery-process-node-xhaoxin-kx-7000-cpu-launches-with-eight-cores-37ghz-clocks-pcie-40-and-ddr5-memory-support">Century Avenue</a>" CPU architecture which has an improved front-end, out-of-order execution capabilities, and superior cache and memory optimizations compared to its predecessors.</p><p>Despite its slowness, reaching <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/news/all-intel-skylake-cpus,29992.html">Skylake</a>/<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-kaby-lake-cpu-series,33278.html">Kaby Lake</a> levels of performance is a huge win for China and Zhaoxin. Previously Zhaoxin was fighting <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/features/zhaoxin-kx-u6780a-x86-cpu-tested">just to achieve Skylake levels of performance</a>; now they have technically exceeded that target reaching Kaby Lake CPU performance with the KX-7000. If Zhaoxin can keep up this 2x performance multiplier it could potentially compete with Intel and AMD more modern CPUs sooner than later.</p> ]]></dc:content> <link>https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/motherboards/asus-creates-motherboard-specifically-for-overclocking-chinese-cpus-boosts-homegrown-kx-7000-clocks-by-25</link> <description> <![CDATA[ China's latest KX-7000 was tested against the Core i5-7500, Core i7-7700K and Ryzen 7 1700X and found to have performance very similar to the i5-7500. ]]> </description> <guid isPermaLink="false">qeWjZGzVDJhe3ZX6Pot2RB</guid> <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9mFVfuFQQXuiAzuNttqth6.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="0"></enclosure> <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 16:28:12 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Motherboards]]></category> <category><![CDATA[PC Components]]></category> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9mFVfuFQQXuiAzuNttqth6.jpg"> <media:credit><![CDATA[Zhaoxin]]></media:credit> <media:text><![CDATA[Zhaoxin's KX-7000 CPU.]]></media:text> <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Zhaoxin's KX-7000 CPU.]]></media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title><![CDATA[ Best SSDs 2024: From Budget SATA to Blazing-Fast NVMe ]]></title> <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Of the key components in any PC, the storage drive is the slowest: transferring bits in a fraction of the time your CPU and GPU take to process it or your RAM takes to load it. A poor-performing storage drive often leads to a big bottleneck, forcing your processor (even if it's one of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-cpus,3986.html">best CPUs for gaming</a>) to waste clock cycles as it waits for data to crunch.<br><br>Finding the best SSD or solid-state drive for your specific system and needs is key if you want the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-gaming-desktops,5198.html">best gaming PC</a> or laptop, or even if you just want a snappy productivity machine. To find the best SSDs for gaming and productivity, we test dozens of drives each year and highlight the best ones here. We have multiple categories, including the best SSD for NAS and the Best SSD for the Steam Deck listed below. For those on the hunt for the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/best-picks/best-ps5-ssds">best SSD for the PS5</a>, be sure to head to that link for our recommendations based on our exhaustive testing. If you're looking for the ultimate in cheap and deep storage, we also have a list of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/best-picks/best-hard-drives">best hard drives</a>.</p><h2 id="picking-the-best-ssd-for-you-2">Picking the Best SSD for You</h2><p>The newest budget NVMe SSDs have undercut the pricing of mainstream drives on the slower SATA interface (which was originally designed for hard drives), but we shouldn't expect to see the end of SATA SSDs any time soon.</p><p>The era of PCIe 5.0 SSDs is upon us, propelling us to new heights of stratospheric SSD performance. Blazing-fast PCIe 5.0 M.2 SSDs, which offer up to twice the sequential speeds of the older PCIe 4.0 standard, are now supported with Intel and AMD's current platforms, like <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/news/amd-zen-4-ryzen-7000-release-date-specifications-pricing-benchmarks-all-we-know-specs">Zen 4 Ryzen 7000</a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-core-i9-14900k-cpu-review">14th-Gen Raptor Lake Refresh</a>.<br><br>It's great if your desktop system can handle a PCIe 5.0 drive, but they are still new and more expensive, so they aren't a requirement. For example, the PCIe 4.0 <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.bestbuy.com/site/samsung-990-pro-2tb-internal-ssd-pcle-gen-4x4-nvme/6523595.p?acampID=0&ar=1810500278474713438&cmp=RMX&irclickid=THXwryStNxyNWW9SSeSuLzkmUkF0DXWlw3HdWk0&irgwc=1&loc=Narrativ+Campaign&mpid=3139288&nrtv_cid=046cc1259d7eff12407c008456ebd304c15c33031bcca64ab248d29030464e1f&ref=198&skuId=6523595&utm_source=narrativ">Samsung 990 Pro</a> is our current choice for the best SSD overall, and the best SSD for gaming. This drive is rated for 7,450 / 6,900 MBps of sequential read/write throughput and 1.2 / 1.55 million read/write IOPS. That means less time waiting for game levels to load or videos to transcode, not to mention a snappier experience in Windows. </p><p>PCIe 5.0 SSDs still have plenty to offer. The <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/crucial-t705-2tb-ssd-review">Crucial T705</a> is unquestionably the fastest consumer SSD in the world that you can actually buy, at least for now, delivering up to a blistering 14.5 GB/s of sequential throughput and 1.8 million random IOPS over the PCIe 5.0 interface. That's an amazing level of performance from an amazingly compact device. </p><p>While the PCIe 5.0 drives are the fastest SSDs money can buy right now, believe it or not, raw speed isn't everything. In regular desktop tasks such as web browsing or light desktop work, you may not even notice the difference between a PCIe 3.0 SSD and one with a 4.0 interface, let alone a new bleeding-edge PCIe 5.0 model. The latest PCIe 5.0 SSDs also carry a heavy price premium for now, so you're probably best suited with a PCIe 4.0 model — unless you're after the fastest possible performance money can buy, of course. If that's the case and your system supports it, go for a new PCIe 5.0 SSD. </p><p>Ultimately, the best SSD for you is one that provides enough capacity to hold your data at a price you can afford. Consider that a high-end, AAA game can use more than 100GB of data, and Windows 11 all by itself may need 60GB.</p><h2 id="best-ssds-in-2024-at-a-glance-more-info-below-2">Best SSDs in 2024 at a glance (more info below):</h2> <p>Here's the shortlist of our rankings, but we have deeper breakdowns for these drives below, along with far more picks for other categories, like PS5 SSDs, RGB SSDs, workstation SSDs, and SATA SSDs, among other categories. </p><h2 id="quick-shopping-tips-2">Quick Shopping Tips</h2><ul><li><strong>Pick a compatible interface (M.2 PCIe, SATA, Add-in Card): </strong>Look at your user manual or a database like the Crucial Memory Finder to determine what types of SSD your computer supports.</li><li><strong>500GB to 2TB: </strong>1TB is the practical minimum for any PC build that costs more than $500 (perhaps one of the <a href="https://www.tomshardware.com/best-picks/best-pc-builds-gaming">best PC builds</a>). 2TB is the best SSD capacity for anyone that can spend $200+ on a drive. 500GB is the bare minimum anyone should consider at any price. 4TB drives have also plummeted recently, so good deals abound.</li><li><strong>M.2 SSDs are the fastest: </strong>M.2 PCIe NVMe SSDs are the most common type of SSD on modern systems. These small, rectangular drives look like sticks of RAM, only smaller. They are usually 80mm long by 22mm wide, described as size 2280, but some may be shorter or longer, so make sure you get one that matches your slot.</li><li><strong>SATA is the slowest: </strong>SATA isn't as fast as an M.2 SSD, but the majority of <a href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-gaming-desktops,5198.html">desktops</a> and many laptops support 2.5-inch SATA drives.</li></ul><p>Below, you'll find our list of the best SSDs. For even more information, check out our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ssd-buying-guide,5602.html">SSD Buyer's Guide</a>. Iif you're looking for an external SSD, you can check out our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-external-hard-drive-ssd,5987.html">Best External Hard Drives and SSD</a> page, or learn how to save some money by <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/build-your-own-external-ssd,6294.html">building your own external SSD</a>. </p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-best-ssds-you-can-buy-today"><span>Best SSDs You Can Buy Today</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2000px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="z7zWzvxsHhEymTBLtDY55i" name="Samsung 990 Pro-2.jpg" alt="Samsung 990 Pro SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/z7zWzvxsHhEymTBLtDY55i.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="2000" height="1125" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="buying-guide-block"><h3 id="1-samsung-990-pro-2"><span class="title__text"><a href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/samsung-990-pro-ssd-review">1. Samsung 990 Pro </a></span><span class="chunk rating"><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star half"></span></span></h3><div class="_hawk subtitle"><p>Best Overall / Best M.2 SSD</p></div><p class="specs__container"><strong>Capacities: </strong>1TB, 2TB, 4TB (2023) | <strong>Form Factor: </strong>M.2 2280 | <strong>Transfer Interface/Protocol: </strong>PCIe 4.0 x4 / NVMe | <strong>Sequential Reads/Writes: </strong> Up to 7,450 MBps / 6,900 MBps | <strong>Warranty/Endurance: </strong>5 Years / Up to 2400 TBW</p><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">The fastest drive we've tested to date</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Samsung software and support</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Heatsink and RGB options</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Consistent, efficient, and cool-running</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">MSRP is too high</div></div><p>Samsung hit back at its competitors with this impressive update to the 980 Pro. New hardware and new options, including a heatsink with RGB and a 4TB variant, have allowed Samsung to retake the M.2 SSD crown. Performance is excellent across the board, setting a few new performance records, such as with 4K random read performance. In our testing, the drive was consistent, power-efficient, and cool. Samsung has also updated its software for this drive, giving it the best SSD toolbox available, and the drive is backed by a competent warranty and decent support.</p><p>$20 extra for a heatsink and RGB is a good deal, and Samsung will likely discount this drive over time. Competing PCIe 5.0 drives on the market offer faster performance, but they still carry a premium. </p><p><strong>Read: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/samsung-990-pro-ssd-review"><u>Samsung 990 Pro Review</u></a> </p><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2000px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="" name="WD Black SN850X 2TB-1.jpg" alt="WD Black SN850X" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YgJ5VNubWQVkm8hNPSN5se.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="2000" height="1125" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="buying-guide-block"><h3 id="2-wd-black-sn850x-2"><span class="title__text"><a href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/wd-black-sn850x-ssd-review-back-in-black">2. WD Black SN850X</a></span><span class="chunk rating"><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star half"></span></span></h3><div class="_hawk subtitle"><p>Best M.2 SSD Alternative</p></div><p class="specs__container"><strong>Capacities: </strong>1TB, 2TB, 4TB | <strong>Form Factor: </strong>M.2 2280 | <strong>Transfer Interface/Protocol: </strong>PCIe 4.0 x4 / NVMe | <strong>Sequential Reads/Writes: </strong>Up to 7,300 / 6,600 MBps | <strong>Warranty/Endurance: </strong>5 Years / Up to 2400 TBW</p><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Top-tier performance</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Large, consistent SLC cache</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Strong warranty and software toolbox</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Optional heatsink and RGB</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Pricing</div></div><p>WD has taken its popular Black SN850 SSD and turned it up to 11. The Black SN850X leverages an improved controller and newer flash to get the most out of the PCIe 4.0 interface. Performance is improved across the board, and the drive rivals most of the top contenders in the PCIe 4.0 market. There's also a heatsink option that comes with RGB at 1TB and 2TB. WD also supports the SSD with its decent Dashboard application and a respectable five-year warranty.</p><p>The M.2 Black SN850X was a bit pricey at launch, however, with a daunting MSRP, but those prices have largely come down. The touted Game Mode 2.0 feature felt incomplete in our testing, although WD ensures us that this will improve with future firmware updates. All-in-all, this is a good compromise if you can’t find the Samsung 990 Pro. </p><p><strong>Read: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/wd-black-sn850x-ssd-review-back-in-black"><strong>WD Black SN850X Review</strong></a></p><h2 class="article-body__section" id="section-fastest-best-ssds-2024"><span>Fastest Best SSDs 2024</span></h2><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="URztg9Grku7wXBYgf4QMSc" name="Crucial-T705-2TB-(4).jpg" alt="Crucial T705 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/URztg9Grku7wXBYgf4QMSc.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="buying-guide-block"><h3 id="3-crucial-t705-2"><span class="title__text"><a href="https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/crucial-t705-2tb-ssd-review">3. Crucial T705</a></span><span class="chunk rating"><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star half"></span></span></h3><div class="_hawk subtitle"><p>Fastest SSD</p></div><p class="specs__container"><strong>Capacities: </strong>1TB, 2TB, 4TB | <strong>Form Factor: </strong>M.2 2280 | <strong>Transfer Interface/Protocol: </strong>PCIe 5.0 x4 / NVMe 2.0 | <strong>Sequential Reads/Writes: </strong> Up to 14,500 / 12,700 MB/s | <strong>Warranty/Endurance: </strong>5 years / Up to 2,400 TBW</p><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Fastest drive to date with great all-around performance</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Optional passive heatsink</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">DirectStorage-optimized firmware</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Crucial software and encryption support</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">High price</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Real world gains are sometimes questionable</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Power-hungry with a lot of heat output</div></div><p>The Crucial T705 is the fastest drive we have tested to date, finally breaking the 14 GB/s barrier. Careful work with Phison’s Max14um reference SSD design has led Crucial to eke out even more performance, taking the excellent T700 - a previous Fastest SSD position holder - up a notch. The optional heatsink design remains passive, which is a bonus, and you can also purchase the drive bare. Aside from the solid sequential performance, the T705 also has good sustained performance and can reach an incredible 1,550K / 1,800K random read and write IOPS at 2TB.</p><p>This is the fastest drive for now, but there will be others. The Sabrent Rocket 5 is not too far behind, and there are drives built on non-Phison controllers - like the InnoGrit IG5666-based Teamgroup T-Force GE Pro - that also promise over 14 GB/s of potential throughput. PCIe 5.0 drives remain an enthusiast product due to cost and availability concerns, and so far, they have proven inefficient and unwise for laptops and the PS5. Still, if you want the fastest consumer storage you can buy, the T705 is the fastest drive on the market.</p><p><strong>Read: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/crucial-t705-2tb-ssd-review">Crucial T705 Review</a></p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="8NV4auG4rysgMjSWYzqtaa" name="Sabrent-Rocket-5-2TB-(4).jpg" alt="Sabrent Rocket 5 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8NV4auG4rysgMjSWYzqtaa.