Best PCIe 4.0 SSD

Most computers and storage drives still use the common SATA or PCIe 3.0 interfaces to distribute their data bits, but if you are lucky enough to have a relatively modern PC, you may be able to upgrade to a solid state drive (SSD). ) built on the blazing fast PCIe 4.0 protocol. We have tested several PCIe 4.0 SSDs and the best one to cross our labs so far is the Corsair MP600 Pro XT in a field of tough contenders, although it is shoulder to shoulder with rivals Kingston and Seagate.

“Considering the Corsair MP600 Pro XT’s tempting combination of price, performance and features, an Editor’s Choice award was a no-brainer,” we said in our review. “Highly recommended.”

Best PCIe 4.0 SSD: Corsair MP600 Pro XT

Enough actually, although it’s worth noting that Intel 11th Generation “Rocket Lake” Core Processors and 12th Generation “Alder Lake” Processors also supports PCIe 4.0 now, joining AMD Ryzen 3000 and Ryzen 5000 desktop chips. Support for PCIe 4.0 is becoming commonplace on the latest PC platforms. You will also need a motherboard that supports PCIe 4.0 support. If you install a PCIe 4.0 SSD in a computer that does not support PCIe 4.0, the drive will work through the slower PCIe 3.0 interface.

PCIe 4.0 SSDs are more expensive than their PCIe 3.0-based rivals – the Corsair MP600 Pro XT costs $ 185 for 1TB, $ 360 for 2TB, or $ 1,025 for 4TB capacity at Amazon, but the difference in performance can melt your face. Traditional SATA SSDs exceed 600 megabytes transferred per second, while our favorite PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD, the SK Hynix Gold P31, increases it to read and write speeds of 3.5 GBps. The Corsair MP600 Pro XT takes both out of the water, topping 7GBps read and approaching 7GBps write speed in our synthetic tests. Truly remarkable.

Those blazing fast speeds make the biggest difference during file transfers. If you’re moving a lot of data, you’ll love the Corsair MP600 Pro XT, which can do those tasks before you know it.

However, if you’re mostly limited to gaming and normal daily tasks, you might be better off with a standard SATA or PCIe 3.0 drive. Upgrading a pokey mechanical hard drive to some SSD can give you a huge increase in quality of life with faster boot speeds, game load times, and application performance. Most of those crucial benefits don’t get tangibly faster if you opt for a PCIe 4.0 model over a slower (but still fast) SATA or PCIe 3.0 drive, although that could change when Microsoft Radical and Xbox-inspired DirectStorage API It will be released for Windows games at the end of next year.

Fear not: modern PCIe 4.0 SSDs won’t die any faster despite their blazing speeds. “The MP600 Pro XT has a five-year warranty,” we said in our review. “The 1TB and 2TB capacities are rated for 700TBW (TeraBytes written over the life of the drive) per 1TB of capacity, while the 4TB capacity is rated for 3000TBW. A small bonus on your thousand dollar trip! “

Runners-up

While the Corsair MP600 Pro XT is the best PCIe 4.0 you can buy, we’ve also reviewed other exceptional options. the Kingston KC3000 and Seagate FireCuda 530 both deliver dazzling performance on par with Corsair’s momentum. That said, the Seagate drive costs considerably more, while the KC3000 is only regularly available through the Kingston website. The increased availability of the MP600 Pro XT helps it earn our top recommendation.

Best for smaller capacities

You may also want to consider The Samsung 980 Pro, which dominated early PCIe 4.0 SSDs. It has since been outperformed by second-gen PCIe 4.0 drives like the MP600 Pro XT, but the 980 Pro is still an attractive option, especially if you’re looking for a lower-capacity SSD. Most PCIe 4.0 drives start at 1TB, but you will find 256 GB and 500 GB versions of the 980 Pro available for $ 80 and $ 110, respectively, plus more robust capabilities. Samsung’s excellent “Magician” SSD management software and 5-year warranty are second to none, too.

Editor’s Note: Latest update to crown the Corsair MP600 Pro XT best PCIe 4.0 SSD and upgrade recommendations every time.