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Crucial P5 Plus review – competitively priced but lacking in performance
7:46 pm | August 25, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: , | Comments: Off

The Crucial P5 Plus is a budget PS5 SSD that looks to rival some of the cheaper options for internal console storage in 2023. However, with sequential performance that falls behind the majority of the competition, this is one drive that can’t quite be considered one of the best SSDs for PS5 despite having a good heatsink. 

At a time when the prices of Gen 4 models are continuing to fall, any major advantage that the Crucial P5 Plus would have is subdued. It isn’t fast enough or packed with leading features to rival the top-end brands, nor cheap enough to be considered in higher capacities than some of the budget picks I’ve had past my desk over the past couple of years.

Price and Availability

You can get your hands on the Crucial P5 Plus in the US and the UK for as low as $44.99 / £44.99 for 500GB, but things get more aggressive at the 1TB and 2TB variants at $55 / £57 and $97 / £98 being one of the cheapest PS5 SSDs available now. It’s not quite the cheapest on the market - that would be the Adata XPG Gammix S70 Blade, which performs a lot better - but for a Gen 4 NVMe in 2TB in the sub-$100 / £100 range, this value proposition cannot be ignored. With the heatsink models specifically, you’re looking at 1TB and 2TB variants for £65 / $62.99 and $199.99 / £104.99 respectively which is still incredibly competitive. 

Design and features

Using a proprietary Crucial NVMe controller with LPDDR4 DRAM cache and Micron 176L TLC flash memory, the Crucial P5 Plus is technically capable of pumping out sequential figures of up to 6,600 MB/s read with 5,000 MB/s write. These are respectable figures, sure, however, they fall far from what the now four-year-old Gen 4 NVMe technology is capable of. Most moderately priced models, such as the once-premium Samsung 980 Pro and WD Black SN850 are capable of producing sequential and random performance pushing 7,300 MB/s read and 7,000 MB/s write respectively. 

The write endurance (TBW) is also pretty average from the Crucial P5 Plus. It’s rated for up to 300TB (500GB), 600TB (1TB), and 1,200TB (2TB) which lags behind the competition as well. Specs aside, this heatsink variant of the Gen 4 drive is rocking one of the nicer heatsinks that I’ve seen in some time. Available for the 1TB and 2TB versions, it’s a thick, rugged aluminium model that’s layered in such a way that lets heat glide off it. It’s a good touch and spares you from having to consider a standalone PS5 SSD heatsink instead. 

Performance

Back of the Crucial P5 Plus

(Image credit: Future)

I won’t mince words here: while technically competent, the Crucial P5 Plus is the slowest PS5 SSD that I have ever tested in the console. It achieved a benchmark score of 5,624 MB/s - a number which led me to re-test the drive several times and even clean the connector before re-inserting to try again. The speeds actually got gradually lower every time by a couple of MB/s, too. The measure of 5,624 MB/s however is just 100 MB/s faster than the absolute minimum recommended spec set by Sony - something usually comfortably surpassed by other PS5 SSDs. After the benchmark was done, there was a message stating to transfer games back onto the internal storage should there be any issues during play, which isn’t the most encouraging first impression. 

While many console-compatible Gen 4 drives are easily able to transfer files at around 1GB/sec, this wasn’t quite the case for Micron’s latest model. This can be evidenced by smaller titles such as Crash Team Rumble and Stray which leaped over from the internal SSD to the Crucial P5 Plus in 8 seconds and 9 seconds respectively. However, with larger file sizes, the gap did increase to almost 1GB/sec when transferring over the likes of Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart which was written onto the drive in 31 seconds, and Sonic Frontiers which copied over in 24 seconds. 

Curiously, as some of the best PS5 games I used got larger in size, the transfer speeds increased. This is also what occurred with the Nextorage NEM-PA, too, but it is good to see rates becoming consistent under heavy loads, likely due to the 176-layer memory and DRAM cache on the chip. Death Stranding: Director’s Cut and Demon’s Souls transferred in just 56 seconds and 45 seconds respectively which deserves commending. While the rates are far from special, the consistency should be praised, as the Crucial P5 Plus ticks the necessary boxes - albeit unexceptionally. 