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="buying-guide-block"><h3 id="4-sabrent-rocket-5-2"><span class="title__text"><a href="https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/sabrent-rocket-5-2tb-ssd-review">4. Sabrent Rocket 5</a></span><span class="chunk rating"><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star half"></span></span></h3><div class="_hawk subtitle"><p>Fastest SSD Alternative</p></div><p class="specs__container"><strong>Capacities: </strong>1TB, 2TB, 4TB | <strong>Form Factor: </strong>M.2 2280 | <strong>Transfer Interface/Protocol: </strong>PCIe 5.0 x4 / NVMe 2.0 | <strong>Sequential Reads/Writes: </strong>14,000 / 12,000 MB/s | <strong>Warranty/Endurance: </strong>5 years / Up to 2,400 TBW</p><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Excellent all-around performance</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Exceptional steady state performance</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">High power consumption, low power efficiency </div></div><p>The Sabrent Rocket 5 has the distinction of providing the fastest direct-to-TLC write performance we have ever seen. During the longest of workloads, it can average write speeds of 4.45 GB/s, outclassing any PCIe 3.0 drive in existence and beating our previous high points with TLC flash with either 4.0 or 5.0 SSDs. It’s otherwise similar to other drives based on the Phison E26 controller, but it’s at the upper end of those, too. This allows it to provide excellent all-around performance with DirectStorage-optimized firmware for future-proofing.</p><p>It has the same downsides as other ultra-fast drives - namely, high power consumption and poor power efficiency. Idle power consumption in a desktop PC, which is the most likely destination for the drive, remains quite high. The Rocket 5 can also put out a lot of heat when it’s pushed. If you can provide an ample heatsink, though, this drive will run cool enough even under sustained workloads without any throttling. This makes it one of the fastest overall drives on the market, and the absolute fastest in extended heavy workloads. </p><p><strong>Read: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/crucial-t700-ssd-review">Sabrent Rocket 5 Review</a></p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-best-4tb-ssd-alternative"><span>Best 4TB SSD Alternative</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1280px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:42.81%;"><img id="h28Ft2tpc8Z4wCtJyrwCv6" name="Crucial-T700-Retail-hero.jpg" alt="Crucial T700 SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/h28Ft2tpc8Z4wCtJyrwCv6.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1280" height="548" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="buying-guide-block"><h3 id="5-crucial-t700-2"><span class="title__text"><a href="https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/crucial-t700-4tb-ssd-review">5. Crucial T700</a></span><span class="chunk rating"><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star half"></span></span></h3><div class="_hawk subtitle"><p>Best 4TB SSD Alternative</p></div><p class="specs__container"><strong>Capacities: </strong>1TB, 2TB, 4TB | <strong>Form Factor: </strong>M.2 2280 | <strong>Transfer Interface/Protocol: </strong>PCIe 5.0 x4 / NVMe 2.0 | <strong>Sequential Reads/Writes: </strong>12,400 / 11,800 MB/s | <strong>Warranty/Endurance: </strong>5 years / Up to 2,400 TBW</p><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">High all-around performance</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Optional heatsink</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">DirectStorage-optimized firmware</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">4TB availability</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">High price</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Poor power efficiency</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Faster drives becoming available</div></div><p>The Crucial T700 was the first 12 GB/s drive we reviewed, and it still remains one of the fastest drives we’ve ever tested. It’s also the first and only 4TB drive of its caliber that we tested. It’s been challenging to get 4TB of flash to maintain this level of performance, and 1TB isn’t enough to really get the most out of a Gen 5 SSD like this. That leaves 2TB as the only real solution, but there is a lot of demand for higher capacities as part of a storage upgrade. At this time, the T700 can best meet that role for PCIe 5.0 SSDs, given its relatively affordable price at the 4TB capacity.</p><p>The T700 won’t be the very fastest drive possible as we begin to see more 14+ GB/s options roll out. But it is still very fast, and faster than all Gen 4 and many Gen 5 SSDs. It has a nice passive heatsink option and the warranty you would expect, so no real compromises there. You’re paying a lot extra for the PCIe 5.0 bandwidth, though, but if you want a drive that will hang around a while - with its DirectStorage-optimized firmware - then the T700 is the best option. If you don’t need that much bandwidth, stick with the excellent Samsung 990 Pro for top 4TB performance.</p><p><strong>Read: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/crucial-t700-ssd-review">Crucial T700 4TB Review</a></p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-best-laptop-ssds-2024"><span>Best Laptop SSDs 2024</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="Sj37zpuoM4TaVweEvxyNDC" name="Crucial-T500-2TB-(4).jpg" alt="Crucial 2TB T500 SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Sj37zpuoM4TaVweEvxyNDC.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="buying-guide-block"><h3 id="6-crucial-t500-2"><span class="title__text"><a href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/crucial-2tb-t500-ssd-review">6. Crucial T500</a></span><span class="chunk rating"><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span></span></h3><div class="_hawk subtitle"><p>Best M.2 SSD for Laptops</p></div><p class="specs__container"><strong>Capacities: </strong>500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB (2024) | <strong>Form Factor: </strong>M.2 2280 (Single-Sided) | <strong>Transfer Interface/Protocol: </strong>x4 PCIe 4.0 / NVMe 2.0 | <strong>Sequential Reads/Writes: </strong>7,400 / 7,000 MB/s | <strong>Warranty/Endurance: </strong>5 years / 1,200 TBW (2TB)</p><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Decent power efficiency</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Has DRAM</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Single-sided</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Optional heatsink (for desktop, PS5)</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Software and encryption support</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Price still finding its balance</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Inconsistent sustained performance</div></div><p>The Crucial T500 combines cutting-edge flash with a customized controller that manages to be power-efficient with just four channels but also squeezes in the coveted performance-boosting DRAM cache. The T500 is also a single-sided drive with TCG Opal support, making it perfect for professional laptop use.</p><p>Many laptops are still stuck with PCIe 3.0 slots, and that’s fine. The T500 will be even more efficient when run at 3.0, and its benefits, aside from bandwidth potential, do not disappear. While the T500 does offer a heatsinked version, which we have in our all-around best SSD category, you’ll be going bare for a laptop. In this respect, it can even be better than DRAM-less drives, as the T500’s controller has more surface area and a metal IHS to prevent controller overheating. It’s simply the finest drive for laptops at this time unless you really want more horsepower. That’s on the menu, too, especially once the 4TB version arrives.</p><p><strong>Read: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/crucial-2tb-t500-ssd-review">Crucial T500 Review</a></p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="Kqzzq9j4dSJg4ub9m5Gst8" name="Sabrent-Rocket-4-E27T-(5).jpg" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Kqzzq9j4dSJg4ub9m5Gst8.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="buying-guide-block"><h3 id="7-sabrent-rocket-4-2"><span class="title__text">7. Sabrent Rocket 4</span></h3><div class="_hawk subtitle"><p>Alternative Best Laptop M.2 SSD</p></div><p class="specs__container"><strong>Capacities: </strong>1TB, 2TB | <strong>Form Factor: </strong>M.2 2280 (Single-Sided) | <strong>Transfer Interface/Protocol: </strong>x4 PCIe 4.0 / NVMe 2.0 | <strong>Sequential Reads/Writes: </strong>7,400 / 6,400 MB/s | <strong>Warranty/Endurance: </strong>5 years / 1,200 TBW (2TB)</p><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Good all-around and sustained performance</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Power-efficient</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">No 4TB option</div></div><p> The Sabrent Rocket 4 replaces the original Rocket 4 with a faster, more power-efficient design. Although this is a DRAM-less drive, the performance is excellent, and the drive’s single-sided nature makes it great for laptops. This is an easy drop-in part that falls short of the T500 only in its omission of DRAM, but luckily, DRAM isn’t as much of a requirement as it once used to be. The Rocket 4 also tops out at only 2TB of capacity - the T500 promises 4TB this year, and there are some good 4TB options like the Lexar NM790 already available. </p><p><strong>Read: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/sabrent-rocket-4-2tb-ssd-review">Sabrent Rocket 4 Review</a></p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2560px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="" name="Samsung-990-Pro-4TB-(4).jpg" alt="Samsung 990 Pro (4TB)" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9V4aMpMreHsSeDHXQLx9ST.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="2560" height="1440" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="buying-guide-block"><h3 id="8-samsung-990-pro-4tb-2"><span class="title__text"><a href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/samsung-990-pro-4tb-ssd-review">8. Samsung 990 Pro (4TB)</a></span><span class="chunk rating"><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star half"></span></span></h3><div class="_hawk subtitle"><p>Best 4TB SSD</p></div><p class="specs__container"><strong>Capacities: </strong>1TB, 2TB, 4TB (2023) | <strong>Form Factor: </strong>M.2 2280 | <strong>Transfer Interface/Protocol: </strong>PCIe 4.0 x4 / NVMe | <strong>Sequential Reads/Writes: </strong>Up to 7,450 MBps / 6,900 MBps | <strong>Warranty/Endurance: </strong>5 Years / Up to 2400 TBW</p><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Fastest Gen 4 SSD to date</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Samsung software and support</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Heatsink/RGB option</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Single-sided</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Pricing</div></div><p>4TB has become a more attractive capacity point for SSDs as time has gone on. While there are now many options available, most come with compromises of one sort or another. You may have to settle for QLC, a weaker controller, no DRAM, unreliable hardware, etc. This is not always a big deal, especially if the drive is intended to be a secondary gaming drive. In the PlayStation 5, however, extra cooling is beneficial, so it’s convenient to have a heatsink option available. At the same time, laptops favor bare drives and especially single-sided drives, the latter of which have been very rare with TLC until recently.</p><p>Samsung has managed all of this with its high-performing 990 Pro SSD. You have a powerful controller with DRAM, cutting-edge TLC flash, and a single-sided drive with or without heatsink even at 4TB. WD’s SN850X has been out a while at 4TB but has no heatsink option and is double-sided, with the SN850P being a latter heatsinked version for the PS5. There has been an increasing amount of 4TB TLC drives, including the Lexar NM790 and Addlink A93, but these cannot compare to the power and brand power of Samsung’s 990 Pro. You do have to pay for that privilege given the high MSRP, but at this time there is no substitute.</p><p><strong>Read: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/samsung-990-pro-ssd-review">Samsung 990 Pro Review</a></p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-best-budget-m-2-ssd-2024"><span>Best Budget M.2 SSD 2024</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2000px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="" name="Crucial P3 2TB-2.jpg" alt="Crucial P3 SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/u9pHCNXkDah9LS5MN9tooh.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="2000" height="1125" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="buying-guide-block"><h3 id="9-crucial-p3-2"><span class="title__text"><a href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/crucial-p3-ssd-review">9. Crucial P3</a></span><span class="chunk rating"><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star half"></span></span></h3><div class="_hawk subtitle"><p>Best Budget M.2 SSD</p></div><p class="specs__container"><strong>Capacities: </strong>500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | <strong>Form Factor: </strong>M.2 2280 | <strong>Transfer Interface/Protocol: </strong>PCIe 3.0 x4 | <strong>Sequential Reads/Writes: </strong>Up to 3,500 MBps / 3,000 MBps | <strong>Warranty/Endurance: </strong>Up to 5 Years / Up to 800 TBW</p><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">High capacity options</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Relatively cheap per GB, especially on sale</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Efficient and cool</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">5-year warranty and software support</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">QLC</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">DRAM-less</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Limited to PCIe 3.0</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Low Endurance</div></div><p>The Crucial P3 is the little sibling to the P3 Plus. There’s not much difference between the two, other than the P3 being limited by its PCIe 3.0 interface. This isn’t all bad, as the P3 is a bit cheaper and also more efficient. In fact, it’s incredibly efficient, making it a useful addition to any system. The lack of a PCIe 4.0 interface reduces its maximum bandwidth and sequential performance, plus puts it out of range for use in the PlayStation 5.</p><p>It’s nice to see some newer hardware in the PCIe 3.0 SSD market segment, especially with capacities of up to 4TB. Crucial backs it with a full five-year warranty and decent software support. However, its guaranteed write endurance is quite low. The P3 is based on QLC and is also DRAM-less, so it might be prone to potential performance issues. It’s also best at higher capacities. Still, if you can catch it on sale, it’s a good option for an upgrade, or if you just need more NVMe-class bulk storage.</p><p><strong>Read:</strong> <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/crucial-p3-ssd-review">Crucial P3 Review</a></p><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2560px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:42.19%;"><img id="Y3rUCCvrQNBeroWjmW8PpF" name="Addlink-A93-4TB-hero.jpg" alt="Addlink A93 SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Y3rUCCvrQNBeroWjmW8PpF.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="2560" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="buying-guide-block"><h3 id="10-addlink-a93-2"><span class="title__text"><a href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/addlink-a93-ssd-review">10. Addlink A93</a></span><span class="chunk rating"><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span></span></h3><div class="_hawk subtitle"><p>Best SSD for PS5</p></div><p class="specs__container"><strong>Capacities: </strong>1TB, 2TB, 4TB | <strong>Form Factor: </strong>M.2 2280 (Single-Sided) | <strong>Transfer Interface/Protocol: </strong>x4 PCIe 4.0 / NVMe 2.0 | <strong>Sequential Reads/Writes: </strong>7,400 / 6,500 MB/s | <strong>Warranty/Endurance: </strong>5 years / 3,000 TBW (4TB)</p><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Good all-around and sustained performance</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Power-efficient</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">4TB, TLC, single-sided</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Heatsink</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Lots of competition</div></div><p>The Addlink A93 is an excellent all-around drive, and it’s priced to move. Its wide range of capacities—up to 4TB—makes it a good choice for extra storage for your PS5. The drive comes with a PS5-compliant heatsink, so you have one less thing to worry about.</p><p>In our testing, the drive displayed good performance across the board and was also power-efficient. It uses hardware similar to the Lexar NM790—which is also a good choice—and is usually available for a competitive price. The A93 has a lot of competition for the PS5 from drives both new and old, but its heatsink and pricing separate it from the pack.</p><p><strong>Read:</strong> <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/addlink-a93-ssd-review"><u>Addlink A93 Review</u></a></p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2560px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:42.19%;"><img id="mJjCs9ywoQHXxebZdbXS9j" name="Teamgroup-MP44-2TB-hero.jpg" alt="Team MP44 SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mJjCs9ywoQHXxebZdbXS9j.