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With so many options for NVMe SSDs all boasting similar marketing statistics and numbers, it can be difficult to surmise real differences without diving a little deeper.
We have done that for you here and present our list of the 10 fastest NVMe M.2 SSD drives available in 2023 for different use cases.
Besides the read and write speeds of each drive, we are going to look at a few other categories, including endurance, reliability, light load performance, heavy full load performance, gaming performance, and extended consistent stress tests, as well as value and best use case.
We will take several results into account testing the 1TB and 2TB models using the market standard software, including PC Mark 10, 3DMark, DiscBench, and more, while organizing those results into a readable and compact format.
Finally, we are not going to overwhelm you with numbers that don’t always mean much. We’re mainly going to discuss real-world performance and features that you will see and feel.
10 Fastest NVMe SSDs in 2023 Round-Up
The table below will give you a quick look at the ten fastest NVMe SSDs currently available on the market. To read a full review, simply click on ‘review>>’ in the respective row.
Product | Image | Rating | |
1. SAMSUNG 990 PRO ''Fastest NVMe drive in 2023'' |  | 9.9 | |
2. WD_BLACK SN850X ''Fastest NVMe SSD for gaming'' |  | 9.8 | |
3. Seagate FireCuda 530 ''Extreme endurance'' |  | 9.8 | |
4. SABRENT Rocket 4 Plus-G ''Fastest gaming-focused drive runner-up'' |  | 9.7 | |
5. Kingston FURY Renegade ''Top performance per dollar'' |  | 9.6 | |
6. Corsair MP600 PRO LPX ''Best for console gamers'' |  | 9.5 | |
7. GIGABYTE AORUS Gen4 7000s ''Editor's pick'' |  | 9.4 | |
8. Nextorage G-Series ''Honorable mention'' |  | 9.3 | |
9. Fantom Drives VENOM8 ''Honorable mention #2'' |  | 9.2 | |
10. Lexar NM800 PRO ''Honorable mention #3'' |  | 9.1 |
1. SAMSUNG 990 PRO
Capacity: 2 TB | Form Factor: M.2 (2280) | Interface: PCIe Gen4×4, NVMe 1.4 | Sequential Read: 7,450 MB/s | Sequential Write: 6,900 MB/s | MTBF: 1,500,000 Hours | Warranty: 5 Years
REASONS TO BUY
- Currently the fastest SSD on the market
- Perfect for a variety of uses, including gaming
- One of the highest read and write speeds
- Stays cool with a heatsink
- User-friendly software
- AES 256-bit encryption
- 5-year warranty
REASONS TO AVOID
- Expensive (often above MSRP)
- Lower TBW
- No 4TB version
Our Rating:Â Â 9.9/10
The 990 Pro puts Samsung back on top of the market. Samsung has been a solid SSD competitor for a long time, frequently used as a comparison benchmark, and continues to impress with this model. For any power user, be it gaming, business, media, and more, this drive offers top-of-the-line performance.
At this level of performance, the sequential read and write speeds are close to the max capacity of the Gen4 M.2 slot, and the features Samsung provides are above average. In real-world performance metrics, the 990 Pro tests as one of, if not the fastest NVMe drive in 2023.
This is partly due to Samsung manufacturing their parts and drives, something they hold unique to nearly all competitors. The Sequential Read and Write speeds are approaching the maximum that the Gen4 M.2 slot can handle at 7,450MB/s read and 6,900MB/s write speeds.
With built-in DDR4 SDRAM cache memory, you can expect an average of 5.5W of power consumption–50% improvement in power efficiency and 50% increased performance over the 980 Pro; it delivers in every aspect you can hope for.
In real-world performance, using the PC Mark 10 benchmark test averages, the Samsung 990 Pro 2TB came out on top ahead of other drives in almost all categories, including light load at 733MB/s, full load at 720MB/s, and consistent stress at 964MB/s.
However, while strong in gaming performance at 682MB/s, the WD Black SN850x pulled far ahead. With these results, you can expect to see peak performance from your 990 Pro during long periods of stress, in addition to quick light loads.
On the 2TB model, we see 1.5 million hours of reliability and a 5-year limited warranty or 1200 TBW limited warranty. This is an expected lifespan of good health, and while some competitors promise a bit more, this is still within our expectation of a premium SSD.