The message of instability from the benchmark didn’t seem to matter in game. When I was playing through some of the aforementioned titles (as well as Mortal Kombat 11) while installed on the drive, everything ran as expected with no technical hiccups to speak of.

While the Crucial P5 Plus does a good job in the PS5 console under some circumstances, it lags behind the vast majority of the similarly priced competition in almost every aspect. The bottom line is that it isn’t cheap enough to beat out a budget competitor, nor fast enough to compete with the dozens of PS5 SSDs offering higher sequential performance out of the gate. 

Crucial P5 Plus heatsink

(Image credit: Future)

Buy it if…  

You want a budget PS5 SSD

For the right price, the Crucial P5 Plus could be worth it for you as it performs well enough inside the PS5 for loading games and transferring data. 

You want a PS5 SSD with a specialized heatsink 

The Crucial P5 Plus features one of the nicest and sturdiest heatsinks I’ve seen on a PS5 SSD to date.

Don't buy it if...

You can find other, better PS5 SSDs for the same price

With the rates on once top-end flagships from Samsung, WD Black, Corsair, PNY, and Seagate continuing to get cheaper every day, there’s little incentive to throw money at Crucial P5 Plus over them. 

You want a 4TB PS5 SSD

If you’re after a high-capacity PS5 SSD then you’re out of luck as the Crucial P5 Plus only goes up to 2TB. Viable alternatives include the Nextorage NEM-PA 4TB and the Seagate FireCuda 530 which are available at this size with a heatsink. 

We're also rounding up the best PS5 external hard drives and the best monitors for PS5 as well so you can fill out your PlayStation 5 setup.

Nextorage NEM-PA 4TB review – The best high-capacity SSD for PS5
6:21 pm | July 21, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: | Comments: Off

While it may lack the same name-brand recognition as some other Gen 4 SSDs targeted for PS5, the Nextorage NEM-PA can certainly keep up with the flagship models where it counts. Without question, it’s one of the best SSDs for PS5 that you can buy right now, and that’s because it’s bolstered by an excellently designed heatsink and some of the most consistent performance I’ve seen which scales with larger file transfers. 

At a time when some of the best PS5 games are getting larger, some even pushing up to 100GB of space or more, the Nextorage NEM-PA excels with its competitive price per gigabyte. If you’ve been wanting the maximum amount of overhead allowed by the PS5 console then this is a definitive choice which is only made better by the fact that rates on Gen 4 SSDs continue getting cheaper.  

Price and Availability

The Nextorage NEM-PA is available in the US, the UK, and Australia, however, availability varies. It is most easily accessible to find in America with the 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB versions purchasable via Amazon. My review unit is the 4TB variant which currently retails for $299.99 (around £232 / AU$439) which is one of the cheapest rates for the capacity to date. In other regions, only the 1TB and 2TB versions appear to be available but that could change in due time. 

Design and Features

Nextorage NEM-PA

(Image credit: Future)

The Nextorage NEM-PA 4TB is a double-sided Gen 4 NVMe SSD that utilizes a thick, rigged aluminium heatsink ensuring it is compatible with the PS5 as the system’s M.2 port offers no cooling. Function is chosen over form here and it’s a smart decision considering you won’t see it inside the system, that means exposed screws and thicker metal lining instead of something sleeker, but it’s all in the pursuit of keeping core temps down. 

Under the hood is where things start to get impressive. That’s because the Nextorage NEM-PA 4TB utilizes the excellent Phison E18 controller combined with TLC NAND flash memory, a winning combination for many top-end drives such as the exceptional Kingston Fury Renegade and the Seagate FireCuda 530 before it. This allows for rates as close to the Gen 4 cap as possible. The choice of the controller shouldn’t be too surprising seeing as Phison acquired Nextorage last year, a team made up of ex-Sony hardware developers, and it’s clearly being put to use here. 