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="2560" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="buying-guide-block"><h3 id="11-teamgroup-mp44-2"><span class="title__text"><a href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/teamgroup-mp44-ssd-review">11. Teamgroup MP44</a></span><span class="chunk rating"><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star half"></span></span></h3><div class="_hawk subtitle"><p>Best Budget SSD for PS5</p></div><p class="specs__container"><strong>Capacities: </strong>1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 8TB | <strong>Form Factor: </strong>M.2 2280 (Single-Sided) | <strong>Transfer Interface/Protocol: </strong>x4 PCIe 4.0 / NVMe 2.0 | <strong>Sequential Reads/Writes: </strong>7,400 / 6,500 MB/s | <strong>Warranty/Endurance: </strong>5 years / 3,000 TBW (4TB)</p><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Good all-around and sustained performance</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Power-efficient</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Wide capacity range</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Lots of competition</div></div><p>The Teamgroup MP44 shares the same hardware as the Addlink A93 but comes without a heatsink. This can help shave some cost off its bottom line, and it’ll probably still run cool enough in the PS5. Like the A93, it faces a lot of competition, but it is particularly interesting and a good purchase if you’re on a budget.</p><p><strong>Read:</strong> <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/teamgroup-mp44-ssd-review"><u>Teamgroup MP44</u></a></p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2560px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="" name="Sabrent Rocket 2230 1TB-3.jpg" alt="Sabrent Rocket 2230" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZTo8Fw2CticYxFFzV36N9U.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="2560" height="1440" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="buying-guide-block"><h3 id="12-sabrent-rocket-2230-2"><span class="title__text"><a href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/sabrent-rocket-2230-ssd-review">12. Sabrent Rocket 2230</a></span><span class="chunk rating"><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span></span></h3><div class="_hawk subtitle"><p>Best SSD for Steam Deck, Mobile</p></div><p class="specs__container"><strong>Capacities: </strong>256GB, 512GB, 1TB | <strong>Form Factor: </strong>M.2 2230 Single-sided | <strong>Transfer Interface/Protocol: </strong>PCIe 4.0 x4 / NVMe | <strong>Sequential Reads/Writes: </strong>Up to 5,000 MBps / 4,300 MBps | <strong>Warranty/Endurance: </strong>2-Year (5-Year with registration)</p><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Retail PCIe M.2 2230 SSD</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Good all-around and sustained performance</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Very efficient</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Known brand with support and registered warranty</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Pricey</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">No 2TB option yet</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Full warranty requires registration</div></div><p>The Sabrent Rocket 2230 is a fast and efficient M.2 2230 drive designed for devices that need smaller PCIe SSDs, like the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/steam-deck-valve-gaming-handheld"><u>Steam Deck</u></a> or Microsoft’s <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/microsoft-surface-pro-8"><u>Surface Pro</u></a> series. Such smaller drives are usually sold only with pre-built OEM machines. A retail option like the Rocket 2230 means that you can avoid second-hand drives that may lack reliable support and a warranty.<br><br>Retail 2TB M.2 2230 drives use slower QLC flash, although this is not all that detrimental in the Deck. It’s also possible to get the OEM WD SN740 with TLC up to 2TB, but it has a higher power draw and costs more than some QLC alternatives. This leaves the Rocket 2230 as the best overall drive for this segment, with good performance, efficiency, and capacity options, but make sure to compare pricing when buying.<br><br>The Rocket 2230 has good all-around performance and maintains a solid level of performance in sustained workloads. It is also quite efficient in our tests thanks to its blend of a newer PCIe 4.0 controller and 176-Layer NAND flash. You can get the same results with many M.2 2280 drives at a much lower cost, however. The drive is also currently limited to a peak capacity of 1TB, and product registration is required to get the full warranty. Still, it’s the best choice for certain machines, particularly the popular Steam Deck.</p><p><br><strong>Read: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/sabrent-rocket-2230-ssd-review">Sabrent Rocket 2230 SSD Review</a></p><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="Y744NATLd2Wf8sF7sfkNtd" name="WD-Black-SN770M-2TB-2230-(4).jpg" alt="2TB WD Black SN770M (2230) SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Y744NATLd2Wf8sF7sfkNtd.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="buying-guide-block"><h3 id="13-wd-black-sn770m-2"><span class="title__text"><a href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/wd-black-sn770m-2230-ssd-review">13. WD Black SN770M</a></span><span class="chunk rating"><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span></span></h3><div class="_hawk subtitle"><p>Alternative Best SSD for Steam Deck/ROG Ally</p></div><p class="specs__container"><strong>Capacities: </strong>500GB, 1TB, 2TB | <strong>Form Factor: </strong>M.2 2230 | <strong>Transfer Interface/Protocol: </strong>PCIe 4.0 x4 / NVMe 1.4 | <strong>Sequential Reads/Writes: </strong>5,150 / 4,900 MB/s | <strong>Warranty/Endurance: </strong>5 years / Up to 1,200 TBW</p><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">2TB TLC in single-sided M.2 2230</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Good performance</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Runs hotter with more power draw</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Somewhat more expensive than QLC options</div></div><p>The WD Black SN770M is unique in that it offers 2TB of TLC NAND flash in the tiny M.2 2230 form factor in a single-sided design. This makes it optimal for use in the Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, and other portable gaming/computing devices. Some of these can take double-sided drives or longer drives, but the most popular of them all - the Deck and Deck OLED - work best with this form factor. For a long time, it was only possible to get a drive with less-desirable QLC if you wanted 2TB, but with the SN770M, that compromise is no longer required.</p><p>This comes at a cost as the older hardware on the SN770M - which is the same as the popular M.2 2280 Black SN770 - pulls more power and puts out more heat. For regular gaming use, this wasn’t an issue in our testing. The difference in battery life is essentially negligible, and the drive is usually not pushed enough for its direct heat output to be an issue. Therefore, it offers the best baseline performance in this form factor for now, but QLC-based alternatives may be more affordable.</p><p><strong>Read: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/wd-black-sn770m-2230-ssd-review">WD Black SN770M Review</a></p><figure class="van-image-figure pull-" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="UqNFuqug3yfhSe7gqiqR2e" name="PNY-CS3150-1TB-(3).jpg" alt="PNY CS3150 1TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UqNFuqug3yfhSe7gqiqR2e.jpg" mos="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/TNwZRybmAEFeUvnadHufgk.jpg" align="" fullscreen="1" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="pull- expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class="pull-"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="buying-guide-block"><h3 id="14-pny-cs3150-2"><span class="title__text"><a href="https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/pny-cs3150-1tb-ssd-review">14. PNY CS3150</a></span><span class="chunk rating"><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span></span></h3><div class="_hawk subtitle"><p>Best RGB M.2 SSD</p></div><p class="specs__container"><strong>Capacities: </strong>1TB, 2TB | <strong>Form Factor: </strong>M.2 2280 | <strong>Transfer Interface/Protocol: </strong>PCIe 5.0 x4 / NVMe 2.0 | <strong>Sequential Reads/Writes: </strong>12,000 / 11,000 MB/s | <strong>Warranty/Endurance: </strong>5 years / Up to 1,400 TBW</p><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Good all-around and sustained performance</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Excellent cooling</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">RGB and fan control</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Pricing and availability</div></div><p>PNY had its heart set on producing a very fast RGB-capable SSD, and with the CS3150 XLR8, or CS3150, it succeeded. This PCIe 5.0 SSD also has a heatsink with dual fans to ensure it never overheats. PNY’s software allows control over the RGB and fans, with synchronization possible for the former if you have other PNY RGB products. The warranty is standard, but the drive does support hardware encryption via the TCG Opal 2.0 specification, which may be a selling point for some.</p><p>The CS3150 isn’t perfect, though. It’s expensive and can be difficult to find. It’s only available at 1TB and 2TB capacities, needing 2TB to hit its maximum performance numbers. There are also other drives equal or faster to it, although for many workloads this isn’t particularly relevant. If RGB isn’t your thing, this drive also comes without the RGB in both white and black variants. Regardless of the model you go for, the drive can operate without throttling, and its performance is good across the board.</p><p><strong>Read: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/pny-cs3150-1tb-ssd-review">PNY CS3150 Review</a></p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-best-workstation-ssds-2024"><span>Best Workstation SSDs 2024</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2000px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="" name="Seagate FireCuda 530 4T-2.jpg" alt="Best Workstation SSD: Seagate FireCuda 530" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JQba244PYevgtS3pcrFpw6.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="2000" height="1125" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Best Workstation SSD: Seagate FireCuda 530 </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="buying-guide-block"><h3 id="15-seagate-firecuda-530-2"><span class="title__text"><a href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/seagate-firecuda-530-m2-nvme-ssd-review">15. Seagate FireCuda 530</a></span><span class="chunk rating"><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star half"></span></span></h3><div class="_hawk subtitle"><p>Best Workstation SSD</p></div><p class="specs__container"><strong>Capacities: </strong>500GB, 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB | <strong>Form Factor: </strong>M.2 2280 Double-sided | <strong>Transfer Interface/Protocol: </strong>PCIe 4.0 x4 / NVMe 1.4 | <strong>Sequential Reads/Writes: </strong>7,300 MBps / 6,900 MBps | <strong>Warranty/Endurance: </strong>5 Years / Up to 5,100 TBW</p><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Very fast PCIe 4.0 performance</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Very impressive sustained write speeds</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Impressive endurance ratings</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">5-year warranty w/ 3-year data rescue service</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Appealing aesthetics</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Cool operation</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Costly</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Lacks hardware-based AES 256-bit encryption</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Less efficient than competitors</div></div><p>We know Optane’s DC P5800X is unearthly fast for workstation drives, but it has limited capacity and doesn’t come in the same efficient M.2 form factor. The FireCuda 530, on the other hand, is available in capacities of up to 4TB, comes in that small M.2 form factor, and delivers incredible sustained write speeds for a flash-based SSD. The FireCuda 530 is also only one of two drives in this class to currently support Phison’s <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/features/the-directstorage-advantage-phison-io-ssd-firmware-preview"><u>I/O+ firmware</u></a> for DirectStorage optimization.</p><p>Sporting Phison’s beastly, penta-core PS5018-E18 NVMe SSD controller and Micron’s fast 176-Layer TLC flash, the FireCuda 530 outperforms both the Samsung and WD across the board. And it comes backed by a better warranty and support service. However, its high performance, endurance, and data rescue support add quite a bit to pricing, making it a very premium buy targeted for the professional crowd rather than the average gamer.</p><p><strong>Read:</strong> <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/seagate-firecuda-530-m2-nvme-ssd-review/"><u>Seagate FireCuda 530 Review</u></a></p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-best-nas-ssds-2024"><span>Best NAS SSDs 2024</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2000px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="" name="WD Red SN700-4.jpg" alt="Best NAS M.2 SSD: WD Red SN700" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aVCp8YiCSw3459JgZbE9km.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="2000" height="1125" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Best NAS M.2 SSD: WD Red SN700 </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="buying-guide-block"><h3 id="16-wd-red-sn700-2"><span class="title__text"><a href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/wd-red-sn700-review">16. WD Red SN700</a></span><span class="chunk rating"><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span></span></h3><div class="_hawk subtitle"><p>Best NAS M.2 SSD</p></div><p class="specs__container"><strong>Capacities: </strong>250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | <strong>Form Factor: </strong>M.2 2280 | <strong>Transfer Interface/Protocol: </strong>PCIe 3.0 x4 / NVMe | <strong>Sequential Reads/Writes: </strong>Up to 3,400/3,100 MBps | <strong>Warranty/Endurance: </strong>5 Years / Up to 5,100 TBW</p><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Up to 4TB of capacity</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Good warranty and endurance</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Consistent sustained performance</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Efficient</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Good pricing for 4TB of TLC</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Poor peak and general performance</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Old technology</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">No power loss protection</div></div><p>This drive is effectively an updated WD Black SN750, which was known for its consistent performance and good efficiency. However, it’s tailored for NAS usage, making it a nice choice for an NVMe NAS SSD, especially when coupled with up to 4TB of TLC flash.</p><p>The WD Red SN700 doesn’t offer anything special for the general user but is great for use in a NAS. The underlying technology is also starting to show its age, but that maturity is important for critical storage systems like a NAS where performance isn’t as much of a focus. The WD Red SN700 also doesn’t have power loss protection, which isn’t surprising as this drive isn’t for an enterprise application. However, the warranty and rated endurance are strong, making this a good buy for the right usage, which is in a NAS.</p><p><strong>Read: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/wd-red-sn700-review">WD Red SN700 SSD Review</a></p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-best-sata-ssds-2024"><span>Best SATA SSDs 2024</span></h3><p>You can get a SATA drive in the M.2 form factor, but most SATA drives are 2.5-inch models, which allows them to drop into the same bays that hold laptop hard drives. SATA drives are the cheapest.