We have been sitting down with one of Silicon Power’s latest XS70 series PCIe Gen4 NVMe drives (1TB model) to see how well it holds up to some of the other options we have experienced thus far. It has been used in two test environments, including a PS5 and an Intel build (Alder Lake) which we only use PCIe Gen4 drives (where data transfers between drives are always excitingly fast).
The design puts this series right into the category of PlayStation 5 compatibility, which is a major selling point for any NVMe right now. It features a low-profile heatsink that gets the job done while also allowing it to maintain the requirements for PS5 support.
You have three capacity options to choose from within the series, including 1TB ($125), 2TB ($245), and 4TB ($720). Covering the needs of the many, this means you can find one for every purpose, let it be a drive for your OS, general expansion, or gaming.
Gen4 PCIe means you are going to get some amazing speeds from this drive. Its specs promise up to 7,300MB/s read speeds and 6,800MB/s write speeds, which is common for PCIe Gen4 models but not always delivered (we have come across a number of poor performers in some models/brands out there, while not many, thankfully). So you don’t be finding many bottlenecks coming from the drive at these speeds.
Performance
That leads us to performance. This is the first NVMe we have come across from SIlicon Power, thus we didn’t come into this with any specific expectations. Other than the advertised specs offered by the company, at least. Leading to a drumroll event when we first powered the system on, formatted the drive, and transferred our first file.
The initial test file (1GB) zipped by before we could even get a look at the speed notated in the transfer window. That was a good sign. We then started transferring much larger files and groups to see what kind of constant speeds we could get.
In the large groups (of files), the speeds shifted around as it always does, while variously hitting speeds of up to 5,000-6,000MB/s or more. Then came the large files that found consistent speeds that climbed as high as 7,000MB/s at times, which was exciting. This tells us that we could confidently use these drives as an OS drive on a performance system or competitive gaming.
Knowing this, we took the drive and moved it over to a PS5, where it has been living since. The first thing we did was format it and then started moving some games over to it. Transfer speeds were great and then came the moment of truth. Load speeds.
The load speeds were fantastic, keeping up with expectations and not falling short of the PS5’s main drive. Backing out of the games and back to the interface, we started playing around some more. Seeing transfer speeds of up to 6,000MB/s and higher.
Of course, we will continue to put the drive through its tasks as we do any drive that comes our way. So if we find anything that changes, we will come back to update. However, for the moment, this drive has done nothing less than impress us with its performance.
Our Conclusion
We like it. It is a fast drive that keeps up with the competition and makes for a great option for both computer and console alike. The price is also good as it remains competitive. Although the 4TB model’s price does make your heart skip a short beat. It wouldn’t be the only 4TB model that features this kind of price though. It’s just unfortunate that higher capacity NVMe is still so expensive (this is an industry-wide issue though and doesn’t reflect the quality of these models). Not to mention the shortages plaguing the tech industry as a whole.
Shifting focus back to these drives though, we expect to see a lot more from Silicon Power as this really sets an impression.
| Available via the following retailers: | | |
| Our Rating | Average Price* 1TB ($125), 2TB ($245), and 4TB ($720) |
*Average price is based on the time this article was published
Additional Images:
Specifications:
- Capacity: 1TB, 2TB, 4TB
- Dimensions: 24.6mm x 80.0mm x 10.8mm
- Weight: 33g
- Interface: PCIe Gen 4×4
- Performance Read(max.): up to 7,300MB/s
- Performance Write(max.): up to 6,800MB/s
- System Requirement: Computer with M.2 slots supporting PCIe interface and Windows 8.1 or newer.
- Operating Temperature: 0°C – 70°C
- MTBF (est): 1,600,000 hours
- Shock Resistance Test: 1500G/0.5ms
- Certification: CE, FCC, UKCA, BSMI, Green dot, WEEE, RoHS, KCC
- Warranty: 5-year limited warranty
Are you a manufacturer or distributor that would like us to test something out for review? Contact us and we can let you know where to send the product and we will try it out.
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