A major strength of the 4TB variant specifically is the write endurance which is significantly higher than what you’ll typically find from the competition. It’s claimed that the Nextorage NEM-PA 4TB has a 3,000 TB TBW, which should be good for thousands of hours of hard-wearing use. This is combined with 2GB of DDR4 DRAM cache which allows for higher sequential performance than cheaper DRAM-less options meaning top-end performance is very much attainable. 

Performance

The Nextorage NEM-PA 4TB may not be the absolute fastest SSD for PS5, however, in my testing, it quickly became one of the most consistent. Sony’s internal console benchmark revealed a read speed of 6,276 MB/s when formatted for the system which is in line with several Gen 4 SSDs rocking these specs that I’ve tested in the past. It falls just short of the company’s claims of 6,500 MB/s, however, it still absolutely excels passed the minimum recommend rate of 5,500 MB/s that Sony itself recommends so it’s not an issue. 

File transfer speeds show something which is fairly uncommon for high-capacity PS5 SSDs, and that’s due to the fact that the Nextorage NEM-PA 4TB actually speeds up when under heavier loads. It’s usually the opposite, as even flagship models start to slow down when larger file sizes are copied from the internal drive to the target NVMe. Not so here. You can take Crash Team Rumble (5.62GB) and Deathloop (29.69 GB) as examples here, which made the jump in 7 seconds and 26 seconds respectively, transferring over what translates to around 1 GB/sec. Not quite the fastest I’ve seen but still more than serviceable. 

However, things become far more interesting when greatly increasing the file sizes. You only need to look as far as Death Stranding: Director’s Cut (69.35 GB) and Demon’s Souls (53.76 GB) which were written onto the Nextorage NEM-PA 4TB in only 53 seconds and 43 seconds a piece. It’s really impressive and consistent throughout, too. The same can be said of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (34.16 GB) which leaped over in 30 seconds. Considering the price point, which comes in much cheaper than the aforementioned top-end SSDs in 4TB capacity, you really can’t argue with the performance here. 

Should you buy the Nextorage NEM-PA 4TB?

Nextorage NEM-PA

(Image credit: Future)

 Buy it if…  

You want a competitively priced high-capacity PS5 SSD 

The Nextorage NEM-PA 4TB is one of the cheapest NVMe drives at this capacity but with the performance of far pricier drives. 

You want a ton of space for more PS5 games 

If you’re someone who downloads a lot from the PS Game Catalog or installs from discs, you won’t run out of room any time soon with the 4TB capacity here. 

Don’t buy it if…  

You want a smaller capacity PS5 SSD

While the Nextorage NEM-PA is a stellar SSD for the system, the pricing becomes far less aggressive at smaller capacities when compared to the competition.

A PS5 SSD is one of the best PS5 accessories you can get. You'll be able to enjoy more games available through the best monitors for PS5 or the best gaming TVs.

Cooler Master MM712 review: almost esports-ready
12:00 am | May 30, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

Cooler Master MM712: Two-minute review

Whenever a product gets overhauled, it better be worth it. And, that’s certainly the case with the Cooler Master MM712. This update of the MM711 eschews the honeycomb design meant to minimize its weight for a more conventional, and frankly better, looking mouse. Add to that an upgraded sensor and multiple forms of connectivity, and there’s little reason to go back to this model’s predecessor (except if you find it on a deep sale).

However, we have a lot of choices beyond just what Cooler Master happens to offer, so you still have to consider how the MM712 compares to the competition. Depending on your needs, you might consider this the best gaming mouse for you. There are plenty of people that won’t, chief among them competitive gamers. 

As we’ll talk about, the MM712 has some limitations that will hinder certain types of gaming where having quick access to DPI changes is a necessity. However, if you don’t need something like a Sniper button, and mostly play games like Death Stranding or Red Dead Redemption 2 like I do, then you’ll find little to fault. In fact, for my personal needs, I would rank it up there with the best wireless mice to use for both work and pleasure.