</p><figure class="van-image-figure pull-" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1510px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:74.97%;"><img id="" name="" alt="Best SATA SSD: Crucial MX500" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/t2Lnt3VzNAz288HHHnSRkM.png" mos="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/t2Lnt3VzNAz288HHHnSRkM.png" align="" fullscreen="1" width="1510" height="1132" attribution="" endorsement="" class="pull- expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class="pull-"><span class="caption-text">Best SATA SSD: Crucial MX500 </span></figcaption></figure><div class="buying-guide-block"><h3 id="17-crucial-mx500-2"><span class="title__text"><a href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/crucial-mx500-ssd-review-nand,5390.html">17. Crucial MX500</a></span><span class="chunk rating"><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span></span></h3><div class="_hawk subtitle"><p>Best SATA SSD</p></div><p class="specs__container"><strong>Capacities: </strong>250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | <strong>Form Factor: </strong>2.5” 7mm | <strong>Transfer Interface/Protocol: </strong>SATA 3 / AHCI | <strong>Sequential Reads/Writes: </strong>Up to 560 MBps / 510 MBps | <strong>Warranty/Endurance: </strong>5 Years / Up to 700 TBW</p><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Mainstream performance</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Competitive pricing</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">SSD Toolbox and cloning software included</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Host power failure protection• Hardware AES-256 Encryption</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">TCG Opal 2.0 SED Support</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Smaller capacities slightly slower than larger</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">The design could use a makeover</div></div><p>If you don’t want to dish out big bucks on something in the NVMe flavor but still want strong SATA performance, the MX500 is a great choice. As an alternative to the Samsung 860 EVO, it offers similar performance and has a strong history of reliability. Usually priced to sell, the MX500 is a top value at any capacity you need. </p><p><strong>Read: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/crucial-mx500-ssd-review-nand,5390.html">Crucial MX500 Review</a></p><figure class="van-image-figure pull-" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1510px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:74.77%;"><img id="" name="" alt="Best Prosumer SATA SSD: Samsung 860 Pro" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Xzs9PvurnE499QJW8kDnyV.jpg" mos="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Xzs9PvurnE499QJW8kDnyV.jpg" align="" fullscreen="1" width="1510" height="1129" attribution="" endorsement="" class="pull- expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class="pull-"><span class="caption-text">Best Prosumer SATA SSD: Samsung 860 Pro </span></figcaption></figure><div class="buying-guide-block"><h3 id="18-samsung-860-pro-2"><span class="title__text"><a href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/samsung-860-pro-ssd-review,5434.html">18. Samsung 860 Pro</a></span><span class="chunk rating"><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star half"></span></span></h3><div class="_hawk subtitle"><p>Best Prosumer SATA SSD</p></div><p class="specs__container"><strong>Capacities: </strong>256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | <strong>Form Factor: </strong>2.5” 7mm | <strong>Transfer Interface/Protocol: </strong>SATA 3 / AHCI | <strong>Sequential Reads/Writes: </strong>560 MBps / 530 MBps | <strong>Warranty/Endurance: </strong>5 Years / Up to 4,800 TBW</p><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Highest SATA performance for sustained workloads</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">High endurance</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Consistent performance</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">SSD Toolbox and cloning software included TCG Opal, eDrive encryption support</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Extremely high cost</div></div><p>Restrained by the SATA interface, but still need the absolute highest endurance and performance you can get? As the pinnacle of SATA performance inside and out, Samsung’s 860 PRO is the SSD to buy.</p><p>Like the Samsung 970 PRO, the 860 PRO uses Samsung’s 64L MLC V-NAND, which helps propel it to the top of the charts in our rounds of benchmarking and makes for some incredible endurance figures. You can get capacities up to 4TB, and endurance figures can be as high as 4,800 TBW. But with prices that are triple that of your typical mainstream SATA SSD, the 860 PRO is mainly for businesses with deep pockets.</p><p><strong>Read:</strong> <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/samsung-860-pro-ssd-review,5434.html">Samsung 860 Pro Review</a></p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-finding-discounts-on-the-best-ssds-in-2024"><span>Finding Discounts on the Best SSDs in 2024</span></h3><p>Whether you're shopping for one of the best SSDs or one that didn't quite make our list, you may find savings by checking out the latest <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/coupons/crucial.com">Crucial promo codes</a>, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/coupons/newegg.com">Newegg promo codes</a>, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/coupons/amazon.com">Amazon promo codes</a>, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/coupons/corsair.com">Corsair coupon codes</a>, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/coupons/samsung.com">Samsung promo codes</a> or <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/coupons/microcenter.com">Micro Center coupons</a>.</p><p><strong>MORE: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-external-hard-drive-ssd,5987.html"><strong>Best External SSDs and Hard Drives</strong></a></p><p><strong>MORE: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/how-we-test-storage,4058.html"><strong>How We Test HDDs And SSDs</strong></a></p><p><strong>MORE: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/topics/ssd"><strong>All SSD Content</strong></a></p> ]]></dc:content> <link>https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-ssds,3891.html</link> <description> <![CDATA[ We recommend the best SSDs for every need and budget based on our extensive lab tests. ]]> </description> <guid isPermaLink="false">23JGyPbuhiDzXuep4Z4HBR</guid> <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KEgqpKtN3p9PnWzfDLPcn.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="0"></enclosure> <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 15:36:50 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[SSDs]]></category> <category><![CDATA[PC Components]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Storage]]></category> <author><![CDATA[ palcorn@outlook.com (Paul Alcorn) ]]></author> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KEgqpKtN3p9PnWzfDLPcn.jpg"> <media:credit><![CDATA[Tom's Hardware]]></media:credit> <media:text><![CDATA[Best SSDs: Reviewed and Benchmarked]]></media:text> <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Best SSDs: Reviewed and Benchmarked]]></media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title><![CDATA[ Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD review: A welcome update ]]></title> <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Hot on the heels of our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/sabrent-rocket-5-2tb-ssd-review"><u>Sabrent Rocket 5 review</u></a>, we have the new Sabrent Rocket 4, another new and promising SSD the company has added to its product stack. The Rocket 4, not to be confused with the original <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/sabrent-rocket-nvme-40-m2-ssd-review-a-high-performance-value"><u>Sabrent Rocket NVMe 4.0</u></a>, is a DRAM-less PCIe 4.0 SSD slotted to be a comfortable update to the older drive and as a budget alternative to the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/sabrent-rocket-4-plus-8tb-ssd-review"><u>Rocket 4 Plus</u></a>. We'll see how it competes with the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-ssds,3891.html"><u>best SSDs</u></a> as wella s the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/best-picks/best-ps5-ssds"><u>best PS5 SSDs</u></a>.<br><br>Our 2TB sample comes as a single-sided drive, which makes the Rocket 4 promising for laptops and alternatively as a cooler running solution for the PS5. This puts it up against drives like the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/lexar-nm790-ssd-review"><u>Lexar NM790</u></a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/crucial-2tb-t500-ssd-review"><u>Crucial T500</u></a>, which also push the limits of the 4.0 interface but with different compromises made.<br><br>The original Rocket NVMe 4.0 utilizes the DRAM-equipped <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/phison-pcie-4.0-ssd-amd-ryzen-3000,6173.html"><u>Phison E16</u></a> controller, which formed the basis of the first wave of PCIe 4.0 drives way back when AMD’s <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/best-picks/best-x570-motherboards"><u>X570 chipset</u></a> launched in 2019 (though the drives didn't officially launch until 2020). In some respects the E16 would later be replaced by the DRAM-less Phison E21T, although Sabrent’s drives using that controller are only in the M.2 2230 form factor so far — the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/sabrent-rocket-2230-ssd-review"><u>Rocket 2230</u></a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/sabrent-rocket-q4-2230-ssd-review"><u>Rocket Q4 2230</u></a> — with 2242 coming soon. Newer flash means the 4.0 interface can be saturated, though, and that’s where the Phison E27T on the new Rocket 4 comes into play.<br><br>If you want maximum desktop performance, the Sabrent Rocket 5 may be the way to go. There's also the Rocket 4 Plus and its DirectStorage-optimized sibling, the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/sabrent-rocket-4-plus-g-ssd-review"><u>Rocket 4 Plus-G</u></a>. However, it’s now possible to get that same level of performance in a DRAM-less solution that’s less expensive and more efficient. If those are important factors for you, and that is often the case with laptops that have limited cooling opportunities and are constrained by battery life, then the new Rocket 4 should be right up your alley.</p><h2 id="sabrent-rocket-4-specifications-2">Sabrent Rocket 4 Specifications</h2> <p>The Sabrent Rocket 4 is available at <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CZJWSFGS"><u>1TB for $99.99</u></a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CZJX3XFP"><u>2TB for $199.99</u></a>, with 4TB being a future possibility. Those prices are higher than similar, competing products such as the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/inland-tn470-1tb-2tb-ssd-review"><u>Inland TN470</u></a> and the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/corsair-mp600-elite-2tb-ssd-review"><u>Corsair MP600 Elite</u></a>, but this is a new product and prices are subject to change. SSD prices have been climbing and are <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/client-ssd-pricing-to-increase-by-up-to-15-in-q2-2024-say-industry-analysts"><u>expected to climb more</u></a>, so comparison shopping has become more challenging.<br><br>The Rocket 4 can reach up to 7,400 / 6,400 MB/s for sequential reads and writes, effectively the maximum possible out of the PCIe 4.0 interface. Random read and write IOPS reach up to 1000K / 900K. This would have been unthinkable for a DRAM-less SSD in years past. The drive has the typical 5-year warranty with registration, and up to 600TB of writes per TB capacity. We recommend looking at the warranty period when picking a drive, with write endurance being less meaningful as you’re unlikely to do that many writes.</p><h2 id="sabrent-rocket-4-software-and-accessories-2">Sabrent Rocket 4 Software and Accessories</h2><p>Sabrent offers both an SSD toolbox and an imaging/cloning program as downloads for all of its SSDs. The toolbox, called the Sabrent Rocket Control Panel, has basic functionality such as checking drive health information and the ability to update firmware. Acronis True Image for Sabrent provides cloning, imaging, and backup functionality to assist when installing a new SSD and porting your OS. This is more than you’ll get from the Inland TN470, but there are free tools that can grant most of these features, such as CrystalDiskInfo and Clonezilla.</p><h2 id="sabrent-rocket-4-a-closer-look-2">Sabrent Rocket 4: A Closer Look</h2><div class="inlinegallery inline-layout"><div class="inlinegallery-wrap" style="display:flex; flex-flow:row nowrap;"><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 1 of 4</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="7igoD6tRtiiREyWbGhT7M8" name="Sabrent-Rocket-4-E27T-(3).jpg" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7igoD6tRtiiREyWbGhT7M8.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 2 of 4</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="GCoyoqHnb69RXvXN7MEif8" name="Sabrent-Rocket-4-E27T-(4).jpg" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/GCoyoqHnb69RXvXN7MEif8.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 3 of 4</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="bpEHMsaVeiVXhkwPV8Tgi7" name="Sabrent-Rocket-4-E27T-(1).jpg" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bpEHMsaVeiVXhkwPV8Tgi7.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 4 of 4</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="iF45amd9yR7igwSdrTC958" name="Sabrent-Rocket-4-E27T-(2).jpg" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/iF45amd9yR7igwSdrTC958.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><p>The first thing to note is that the SKU here is SB-RKT4L, which sets it apart from the Rocket NVMe 4.0, which is SB-ROCKET-NVMe4. The “L” likely stands for DRAM-less, which is distinctly listed on the box. The SSD comes in a nice, protected case, which will prevent drive damage in transit.</p><div class="inlinegallery inline-layout"><div class="inlinegallery-wrap" style="display:flex; flex-flow:row nowrap;"><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 1 of 2</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="nuV7AGB7EfhzHjnVWBtwA9" name="Sabrent-Rocket-4-E27T-(6).jpg" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nuV7AGB7EfhzHjnVWBtwA9.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 2 of 2</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="Kqzzq9j4dSJg4ub9m5Gst8" name="Sabrent-Rocket-4-E27T-(5).jpg" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Kqzzq9j4dSJg4ub9m5Gst8.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><p>Inside the case the Rocket 4 is nicely packaged. The copper label is similar to what’s used on the Rocket NVMe 4.0 and can act as a heatspreader. Although it’s possible to remove this, it’s probably unnecessary for wherever this drive is going. The back side has no components since this is a single-sided drive, which means it's compatible with more devices.</p><div class="inlinegallery inline-layout"><div class="inlinegallery-wrap" style="display:flex; flex-flow:row nowrap;"><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 1 of 2</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="hpNT2HqXrmCBeymWAkVZV9" name="Sabrent-Rocket-4-E27T-(7).jpg" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hpNT2HqXrmCBeymWAkVZV9.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 2 of 2</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="UUMXVkEdaZa3fvvfdTuze9" name="Sabrent-Rocket-4-E27T-(8).jpg" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UUMXVkEdaZa3fvvfdTuze9.jpg" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><p>We removed the copper label to show the controller and two NAND packages, with DRAM being absent. This is the normal configuration for the Phison E27T, technically allowing up to 4TB in a single-sided drive. There’s physical space to spare, so this same configuration could work in a smaller form factor, and more packages could be added — to the back, if necessary — to reach even higher capacities. For now, 2TB is the maximum, which is sufficient as that is the sweet spot for SSDs at this time.<br><br>We discussed the Phison E27T SSD controller thoroughly in our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/corsair-mp600-elite-2tb-ssd-review"><u>Corsair MP600 Elite review</u></a>, but as a refresher, this is a higher-end budget controller designed to compete with the Maxio MAP1602 and SMI SM2268XT. The MAP1602 came first and is usually paired with YMTC’s 232-Layer TLC flash, for example on drives like the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/addlink-a93-ssd-review"><u>Addlink A93</u></a>, with surprisingly good performance and power efficiency. We haven’t reviewed the SM2268XT yet, just the SM2269XT with the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/lexar-play-1tb-ssd-review"><u>Lexar Play SSD</u></a>, but we’ve heard good things. The E27T also competes with the E25 on the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/crucial-2tb-t500-ssd-review"><u>Crucial T500</u></a>, but that controller does have DRAM.<br><br>The NAND flash is Kioxia’s 162-Layer TLC, or BiCS6, which breaks away from older BiCS generations with a much more efficient design. It also allows for 1Tb dies for higher capacity. This makes it a pretty good pick for a drive like this, perhaps having better availability still than Micron’s 232-Layer flash. SK hynix’s V7 176-Layer flash isn't fast enough to get the most out of the PCIe 4.0 interface with a four-channel controller like the E27T.</p><p><strong>MORE: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-ssds,3891.html"><strong>Best SSDs</strong></a></p><p><strong>MORE: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/best-picks/best-ssd-for-steam-deck"><strong>Best SSD for the Steam Deck</strong></a></p><p><strong>MORE: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/how-we-test-storage,4058.html"><strong>How We Test HDDs And SSDs</strong></a></p><h2 id="comparison-products-2">Comparison Products</h2><p>The Sabrent Rocket 4 has a lot of competition, coming from multiple directions. For laptops, it has to improve on the popular <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/sk-hynix-gold-p31-m2-nvme-ssd-review"><u>SK hynix Gold P31</u></a>, a drive that was in many respects replaced by the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/crucial-2tb-t500-ssd-review"><u>Crucial T500</u></a>. It also has to beat mid-tier budget PCIe 4.0 SSDs like the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/wd-black-sn770-ssd-review"><u>WD Black SN770</u></a> and QLC-based <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/crucial-p3-plus-ssd-review-capacity-on-the-cheap"><u>Crucial P3 Plus</u></a>, in order to justify any price premium. It certainly should beat the old <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/sabrent-rocket-nvme-40-m2-ssd-review-a-high-performance-value"><u>Rocket NVMe 4.0</u></a> as well.