Heat is a factor that needs considering here as well. Without a heat sink, it has been tested to reach 85°C under a consistent full load. You may have a motherboard that comes with M.2 heat sinks, but if not, then we strongly recommend purchasing one if you want to avoid thermal throttling.
One of the advantages of Samsung is their Magician software included with the SSD. It’s a great tool that is very modern and easily allows you to check your SSD health, encrypt your drive, manage data migration and install firmware updates.
In addition, the built-in AES 256-bit Encryption is a nice advantage over competitors, giving you the most secure options available. The software overall looks and feels better than the competition and is a bit more user-friendly, allowing for easy access to sought-after tools.
Samsung SSDs have a history of launching far above MSRP, and the price comes down pretty quickly after the initial rush. If you already have the 980 Pro model, it might be worth waiting for a sale or seeing how far the price drops in a few months.
The improvements that Samsung has made over the previous generation models are impressive and put them right back on top with peak performance, support, and real-world experience. While Samsung is also known for reliable and consistent drives, the price is considerable, and you’ll want to make sure you’re buying it close to MSRP or on sale.
We highly recommend the Samsung 990 Pro SSD to any power user looking for the best experience and fastest NVMe drive available for consumer use–It beats all other available drives on the market with offers top performance for gaming, heavy workloads, and consistent stressful workloads.
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2. WD_BLACK SN850X
Capacity: 2 TB | Form Factor: M.2 (2280) | Interface: PCIe Gen4×4, NVMe 1.4 | Sequential Read: 7,300 MB/s | Sequential Write: 6,600 MB/s | MTBF: 1,750,000 Hours | Warranty: 5 Years
REASONS TO BUY
- Fastest SSD for gamers
- A lot of sizes to choose from
- Helpful software
- Stays cool with included heatsink
- Power-efficient
- 5-year warranty
REASONS TO AVOID
- Below-average consistent stress results
- Higher price
Our Rating:Â Â 9.8/10
The WD Black SN850x is another exceptionally fast SSD. Western Digital is well known for its performance and reliability, focusing on different storage device models for different purposes.
Black is the high-performance model, and with an extra eye out for gamers, this device is suitable for most power users. With the drive only lacking in consistent high-stress environments, editors, content creators, gamers, and business users will all have an excellent experience with the SN850X.
The performance listed comes in under the Samsung 990 Pro with a sequential read of 7,300MB/s and write of 6,600MB/s. Still, this is one of the highest speeds available, but it also comes out short of the 990 Pro in real-world tests.
As far as power usage, using measuring tools like Quarch PPM, we measured an average of 4W during use, beating the 990 Pro and dropping below 1W while idle. This is important for laptop users conscious of power usage and is overall a very efficient option.
Real-world tests measured in PC Mark 10 on the 1TB version put this drive near the top in some cases and toward the middle in others. Benchmarked with a light load at 552MB/s, a full load at 642MB/s, and latency at 40us, this comes in just under the Samsung 990 Pro.
Plus, the gaming storage test averaged 772MB/s, far above the 990 Pro, making it the best choice for gamers.
We do see a noticeable improvement in installing, updating, moving large file loads, load times, and recording and saving gameplay over all other competitors and in multiple benchmark software.
In contrast, the consistency test was below average at only 326MB/s, which is less than even the 980 Pro and about the same as the previous generation WD SN850. This means that during hours or days of long stressed use, the performance just isn’t there compared to its competitors.
Professionals doing a lot of rendering or moving extremely large files consistently will want to take note of this.
You will also want to make sure you have a heat sink available for this drive. The option for the included heat sink also has RGB on it. Reaching a temp of 78-85°C without a heat sink and with a target range of 0-70°C, you will notice throttling if not equipped properly under heavy load.
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Besides that, the Gaming Mode 2.0 included does need more work to be a viable feature, although, with this kind of performance, you don’t need it anyway. This is intended to improve caching and loading for games, but when turning this feature on and testing the difference, it wasn’t noticeable.
Speaking of software support, on the official spec list, there is no mention of specific encryption methods available, and while there are other tools to do so, other SSDs on this list, such as the Samsung 990 Pro, specifically mentioned encryption technology and support it with their software.