Cooler Master MM712

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

On the surface, the Cooler Master MM712 is somewhat basic and almost nondescript. Available in matte black and matte white, it has a symmetrical, ambidextrous design that may not stand out from the crowd but does make it perfectly usable for any lefties out there. The only bit of color, besides some gray accents on the white version, is an RGB outline on the palm rest in the shape of the Cooler Master logo.

While it’s not going to excite anyone the way something like the Razer Basilisk V3 Pro will, the MM712 is still a well-designed mouse. Most notably, Cooler Master has managed to make it just 58g (0.13 lbs) without using that love-it-or-hate-it honeycomb shell that most lightweight mice like the MM711 use. Additionally, some very effective PTFE feet for frictionless gliding means using it requires very little effort.

Cooler Master MM712

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

Possibly my favorite part of what the MM712 has to offer is its multiple forms of connectivity as it has wired, 2.4GHz wireless, and Bluetooth 5.1 connections available, making it easy to use with multiple sources. Additionally, if you need to use it in wired mode, the ultraweave cable is made so that you won’t feel it pull as you move your mouse around.

Where the mouse falls flat a little is in its button layout. The Cooler Master MM712 comes with the typical six buttons that you’ll find on the majority of standard gaming mice. However, the DPI button is not right behind the middle wheel as is normal. Instead, it’s underneath where you’ll find the dongle garage and power button. That means that you have to either remap one of your side buttons, losing them for other potential uses, or literally pick up the mouse every time you want to change the DPI.

Cooler Master MM712

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

But, at least it’s fast. While I can’t imagine anyone actually needing 19,000 DPI, the Cooler Master MM712 can reach those lofty heights thanks to its optical sensor. Yes, there are mice with even higher DPI on hand, but I found its DPI range far more than adequate, whether I was trying to take out counter-terrorists in CS:GO or secure a base in Battlefield 2042. 

To keep with the speedy performance, the MM712 also uses optical switches for near-instantaneous responses. Though the company doesn’t mention its actuation or debounce specs, even a light pressure will result in a press, so you should have no issue spamming enemies in your favorite games.

With a polling rate of 1,000Hz, performance is not only fast but smooth. Though it’s true that you’ll find some mice with even higher polling rates, this is just like the DPI where that extra bit of performance is, in my opinion, beyond what we can perceive so won’t make much difference to any but the most perceptive gamer.

Cooler Master MM712

(Image credit: Future / James Holland)

However, there is one specific issue that registers all that fantastic performance moot for any gamer that needs a Sniper button. While the mouse can be customized in quite a few ways through the Master Plus app – you can remap every button including the DPI button underneath to all sorts of mouse, keyboard, and macro functions – you can’t create a Sniper button. It’s just not available in the software. So, if you need that, you’ll have to create a workaround by creating a Macro or giving up the two side buttons so that you can switch between two DPI settings. Considering this mouse is marketed towards gamers, this is quite the omission and one that should be easily fixed through a firmware update. But as it currently stands, you’ll have to live without the Sniper function ability or look for a different mouse to use when playing competitive games.

At least, the battery life is good. In 2.4GHz Wireless mode, the MM712 can reach up to 80 hours before needing to recharge, while Bluetooth mode will give 180 hours. If you keep the RGB on, that will bring those numbers down a bit. That said, in a week of constant use, switching between both wireless modes, I had to only charge once.

Having that solid battery life is especially nice for my needs as I have a multi-computer setup where I constantly switch between a MacBook Pro and a gaming computer. And, I can do all that with just this one mouse. I don’t need to worry about the battery or the performance. I only really need to adjust when it comes to messing with the DPI or playing without a Sniper button. It also helps that this mouse is fairly cheap.

