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High-performance PCIe Gen 5 and Gen 4 SSDs are expensive, costing well above $150 or even $200. However, there are also a few budget models.
With the advent of DirectStorage technology, games supporting it load in a matter of seconds. The only caveat is that it needs high-speed drives. As we progress further in gaming technologies, the need for high-speed SSDs will increase over time. That’s why buying a decent PCIe Gen 5 or Gen 4 SSD is crucial for future-proofing your PC builds.
However, such high-speed drives are quite expensive and out of the budget for many gamers. Still, the prices of a few of them have decreased substantially in the last few months, making them affordable enough for ordinary users to consider buying.
In this article, we are showcasing some of the budget PCIe 5 and PCIe 4 SSDs available on the market. The list is ranked from the one with the highest price tag and the most features to the cheapest one with the fewest features.
Note: Parts of this article are subjective and reflect the writer’s opinions. Also, the prices mentioned herein are subject to change.
What Are the Best PCIe 5 and PCIe 4 SSDs on a Budget?
1) Crucial T705 1TB PCIe Gen5 NVMe SSD
The Crucial T705 is a high-end PCIe Gen 5 SSD, yet it costs a lot less than other Gen 5 drives. It can deliver a top-level read/write speed of up to 13,600/10,200 MB/s, which will certainly future-proof your PC for many years to come. This flagship-level speed is also backed by fast and low-latency DDR4 DRAM, which delivers consistent SSD write speeds for longer.
| Specifications | Details |
| Speed (Read/Write) | 13,600/10,200 MB/s |
| Capacities | 1TB (Also available in 2TB and 4TB) |
| NAND Type | TLC |
| DRAM | 1GB DDR4 cache |
| Endurance | 600 TBW |
| Warranty | 5 years |
2) Crucial P510 1TB PCIe Gen5 NVMe SSD
The Crucial P510 is another PCIe Gen 5 drive available for two-thirds the cost of the Crucial T705 discussed above. In fact, the Crucial P510 can reach up to 11,000/9,500 MB/s of read/write speeds, which is impressive for a drive that costs under $100 for the 1TB model. It is available in 2TB and 4TB storage models, which come with a higher price tag.
If you are wondering how Crucial managed to price this Gen 5 SSD so cheaply, the answer is a DRAM-less configuration. Unless you are copying and transferring many large data files, the lack of DRAM shouldn’t be an issue.
| Specifications | Details |
| Speed (Read/Write) | 11,000/9,500 MB/s |
| Capacities | 1TB (Also available in 2TB and 4TB) |
| NAND Type | TLC |
| DRAM | DRAM-Less |
| Endurance | 600 TBW |
| Warranty | 5 years |
3) PNY CS2150 1TB Gen5 PCIe NVMe SSD
The PNY CS2150 is another affordable PCIe Gen 5 SSD designed to deliver the best price-to-performance ratio, and it achieves that without any issues. This drive can reach up to 10,200/8,300 MB/s of read/write speeds, which is not as fast as other Gen 5 SSDs, but it is much faster than even the fastest Gen 4 drive. Therefore, you can buy it as an upgrade for your gaming PC, whether you have a Gen 3 or even Gen 4 drive.
| Specifications | Details |
| Speed (Read/Write) | 10,200/8,300 MB/s |
| Capacities | 1TB (Also available in 2TB) |
| NAND Type | TLC |
| DRAM | DRAM-Less |
| Endurance | 600 TBW |
| Warranty | 5 years |
4) Corsair MP600 Elite 1TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD
If you want something even more affordable than the drives above, consider the Corsair MP600 Elite PCIe Gen 4 SSD. It’s a Gen 4 drive with top-level read/write speeds of up to 7,000/6,200 MB/s, which is among the best an SSD can achieve from the Gen 4 protocol. It’s a DRAM-less drive with up to 600 TBW, allowing it to run for tens of years without any issues.
| Specifications | Details |
| Speed (Read/Write) | 7,000/6,200 MB/s |
| Capacities | 1TB (Also available in 2TB) |
| NAND Type | TLC |
| DRAM | DRAM-Less |
| Endurance | 600 TBW |
| Warranty | 5 years |
5) KLEVV CRAS C910 1TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD
The KLEVV CRAS C910 is the cheapest PCIe Gen 4 drive on this list. This 1TB SSD is available for only $58.99, and at that price, some compromises are expected. The main compromise is in the form of speeds. It can only reach around 5,000/4,800 MB/s of read/write speeds, which is not true Gen 4 speed but rather something between Gen 3 and Gen 4, so it’s not bad.
It’s a TLC drive with a higher TBW of 700, which is more than any other SSD listed here. Therefore, the KLEVV CRAS C910 will last longer than the others, which is essential if you run high-performance workloads for long durations.
| Specifications | Details |
| Speed (Read/Write) | 5,000/4,800 MB/s |
| Capacities | 1TB (Also available in 500GB) |
| NAND Type | TLC |
| DRAM | DRAM-Less |
| Endurance | 700 TBW |
| Warranty | 5 years |
Final Thoughts
If you want the best speeds, performance, and endurance for the long term, then get the Crucial T705. It costs a bit more than the other SSDs listed here, but it will serve you better. The PNY CS2150 is another Gen 5 drive that may not have all the best bells and whistles, but it is cheaper and better than almost all Gen 4 drives.
If you want the most affordable SSD, go with the KLEVV CRAS C910. It delivers decent speeds for an even cheaper price tag.
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