Additional software features include Predictive Loading, Overhead Balancing, and Adaptive Thermal Management, which take care of things on the backend in a more detailed fashion to maintain peak performance. Take note these features are only available when you have the WD_BLACK Dashboard installed and running in Windows.
All in all, the value here is reduced if you’re not a gamer or under extreme workload, with a primary focus on gaming performance and indeed blowing away all the competition in that regard. You may, however, have trouble finding a good price as this is on the more expensive side and tailored to a very specific audience.
In short, if you’re a gamer, this will offer the best performance out of any drive on the market–But not for sustained stress from professionals with non-stop workloads.
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3. Seagate FireCuda 530
Capacity: 2 TB | Form Factor: M.2 (2280) | Interface: PCIe Gen4×4, NVMe 1.4 | Sequential Read: 7,300 MB/s | Sequential Write: 6,900 MB/s | MTBF: 1,800,000 Hours | Warranty: 5 Years
REASONS TO BUY
- Great performance per dollar
- Exceptional lifespan and endurance
- Approaches the Samsung 990 Pro in gaming performance
- Perfect for consistent high-stress workloads
- Good overall performance
- Stays cool with an attractive heatsink
- 5-year warranty
REASONS TO AVOID
- Hard to argue an upgrade from the 980 Pro or similar devices
- Worse gaming performance compared to competition
Our Rating:Â Â 9.8/10
When the Seagate FireCuda 530 first launched, it was one of the fastest on the market, competing directly with the Samsung 980 Pro.
Since then, there has been stiff competition as we await the release of the next generation, but this is around the time when read/write speeds began maxing out the Gen4 M.2 slots ability. This means that although this drive is a bit older, it still holds up against the others as a top-of-the-line device.
The sequential read and write speeds are on par with the best at 7,300MB/s and 6,900MB/s, respectively, but the real standout feature here is a stellar 1,800,000 hours of reliability and 2550 TBW on the 2TB model.
This far exceeds most SSDs on the market, including the Samsung 990 Pro, the WD Black SN850x, and the Corsair MP600 Pro LPX by quite a big margin.
Building off the amazing durability of the device, the PC Mark 10 benchmarks will show that the drive excels in two areas, and that’s where the value comes from here.
Testing with a light load at 441MB/s, a heavy load at 531MB/s, and a great consistency at 522MB/s. This shows that when used in a consistently high-stress environment for a long time, it will be performing better than the WD Black SN850X by quite a bit.
Using 3DMark tests, game loading bandwidth and storage bandwidth stands at 597MB/s, just under the Samsung 990 Pro (603MB/s) and the Corsair MP600 Pro (598MB/s). When it comes to gaming, it can easily hold its own against the best competition.
This device also shines in a reliable high-stress workstation while maximizing its lifespan as long as possible.
Contrary to what might seem natural given the long lifespan, the power consumption average is over 7W for heavy use, and when compared to other devices boating 4.5W or 5.5W, this would not be one of the more power-efficient drives for a laptop.
Seagate includes a few software items to benefit your experience, including a Rescue Data Recovery service, SeaTools, which is a health monitoring that updates and manages your drives, and the Seagate DiscWizard, which is a cloning and rescue media building service.
It’s quite a comprehensive package, but the tools are spread out over 3 programs which might be a bit cumbersome for users unfamiliar with it.
While this drive won’t reach performance matching the Samsung 990 Pro for the most part, in real-world examples in gaming, there isn’t a huge difference. That makes this the go-to value pick for a gamer not looking to break the bank on the more expensive 990 Pro and WD SN850x.
When performing better than similarly priced competitors and approaching the 990 Pro in-game loading speed, it’s worth the upgrade for a gamer or those who have a very heavy workload. While once one of the fastest drives on the market, it has simply been overtaken by competition at this point in the ongoing leap frog cycle, but in specific areas, it still hangs with the best for a great value.
It is a great investment if you’re a gamer, looking to get the longest possible lifespan out of your drive, and/or using it in a consistently high-stress professional environment.