Cooler Master MM712: Price & availability

  • How much does it cost?  $69.99 / £59.99 / AU$99 
  • When is it available? Available now
  • Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

At $69.99 / £59.99 / AU$99, the Cooler Master MM712 is not quite budget-level. However, that’s still a pretty reasonable price for an incredibly lightweight mouse with superb gaming performance. When you take into account the multiple forms of connectivity, this model’s value far outweighs its cost.

For comparison, the Razer Basilisk V3 Pro, which does come with some additional features and more impressive performance stats, goes for over double the price at $159 / £159 / AU$289. Why am I comparing a mid-range mouse with a flagship one? Because I was using the Basilisk V3 Pro before switching to the MM712, and the MM712 has mostly kept up.

Even looking at more mid-range options, the Cooler Master MM712 looks like quite the deal. The Roccat Kain 202 Aimo is a pretty solid wireless mouse with some great performance but doesn’t have Bluetooth and comes in at a higher $99.99 / £89.99 / AU$218. 

  •  Price: 5 / 5 

Cooler Master MM712: Specs

Should you buy the Cooler Master MM712?

Buy it if...

You want speedy gaming performance
While there are some issues that will affect esports games, the Cooler Master MM712 really does have the goods to keep up in almost any gaming situation. If you don’t need a Sniper button, you’ll find this speedster easy to use no matter the genre of your favorite titles.

You need wireless connectivity
Without trying to push my own bias as I have multiple computers to switch between, the connectivity on here will let you easily switch between computers. Or, it will at least give you gamer-level performance without being tethered.

Don't buy it if...

You need a Sniper button
It’s beyond me why there’s no way to create a Sniper button. If you play competitive games like CS:GO, you should probably consider different options to get the most out of your gaming sessions. 

You need a flagship mouse
While I’m pretty satisfied with the MM712, this isn’t the most premium option out there as evidenced not only by its price but minimal aesthetic. So, if you’re looking for something to show off or have all the features ever created for gaming mice, then you’ll want something like the aforementioned Razer Basilisk V3 Pro.

Cooler Master MM712: Also consider

How I tested the Cooler Master MM712

  • Tested over a week
  • Tested with different and different kinds of games
  • All included features were explored

To test the Cooler Master MM712, I spent a week with it, playing all sorts of games from fast-paced titles like Battefield 2042 and CS:GO to adventure and open-world titles like Control and Far Cry 6.

While testing, I spent plenty of time checking the feel and responsiveness of the mouse, specifically the buttons and sensor. I used all the different forms of connectivity and played around with the app to see everything it could do.

Having spent the last few years reviewing tech gear for gaming and otherwise, I’ve gotten a feel for what to look for and how to put a piece of kit through its paces to see whether it’s worth the recommendation. And, I’ve spent even longer playing computer games so I have an understanding of what gamers look for to get the most out of their titles.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed May 2023

Adata Legend 960 review – Late to the PS5 SSD party
6:21 pm | March 20, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

The Adata Legend 960 is the latest PS5-ready SSD from the brand. It boasts some respectable figures overall but lacks the wow factor in a world that’s already seen everything possible from Gen 4, and often at lower prices, too.

For this reason, the Adata Legend 960 cannot be considered one of the best SSDs for PS5. While more-than-serviceable at what it does, there are simply many better alternatives for storing and playing some of the best PS5 games on the market that make this Gen 4 drive unremarkable in 2023.  

Price and Availability

The Adata Legend 960 was released in October 2022 and is available in the US, the UK, and Australia in capacities ranging from 1TB and 2TB for $109.99 / £105.48 / $AU209.52 and $209.99 / £160.96 / AU$279.11. A 4TB variant from the company is coming but doesn’t appear to be available yet.  

Design and Features

Adata Legend 960 without heatsink

(Image credit: Future)

The design of the Adata Legend 960 shares a lot in common with the brand’s budget XPG Gammix S70 Blade which launched back in 2021. That means that this drive comes exposed with a PS5 SSD heatsink with a sticky back to cool the components of the NVMe down. 

