Which NVMe SSD for Alienware M15 R5 (Gen 3 Only?)

SJDR on 27/09/2023 - 12:15

I need to put an additional 2TB SSD in the above laptop.

I have no problem installing it, and the mount is there for a 2280 drive.
I'm not sure which drive is best suited though.

It will be used for installing additional games. The original drive is 512gb

Dell specs say it is not Gen 4 compatible and it seems Gen 3 maxes at around 3500MB/s

So I do I just get any gen 3 or 4 drive that is around this speed?
I assume there's no point buying a 7000MB/s gen 4 drive if it won't be any quicker than a $140 gen 3?

I don't want to put a drive in that is too slow though.

Any suggestions?

Computing 15.6inch Alienware Computer Computer Component Gaming Laptop Laptop SSD

Comments

  • Hybroid on 27/09/2023 - 12:20
    +2

    You’re not going to really notice the difference between 3500MB/s and 7000MB/s in a laptop to load games. SATA tops out at just 600MB/s. Esp as most aren’t setup to take advantage of that speed increase.

    If the latest it reads is Gen 3 speeds then you don’t have a choice anyway. Buy from a reputable place with decent warranty/guarantee.

  • scrimshaw on 27/09/2023 - 12:25
    +3

    Gen3 v Gen4 aside, if you buy a cheap SSD that has a Gen4 interface but it only has QLC NAND memory, it's still going to be slow regardless since the memory chips are the bottleneck and the interface type is irrelevant.

    For bulk storage of Steam games, a mid range drive such as Lexar NM790 with TLC / Dramless is more than sufficient. For other info see this comment https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/14138515/redir

    You can also refer to the SSD Buying Guide a redditor created.

    https://ssd.borecraft.com/SSD_Buying_Guide.png

    • SJDR on 27/09/2023 - 14:45

      Sounds good enough for what I need it for.
      I'll grab a 2TB one.

  • GordonD on 27/09/2023 - 13:28

    I assume there's no point buying a 7000MB/s gen 4 drive if it won't be any quicker than a $140 gen 3?

    I wondered about this.

    So I tested it. I got some fast gen 3 drives, ones that get close to the gen3 socket limit, and put them in my gen3 PCs. Then I tried some fast gen4 drives. Not ones that are sold as gen4, but were only as fast as gen3 drives. I'm talking about ones that are capable of 6-7000 MB/s in a gen4 motherboard. The gen4 drives were faster. Not by much. About 5%. But they were faster.

    So the answer to the question of what the fastest gen3 drive is, is that its a gen4 drive. But only marginally. Enough to show up in a test, but not enough to notice. Its a matter of how much you are willing to pay for that few percent.

  • garetz on 27/09/2023 - 13:38

    I would probably get the latest gen 3, probably a samsung 970 evo plus.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join