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4. SABRENT Rocket 4 Plus-G
Capacity: 2 TB | Form Factor: M.2 (2280) | Interface: PCIe Gen4×4, NVMe 1.4 | Sequential Read: 7,300 MB/s | Sequential Write: 6,900 MB/s | MTBF: 1,600,000 Hours | Warranty: 5 Years
REASONS TO BUY
- Another excellent SSD for gamers
- Excellent speeds
- Beats the 990 Pro in TBW
- DirectStorage support on Windows 11+
- Heatsink version is only about $10 more
- 4 TB version available
- 5-year warranty
REASONS TO AVOID
- No mention of encryption support
- Expensive
- Samsung 990 Pro is the same price with better general performance
Our Rating:Â Â 9.7/10
The SABRENT Rocket 4 Plus-G is another extremely fast, gaming-orientated drive. Approaching the Samsung 990 Pro in gaming performance yet falling behind it in other tests poses a problem with pricing.
However, if you can catch it on sale even at a minor discount, then the value is fair as it does outperform most others on the market. The real standout feature here is the DirectStorage support which we will detail later in the review.
On the 1TB model, we see a read speed of 7,300MB/s, and a write at 6,000MB/s, although the 2TB model kicks up to the 6,900MB/s write speed, hitting the limit of the Gen4 M.2 slot. That competes with the best available, and with DirectStorage support on Windows 11, it’s a solid competitor.
Using 3DMark benchmarks, gaming performance comes in at 737MB/s, just under the Samsung 990 Pro, which had 818MB/s on the same test. Using PC Mark 10 benchmarks, the heavy full load test came out at 541MB/s, considerably below the 990 Pro.
Overall we see this drive be very competitive in gaming, but in all other aspects falls short of WD and Samsung.
The conclusion of the tests shows that the average performance comes in just under the Samsung Pro 990 and the WD Black SN850x and should be considered a direct competitor at the same or similar price.
Where SABRENT comes ahead is the DirectStorage support mentioned above. This is a new technology that hasn’t yet been fully flushed out or utilized by game developers yet, but in time will become commonplace.
There’s a great live test of the DirectStorage of this drive done by Linus Tech Tips, where they tested DirectStorage on and off on the same drive. The difference was loading a 500MB 3D scene in 0.33 seconds while off and 0.08 seconds while on.
It doesn’t seem like much right now, but this is where the future-proofing comes in, and just looking at the numbers isn’t viable. The native firmware and software support for DirectStorage on this device has potential we have not yet seen, and cutting a loading time down to one-third of the usual with nothing but the software is an incredible achievement.
At full price, this drive is about the same as the Samsung 990 Pro. On the surface and for non-gaming use cases, this is above fair pricing, with most tests falling below the 990 Pro.
However, with DirectStorage tech, there is infinite potential here to cut loading times in games and 3D environments down to a third of the usual. This makes the value of the drive go beyond the raw numbers for gamers and 3D editors, but not for everyone else.
Lastly, on the 2TB, we see a 1,600,000-hour reliability and 1400TBW, beating the Samsung 990 Pro and others with a slightly longer lifespan.
The thermal performance is also great with a heatsink, but without one, it consistently hit 85°C and throttled during full load testing. Make sure you have some sort of heatsink available for this.
SABRENT provides a very unique device here. Specifically aimed at gamers and with DirectStorage support has lots of unseen potential beyond the numbers game. With that being said, for a heavy workload professional, there is far better value elsewhere, like the Seagate Firecuda 530.
However, for a gamer, it competes with the best, and if you have an interest in testing out the latest technology and experiencing a new way of speeding up load times, this is a perfect drive for you.
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5. Kingston FURY Renegade
Capacity: 2 TB | Form Factor: M.2 (2280) | Interface: PCIe Gen4×4, NVMe 1.4 | Sequential Read: 7,300 MB/s | Sequential Write: 7,000 MB/s | MTBF: 1,800,000 Hours | Warranty: 5 Years
REASONS TO BUY
- Great performance for gamers and power users
- Compatible with PS5
- Superior performance over similarly priced option
- Excellent lifespan and endurance
- One of the cheaper PCIe 4.0 drives
- Quality heatsink included
- 5-year warranty
REASONS TO AVOID
- Better options for PC at a slightly higher price
- Weaker overall performance when compared to the latest drives
- Disappointing power efficiency
Our Rating:Â Â 9.6/10
The Kingston FURY Renegade was also a top performer when first released; however, over time, as the price has dropped and better hardware has been released, it has become a go-to value option for both PC and PlayStation users.