On the silicon, there’s the tried-and-true SM2264 controller, which has been around since late 2020. By no means a bad performer, it isn’t as powerful as the top-end Phison E-18 controller, as Silicon Motion’s offering tops out at 7,400 MB/s read and 6,800 MB/s write. Read-wise, that’s very much top of the line, but I’ve seen so many Gen 4 drives that excel to the 7,000 MB/s write mark, such as with the Kingston Fury Renegade, Seagate Firecuda 530, and PNY CS3140. Where the Adata Legend 960 does keep up with this NVMe SSDs is with the 176-layer Micron TLC flash memory, considering it’s nearly the cap for what NVMe 1.4 can do, that’s not entirely surprising. 

The Adata Legend 960’s heatsink is a nice touch but isn’t robust or sturdy. It’s thin and has an adhesive layer to connect with the silicon, making it ideal for the PS5’s M.2 port, but it doesn’t offer the same level of protection as what you’ll find with the Kingston Fury Renegade SSD, for instance. 

Performance

Adata Legend 960 in PS5

(Image credit: Future)

The Adata Legend 960 is a solid performer when slotted into the PS5 and has consistent file transfer rates of around 1GB / sec, which scales with the file sizes. Some of the largest PS5 games, such as Horizon: Forbidden West’s 99.69 GB, copied over in just 1 minute and 19 seconds. Death Stranding: Director’s Cut was similarly brisk, with its 69.35 GB of data transferring in 61 seconds, and Dead Space (31.15 GB) copying over in 27 seconds. These are fast rates, but this drive is ever-so-slightly slower than the Seagate FireCuda 530 and the cheaper XPG Gammix S70 Blade. 

In-game loading times aren’t much of a problem for the Adata Legend 960 as Dead Space can go from the main menu into gameplay in around 4 seconds, with Death Stranding taking 7 seconds. Again, it’s not the fastest I’ve seen from an SSD for PS5 in my years of testing them, but the performance overall is hard to fault. 

I feel torn with the Adata Legend 960. The sequential performance on display here is good, but nothing stands out about it. It isn’t cheap enough to rival the likes of the WD Black SN850 or the Samsung 980 Pro, nor does it outperform the Samsung 990 Pro. What’s here is ultimately a good SSD for PS5 but not a great one, not with Gen 5 SSDs already on the horizon.  

Should I buy the Adata Legend 960?

Buy it if... 

It’s cheap enough where you live

The Adata Legend 960 isn’t the most expensive SSD for PS5, so if you can find it for a low enough price at 1TB and 2TB, then it could be worth the price of investment.

You’re after an SSD for PS5 with a heatsink

The Adata Legend 960 comes with its own separate heatsink that applies straight to the silicon so there’s no need to DIY one here. 

Don't buy it if... 

You want a drive from a more well-known brand

For a similar price, you can get the likes of the WD Black SN850, Kingston Fury Renegade, and PNY CS3140, making the Adata Legend 960 a tough sell in a competitive market.  

Adata XPG Gammix S70 Blade review – Outclasses its pricier competition
8:08 pm | March 16, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: , | Comments: Off

Since the launch of the PS5, the Adata XPG Gammix S70 Blade has been the frontrunner of the budget SSDs. It’s a punchy performer despite its humble price tag. 

With its competitive price-to-performance ratio, the Adata XPG Gammix S70 Blade is easily one of the best SSDs for PS5. If you’re on a budget, you can still get top-end Gen 4.0 NVMe rates, and that hasn’t always been the case from this storage generation.  

Price and Availability

The Adata XPG Gammix S70 Blade is one of the most affordable Gen 4.0 NVMe SSDs that come with a PS5-ready heatsink. It can be widely found in the US, the UK, and Australia. Prices range from $84.99 / £87.13 / $161.95 (1TB), and $169.99 / £161.52 / AU$362.78 (2TB). That 1TB is the sweet spot here as it’s still rare to find an SSD for PS5 under the $100 / £100 / $AU180 range.  

