SanDisk Optimus GX 7100M assessment: A killer SSD for handhelds, or any machine

Greatest Costs In the present day: SanDisk Optimus GX 7100M NVMe SSD

Some merchandise really stay as much as the PR hype, and SanDisk’s small (2230) however mighty Optimus GX 7100M is one in all them. With a press launch chock stuffed with phrases akin to “exhilarating” and “level-conquering,” it had lots to stay as much as. And stay as much as, it did

As you may infer from the second adjective, the GX 7100M is aimed on the handheld gaming crowd. To not spoil the ending, however you possibly can’t do higher than this SSD in the meanwhile for handhelds or every other sort of PCIe 4.0 computing machine.

Learn on to study extra, then see our roundup of one of the best PCIe 4.0 SSDs for comparability.

What are the Optimus GX 7100M’s options?

To reiterate, the GX 7100M (Mini?) is a 2230 (22mm broad, 30mm lengthy) kind issue, PCIe 4.0/NVMe 2.0 SSD. The controller is SanDisk in-house and the NAND is layered TLC (Triple-Degree Cell/3-bit).

The drive is an HMB (Host Reminiscence Buffer) design that makes use of a few of your system reminiscence (usually 64MB to 72MB) as major cache. A wholesome portion of the NAND (at the very least 25 % from our testing) is employed as secondary cache by writing to it as if it have been on/off 1-bit SLC (Single-Degree Cell).

In case you weren’t conscious, the “stage” in NAND nomenclature really refers back to the variety of bits a cell can symbolize. Confusingly, the precise variety of voltage ranges {that a} cell could comprise corresponds to the biggest quantity that this misnomered amount of bits could symbolize.

SLC has both no voltage or some; MLC (Multi-Degree Cell, which ought to’ve been DLC, or Twin-Degree Cell) could be written at 4 attainable ranges; TLC (Triple-Degree Cell) could be one in all eight, and QLC (Quad-Degree Cell) can comprise one in all 16 attainable voltage ranges.

The distinction in these voltage ranges is past minute, and requires numerous error checking to ensure they have been written accurately. This will decelerate the write course of drastically. However I digress.

SanDisk provides a five-year guarantee on the GX 7100M, which is mitigated by a 600TBW per terabyte of capability score — i.e., 5 years or 600 terabytes value of writes — whichever comes first.

Be aware that when SSDs exceed their write cycle endurance (this can be greater than the score), they might nonetheless be learn. You merely can’t write to them any extra.

How a lot is the Optimux GX 7100M?

You’re in all probability not going to love this… I didn’t. However the Optimus GX 7100M is roughly $240 within the 1TB taste, and $450 at 2TB. Even given right now’s excessive SSD costs, that’s an ask and a half.

If the drive weren’t such a wonderful performer, I would ding SanDisk for it. However it’s tremendous quick, and one of the best all the time prices extra.

How briskly is the Optimus GX 7100M?

How briskly? Very. The 2TB GX 7100M that SanDisk despatched us completed first amongst all of the PCIe 4.0 SSDs (of any kind issue) we’ve examined. So whereas its pricing is daunting, your money, once more, does purchase you one of the best.

At first I used to be hesitant to check the PCIe 4.0 GX 7100M to the PCIe 5.0 Corsair MP700 Micro, however darned if it didn’t match its rival in lots of assessments and whomp it in CrystalDiskMark 8’s 4K assessments. To not bang on Corsair, however the MP700 Micro shouldn’t be almost as quick as most PCIe 5.0 SSDs.

Under, you possibly can see simply how shut in efficiency the GX 7100M was to the MP700 Micro. The latter is quicker, however not almost as a lot as you may assume. Be aware that we’ve seen 2280 PCIe 5.0 SSDs attain 15GBps.

The 4K consequence beneath is the one that basically shocked us. A 33 to 61 % benefit to the GX 7100M over the MP700 Micro. Newer controller, newer NAND.

Remember the fact that all three drives are HMB (DRAM-less) designs. 4K ops have been one of many slower points of HMB till now. Solely the Lexar 2280 beforehand turned in 4K numbers like this.

In the true world of our 48GB transfers, the distinction between the three drives is much much less noticeable, although the older Corsair MP600 is clearly the slowest of the three with small file-laden folders.

We’ll name the 450GB write a tie between the GX 7100M and the MP700 Micro with the latter slower below Explorer, however holding a 15 second benefit when the superior switch utility — FastCopy — is employed.

Whereas we contemplate 450GB about as a lot as any person will write at one time, we did write one other 900GB contiguous file to see simply how the TLC (Triple-Degree Cell/3-bit) NAND would behave.

It slows to a various vary between 600MBps and 800MBps. Not the quickest we’ve seen, however hardly tragic as with some types of QLC (Quad-Degree Cell/4-bit) or older TLC.

All in all, the GX 7100M is a top-flight performer and the quickest PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD we’ve examined to this point. Nevertheless, given the worth I’m compelled to expound on expenditure versus return.

Given that the majority slots both SSD will occupy, might be PCIe 4.0 (or 3.0) anyway, the GX 7100M could be a quicker drive than the MP700 on your system. It’s definitely far quicker than the Corsair MP600 Micro in almost each manner.

Large numbers are all the time higher, and large numbers are all the time tempting, however all NVMe (even PCIe 3.0) is so quick it’s inconceivable to inform the distinction except you’re transferring enormous quantities of information. Purchase accordingly.

Do you have to purchase the Optimus GX 7100M?

By way of efficiency, you’re not going to search out something higher in a PCIe 4.0 SSD. 2230 kind issue or in any other case. So sure, in case you’ve received the money and need one of the best.

That mentioned, there are cheaper choices which are greater than quick sufficient to scratch your high-performance storage itch.

How we check

Drive assessments at the moment make the most of Home windows 11 24H2, 64-bit, working off of a PCIe 4.0 Samsung 990 Professional in an Asus Z890-Creator WiFi (PCIe 4.0/5.0) motherboard. The CPU is a Core Extremely i5 225 feeding/fed by two Essential 64GB DDR5 5600MHz modules (128GB of reminiscence complete).

10Gbps, 20Gbps USB, and Thunderbolt 5/USB4 are built-in into the motherboard. Intel CPU/GPU graphics are used. Inside PCIe 5.0 SSDs concerned in testing are mounted in an Asus Hyper M.2 x16 Gen5 adapter card sitting in a PCIe 5.0 slot. Exterior enclosures are examined utilizing a Essential T710.

We run the CrystalDiskMark 8.04 (and 9), AS SSD 2, and ATTO 4 artificial benchmarks (to maintain article size down, we report solely the primary) to search out the storage machine’s potential efficiency. Then we run a collection of 48GB switch and 450GB write assessments utilizing Home windows Explorer drag and drop to point out what customers will see throughout routine copy operations, in addition to the far quicker FastCopy run as administrator to point out what’s attainable.

A 25GBps two-SSD RAID 0 array on the aforementioned Asus Hyper M.2 x16 Gen5 is used because the second drive in our switch assessments. Previously the 48GB assessments have been completed with a RAM disk serving that goal.

Every check is carried out on a NTFS-formatted and newly TRIM’d drive so the outcomes are optimum. Be aware that in regular use, as a drive fills up, efficiency could lower resulting from much less NAND for secondary caching, in addition to different elements. This concern has abated considerably with the present crop of SSDs using extra mature controllers and much quicker, late-generation NAND.