With notable endurance and increased performance over similarly priced options, it would be difficult not to consider this option.
Speeds here run up to 7,300MB/s read and 7000MB/s write, on par with the most recent releases, and has stood up to the competition over time.
Although similar to the Seagate FireCuda 530, the standout feature is the exceptional endurance of the drive. Boasting 1,800,000 hours of reliability and a TBW of 2000, this is a far better score than the Samsung 990 Pro, the WD Black SN850x, and just about any other device near this price range, excluding the FireCuda 530.
This will ensure a long-lasting and reliable drive for years to come.
Using 3Dmark, PC Mark 10, and DiskBench for real-world testing, we found that in every test, from gaming storage and loading to full-load file transfers, the FURY Renegade outperformed the Samsung 980 Pro in all metrics with a noticeable lead.
It also met or outperformed the Kingston KC3000 and the Corsair MP600 Pro LPX, which are similarly priced. This means that for roughly the same or slightly higher price, you are getting a faster and more reliable device than much of its competition offers.
Being compatible with PlayStation makes this one of the better contenders for a console user. In this regard, its main competition on this list is the Corsair MP600 Pro LPX. While slightly more expensive, you’re getting a major improvement in endurance and a slight performance difference.
In addition, the included heatsink works great as well. With no thermal throttling detected at any point during heavy testing and a superior average temperature.
Most PC folks will have their own they can use, but this is a great purchase option if you are without one or are just looking for the best possible performance. For use with PlayStation, the small form factor and superior temps are a big plus.
Power efficiency did test below some of the last gen models, so for a laptop user conscious of that, there are better options. There is also no local encryption option available which some competitors do offer, although this is not usually a deal breaker.
Included with the drive, you’ll also get a copy of the Acronus cloning and data management software which can handle all your simple data tasks. It’s not as fancy as some more premium options but gets the job done just the same.
Overall, the performance here beats the previous-gen releases but won’t match up to the current-gen available like the 990 Pro. However, at the same price as the same last-gen devices, it’s certainly worth a look for any professional or power user looking for top reliability, value, and endurance without breaking the bank.
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6. Corsair MP600 PRO LPX
Capacity: 2 TB | Form Factor: M.2 (2280) | Interface: PCIe Gen4×4, NVMe 1.4 | Sequential Read: 7,100 MB/s | Sequential Write: 6,800 MB/s | MTBF: 1,600,000 Hours | Warranty: 5 Years
REASONS TO BUY
- One of the fastest drives for PlayStation 5
- Great overall performance
- AES 256-bit Encryption
- Decent software support
- Slightly cheaper than the competition
- Stays cool with the included heatsink
- Frequently on sale
- 5-year warranty
REASONS TO AVOID
- Much better options for PC gamers at a similar price
- Worse at random speed performance
Our Rating:Â Â 9.5/10
The Corsair MP600 Pro LPX is focused on PlayStation compatibility, beating others in many areas. When first launched, it was praised as one of the best SSDs available for the PlayStation 5 and was outperforming both the Samsung 980 Pro and matching the Seagate Firecuda 530.
With the next generation coming out around this time, it is no longer top dog, but you can regularly find it at a great price and even cheaper than Samsung’s 980 Pro.
With sequential read and write speeds up to 7,100MB/s and 6,800MB/s, respectively, it’s comparable with the best available, approaching the maximum ability of the M.2 slot.
Corsair also beats Samsung’s 990 Pro warranty with 1,600,000 hours of reliability or 1400 TBW on the 2TB model, giving you a guarantee of a slightly longer lifespan and further increasing its value.
Using PC Mark 10 benchmarks, this drive shows some impressive results for its cost. It had an average light load test at 522MB/s, a heavy load at 589MB/s, and an excellent consistency test at 686MB/s which competes with even the most recent drives.
For comparison, this is a much higher score than the WD Black SN850X and means that for a business professional or workstations that are stressed for long periods, you should keep an eye on this drive as a great cost-efficient upgrade option or bulk purchase.
