Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB
Score: 91/100
PNY CS3250 1TB
Score: 100/100Rankings
The PNY CS3250 1TB Gen5 NVMe SSD delivers near-theoretical PCIe 5.0 speeds with integrated DRAM, a large pSLC cache, and strong endurance, making it ideal for gamers, content creators, and AI workloads. Its lack of an included heatsink and the typical gap between advertised and real-world performance are the main trade-offs.
The Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB is a top-tier PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD offering blazing sequential speeds, strong endurance, and robust security, ideal for high-performance desktops and laptops.
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
2,000 GBbest | 1,000 GB | |
3,500 MB/s | 14,900 MB/sbest | |
3,300 MB/s | 13,500 MB/sbest | |
600,000 IOPSbest | — | |
550,000 IOPSbest | — | |
1,200 TBWbest | 700 TBW | |
5 yearsbest | 5 yearsbest | |
| ↓ lower better | 6 Wbest | — |
Click an attribute name to sort · Green = best, red = worst (relative to this comparison)
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
Performance(3) | ||
Sequential Read Speed (MB/s) | 3500 MB/s | 14900 MB/s |
Sequential Write Speed (MB/s) | 3300 MB/s | 13500 MB/s |
Interface | PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe | PCIe Gen5 x4 |
Storage(3) | ||
Capacity (GB) | 2000 GB | 1000 GB |
NAND Type | V-NAND 3-bit MLC | TLC |
Endurance (TBW) (TBW) | 1200 TBW | 700 TBW |
Design & Build(2) | ||
Weight (g) | 9.07 g | 10 g |
Thickness (mm) | 2.38 mm | 4 mm |
Products in the top-left offer the best value (high score, low price).
Reviewers consider it the best overall PCIe 3.0 SSD, praising its speed boost over the 970 EVO and reliable thermal management despite lacking a heatsink.
Users consistently rate it 5-stars for speed and reliability, noting occasional warmth and the missing heatsink as minor drawbacks.
Professional reviewers consider the PNY CS3250 a flagship-class Gen5 SSD that delivers near-top speeds, solid endurance, and useful security features, though they note that real-world performance typically trails the advertised peak and the lack of an included heatsink may limit sustained workloads.
Everyday users praise the drive's lightning-fast boot and load times, its impact on 4K video editing, and the ease of installing it as a PS5 expansion, while common concerns revolve around BIOS configuration, thermal throttling without a heatsink, and the usual discrepancy between advertised and actual usable capacity.
“Windows boots in seconds-faster than I've ever experienced.”
“Installed games load dramatically quicker; feels like a new system.”
“Cloning my old drive was seamless; no driver issues.”
