Form factor code, PCIe generation and lane count, before any speed figure
An NVMe drive is compared on three things before any speed figure is looked at. The form factor is written as a four or five digit code: M.2 2280 is 22 mm (0.87 in) wide and 80 mm (3.15 in) long and fits nearly every desktop board, while 2230, 2242, 2260 and 22110 exist for laptops, handhelds and servers, and a slot accepts only the lengths its standoff positions allow. The interface is a PCIe generation and a lane count — PCIe 3.0 ×4, PCIe 4.0 ×4, PCIe 5.0 ×4 — and a drive placed in a slot of an older generation runs at that older generation, which is not a fault. The published sequential figures follow from the interface and are obtained by the maker under its own conditions, at a queue depth that ordinary use does not produce; the random figures in IOPS describe something closer to daily behavior. Both are read alongside the size of the write buffer, because a long file copy slows once that buffer is full. Endurance is where three unrelated numbers get muddled. TBW states, in terabytes written, how much writing the drive is rated for. MTBF is a population figure in hours. The warranty is a commercial term, normally ending at whichever of a period or a TBW total arrives first. None of the three is a lifespan. Capacity is published in decimal units and shows smaller on screen. Whether a DRAM cache and a heatsink are fitted is published per model. We compare capacity, form factor code, PCIe generation and lane count, stated sequential read and write figures, stated random IOPS, TBW rating, stated MTBF, warranty length, DRAM cache and heatsink.
1 TB · M.2 2280 · PCIe Gen 3 ×4, NVMe 1.3 · 2,100 MB/s read · 1,700 MB/s write · no endurance, warranty or cache figure
The only Gen 3 drive on this shelf and the cheapest at $151.41 on Amazon.com on October 26, 2026: 1 TB in M.2 2280, 2,100 MB/s read and 1,700 MB/s write, and no endurance, warranty or cache figure.
Best for: A machine with a Gen 3 M.2 slot, where a Gen 4 drive would run at Gen 3 speed anyway.
≈ $151
1 TB · M.2 2280 · PCIe 4.0 · 7,400 MB/s read · 6,600 MB/s write · 3D TLC · 600 TBW · 3-year warranty
The cheapest Gen 4 drive on this shelf at $168.99 on Amazon.com on October 26, 2026, and the only one whose listing states an endurance rating — 600 TBW — beside a three-year warranty.
Best for: A desktop, laptop or PS5 slot where the lowest Gen 4 price and a written endurance figure both matter.
≈ $169
1 TB · M.2 2280 · PCIe 4.0 ×4, NVMe 2.0 · 7,150 MB/s read · 6,450 MB/s write · 1,100,000 random write IOPS · 3-year warranty
A Gen 4 ×4 drive whose Amazon.com page states both speeds, 1,100,000 random write IOPS, the M.2 2280 format and a three-year warranty — at $281.50 on October 26, 2026, the highest price on this shelf.
Best for: A buyer who wants Samsung's Magician software and a written three-year warranty, and accepts the highest price on this shelf for them.
≈ $282
1 TB · M.2 2280 · PCIe Gen 4 ×4 · 7,450 MB/s read · 6,500 MB/s write · 1,000K IOPS · HMB · 0.5 mm heat sink · no TBW or warranty
A Gen 4 drive with the highest read figure on this shelf, 7,450 MB/s, a random figure of up to 1,000K IOPS and a thin heat sink — and no endurance rating or warranty term on its Amazon.com page.
Best for: A desktop or laptop Gen 4 slot where the highest read figure on this shelf is wanted and a written warranty is not essential.
≈ $175
1 TB · M.2 2280 · PCIe Gen 4 ×4, NVMe 2.0 · 7,400 MB/s read · 6,500 MB/s write · HMB + SLC cache · thermal throttling · no TBW or warranty
A Gen 4 ×4, NVMe 2.0 drive with 7,400 MB/s read and 6,500 MB/s write, HMB and an SLC cache, and thermal management named — and no endurance or warranty term on its Amazon.com page.
Best for: A desktop or laptop Gen 4 slot where the cloning software and NVMe 2.0 are useful and the warranty can be confirmed separately.
≈ $180
1 TB · M.2 2280 · PCIe Gen 4 · 7,250 MB/s read · 6,900 MB/s write · TLC 3D NAND · replaced by the SANDISK Optimus GX 7100
The fastest writer on this shelf at 6,900 MB/s, with 7,250 MB/s read in M.2 2280 — on an Amazon.com page whose first bullet says the drive has been replaced by a newer generation.
Best for: A laptop or handheld where the highest write speed on this shelf matters — or, as its own page suggests, the newer Optimus GX 7100.
