SSD

Are all PCIe 4.0 solid state drives fast? Absolutely. However, they aren't all the same speed. For instance, the Mushkin SSD we covered here can achieve read speeds up to 7,415MB/s -- that is really fast. A new SSD called "UD90" from Silicon Power, however, can only do up to 4,800MB/s.

Yes, folks, we have two M.2 drives, both with the same PCIe Gen 4x4 interface, but one is significantly faster than the other. In other words, the UD90 is rather slow as a PCIe Gen 4.0 drive... comparatively. And yet, compared to SATA-based solid state drives, the UD90 is actually incredibly fast.

Everybody loves USB flash drives, so it's a good thing there's no shortage of them on the market. If you want a flash drive, you can absolutely find one in stores -- unlike baby formula. There are many makes and models of USB flash drives with various capacities and transfer speeds, but of course, not all of them are of good quality.

With all of that said, only one flash drive can truly be the coolest ever. Today, OWC launches a drive that could be the one. Called "Envoy Pro mini," it is a tiny portable SSD that offers both USB-C and USB-A connectivity. In other words, the high-quality drive will work with pretty much any computer. Best of all, the beautifully engineered USB drive looks to be built like a tank and offers very impressive performance of up to 946MB/s!

While solid state drives make wonderful internal boot drives for computers, they are also great options for external storage. Not only are SSDs much smaller than mechanical hard disk drives, but they use less power and are much faster too.

Today, PNY launches its latest external solid state drive, and it is both beautiful and fast. Called "Pro Elite V2," this diminutive USB-C SSD uses the USB 3.2 Gen 2x1 interface to achieve speeds up to 1,100 MB/s!

Solid state drives continue to get faster, with many new computers supporting the PCIe 4.0 standard. If you have such a cutting-edge PC, you will probably want to get a PCIe 4.0 SSD to maximize your performance. Is it largely for bragging rights and benchmarks? Yeah, arguably, but if you can afford it, you might as well go for a PCIe 4.0 drive. The price shouldn't be that much more than a PCIe 3.0 SSD.

Today, KIOXIA unveils its latest PCIe 4.0 NVMe solid state drive. Called "XG8," the SSD will be offered in your choice of four capacities -- 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB. Of course, this solid state drive can be used in both desktop and laptop computers.

Portable solid state drives are a great way to store data. Not only are they fast, but because they don't have moving parts, they are more durable than external mechanical hard drives too.

But what if you want a portable SSD that you can really abuse? Well, the Samsung T7 Shield is a durable USB-C SSD you can beat the crap out of. Don't misunderstand, you shouldn't purposely try to damage the small (88 x 59 x 13mm) drive, but Samsung says you can drop it from nearly 10 feet without worry. That means it will likely survive falling from a regulation basketball rim. But no, you shouldn't intentionally slam dunk it.

Solid state drives make wonderful internal boot drives for computers, but they are great options for external storage too. Not only are they smaller than mechanical hard disk drives, but they use less power and are much quicker as well. Quite frankly, if you are someone that needs to transport data on a portable drive, you'd be crazy to still use a HDD with moving parts.

Today, ADATA launches its latest portable solid state drive. Called "ELITE SE880," the tiny SSD offers very fast speeds thanks to its USB 3.2 Gen2 x2 interface. The drive has a USB-C port and ships with both a USB-C to USB-C cable and a USB-C to USB-A cable. In other words, it can be used with any modern computer -- whether it has a USB Type-C port or not.

Most consumers can simply buy any compatible solid state drive, since their computer will be in a home or office -- they will likely have heat and/or air conditioning. In other words, the computer will be operating in normal conditions. Some businesses, however, may be using computers in extreme conditions -- either very hot or very cold. For them, a typical SSD may get damaged due to extraordinary temperatures.

Today, Silicon Power launches a PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD that is designed for extreme conditions. Called "MEC3H0S," it isn't just rugged and durable, but it is very fast too. It should prove quite brilliant for industrial applications.

Mushkin may not be a household name, but if you are a seasoned PC builder, you should be familiar with it. I have purchased the company's RAM several times, and have always been satisfied with the results. In other words, I can confidently recommend Mushkin products based on my experiences.

Today, Mushkin launches its latest solid state drive. Called "Redline Vortex," the M.2 SSD utilizes the INNOGRIT IG5236 PCIe 4.0 controller to achieve impressive performance. This drive features read speeds up to 7,415MB/s and write speeds up to 6,800MB/s. Very nice!