Using 3DMark, performance comes in around the Samsung 980 Pro in both game load and storage benchmarks, making it a very comparable drive, specifically in the gaming department. Again, for a lower price.
Each variant of this drive comes with a heatsink included, which has a small form factor suitable for consoles. It rarely gets over 65°C even with a heavy load and minimal airflow, so you won’t have to worry about any heat-related issues in both the PlayStation and the PC.
Similar to the newer 990 Pro, Corsair also includes AES 256-bit Encryption, which is a nice bonus for extra security in today’s day and age.
In addition, there is an SSD Toolbox software kit available to assist with the usual functions such as data backup, drive cloning, encryption, and more, but it’s not quite as fancy as some other options with extra features and a modern design.
In regards to PlayStation users, this is a great balance between cost and performance. With better-performing drives not making much of a perceivable difference in consoles, usually around a second or less on the average load screen, this might be the perfect option for you.
The notable downside of this drive is that for about an extra $30+, you can catch a newer SSD, such as the 990 Pro, with superior performance in PCs. If you’re specifically going for a PC build or upgrade, it’s certainly worth considering making the jump to a more recent drive for a little bit more.
With all this being said, it’s still a great choice and an easy target to cut some cost off a new gaming PC build, upgrade your consoles, or upgrade workstations with a heavy consistent load without sacrificing performance.
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7. GIGABYTE AORUS Gen4 7000s
Capacity: 2 TB | Form Factor: M.2 (2280) | Interface: PCIe Gen4×4, NVMe 1.4 | Sequential Read: 7,000 MB/s | Sequential Write: 6,850 MB/s | MTBF: 1,600,000 Hours | Warranty: 5 Years
REASONS TO BUY
- One of the cheaper options
- Excellent performance for PS5
- Good overall performance
- Stylish, well-performing heatsink
- High endurance
- AES 256-bit encryption
REASONS TO AVOID
- Below-average caching performance
- There are better primary PC drives available for a similar price
Our Rating:Â Â 9.4/10
Sporting a 7,000MB/s read and 6,850MB/s write speed, this is yet another drive that pushes the envelope of the Gen4 standard. In addition, the warranty specifies 1400TBW and 1,600,000 hours of usage, which even beats the Samsung 990 Pro and is a nice touch in reliability.
It is also worth noting that the random read speed on the 1TB model, up to 350k IOPS, as well as the caching performance is notably slower than most recent drives. This means on a PC, it is in the same league as last year’s models and is better suited as a Playstation or secondary drive.
Something to note about the speeds is that we do actually see the maximum advertised speeds when testing it inside a PlayStation. This is not as common as you might think, with most drives that advertise 7,000MB/s only performing as such with the best case environment in a PC, but it’s a different story with PlayStation.
With the PC Mark 10 test, we saw results from a light load at 423MB/s, a full load at 381MB/s, and a consistent stress test at 279MB/s. Paired with 3DMark tests, this consistently performed below the Samsung 980 Pro and had slower caching recovery and performance on the consistency test.
This won’t be the fastest drive available, and while there are some nice benefits to this device, they are mostly in favor of console users.
Additionally, with an average of 6.6W in use while active, it is not as energy efficient as many other drives that now usually sit between 4W and 6W.
The heat efficiency, in contrast, is quite good, with an excellent heatsink keeping the device well below the 70°C max and without any throttling seen during testing.
The value of this device skyrockets if you are using it for a PlayStation, as it’s within the price range we expect from other top console-focused drives and performs well enough to reach near-maximum performance on a console.
Keep in mind that on a console, what a PC would see as a massive difference might only be perceived as less than a second difference in load times.
It is unnecessary to boost your Playstations drive too much higher past this point if you spend considerably more money for a nearly undetectable real-world difference.
With that said, purchasing this drive for console use will provide you with about the same performance as the Corsair MP600 Pro LPX for even less cost.
However, we find the MP600 goes on sale quite often, and you will likely still be able to find it cheaper than this AORUS 7000s around holidays and quarterly earnings.
Overall, this is a solid middle-of-the-road option for console users. It’s cheaper than all the most recent drives at full price and performs well for its class.
However, for PC usage, the value dramatically drops, with similar or slightly more expensive priced options far surpassing the performance capabilities here. We recommend this as the best budget option available for a console user or as a secondary storage device, but not for a primary heavy-load workstation or consistent power uses.