<br><br>In order to rule out any anomalies, we also have the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/inland-tn470-1tb-2tb-ssd-review"><u>Inland TN470</u></a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/corsair-mp600-elite-2tb-ssd-review"><u>Corsair MP600 Elite</u></a> drives in the charts, which share the same hardware (and, spoiler alert, perform effectively the same). Older competing drives include the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/teamgroup-mp44-ssd-review"><u>Teamgroup MP44</u></a>, which is using the popular MAP1602 SSD controller with YMTC’s 232-Layer TLC flash, and the venerable <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/kingston-kc3000-m2-ssd-review"><u>Kingston KC3000</u></a> that represents the eight-channel, DRAM-equipped powerhouse SSDs that first pushed PCIe 4.0 bandwidth to the limit.<br><br>To round things out, we also have arguably the best PCIe 4.0 SSD in the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/samsung-990-pro-ssd-review"><u>Samsung 990 Pro</u></a> and, for good measure, the PCIe 5.0 <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/crucial-t705-2tb-ssd-review"><u>Crucial T705</u></a>, the latter of which is a fill-in for the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/sabrent-rocket-5-2tb-ssd-review"><u>Rocket 5</u></a> if you’re comparing it to the Rocket 4.</p><h2 id="trace-testing-x2014-3dmark-storage-benchmark-2">Trace Testing — 3DMark Storage Benchmark</h2><p>Built for gamers, 3DMark’s Storage Benchmark focuses on real-world gaming performance. Each round in this benchmark stresses storage based on gaming activities including loading games, saving progress, installing game files, and recording gameplay video streams. Future gaming benchmarks will be DirectStorage-inclusive and we include details of that where possible.</p><div class="inlinegallery inline-layout"><div class="inlinegallery-wrap" style="display:flex; flex-flow:row nowrap;"><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 1 of 3</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="5JvNSabweMzZZHek8RV9dD" name="ALLSSD-3DMLatency.png" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/5JvNSabweMzZZHek8RV9dD.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 2 of 3</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="3jMyn9VaKyAZgm4Eap4AkD" name="ALLSSD-3DMMBps.png" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3jMyn9VaKyAZgm4Eap4AkD.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 3 of 3</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="sDimY7jM7WjNnxHzdnxbrD" name="ALLSSD-3DMPoints.png" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/sDimY7jM7WjNnxHzdnxbrD.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><p>The Rocket 4 performs as expected in 3DMark, matching the MP600 Elite and TN470. It easily outclasses the Rocket NVMe 4.0 as well as the PCIe 3.0 Gold P31. The P31 has been a popular choice for laptops, but its time has passed. The Rocket 4 does fall short of the PCIe 5.0 T705 as well as the high-end 990 Pro and the DRAM-equipped T500.<br><br>Worth mentioning is that the E27T is expected to see Phison’s DirectStorage-optimized firmware at some point in time. It’s likely the Rocket 4 will get this update in the future, but it's not currently enabled.</p><h2 id="trace-testing-x2014-pcmark-10-storage-benchmark-2">Trace Testing — PCMark 10 Storage Benchmark</h2><p>PCMark 10 is a trace-based benchmark that uses a wide-ranging set of real-world traces from popular applications and everyday tasks to measure the performance of storage devices.</p><div class="inlinegallery inline-layout"><div class="inlinegallery-wrap" style="display:flex; flex-flow:row nowrap;"><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 1 of 3</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="STLxPv5nAB3eqMkeTG3txD" name="ALLSSD-PCM10BW.png" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/STLxPv5nAB3eqMkeTG3txD.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 2 of 3</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="sDbFqS4P6yN3fCbn2NwM6E" name="ALLSSD-PCM10Latency.png" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/sDbFqS4P6yN3fCbn2NwM6E.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 3 of 3</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="otoZdEsqJY8r66aL8d6XCE" name="ALLSSD-PCM10Score.png" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/otoZdEsqJY8r66aL8d6XCE.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><p>The results with PCMark 10 match what we saw in 3DMark. The Rocket 4 performs well and as expected, and managed to beat the popular KC3000 and MP44 SSDs. It’s fast enough for even demanding tasks.</p><h2 id="console-testing-x2014-playstation-5-transfers-2">Console Testing — PlayStation 5 Transfers</h2><p>The PlayStation 5 is capable of taking one additional PCIe 4.0 or faster SSD for extra game storage, with some requirements. Launch models could not take 8TB drives but this limit has since been removed. While any 4.0 drive will work, Sony specifies drives that can deliver at least 5,500 MB/s of sequential read bandwidth are optimal.<br><br>The PS5 does not support the host memory buffer (HMB) feature but DRAM-less drives still work. In our testing, PCIe 5.0 SSDs did not bring much to the table and preferably should not be used in the PS5, especially as they may require additional cooling. Please see our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/best-picks/best-ps5-ssds"><u>Best PS5 SSDs</u></a> article for more information.<br><br>Our testing utilizes the PS5’s internal storage test and manual read/write tests with over 192GB of data both from and to the internal storage. Throttling is prevented where possible to see how each drive operates under ideal conditions.</p><div class="inlinegallery inline-layout"><div class="inlinegallery-wrap" style="display:flex; flex-flow:row nowrap;"><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 1 of 3</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:75.00%;"><img id="ryedju7RSXxAF9XzfJyBSH" name="PS5-CopyFromMBps.png" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ryedju7RSXxAF9XzfJyBSH.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1440" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 2 of 3</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:75.00%;"><img id="nVroygXXs92FdXGXSxqyZH" name="PS5-CopyToMBps.png" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nVroygXXs92FdXGXSxqyZH.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1440" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 3 of 3</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:75.00%;"><img id="rG5ZLheS9GXbJ9rQFSXfhH" name="PS5-PS5ReadTest.png" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rG5ZLheS9GXbJ9rQFSXfhH.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1440" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><p>The Rocket 4’s PS5 performance is good where it matters, specifically in the read test, but it falls behind when copying data to the drive due to its smallish cache. This impacts the other E27T drives as well. The cache is the same size at all capacities so this applies universally. However, the use of fewer NAND flash dies at 1TB means the overall transfer speed will be slower at larger transfer sizes due to slower native write speeds.</p><h2 id="transfer-rates-x2014-diskbench-2">Transfer Rates — DiskBench</h2><p>We use the DiskBench storage benchmarking tool to test file transfer performance with a custom, 50GB dataset. We write 31,227 files of various types, such as pictures, PDFs, and videos to the test drive, then make a copy of that data to a new folder, and follow up with a reading test of a newly-written 6.5GB zip file. This is a real world type workload that fits into the cache of most drives.</p><div class="inlinegallery inline-layout"><div class="inlinegallery-wrap" style="display:flex; flex-flow:row nowrap;"><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 1 of 3</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="AA2FC47pAfzEpehQ4yNPLE" name="ALLSSD-DiskBench50Copy.png" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/AA2FC47pAfzEpehQ4yNPLE.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 2 of 3</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="axViA8BYZKpGhfxoHdBVUE" name="ALLSSD-DiskBench50Write.png" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/axViA8BYZKpGhfxoHdBVUE.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 3 of 3</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="oRoxqrpAPEXys57U2SVCbE" name="ALLSSD-DiskBench65Read.png" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oRoxqrpAPEXys57U2SVCbE.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><p>Copy performance is good, getting close even to the 990 Pro. Performance easily beats mid-tier PCIe 4.0 SSDs like the SN770. Gains are even larger over the P3 Plus and Rocket NVMe 4.0, as well as the PCIe 3.0 Gold P31. If you want faster transfers you may have to go for a PCIe 5.0 drive. The exception here is the T500, which benefits from 232-Layer flash, DRAM, and a huge pSLC cache.</p><h2 id="synthetic-testing-x2014-atto-crystaldiskmark-2">Synthetic Testing — ATTO / CrystalDiskMark</h2><p>ATTO and CrystalDiskMark (CDM) are free and easy-to-use storage benchmarking tools that SSD vendors commonly use to assign performance specifications to their products. Both of these tools give us insight into how each device handles different file sizes and at different queue depths.</p><div class="inlinegallery inline-layout"><div class="inlinegallery-wrap" style="display:flex; flex-flow:row nowrap;"><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 1 of 14</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="65bDfVaKePCJdCugg3SwiE" name="ALLSSD-ATTOLinRead.png" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/65bDfVaKePCJdCugg3SwiE.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 2 of 14</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="8ceAYEmSKJa6YQtG6mHZrE" name="ALLSSD-ATTOLinWrite.png" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8ceAYEmSKJa6YQtG6mHZrE.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 3 of 14</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="y9AX4YYSFxebJunvDzLRzE" name="ALLSSD-ATTOLogRead.png" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/y9AX4YYSFxebJunvDzLRzE.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 4 of 14</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="fqtWbg92MnvNP8SxzFat8F" name="ALLSSD-ATTOLogWrite.png" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fqtWbg92MnvNP8SxzFat8F.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 5 of 14</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="pV2cuLJXcVTN7wMf9inYFF" name="ALLSSD-CDMRandReadIOPSQD1.png" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/pV2cuLJXcVTN7wMf9inYFF.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 6 of 14</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="WcnzCMiDzCoU6nt5cwuFNF" name="ALLSSD-CDMRandReadIOPSQD256.png" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WcnzCMiDzCoU6nt5cwuFNF.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 7 of 14</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="w6D4BumpJQGKXMLMQM5JVF" name="ALLSSD-CDMRandReadLatencyQD1.png" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/w6D4BumpJQGKXMLMQM5JVF.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 8 of 14</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="j3DtYVrZNiHPnSYgs6AXbF" name="ALLSSD-CDMRandWriteIOPSQD1.png" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/j3DtYVrZNiHPnSYgs6AXbF.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 9 of 14</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="JMm4xQd7de9mx2LLRZv2iF" name="ALLSSD-CDMRandWriteIOPSQD256.png" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JMm4xQd7de9mx2LLRZv2iF.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 10 of 14</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="Zb9dRdvUH5q6QpcSchLupF" name="ALLSSD-CDMRandWriteLatencyQD1.png" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Zb9dRdvUH5q6QpcSchLupF.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 11 of 14</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="n7fDWRSjcEuvbDSWqGkJwF" name="ALLSSD-CDMSeqReadQD1.png" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/n7fDWRSjcEuvbDSWqGkJwF.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 12 of 14</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="Z4frEPgfKeu6AvTZ5Vtt4G" name="ALLSSD-CDMSeqReadQD8.png" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Z4frEPgfKeu6AvTZ5Vtt4G.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 13 of 14</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="p4rhxtz7FwyPozLuxGcaCG" name="ALLSSD-CDMSeqWriteQD1.png" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/p4rhxtz7FwyPozLuxGcaCG.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 14 of 14</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="MhyoCDv5H9WwB7XvxN35KG" name="ALLSSD-CDMSeqWriteQD8.png" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/MhyoCDv5H9WwB7XvxN35KG.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><p>There are no real weaknesses apparent in ATTO, with the Rocket 4 getting good to excellent read throughput at all block sizes. Writes are also good with small I/O, but hit a plateau beginning at around 512KiB. We hypothesized in our TN470 review that this could be due to the flash being used — Kioxia’s 162-Layer BiCS6 TLC flash — as even the P3 Plus, with the E21T controller and QLC flash, pulls out ahead with larger I/O blocks. We’ll have to see the E27T controller used with other flash to be sure.<br><br>Sequential performance according to CDM is fairly average, but considering the drives it’s ostensibly competing against, the Rocket 4 holds its own. QD1 is often most relevant for file transfers, and there’s not much between the Rocket 4 and 990 Pro. That's an impressive result. On the other hand, the T500 and the MAP1602-based MP44 both punch above their weight, which makes this more of a contest. When it comes to random performance, which is often considered more important, the Rocket 4 does quite well, landing near the top for both read and write latency for 4KB QD1.</p><h2 id="sustained-write-performance-and-cache-recovery-2">Sustained Write Performance and Cache Recovery</h2><p>Official write specifications are only part of the performance picture. Most SSDs implement a write cache, which is a fast area of (usually) pseudo-SLC programmed flash that absorbs incoming data. Sustained write speeds can suffer tremendously once the workload spills outside of the cache and into the "native" TLC or QLC flash.<br><br>We use Iometer to hammer the SSD with sequential writes for at least 15 minutes to measure both the size of the write cache and performance after the cache is saturated. We also monitor cache recovery via multiple idle rounds. This process shows the performance of the drive in various states as well as the steady state write performance.</p><div class="inlinegallery inline-layout"><div class="inlinegallery-wrap" style="display:flex; flex-flow:row nowrap;"><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 1 of 3</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="ofVxDqYxbDxEswv9AKkmSG" name="ALLSSD-WriteSaturation-150s.png" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ofVxDqYxbDxEswv9AKkmSG.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 2 of 3</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="9MYfSAN2rDvfePdNbLGGbG" name="ALLSSD-WriteSaturation-900s.png" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9MYfSAN2rDvfePdNbLGGbG.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 3 of 3</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="AyWVn7F42FFZnKw7e8xwkG" name="ALLSSD-WriteSaturation-AvgMBps.png" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/AyWVn7F42FFZnKw7e8xwkG.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><p>The 2TB Rocket 4 initially writes in the fast pSLC mode at an average of 6.45 GB/s, exceeding its specified 6.4 GB/s, for around eight seconds. This indicates a 50GB cache, which matches the cache on the MP600 Elite and TN470 — the latter with the same 50GB cache at either 1TB or 2TB. This is a small cache for a 2TB drive, but it does ensure more consistent performance in comparison to the large-cached T500.<br><br>TLC mode write performance averages out to 1.44 GB/s, which is pretty good and solidly consistent. It’s not quite as fast as some eight-channel drives, like the KC3000, but it gets pretty close. The Rocket 4 is also more consistent than the budget MP44, a drive that shares hardware with the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/lexar-nm790-ssd-review"><u>Lexar NM790</u></a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/addlink-a93-ssd-review"><u>Addlink A93</u></a>, as the latter has less runway and eventually ends up in a folding state. This shows the trade-off of going with a larger cache.<br><br>As for recovery, the Rocket 4 is able to bounce back to pSLC but is pretty happy to remain in TLC, which is adequate considering the relatively decent baseline performance.