When it comes to storage drives, faster is always better, right? Well, yes, but remember, better performance usually comes at a higher price. And so, if you don't need bleeding edge speeds, why should you pay for it?

Despite the prevalence of PCIe 4.0 solid state drives, and the emergence of PCIe 5.0 SSDs, the truth is, most consumers would probably not notice the speed benefits they offer over, say, a PCIe 3.0 SSD. Hell, many would likely see no difference between PCIe and SATA. For those consumers that don't need a PCIe 4.0 or 5.0 SSD, today, Silicon Power unveils a new PCIe 3.0 (Gen3x4) drive. Called "UD80," it actually has very respectable read and write speeds.

Do you need a PCIe 4.0 NVMe solid state drive? Probably not. I mean, nobody really needs the fast speeds these drives offer. However, the drool-worthy performance is certainly nice to have. Look, if you can afford such an SSD and your computer supports it at full speed, you might as well get one. I mean, why not?

Today, Western Digital launches its latest such PCIe 4.0 SSD. Called "WD_BLACK SN770," it features blazing fast speeds and capacities up to 2TB. While this SSD is designed for gamers, it should prove to be a solid choice for any and all storage needs. In other words, even non-gamers should check it out

The vast majority of consumers don't own a computer with PCIe 4.0 support, so almost no one is currently reaping the benefits of a PCIe 4.0 solid state drive. Hell, most consumers don't really need anything more than a meager SATA SSD these days. Enthusiasts that desire the "latest and greatest" are the only ones truly clamoring for hardcore PCIe 4.0 SSD performance -- mostly just for bragging rights.

Of course, the computer industry will continue to push boundaries in an effort to avoid being stagnant. And so, PCIe 5.0 is on the horizon -- even though it is largely unnecessary. TEAMGROUP is happy to manufacture such an SSD, and today, it teases exactly that. Under the company's T-FORCE gaming brand, a PCIe 5.0 NVMe 2.0 SSD should hit stores later this year.

The transition to PCIe 4.0 is in full effect, with more and more computers and motherboards having the new standard. Whether or not the user truly needs the benefits of PCIe 4.0 is debatable, but it is still cool regardless. After all, it is important to continually push boundaries.

One of the best aspects of PCIe 4.0 is faster solid state drives. For instance, today, Patriot launches a new such SSD. Called "P400," the M.2 drive uses the 4th-gen PCIe interface to deliver fast speeds while its graphene heatshield will keep things cool.

Do you need a PCIe 4.0 NVMe solid state drive? Probably not. I mean, nobody really needs the insane speed these drives offer. However, the drool-worthy performance is certainly nice to have. Look, if you can afford such an SSD and your computer supports it at full speed, you might as well get one. I mean, why not?

Today, Silicon Power announces its latest such PCIe 4.0 SSD. Called "XPOWER XS70," it features blazing fast speeds and capacities up to 4TB. It even has a nice-looking heat sink that the company says is inspired by sharks.

Solid state drives make wonderful internal boot drives for computers, but they are also great options for external storage too. Not only are they often smaller than mechanical hard disk drives, but they also use less power and are much quicker. With that said, sometimes hard disk drives can be a good option for external storage -- depending on your needs and budget, of course.

Today, OWC launches its latest portable storage drive. Called "Mercury Elite Pro mini," this elegant storage solution has a USB-C port and ships with both a USB-C cable and USB-A adapter. In other words, it can be used with any modern computer -- whether it has a USB Type-C port or not. In fact, the company says the drive is compatible with Mac, Windows, and Linux-based operating systems, including Android and Chrome OS.

Is the newest Mac mini (2020) a good computer? No. Actually, it is a great computer! Thanks to Apple's incredibly efficient ARM-based M1 processor, the low-priced Mac mini is shockingly powerful while being almost entirely quiet. I say "almost" because it technically has a fan that can make noise, but I have personally never heard mine spin up once -- even when pushing it fairly hard. I highly recommend the diminutive desktop.

Is the Mac mini perfect? Well, no. For instance, it is heavily lacking in the ports department. Besides HDMI, 3.5mm audio, and Ethernet, it only has two USB-A and two Thunderbolt 4 ports for expandability. Plug in a wired mouse and keyboard, and you now have zero available USB ports. Ugh. Not to mention, you cannot add additional internal storage drives.