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8. Nextorage G-Series
Capacity: 2 TB | Form Factor: M.2 (2280) | Interface: PCIe Gen4×4, NVMe 1.4 | Sequential Read: 7,300 MB/s | Sequential Write: 6,900 MB/s | MTBF: 1,600,000 Hours | Warranty: 5 Years
REASONS TO BUY
- One of the best drives for PS5
- Excellent performance for gaming
- Reaches advertised speeds
- Stays cool with the included heatsink
- 5-year warranty
- 4TB option available
- Solid endurance
REASONS TO AVOID
- Higher price
- Better drives available for desktop computers
Our Rating:Â Â 9.3/10
Sony’s Nextorage G-Series SSD is in an interesting spot with so many SSDs available in the market that promise upwards and over 7,000MB/s. Sony initially entered the market with their Nextorage G-Series to provide their solution to the growing demand for storage expansion for the Playstation 5.
With speeds of up to 7.3/6.9 GB/s read/write, this drive stands up against the competition for the price while ultimately being specifically designed with the PS5’s hardware in mind.
Sony’s Nextorage SSD comes in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB options, all with a heatsink option as well. In addition to that, you’re getting what you’re promised as the tests don’t fall that short of the advertised speeds.
Tests on the 2TB model with the heatsink show that users can expect speeds of up to 7.0/6.9 GB/s sequential read/write, as well as 1M/700K random IOPS. This drive, as with many other premium drives, comes in very close to accurate on its specifications, with plenty of evidence to back up those claims.
An important thing to remember with this drive is that Sony has designed this drive specifically with the hardware of their Playstation 5 in mind and therefore has marketed it primarily for use there.
It will certainly stand up to the test against other competitor drives in a PC, but this SSD will truly shine at home in a PS5.
Also, while most high-end Gen4 NVMe SSDs hitting the market today come equipped with compact heatsinks that are capable of fitting into the PS5, only the Sony Nextorage is specifically designed to work optimally for the PlayStation 5.
Simply put, this is an unquestionably good SSD for those looking to upgrade their PS5. That is distinctly what Sony has been going for when promoting and presenting the Nextorage G-Series, and they’ve succeeded.
Ultimately, the price is going to be the barrier to this drive, as there are cheaper, similarly performing drives. However, if you are looking for an ideal upgrade for your PS5, this SSD sits comfortably among the top drives right now. As always, shop around and consider ongoing sales, but this is one of the best and fastest drives for PS5.
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9. Fantom Drives VENOM8
Capacity: 2 TB | Form Factor: M.2 (2280) | Interface: PCIe Gen4×4, NVMe 1.4 | Sequential Read: 7,400 MB/s | Sequential Write: 6,900 MB/s | MTBF: 1,600,000 Hours | Warranty: 5 Years
REASONS TO BUY
- Extremely fast SSD for gamers (PC and PS5)
- Compatible with both PS5 and PC
- Super easy to install (directions provided)
- Large variety of sizes (Up to 4TB)
- Stays nice and cool with a heatsink
- 5-year warranty
REASONS TO AVOID
- Didn’t deliver on the advertised speeds
- Less-known company
- Higher price
Our Rating:Â Â 9.2/10
The Fantom VENOM8 is the company’s most recent in their line of NVMe SSDs to hit the market. Specifically built for gaming with the PS5 in mind but still sufficient for other users, this is a Gen4 NVMe with the 7.4GB/s read and 6.9Gb/s write you would hope to expect.
A big part of Fathom’s marketing focuses on the fact that this drive is also fully compatible with the PlayStation 5 and comes in supported 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB models.
For its performance, the VENOM8 is reported to have the speeds we usually see from PCIe Gen4 TLC drives, including 7.4GB/s in sequential reads across all capacities. For sequential writes, the 4TB and 2TB are expected to deliver up to 6.9GB/s; however, the 1TB model is capped a little slower at 6GB/s.
As far as actual tests go, this VENOM8 reported a little lower than its specs, although it still did great. For testing, the 2TB model was used: resulting in 7.1GB/s read and 6.2GB/s write.