</p><h2 id="power-consumption-and-temperature-2">Power Consumption and Temperature</h2><p>We use the Quarch HD Programmable Power Module to gain a deeper understanding of power characteristics. Idle power consumption is an important aspect to consider, especially if you're looking for a laptop upgrade as even the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/best-picks/best-ultrabooks-premium-laptops"><u>best ultrabooks</u></a> can have mediocre stock storage. Desktops may be more performance-oriented with less support for power-saving features, so we show the worst-case.<br><br>Some SSDs can consume watts of power at idle while better-suited ones sip just milliwatts. Average workload power consumption and max consumption are two other aspects of power consumption but performance-per-watt, or efficiency, is more important. A drive might consume more power during any given workload, but accomplishing a task faster allows the drive to drop into an idle state more quickly, ultimately saving energy.<br><br>For temperature recording we currently poll the drive’s primary composite sensor during testing with a 21-22°C ambient. Our testing is rigorous enough to heat the drive to a realistic ceiling temperature.</p><div class="inlinegallery inline-layout"><div class="inlinegallery-wrap" style="display:flex; flex-flow:row nowrap;"><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 1 of 4</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="NeSsJKb9TtoMCcjmDDjm3H" name="ALLSSD-QuarchEfficiency.png" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NeSsJKb9TtoMCcjmDDjm3H.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 2 of 4</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="oSkqMCanSKBBryby5BeasG" name="ALLSSD-QuarchAvgPower.png" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oSkqMCanSKBBryby5BeasG.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 3 of 4</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="n4GMB7KeZ7EdXhC5mpcbAH" name="ALLSSD-QuarchIdlePower.png" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/n4GMB7KeZ7EdXhC5mpcbAH.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div><div class="inlinegallery-item" style="flex: 0 0 auto;"><span class="slidecount">Image 4 of 4</span><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="NpBCYsxD7aqwkmN5cchTHH" name="ALLSSD-QuarchMaxPower.png" alt="Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NpBCYsxD7aqwkmN5cchTHH.png" mos="" link="" align="" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><p>The Rocket 4 performs well and doesn’t require a compromise with power consumption. It’s fairly efficient, beating out the T500 and the older Gold P31, although it doesn’t quite reach the heights of the MP44. We have no problem recommending this for laptops, and Phison E27T drives like the Rocket 4 are probably one of the best all-around choices.<br><br>The MP44 and similar drives are efficient, but the MAP1602 controller runs hot and can be problematic in some cases. The T500 does not have this problem, but its performance can be inconsistent in some cases. This makes the Rocket 4 an excellent all-around choice for laptops if you’re not dead set on having DRAM.<br><br>This conclusion is further supported by our temperature readings: the Rocket 4 stayed below 50C in our sustained writes test. It’s true that the drive has a small pSLC cache, which can put less pressure on the hardware, but sustained performance was still pretty good. The drive didn’t produce too much heat. As such, the Rocket 4 is great for laptops, the PS5, and desktops, with or without additional cooling.<br><br>As a side note, if you intend to go for the faster <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/sabrent-rocket-5-2tb-ssd-review"><u>Rocket 5</u></a>, you will require a heatsink. Our tested sample arrived bare, but Sabrent is also delivering a SKU that comes with a newly-designed heatsink that's also purchasable separately. At the time of the Rocket 5’s review we were not aware of this but are glad Sabrent has met the demand for an all-in-one solution.</p><h2 id="test-bench-and-testing-notes-2">Test Bench and Testing Notes</h2> <p>We use an Alder Lake platform with most background applications such as indexing, Windows updates, and anti-virus disabled in the OS to reduce run-to-run variability. Each SSD is prefilled to 50% capacity and tested as a secondary device. Unless noted, we use active cooling for all SSDs.</p><h2 id="sabrent-rocket-4-bottom-line-2">Sabrent Rocket 4 Bottom Line</h2><p>The Sabrent Rocket 4 nails all our benchmarks where it matters, with good all-around and sustained performance. That performance does not come at the cost of high power consumption or a large amount of heat. It’s also single-sided, which makes it a great pick for laptops and small form factor builds. It basically ties the similar Inland TN470 and Corsair MP600 Elite in every test, and we feel safe in saying that Phison has done a good job of optimizing and preparing this hardware for release. We wouldn’t mind seeing a 4TB option, but otherwise this drive is a no-brainer depending on retail pricing.<br><br>The Rocket 4 understandably won't be as performant as PCIe 5.0 SSDs. Sabrent has the Rocket 5 for that. It also lacks DRAM, unlike the T500 and older eight-channel 4.0 drives like the Rocket 4 Plus, although this isn’t a huge disadvantage. In fact, the Rocket 4’s sustained performance is very consistent, although that’s due in part to its small pSLC cache. It’s probably not the first choice for a pure workhorse drive, but on the other hand it proves you don’t need DRAM to hit most of the high notes.<br><br>Phison is late to the game in comparison to the Maxio MAP1602 controller, but Phison’s E27T dissipates heat better. That makes the Rocket 4 a better choice for laptops in our book, especially with the copper heat spreading label. The Rocket 4 also outpaces older favorites like the SN770, and it's clearly superior to the original PCIe 4.0 SSDs like the Rocket NVMe 4.0. There’s still a place for QLC-based drives like the P3 Plus as these can be less expensive per gigabyte — especially at 4TB — but if drives like the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/hp-fx700-2tb-ssd-review"><u>HP FX700</u></a> start to have better availability, that role will be challenged.<br><br>We’re also impressed with the BiCS6 TLC flash on the Rocket 4, as it’s proven to be performant and efficient without a huge performance hit versus even newer, 232-Layer alternatives. If the use of this flash can help bring prices down in relative terms, we’re all for it. It does mean that the Rocket 4 is best at 2TB, which is a bit of an oddity considering the cache remains just 50GB, but we think this is a good compromise as performance with a fuller drive — or for sustained writes — will be more consistent, and 2TB is the sweet spot for SSDs.<br><br>The Sabrent Rocket 4 has a lot of competition, so it has to be priced right in this ever-changing market. Initial street prices are high, and it's hard to justify the premium against the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CK2TC9XQ"><u>Crucial T500 2TB at $138.99</u></a>, the identical specs <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CVVT4J47"><u>Inland TN470 at $136.99</u></a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CSG68HF4"><u>Corsair MP600 Elite 2TB at $154.99</u></a>, or the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFV6H217"><u>Addlink A93 at $125.44</u></a> (including a heatsink, if you want that). Prices will need to come down, and they should, at which point the Rocket 4 is simply a good choice right out of the box for any sort of use you can imagine. </p><p><strong>MORE: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-ssds,3891.html"><strong>Best SSDs</strong></a></p><p><strong>MORE: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/best-picks/best-ssd-for-steam-deck"><strong>Best SSD for the Steam Deck</strong></a></p><p><strong>MORE: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/how-we-test-storage,4058.html"><strong>How We Test HDDs And SSDs</strong></a></p> ]]></dc:content> <link>https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/sabrent-rocket-4-2tb-ssd-review</link> <description> <![CDATA[ Sabrent’s new Rocket 4 SSD is a DRAM-less PCIe 4.0 drive and a welcome update to its popular Rocket NVMe 4.0. It’s better in every way, from performance to power efficiency to being single-sided for laptops. ]]> </description> <guid isPermaLink="false">EKhe9gAnSBeSpgNXtwgfy7</guid> <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Kqzzq9j4dSJg4ub9m5Gst8.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="0"></enclosure> <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 15:17:03 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[SSDs]]></category> <category><![CDATA[PC Components]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Storage]]></category> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Kqzzq9j4dSJg4ub9m5Gst8.jpg"> <media:credit><![CDATA[Tom's Hardware]]></media:credit> <media:text><![CDATA[Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD]]></media:text> <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Sabrent Rocket 4 2TB SSD]]></media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title><![CDATA[ Nvidia CEO hand-delivers world's fastest AI system to OpenAI, again — first DGX H200 given to Sam Altman and Greg Brockman ]]></title> <dc:content><![CDATA[ <p>Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang took on a new side gig as a courier, delivering the world's first <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/news/nvidia-unveils-dgx-gh200-supercomputer-and-mgx-systems-grace-hopper-superchips-in-production">DGX H200 </a>ever seen in the wild to OpenAI's Sam Altman and Greg Brockman. The trio <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://twitter.com/gdb/status/1783234941842518414">shared a picture of their meeting on Twitter/X,</a> commemorating a successful Jensen Huang delivery to OpenAI. </p><p>The DGX H200 is a brand-new and rocket-fast GPU-based server from Nvidia, holding the new H200 Tensor Core GPU inside a powerful enterprise-grade server shell. The Hopper-based H200 GPU represents a generational step forward from its little brother, the H100, with the newer card now featuring 141 GB of memory running at 4.8 TB/s compared to the H100's measly 80 GB at 3.3 TB/s. Nvidia calls its H200 "the world’s most powerful GPU for supercharging AI workloads", a claim that few could refute.</p><div class="see-more see-more--clipped"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet hawk-ignore" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">First @NVIDIA DGX H200 in the world, hand-delivered to OpenAI and dedicated by Jensen "to advance AI, computing, and humanity": pic.twitter.com/rEJu7OTNGT<a href="https://twitter.com/gdb/status/1783234941842518414">April 24, 2024</a></p></blockquote><div class="see-more__filter"></div><div class="see-more__button-container"><span class="see-more__button" role="button" tabindex="0" aria-label="See more">See more</span></div></div><p>Huang signed the supercomputer with the epithet "to advance AI, computing, and humanity". The signature and photo op bring to mind a very similar scene from 2016 when Huang had <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/elon-musk-reminisces-about-the-time-jensen-huang-donated-a-dgx-1-to-openai-shares-photo-gallery">a very similar delivery</a> for OpenAI - the world's first DGX-1 server handed off to an excited Elon Musk. Back when Musk was a proud member and co-founder of OpenAI, he happily received the DGX-1, also signed with Huang's cheers "to the future of computing and humanity". The gift of the DGX-1 was hailed by Elon and many members of the OpenAI team as a boon that accelerated their research by weeks, and the astronomical leap in performance up to the DGX H200 could have a similar impact. </p><p>But those were happier times; today, Musk is in the process of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/elon-musk-sues-openai-alleging-breaches-of-the-founding-agreement">suing OpenAI</a>. He alleges claims of breaking their founding contract by turning OpenAI from a non-profit into an aggressive for-profit company, and for exacerbating the potential dangers of artificial general intelligence (AGI), calling the prospect of AGI "a grave threat to humanity.” It seems there is no love lost between Musk and Huang today, a warm relief for fans of the CEO of leather jackets/Nvidia and the man who killed Twitter. Time will tell if Musk will receive a free AI supercomputer of his own for training his pet Grok's <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/elon-musk-says-the-next-generation-grok-3-model-will-require-100000-nvidia-h100-gpus-to-train">next generation</a>.</p> ]]></dc:content> <link>https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/nvidia-ceo-hand-delivers-worlds-fastest-ai-system-to-openai-again-first-dgx-h200-given-to-sam-altman-and-greg-brockman</link> <description> <![CDATA[ Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang hand-delivered the world's first DGX H200 computer to OpenAI's CEO and president, continuing a trend of connecting OpenAI with bleeding edge AI compute power. ]]> </description> <guid isPermaLink="false">YhLoWKLkF2yCmzLVUsX2rm</guid> <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Qx5Z3obEkieH55NfcJVjPf.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="0"></enclosure> <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 15:13:22 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Artificial Intelligence]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Tech Industry]]></category> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Qx5Z3obEkieH55NfcJVjPf.jpg"> <media:credit><![CDATA[Greg Brockman on X / Twitter]]></media:credit> <media:text><![CDATA[Jensen Huang with Sam Altman and Greg Brockman]]></media:text> <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Jensen Huang with Sam Altman and Greg Brockman]]></media:title> </media:content> </item> <item> <title><![CDATA[ The Best PS5 SSDs in 2024: Speedy NVMe storage for your console ]]></title> <dc:content><![CDATA[ <h2 id="the-best-ps5-ssds-2">The Best PS5 SSDs</h2><p>Finding the best PS5 SSD might seem like a daunting task due to the wide range of choices; there are plenty of SSDs for the PS5 on the market that will provide a simple and hassle-free capacity upgrade for your game library. To narrow down the options, we put a wide range of the speediest drives from our <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/features/ssd-benchmarks-hierarchy">SSD benchmarks hierarchy</a> through a battery of our tests to find the best SSDs for the PS5, and then we picked the cream of the crop based on both performance and pricing. Given that nearly any new drive you buy for the PC can also be used in the PS5, you can also find many of these same picks on our list of <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-ssds,3891.html">Best SSDs</a> for desktop PCs.<br><br>The PS5's internal SSD is a restrictive 825GB, and after formatting, updates, and bloatware it typically leaves you with about 670GB free for games. That's bad news, because today's games are becoming larger with each new release, and you'll also need somewhere to store all the screenshots and video clips you gather while you play. <em>Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War</em> all by itself uses more than 200GB!<br><br>The good news is that Sony has an M.2 expansion slot where you can put a second SSD for the PS5, and updated system firmware now allows you to use an SSD with up to 8TB of capacity. That capacious amount of storage should satiate even the most demanding of gamers, but there are also more affordable options, and modern 2TB and 4TB models are particularly attractive choices for the PS5.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-the-tldr-best-ssds-for-the-ps5-more-info-below"><span>The TLDR: Best SSDs for the PS5 (more info below):</span></h3> <p>Here's the quick list of the best SSDs for the PS5, but we have further breakdowns and testing results below. When searching for the best SSD for the PS5, you'll want to be careful about which drive you pick. The <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/samsung-990-pro-4tb-ssd-review">Samsung 990 Pro</a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B7CMZ3QH/ref=asc_df_B0B7CMZ3QH1669449600000?tag=georiot-us-default-20&ascsubtag=tomshardware-us-1170247475320631000-20&geniuslink=true">WD SN850X</a> are great SSDs for the PS5, though pricing has been trending upward for the past several months — on all SSDs. The SN850X also comes as an <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/news/wds-ps5-branded-sn850p-ssd-is-just-an-overpriced-sn850x">SN850P that's just an overpriced SN850X</a> with a different heatsink and PlayStation 5 branding.<br><br>We've broken things down by category, with our top picks being the Inland Performance Plus, WD SN850X, Samsung 990 Pro, and Crucial T500. Which drive will fit your particular needs best depends on what you're after, and we have alternate picks for each category as well. For example, if you're looking for lots of decently fast storage on the cheap, the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/addlink-a93-ssd-review">Addlink A93 4TB</a> warrants consideration.