Design and Features

heatsink and board of the Adata XPG Gammix S70 Blade

(Image credit: Future)

The design of the Adata XPG Gammix S70 Blade is where corners were cut. That’s because the SSD comes with the controller and flash memory modules exposed; the PS5 SSD heatsink comes separately with an adhesive layer that fuses to the plastic. This low-profile heatsink doesn’t feel sturdy or durable, but does the job well enough when in place. 

The drive’s price also explains the choice of controller. The Adata XPG Gammix S70 Blade utilizes the Innogrit IG5236, which doesn’t quite touch or exceed 7,000 MB/s, as the popular Phison E-18 does. Adata claims this SSD can reach read speeds of up to 6,300 MB/s inside the PS5, and boasts maximum write rates of up to 6,800 MB/s. While not as impressive on paper as the Kingston Fury Renegade or the Seagate FireCuda 530, it doesn’t have to be. 

Performance

The Adata XPG Gammix S70 Blade inside the PS5

(Image credit: Future)

Inside my PS5, the Adata XPG Gammix S70 Blade achieved a read figure of 6,384 MB/s, slightly faster than the claimed 6,000 MB/s. Few drives can boast this figure outside of the top-end Kingston Fury Renegade and the Seagate FireCuda 530. Yet, this budget SSD for PS5 easily outdoes the pricier PNY CS3140 in terms of raw numbers. 

That’s impressive, but more so are the file transfer and loading times I experienced with the Adata XPG Gammix S70 Blade. Horizon: Forbidden West’s 99.69 GB made the leap from the internal storage to the Gen 4.0 drive in only 1 minute and 18 seconds (or 78 seconds). Smaller PS5 games kept up the momentum, Death Stranding: Director’s Cut (68.97 GB) and Dead Space (31.15 GB) wrote onto the NVMe SSD in only 53 seconds and 28 seconds, respectively. That’s just over 1 GB/sec and as fast as the premium SSD equivalents. 

As some of the best PS5 games take full advantage of the NVMe technology, loading times with the Adata XPG Gammix S70 Blade are brisk. The most fitting example is the Dead Space remake, which gets you into gameplay in less than 3 seconds. Deathloop and Death Stranding are not far behind, both go from the menu to gameplay in around 5 seconds. That’s even slightly faster than the internal storage of the console itself.

There’s little I can fault the Adata XPG Gammix S70 Blade on. If you’re in the market for a 1TB SSD for PS5 and are working with a strict budget, I can wholeheartedly recommend this one. The heatsink isn’t great, and the build is as basic as it comes, but there are no performance worries from this Gen 4.0 drive. 

Should I buy the Adata XPG Gammix S70 Blade?

 Buy it if…  

You want good value for money

The Adata XPG Gammix S70 Blade considerably undercuts the competition while providing similar performance in the PS5 console. 

1TB is your capacity of choice

The speed spot with the budget pricing is 1TB for the best price-per-gigabyte here.  

Don't buy it if... 

You’re considering 2TB or above

If you want to go bigger with your storage, you may be better served with a higher-end alternative as the prices become less aggressive.  

Seagate FireCuda 530 review – Still a trailblazer
1:46 pm | March 15, 2023
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

The Seagate FireCuda 530 launched back in 2020, around the same time as the PS5, making it a frontrunner to slot into Sony’s system. While it’s no longer the absolute fastest of its class, the performance here is still high-end, showing that top-end Gen 4.0 never really slows down. 

There isn’t much room for innovation when you push up to the 7,000 MB/s read and write mark. The Seagate FireCuda 530 came storming out of the gate with these figures as the benchmark to beat. Few have all these years later, making it easily one of the best SSDs for PS5. Even better, its once monstrous price has come down significantly. 