≈ $189
1 TB · M.2 2280 · PCIe Gen 4 · 7,100 MB/s read · 6,000 MB/s write · G8 NAND · Acronis True Image offer · no TBW or warranty term
A Gen 4 drive built for laptops and handheld consoles, with both sequential figures, Micron G8 NAND and an Acronis cloning offer on its Amazon.com page — and no endurance or warranty term.
Best for: A handheld console or a laptop upgrade where the old drive is to be cloned with the included Acronis offer.
≈ $180
1 TB · M.2 2280 · PCIe Gen 4 ×4, NVMe 1.4 · 7,000 MB/s read · 6,000 MB/s write · HMB + SLC cache · 5-year warranty
A Gen 4 ×4 drive with the longest warranty on this shelf, five years, beside 7,000 MB/s read, 6,000 MB/s write and an HMB and SLC cache — with no current Amazon.com offer.
Best for: A desktop, laptop or PS5 slot where the longest written warranty matters, once an offer is listed again.
No Amazon.com offer on October 26, 2026
The stated sequential read figure is the headline number, and it describes a continuous transfer of large files.
Stated random IOPS describe the behavior on small files, which is what is actually felt day to day.
The TBW rating is the write volume the maker declares over the warranty period. It separates the ranges sharply.
The rate on a continuous transfer of large files, in the maker’s conditions. It is the most flattering number.
Because they describe accesses to small files, which dominate everyday use. They are published separately.
The total write volume the maker declares over the warranty period. This site reports it without deriving a service life.
The standardized length and width of the module. It is published because it decides physical compatibility.
Yes, together with the lane count. Both are published and read against the available slot.
Fast SSDs run hot and can throttle. What the maker provides appears in its characteristics.
Often yes: small capacities in a range write more slowly. Speeds are published per model.
NVMe goes over the PCIe bus and is markedly faster. The two sections exist separately in this catalog.
Sequential speed is the headline, IOPS are what gets felt, and TBW is what the maker agrees to guarantee. The PCIe generation decides what the machine will let through.
The table shows only the data published by four devices in five. Under that threshold, a column compares empty fields.
| Model | Price | Form factor code | PCIe generation | Stated sequential read figure | Stated sequential write figure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intenso 3835460 | $151 | M.2 2280 — stated in the fourth bullet | Gen 3 — PCI Express Gen 3 ×4, NVMe 1.3, stated in the title and the first bullet | Up to 2,100 MB/s — stated in the title and the second bullet | Up to 1,700 MB/s — stated in the second bullet |
| KingSpec XG7000-1TB | $169 | M.2 2280 — stated in the title | Gen 4 — PCIe 4.0 in the title; the fourth bullet adds compatibility with PCIe 3.0 slots | Up to 7,400 MB/s — stated in the title and the first bullet | Up to 6,600 MB/s — stated in the first and second bullets |
| BIWIN NV7400 | $175 | M.2 2280 — stated in the title | Gen 4 — stated in the title as Gen4x4 and PCIe 4.0 | Up to 7,450 MB/s — stated in the title and the first bullet, the highest on this shelf | Up to 6,500 MB/s — stated in the first bullet |
| Acer BL.9BWWR.118 | $180 | M.2 2280 — stated in the title | Gen 4, NVMe 2.0 — stated in the title and the first bullet | Up to 7,400 MB/s — stated in the title and the first bullet | Up to 6,500 MB/s — stated in the first bullet |
| Crucial CT1000P310SSD801 | $180 | M.2 2280 — stated in the title and the description | Gen 4 — stated in the title; the third bullet adds compatibility with Gen 3 systems | Up to 7,100 MB/s — stated in the title and the first bullet | Up to 6,000 MB/s — stated in the first bullet and the description |
| SanDisk WDS100T4X0E | $189 | M.2 2280 — stated in the title | Gen 4 — stated in the title and the third bullet | Up to 7,250 MB/s — stated in the title and the second bullet, for the 1 and 2 TB models | Up to 6,900 MB/s — stated in the title and the second bullet, the highest on this shelf |
| Samsung MZ-V9V1T0BW | $282 | M.2 2280 — stated in the description | Gen 4, NVMe 2.0 — PCIe 4.0 ×4 in the title, NVMe 2.0 in the description; compatible with PCIe 3.0 | Up to 7,150 MB/s — stated in the first and second bullets | Up to 6,450 MB/s — stated in the second bullet |
| Lexar LEQ790X001T-RNNNG | — | M.2 2280 — stated in the title | Gen 4, NVMe 1.4 — stated in the title | Up to 7,000 MB/s — stated in the title and the second bullet | Up to 6,000 MB/s — stated in the title and the second bullet |
Specifications: manufacturer sheets for network and storage gear and the matching Amazon product pages. Prices and availability: Keepa. Every figure in this table names its source.
Most recent revision in this category: October 26, 2026.
Every price named in a summary was read on the date that review carries. What a shop asks today is shown beside the product, and it moves.