</p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-best-ssds-for-ps5"><span>Best SSDs for PS5</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2000px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="DCV2Gt5iNeyLnNe9Q3QK3i" name="Inland Gaming Performance Plus 2TB-2.jpg" alt="Inland Gaming Performance Plus" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/DCV2Gt5iNeyLnNe9Q3QK3i.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="2000" height="1125" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="buying-guide-block"><h3 id="1-inland-gaming-performance-plus-2"><span class="title__text"><a href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/inland-gaming-performance-plus">1. Inland Gaming Performance Plus</a></span><span class="chunk rating"><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span></span></h3><div class="_hawk subtitle"><p>Best Overall PS5 SSD</p></div><p class="specs__container"><strong>Capacities: </strong>1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 8TB | <strong>Form Factor: </strong>M.2 2280 | <strong>Transfer Interface/Protocol: </strong>x4 PCIe 4.0 / NVMe 1.4 | <strong>Sequential Reads/Writes: </strong>7,000 / 6,850 MB/s | <strong>Warranty/Endurance: </strong>5 years / Up to 6,000 TBW (8TB)</p><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Solid all-around performance</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Wide range of capacities</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Optional PS5-compliant heatsink</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Affordable</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Not the fastest drive possible</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Not as power-efficient as newer drives</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">No software support</div></div><p>The Inland Gaming Performance Plus doesn’t really stand out on its own, using common hardware that’s been a PCIe 4.0 SSD staple for quite some time — it has a Phison E18 controller paired with 176-layer Micron TLC NAND. However, this mature platform performs well in the PS5, and the optional heatsink means one less thing to worry about. (You can add your own alternative heatsink for less money, if you prefer.)<br><br>The Inland drive also has a great range of capacities, including 8TB, which makes it perfect for game libraries of any size. While it may not sparkle the most, this drive is a great value for PS5 and desktop gaming. The SN850X and 990 Pro might be slightly faster, but they’re also more expensive.<br><br>Other drives with the same hardware combination that we've tested include the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/corsair-mp600-pro-lpx-ssd-review">Corsair MP600 Pro LPX</a>, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/corsair-mp600-pro-xt-ssd-review-corsairs-best-just-leveled-up">Corsair MP600 Pro XT</a>, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/kingston-fury-renegade">Kingston Fury Renegade</a>, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/kingston-kc3000-m2-ssd-review">Kingston KC3000</a>, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/netac-nv7000-ssd-review">Netac NV7000</a>, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/pny-xlr8-cs3140-ssd-review">PNY CS3140</a>, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/sabrent-rocket-4-plus-g-ssd-review">Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus-G</a>, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/seagate-firecuda-530-m2-nvme-ssd-review">Seagate FireCuda 530</a>, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/silicon-power-xpower-xs70-review">Silicon Power XPower XS70</a>, and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/team-group-t-force-cardea-a440-pro">Teamgroup A440 Pro</a>. Of these, the Inland 4TB currently has the best price, which is why it gets the nod — they're all basically the same, otherwise.<br><br>Newer drives, like the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/lexar-nm790-ssd-review">Lexar NM790</a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/crucial-2tb-t500-ssd-review">Crucial T500</a>, are more power efficient, although these tend to tap out at 2TB or at most 4TB. Both examples are heatsink-optional, though we think it’s worth investing in cooling for the PS5 for long-term use. The Inland drive’s hardware provides the best performance consistency, and its ready availability at retail is a plus.<br><br><strong>Read: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/inland-gaming-performance-plus"><strong>Inland Gaming Performance Plus SSD Review</strong></a></p><hr><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2000px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="" name="WD Black SN850X 2TB-1.jpg" alt="WD Black SN850X" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YgJ5VNubWQVkm8hNPSN5se.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="2000" height="1125" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="buying-guide-block"><h3 id="2-wd-black-sn850x-7"><span class="title__text"><a href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/wd-black-sn850x-ssd-review-back-in-black">2. WD Black SN850X</a></span><span class="chunk rating"><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star half"></span></span></h3><div class="_hawk subtitle"><p>Fastest and Best PS5 SSD Alternate Pick</p></div><p class="specs__container"><strong>Capacities: </strong>1TB, 2TB, 4TB | <strong>Form Factor: </strong>M.2 2280 | <strong>Transfer Interface/Protocol: </strong>PCIe 4.0 x4 / NVMe | <strong>Sequential Reads/Writes: </strong>Up to 7,300 / 6,600 MBps | <strong>Warranty/Endurance: </strong>5 Years / Up to 2400 TBW</p><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Top-tier performance</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Large, consistent SLC cache</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Strong warranty and software toolbox</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Optional heatsink and RGB</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Pricing</div></div><p>WD took its popular Black SN850 SSD and turned it up to 11, but luckily the price isn't nearly so extreme. The $130 price point for the 2TB model is a steal, but make sure you check current pricing. The Black SN850X leverages an improved controller and newer flash to get the most out of the PCIe 4.0 interface, thus delivering excellent performance with the Sony PlayStation 5. Performance is improved across the board, and the drive comes with a heatsink option at 1TB and 2TB.<br><br>WD also supports the SSD with a respectable five-year warranty that will let you game with peace of mind. This drive is made for the PlayStation 5, but it can be a bit pricier than other options, so you'll want to keep an eye out for sales. It's also super fast for gaming on a PC, particularly with DirectStorage starting to become useful.<br><br>WD has taken the course of releasing an officially-licensed SN850P. That drive is a <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/news/wds-ps5-branded-sn850p-ssd-is-just-an-overpriced-sn850x">glorified heatsinked SN850X</a> and should only be picked if you want the heatsink at 4TB. Even then, it's far less expensive to get a bare SN850X and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HSQQWCL">add your own heatsink</a>. The SN850X also shines when used in a PC.<br><br><strong>Read: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/wd-black-sn850x-ssd-review-back-in-black"><strong>WD Black SN850X Review</strong></a></p><hr><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-high-capacity-ssd-for-ps5"><span>High-Capacity SSD for PS5</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure " data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:2560px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="9V4aMpMreHsSeDHXQLx9ST" name="Samsung-990-Pro-4TB-(4).jpg" alt="Samsung 990 Pro 4TB" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9V4aMpMreHsSeDHXQLx9ST.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="2560" height="1440" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=""><span class="caption-text">High-Capacity PS5 SSD: Samsung 990 Pro 4TB </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="buying-guide-block"><h3 id="3-samsung-990-pro-4tb-2"><span class="title__text"><a href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/samsung-990-pro-4tb-ssd-review">3. Samsung 990 Pro 4TB</a></span><span class="chunk rating"><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star half"></span></span></h3><div class="_hawk subtitle"><p>High-Capacity and Fastest PS5 SSD</p></div><p class="specs__container"><strong>Capacities: </strong>1TB, 2TB, 4TB | <strong>Form Factor: </strong>M.2 2280 | <strong>Transfer Interface/Protocol: </strong>PCIe 4.0 x4 / NVMe | <strong>Sequential Reads/Writes: </strong> Up to 7,450 / 6,900 MBps | <strong>Warranty/Endurance: </strong>5 Years / Up to 2400 TBW</p><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Single-sided 4TB capacity</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">High performance</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Heatsink and RGB options</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Consistent, efficient, and cool-running</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">High price</div></div><p>The Samsung 990 Pro ranks as both the fastest overall SSD we've tested with the PS5, and if you want a large and spacious SSD, it also ranks as a top pick. The 4TB model now sells for $320 at Amazon (up from a low of $249 a few months back), however, so pricing is definitely not as nice as it once was. Still, many other 4TB SSDs that aren't even as fast cost more. Which isn't to say there aren't some potential alternatives (see below), but paying extra for peace of mind isn't a bad approach.<br><br>The Samsung 990 Pro 4TB provides excellent performance. More importantly, it's available as a single-sided drive with 4TB — many 4TB drives will use both sides of the SSD, which could create issues if you try to stuff them into the PS5. Samsung's latest 236-Layer V-NAND is what allows for such a high capacity with just two NAND packages, and the drive runs generally cool.<br><br>Do you want to save money and forego the Samsung name? There are a few reasonable alternatives below.<br><br><strong>Read: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/samsung-990-pro-4tb-ssd-review"><u><strong>Samsung 990 Pro 4TB Review</strong></u></a></p><hr><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="uNbZBeCd5wVjCTRFiSwDhE" name="Addlink-A93-4TB-(3).jpg" alt="Alternate High-Capacity SSD for PS5: Addlink A93 4TB" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/uNbZBeCd5wVjCTRFiSwDhE.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Alternate High-Capacity SSD for PS5: Addlink A93 4TB </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="buying-guide-block"><h3 id="4-addlink-a93-4tb-2"><span class="title__text"><a href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/addlink-a93-ssd-review">4. Addlink A93 4TB</a></span><span class="chunk rating"><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span></span></h3><div class="_hawk subtitle"><p>Best High-Capacity SSD for PS5 Alternate Pick</p></div><p class="specs__container"><strong>Capacities: </strong>1TB, 2TB, 4TB | <strong>Form Factor: </strong>M.2 2280 | <strong>Transfer Interface/Protocol: </strong>PCIe 4.0 x4 / NVMe | <strong>Sequential Reads/Writes: </strong>Up to 7,400 / 6,500 MBps (unofficial) | <strong>Warranty/Endurance: </strong>5 Years / Up to 3,000 TBW</p><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Good to great all-around and sustained performance</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Power-efficient</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">4TB, TLC, and single-sided</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">PS5-compliant with a heatsink</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Hardware is still maturing</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">No DRAM</div></div><p>Addlink isn't a familiar name among SSDs for most enthusiasts, though the hardware is sound enough and the company seems to be gaining some traction. The A93 pairs the Maxio MAP1602A controller with 232-layer YMTC TLC NAND for a potent combination of performance, efficiency, and perhaps most importantly: price. Right now, you can pick up the 4TB model for just $249 — $90 less than the Samsung 990 Pro. (The drive formerly went for as little as $193, but prices are on the rise.)<br><br>In our testing, the Addlink A93 performed just as well as more expensive PS5 SSDs. The PS5 read speed test, as well as our copy to and from results, were practically indistinguishable from most other drives. The drive even comes with a heatsink as standard equipment, though we still think the Sabrent PS5 heatsink is a better option overall (since it provides direct airflow access rather than putting the SSD under a cover).<br><br>Note that the Maxio MAP1602A doesn't include DRAM, and on Windows PCs it would use the HMB (host memory buffer) feature to get around this. But even in the PS5, performance was fine. If you want other alternatives, the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/lexar-nm790-ssd-review">Lexar NM790 4TB</a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJ2N9485">Silicon Power US75 4TB</a> (see below) use the same controller and NAND, while the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/netac-nv7000-ssd-review">Netac NV7000 4TB</a> opts for a Phison E18 controller and 176-layer Micron TLC NAND (the same as the Inland drive listed above).<br><br><strong>Read: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/addlink-a93-ssd-review"><u><strong>Addlink A93 Review</strong></u></a></p><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-best-cheap-ssd-for-ps5"><span>Best Cheap SSD for PS5</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="kTShPYvydFw33y8kXjFJkB" name="Crucial-T500-2TB-(3).jpg" alt="Crucial T500 2TB" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kTShPYvydFw33y8kXjFJkB.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Best Cheap SSD for PS5: Crucial T500 2TB </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="buying-guide-block"><h3 id="5-crucial-t500-2"><span class="title__text"><a href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/crucial-2tb-t500-ssd-review">5. Crucial T500</a></span><span class="chunk rating"><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span><span class="icon icon-star"> </span></span></h3><div class="_hawk subtitle"><p>Best Cheap SSD for PS5</p></div><p class="specs__container"><strong>Capacities: </strong>500GB, 1TB, 2TB | <strong>Form Factor: </strong>M.2 2280 Single-sided | <strong>Transfer Interface/Protocol: </strong>PCIe 4.0 x4 | <strong>Sequential Reads/Writes: </strong>7,400 / 7,000 MBps | <strong>Warranty/Endurance: </strong>5 Years / Up to 1,200 TBW</p><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Excellent all-around performance</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Efficient and single-sided</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Optional heatsink at 1TB/2TB</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">No 4TB model yet</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Prices heading north</div></div><p>The Crucial T500 is a high-performance PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe SSD that dishes out speeds of up to 7.4 GB/s of read and 7.0 GB/s write throughput, along with up to 1.18 million IOPS. The 2TB model checks in at $139 (sans heatsink, which costs an extra $30), while the 1TB costs $84 ($99 with heatsink).<br><br>The drive delivers out plenty of performance for the PS5, and while it's not quite as fast in the PS5 read test as the top drives, it was basically just as performant in our real-world file copy tests. As noted in our test section, the differences between the fastest and slowest SSDs in real-world gaming are incredibly slim, meaning that the T500's price tag could draw in the value seekers among us.<br><br>Prices, as we've stated elsewhere, are increasing on all SSDs right now. The <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CK39YR9V">bare 1TB T500 currently sells for $84</a>, while the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CK2S298S">heatsinked version costs $10 extra</a>. The 2TB model offers a better value, at <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CK2TC9XQ">$138 for the bare drive</a>, or <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CK2RKPBL">$144 for the heatsink version</a>. You can find plenty of similar capacity PCIe 4.0 SSDs for less money, though many of those will be older and/or slower drives from a couple of years back.<br><br>The cheapest 1TB PCIe 4.0 drives start at around $60, while 2TB drives start at $105. If that's what you're after, check out drives like the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/team-group-mp44l-ssd-review">Teamgroup MP44L</a>, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/addlink-s90-lite-ssd-review">Addlink S90</a>, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/corsair-mp600-gs-ssd-review">Corsair MP600 GS</a>, and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/silicon-power-ud90-ssd-review">Silicon Power UD90</a> that all use the Phison E21T controller with TLC NAND. They should be reasonably capable in a PS5, but they are also DRAM-less and we reviewed all of those prior to starting our PlayStation 5 testing. Newer drives like the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/inland-tn470-1tb-2tb-ssd-review">Inland TN470</a>, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/corsair-mp600-elite-2tb-ssd-review">Corsair MP600 Elite</a>, and Sabrent Rocket 4 use the updated Phison E27T controller with Kioxia TLC NAND and have decent read performance, though they fall behind in our copy tests and aren't any cheaper than the T500.