While this was a little lower than expected, it was certainly still up there with some of the best-performing write speeds we’ve seen with consumer drives.
Ultimately, with most high-performance drives, the user isn’t going to be able to detect much of a difference if results between the drives aren’t shown side by side.
With this in mind, it means that pricing is one of the most important factors for many when choosing a drive. The Fantom VENOM8 is currently one of the most affordable premium PCIe Gen4 SSDs available.
Speeds don’t quite compare to top-of-the-line units like the Samsung 990 Pro, but the difference in speed is negligible and barely noticeable, especially when compared with the price difference.
Coupling Fathom’s market-leading pricing with its overall solid performance makes the Fantom VENOM8 a great choice for any user looking to add a lighting-fast SSD to their rig.
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10. Lexar NM800 PRO
Capacity: 2 TB | Form Factor: M.2 (2280) | Interface: PCIe Gen4×4, NVMe 1.4 | Sequential Read: 7,500 MB/s | Sequential Write: 6,500 MB/s | MTBF: 1,500,000 Hours | Warranty: 5 Years
REASONS TO BUY
- Excellent consistent stress and workstation performance
- Great performance for console gamers
- Good broad performance
- Stays cool with the included heatsink
- Outstanding endurance
- 5-year warranty
REASONS TO AVOID
- Poor PC gaming performance
- Weaker write speeds
- Too expensive
Our Rating:Â Â 9.1/10
Lexar is well known in the camera and photography business for reliable and premium flash storage devices. Moving into the M.2 SSD sector, you’ll see similar results in craftsmanship, also boasting a powerful console-compatible upgrade to get the most out of your ultra-fast storage.
However, costing more than the WD SN850x and underperforming in gaming holds it back from topping the market. It does excel at consistent stress endurance, and as a premium console upgrade, this drive is a great consideration for a high-stress workstation or a Playstation 5.
The sequential read and write speed here is on par with the best at 7,500MB/s and 6,500MB/s, respectively, on the 2TB model.
When testing in PC Mark 10, we get average results with light load at 495MB/s, full load at 640MB/s, and consistent stress at 960MB/s, which shows that it performs exceptionally in consistent high-stress environments, but not so well for PC gaming.
Digging deeper into test results, when using 3DMark benchmarks, we see the MN800 Pro perform worse than even the older Samsung 980 Pro in-game loading bandwidth and only slightly better in storage bandwidth, performing around that mark with additional sequential and random read tests.
When it comes to PC gaming, this is not the drive for you; however, it does boast Playstation 5 compatibility and will provide a great experience in consoles at a higher cost.
Endurance-wise, we see 1,500,000 hours of reliability and 2000TBW on the 2TB version. It’s nothing crazy, but it is much better than the Samsung 990 Pro, and important note to justify the higher cost.
Unlike some other drives at this price, there’s no mentioned built-in encryption, and the built-in software will suffice for basic tasks like data migration and cloning services but won’t provide the fancy and modern feature-packed presentation that Samsung or WD can provide.
The real hurdle here is the price. It’s asking for a premium price but only delivers premium performance in specific areas.
It is important to take note here that while an excellent choice for a premium Playstation drive, or a heavily loaded workstation, a PC Gamer is not getting any value here, and the premium price tag is wasted to the competition.
This is certainly the biggest downfall of the product, as with a lower MSRP, it would be very easy to recommend this to a broader user base.
Being that Lexar is not as seasoned in this space as other manufacturers, we don’t expect to get an experience that rivals leading SSD manufacturers.
While the overall performance is excellent for day-to-day tasks, and consistent stress is handled with ease, the ball gets completely dropped in PC gaming.
We would highly recommend this drive as a premium PlayStation upgrade or as a primary workstation driver with the heaviest loads, but a PC gamer has far better performance options available at a cheaper or similar price.
- READ ALSO: Best Budget Prebuilt Gaming PCs
Final Words
There you go, these were the 10 fastest NVMe SSDs available on the market in 2023, rated and reviewed.
Essentially, any of these drives will boost the performance of your rig, especially if you’re upgrading from a SATA drive or a PCIe 3.0 drive.
If you still have questions or you’re not sure which drive is best for your specific needs, feel free to reach out to us via email or through the comment section below, and we’ll be more than happy to help you out.
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