Price and availability

 The Seagate FireCuda 530 is widely available in the US, the UK, and Australia in all capacities with a heatsink. Prices start from $69 / £55 / AU$119 for the 500GB version and scale up to $129 / £103.99 / AU$217 (1TB), $239.99 / £189 / $AU414.78 (2TB), and $529 / £449.99 / AU$984.75 (4TB). That’s a fair bit cheaper than the original launch price but still a touch more expensive than other Gen 4.0 models with similar performance.  

Design and Features

Aleksha McLoughlin

(Image credit: Future)

My Seagate FireCuda 530 review unit is the 1TB model which comes with the PS5 SSD heatsink. Its thick aluminum all-over wrap firmly encases the silicon and controller nicely while allowing maximum heat dissipation. It’s important, too, because the PS5’s native M.2 port has no form of passive cooling on its own. While a little bulky and weighty, that added heft is ideal for staying in place during installation with adequate room once the cover is re-installed. It’s one of the smartest-designed heatsinks I’ve seen on an NVMe SSD to date. 

As expected from a high-performance Gen 4.0 model, the Seagate FireCuda 530 utilizes the exceptional Phison E-18 controller, and that’s how it can push up to 7,000 MB/s read and write. It was impressive in 2020, and even three years later is still as solid as ever. There’s also 176-layer Micron TLC flash memory which few newer drives, such as the Kingston Fury Renegade, also used over two years later. We’re very much talking about the cap of what’s possible with this current generation of NVMe models, so to hit it out of the park so early on is commendable. 

As is par the course with NVMe SSDs, there’s a five-year warranty here, and the write endurance is slightly better than you see from the competition. It scales from 640TBW (500GB), 1,275TBW (1TB), 2,550TBW (2TB), and 5,100TBW (4TB). That’s substantially higher than the likes of the WD Black SN850 and the PNY CS3140, too. We don’t generally see figures this good, and it adds to the longevity of a drive that will be able to keep up for a long time of hard-wearing use. 

Performance

Seagate FireCuda 530

(Image credit: Future)

Gaming on the PS5 with the Seagate FireCuda 530 is as quick and painless as you would expect, given what’s on the silicon here. In my testing, it achieved a read score from Sony’s official benchmark tool of 6,539 MB/s, making it one of the fastest I’ve ever used. 

File transfer times were some of the most impressive I’ve seen in all my time testing SSDs, with particular highlights being with some of the biggest PS5 games. Horizon: Forbidden West, with its 99.35 GB file size, jumped from the internal storage to the NVMe SSD in just 1 minute and 19 seconds (or 79 seconds). Equally impressive is Death Stranding: Director’s Cut (69.35 GB), which transferred in only 54 seconds. That’s well over 1 GB/sec being more-than-enough to copy your entire game library over in just a few minutes. 

It’s a similar story with smaller file sizes where the speed of the Seagate Firecuda 530 really shines. This is evident with both Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (47.29 GB) and Dead Space (31.07 GB), which transferred over in 39 seconds and 27 seconds, respectively. Loading into games was just as brief, with Dead Space hailing leading the charge going from the main menu to gameplay in less than 3 seconds. It’s even faster than the already nearly non-existent times from the internal storage. Death Stranding: Director’s Cut was almost as quick, with less than 6 seconds between the menu to the open world. 

Should I buy the Seagate FireCuda 530?

Seagate FireCuda 530 next to a potted plant

(Image credit: Future)

Buy it if... 

You want an SSD for PS5 that will last

The Seagate FireCuda 530 features best-in-class write endurance for its price and performance, meaning it’s a drive that will keep up for a long time. 

You want lightning-fast performance

Inside of the PS5, the Seagate FireCuda achieves 6,539 MB/s, making it one of the fastest NVMe drives I’ve ever had my hands on in all my years of testing SSDs. 

Don't buy it if... 

You’re thinking of going for lower capacity 

You can really only get the most out of the Seagate Firecuda 530 with 1TB and up, so if you’re gunning for a 500GB SSD, you can get a cheaper one that does the same job.