<br><br>The endurance ratings on the various T500 models are a bit lower than some of the competition, topping out at 1,200 TBW for the 2TB drive, but is anyone really going to completely fill and erase the drive 600 times while using it in a PS5? We think not. You can also look at the Crucial P5 Plus as a similar performing alternative that may save you a few dollars, depending on sales.<br><br><strong>Read: </strong><a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/crucial-2tb-t500-ssd-review"><u><strong>Crucial T500 Review</strong></u></a></p><hr><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:56.25%;"><img id="7gJBJeS5rnwrdvcyUv6j9C" name="Silicon-Power-US75-2TB-(3).jpg" alt="Alternate Best Cheap SSD for PS5: Silicon Power US75 2TB" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7gJBJeS5rnwrdvcyUv6j9C.jpg" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="1" width="1920" height="1080" attribution="" endorsement="" class="expandable"></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="caption-text">Alternate Best Cheap SSD for PS5: Silicon Power US75 2TB </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure><div class="buying-guide-block"><h3 id="6-silicon-power-us75-2"><span class="title__text">6. Silicon Power US75</span></h3><div class="_hawk subtitle"><p>Best Cheap SSD for PS5 Alternate Pick</p></div><p class="specs__container"><strong>Capacities: </strong>1TB, 2TB, 4TB | <strong>Form Factor: </strong>M.2 2280 Single-sided | <strong>Transfer Interface/Protocol: </strong>PCIe 4.0 x4 | <strong>Sequential Reads/Writes: </strong>7,000 / 6,500 MBps | <strong>Warranty/Endurance: </strong>5 Years / Up to 2,400 TBW</p><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="hawk-wrapper"></div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Good performance</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Efficient and single-sided</div><div class="icon icon-plus_circle _hawk">Low pricing</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">Lesser known brand</div><div class="icon icon-minus_circle _hawk">No heatsink option</div></div><p>The Silicon Power US75 is another Maxio MAP1602A SSD, like the above Addlink A93. Performance will be similar, and there's a 4TB option as well. But we're mostly interested in the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CCD6T788">1TB drive that can be had for as little as $71</a> (<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09T2S1Z8T">$77 with the optional heatsink</a>). There's also the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CCD9LBPH">2TB drive for $116</a> (<a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09T2WNKNZ">$139 with heatsink</a>), or <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJ2N9485">4TB for $219</a>.<br><br>Silicon Power has been around for quite a few years as a purveyor of inexpensive SSDs, though support and warranty service tend to less than what you'd get from a major brand like Crucial or Samsung. You get what you pay for, in other words. The <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFTS24NY">Addlink A93</a> and <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C9213GBX">Lexar NM790</a> mentioned above are viable alternatives here as well, depending on current prices, as they use the same controller and NAND.<br><br>What about 8TB SSDs? Technically, they can work in the PS5, but prices are way too high to justify the added capacity. Just give a look at the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.newegg.com/p/pl?N=100011693%20601193224%20601354671&Order=1" target="_blank">8TB M.2 drives listed on Newegg</a>: The cheapest options cost over $800, which is far higher than the price per GB of inexpensive 4TB drives.</p><hr><h3 class="article-body__section" id="section-benchmarks-how-we-tested-ps5-ssds"><span>Benchmarks / How We Tested PS5 SSDs</span></h3><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:75.00%;"><img id="7uuKkxodD2iofUzy2HQ9M8" name="PS5-PS5ReadTest.png" alt="Best PS5 SSDs performance charts" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7uuKkxodD2iofUzy2HQ9M8.png" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1440" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:75.00%;"><img id="RyVqcnucuHM39UPRKe2bd6" name="PS5-CopyToMBps.png" alt="Best PS5 SSDs performance charts" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RyVqcnucuHM39UPRKe2bd6.png" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1440" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure><figure class="van-image-figure inline-layout" data-bordeaux-image-check ><div class='image-full-width-wrapper'><div class='image-widthsetter' style="max-width:1920px;"><p class="vanilla-image-block" style="padding-top:75.00%;"><img id="tsHqSbGkWg6hEPQJdq7bu4" name="PS5-CopyFromMBps.png" alt="Best PS5 SSDs performance charts" src="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tsHqSbGkWg6hEPQJdq7bu4.png" mos="" align="middle" fullscreen="" width="1920" height="1440" attribution="" endorsement="" class=""></p></div></div><figcaption itemprop="caption description" class=" inline-layout"><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder">(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)</span></figcaption></figure> <p>Some of the best SSDs for the PS5 are either specifically designed for the console, or come with an integrated heatsink. However, some drives don't come with a heatsink, so we equip them with the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HSQQWCL/ref=cm_sw_r_api_gl_i_RR0Q9B29J72VSVXH2XJA_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&fbclid=IwAR0WuZipPdkw3nOT7_CM6c3E3GJVxi1Dc2TWDYePAZ8xB-itSYq83nWtRlI">Sabrent M.2 NVMe heatsink for the PS5</a> to both meet the requirements for the PS5 and to ensure a level playing field. We've found that this cooler is a great solution if you're looking for a cheap, versatile, and easy-to-install solution. There are other similar heatsinks, like the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CPXT6NY5">SK hynix Haechi H01</a> that will work just as well.<br><br>The Sony PS5 has an internal benchmark measuring how fast the system can read data from the drive. This is the most critical performance metric for gaming, as a speedy response time is responsible for ensuring a smooth gaming experience. As you can see in the 'PS5 Read Benchmark' column above, the fastest SSD in our test pool was 90% faster than the slowest model. Sony will even flag performance as being potentially inadequate if the read score is below about 4,000 MB/s.<br><br>However, other real-world tests show much smaller differences. For instance, our 'Copy to M.2' benchmark consists of timing how long it takes to move four games totaling 192.6 GB (<em>Mass Effect: Andromeda</em>, <em>Assassin's Creed Valhalla</em>, <em>Elden Ring</em>, and <em>Astro's Playroom</em>) from the internal PS5 SSD to the expansion drive. In most cases, we only see a difference of a few seconds, and converting to MB/s the difference between the fastest <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/wd-black-sn850x-ssd-review-back-in-black">WD Black SN850X</a> and the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/solidigm-p41-plus-ssd-review">Solidigm P41 Plus</a> is only 10%. But then there's a pretty big step down to the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/samsung-990-evo-2tb-ssd-review">Samsung 990 Evo</a> and the various Phison E27T-equipped SSDs, followed by the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/transcend-250h-ssd-review">Transcend 250H</a>, and in dead last (for now) sits the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/inland-tn470-1tb-2tb-ssd-review">Inland TN470 1TB</a> — another Phison E27T drive. How much will this matter in terms of gaming performance? Probably not at all, but when you move a bunch of data from the integrated SSD to the M.2 drive, it will take longer.<br><br>On the flipped side, we also tested this process in reverse, moving the four games back to the internal drive for our "Transfer From M.2" benchmark. Here, the sustained write speed (and encryption/security protocols) of the integrated 825GB SSD becomes the limiting factor, and there's only a 1.1% difference between the fastest and slowest SSD we've tested. The current 825GB SSD only appears to write data at up to 250 MB/s, and all of the M.2 SSDs are easily able to maintain read speeds much higher than that figure.<br><br>Likewise, real-world testing (i.e. launching games) has failed to expose meaningful differences between the drives — it's common to see at most a one to two second difference between drives in game load times. Other testing we've seen from multiple outlets indicates very few meaningful differences, if any, for game loading times. Overall, you're unlikely to notice the speed difference between most PCIe 4.0 SSDs and could make a good argument for simply selecting the most cost-effective drive that meets the capacity target that you want — 4TB and 2TB drives are particularly popular.<br><br>Naturally, not all of the drives that we test will make the final cut for our list of Best SSDs for the PS5, but that doesn't mean those drives failed the test, or wouldn't be a great deal if you can catch them on sale. The <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/SolidigmTM-Internal-7000MB-6500MB-SSDPFKKW020X7X1/dp/B0BJGGL1SQ/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3TV6IRBH9WFUZ&keywords=solidigm+P44+Pro&qid=1669383075&s=electronics&sprefix=solidigm+p44+pro%2Celectronics%2C113&sr=1-3">Solidigm P44 Pro</a> is a great SSD that delivered respectable performance in our PS5 SSD benchmarks (it's the same hardware as the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09QVD9V7R">SK hynix Platinum P41</a>), and given the slim difference between the fastest and slowest SSDs on our list, it could make a great drive if the price is right. The only thing we'd try to avoid is any SSD that uses QLC NAND, as those drives can slow down significantly as they're filled to capacity.<br><br>There's also no benefit at present to selecting any of the PCIe 5.0 SSDs, as they tend to use more power then PCIe 4.0 drives, making them a poor choice for the PS5. We originally tested the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/crucial-t700-ssd-review">Crucial T700 2TB</a>, which like all currently available PCIe 5.0 drives uses a Phison E26 controller with Micron TLC NAND. The PS5 initially limited read performance to around 4,100 MB/s on such SSDs, even though in theory they should be fully backward compatible with the PCIe 4.0 interface. Newer firmware has fixed the previously observed issue with reduced performance, as seen with the T700 2TB/4TB and T705 2TB Crucial drives, but given current prices there's no real purpose in using a PCIe 5.0 drive and we haven't tested other models.</p><h2 id="tips-for-finding-the-best-ssd-for-the-ps5-in-2024-2">Tips for Finding the Best SSD for the PS5 in 2024</h2><p><strong>Which SSDs are compatible with the PS5?</strong> Luckily, finding a spacious PS5 SSD to complement your console's internal drive isn't too difficult — any PCIe 4.0 SSD that provides a minimum of 5,500 MB/s of throughput over the NVMe interface can be used as a PS5 SSD, provided it comes with a heatsink that doesn't take the overall height above 11.25mm. In fact, even slower SSDs will also be perfectly fine (PCIe 4.0 is still required), though the PS5 may warn you about the potential for reduced performance if you opt for such a drive.<br><strong><br>Do you absolutely need a heatsink for a PS5 SSD?</strong> Sony says yes, and you can easily <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HSQQWCL">add your own heatsink</a> to SSDs that aren't marketed specifically for the PS5. You can also use one of the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-external-hard-drive-ssd,5987.html">best external drives</a> with the PS5 to store games, but these are only for game storage — you'll need an internal expansion drive to actually play the games.<br><br><strong>What size of SSD should you buy for the PS5? </strong>You might =be fine with a 1TB drive, but we recommend selecting a 2TB or 4TB model due to the current low pricing trends for these models. Besides, who wouldn't want more storage for extra games?<br><br>Ultimately, the best drive for your PS is one that provides enough capacity to hold your games and data at a price you can afford. To help you choose, we've tested a number of the top SSDs in our labs — see the results further down the page — and pulled out the top performers for a list of the Best PS5 SSDs.</p><h2 id="sony-ps5-ssd-requirements-2">Sony PS5 SSD Requirements</h2><p>The Sony PS5 requires an M.2 SSD that communicates over the NVMe protocol. Officially, you'll need a PCIe 4.0 x4 model that can deliver up to 5,500 MB/s of sequential read throughput. In practice, you can use slower SSDs, and you'll just get a warning that performance may be inadequate — note that PCIe 3.0 models are explicitly prohibited from working. The console supports 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB and 8TB models.<br><br>These small, rectangular drives look like sticks of RAM, only smaller, and the PS5 accepts both single-sided and double-sided versions. You'll also need to ensure that your drive has a cooling solution pre-applied. These can consist of thin copper heat spreaders that look like a label, or a full-fledged metal heatsink with a thermal pad.<br><br>Not all of the best SSDs for the PS5 come with a heatsink, but you can easily use your own double- or single-sided heatsink. We recommend the <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HSQQWCL/ref=cm_sw_r_api_gl_i_RR0Q9B29J72VSVXH2XJA_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&fbclid=IwAR0WuZipPdkw3nOT7_CM6c3E3GJVxi1Dc2TWDYePAZ8xB-itSYq83nWtRlI">Sabrent M.2 NVMe heatsink for the PS5</a>, which actually replaces the outside SSD panel on the PS5 with a heatsink, giving the SSD access to nice cooler air from outside the system. We've found that this cooler is a great solution if you're looking for a cheap, versatile, and easy-to-install solution, but there are many options on the market. For instance, <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/news/ps5-m-2-heatsink-reduces-temps-25c-teamgroup">TeamGroup has its new TForce AL1 heatsink</a>, which operates similarly, coming to market soon.<br><br>Just make sure the SSDs don't exceed 110 x 25 x 11.25mm. M.2 SSDs are usually 80mm long by 22mm wide, described as size 2280, but some may be shorter or longer. The PS5 supports M Key Type 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280 and 22110. Some M.2 drives are also SATA interfaces instead of NVMe, but those are rare and would not be listed as being PCIe 4.0 compliant. Regardless, make sure your SSD supports NVMe.</p><div class="youtube-video" data-nosnippet ><div class="video-aspect-box"><iframe data-lazy-priority="low" data-lazy-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b1vF42QfmTk" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div><p>Sony has <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.playstation.com/en-us/support/hardware/ps5-install-m2-ssd/">detailed instructions on how to install a PS5 SSD</a>. As you can see in the video above, installing the SSD is a simple process that only requires a #1 Phillips head screwdriver. After you've installed the SSD, you can navigate through the menus to the 'Settings→Storage→Installation Location' area and change it to your new SSD. All new games will now install directly to the SSD.<br><br>To move existing games to your new drive, select the internal SSD, highlight the item you want to move, press the Options button, and then select 'Move Games and Apps.' Select any other games that you would like to move in the checkboxes, then select 'Move.' As noted in our above testing, moving <em>from</em> the integrated SSD will generally be much faster than moving <em>to</em> the integrated drive.</p> ]]></dc:content> <link>https://www.tomshardware.com/best-picks/best-ps5-ssds</link> <description> <![CDATA[ We recommend the best PS5 SSDs for the Sony PlayStation 5 for every need and budget based on our extensive lab tests. ]]> </description> <guid isPermaLink="false">BxoR8SarFQyb6ZGF9JtxBM</guid> <enclosure url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hfEPSbSGzXdPsvXHYnhFuC.jpg" type="image/jpeg" length="0"></enclosure> <pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 14:51:56 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[SSDs]]></category> <category><![CDATA[PC Components]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Storage]]></category> <author><![CDATA[ palcorn@outlook.com (Paul Alcorn) ]]></author> <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hfEPSbSGzXdPsvXHYnhFuC.jpg"> <media:credit><![CDATA[Tom's Hardware]]></media:credit> <media:text><![CDATA[Best PS5 SSDs]]></media:text> <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Best PS5 SSDs]]></media:title> </media:content> </item> </channel></rss>If you would like to create a banner that links to this page (i.e. this validation result), do the following:
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