Micron 4TB SSD PCIe 5.0 NVMe M.2 2280

The Crucial T710 is a Gen5 monster that runs cool and fast, but only makes sense if you have the motherboard for it. Skip it if you're still on Gen4, and definitely don't pay more than $600.

The numbers here are stupid fast. 14,500 MB/s read and 13,800 MB/s write put it at the top of our charts, and the random performance is just as impressive at 2.2 million read IOPS and 2.3 million write IOPS. What surprised us most is that Micron pulled this off with a DRAM-less design. That usually means a compromise somewhere, but the T710 doesn't seem to care. It's single-sided too, which makes cooling way easier in tight builds. The heatsink version we tested stayed reasonable under load, which is not something we say about most Gen5 drives.

The Samsung 9100 PRO is the obvious rival here, and it's a close fight. Samsung's drive has DRAM and slightly better brand recognition, but the T710 matches it on speed and often undercuts it on price. The WD Black SN850X is a Gen4 drive that's still excellent, but it tops out around 7,300 MB/s, so it's not even in the same conversation if you have a Gen5 slot. The Kingston FURY Renegade G5 is another Gen5 option, but it runs hotter and doesn't have the same endurance rating. For most people, the T710 is the sweet spot between raw speed, thermals, and price.

Here's the thing: this drive costs between $587 and $896 depending on where you shop, and that spread is wild. The best deal we found is on Newegg, where the CT4000T710SSD5 with heatsink sits at the lower end of that range. At $587, it's a solid buy for a 4TB Gen5 drive. At $896, you're getting fleeced. Shop around. If you're coming from a Gen3 or early Gen4 drive, the jump is real. If you're already on a fast Gen4 drive, you might not feel the difference in daily use.

The Crucial T710 is a 4TB PCIe 5.0 drive that basically laughs at your old Gen4 SSD. We're talking 14,500 MB/s sequential reads and 13,800 MB/s writes, which puts it in the absolute top tier of anything we've tested. The one thing to know? This is a no-compromise speed demon for people who actually need to move massive files or load DirectStorage games, and it runs cooler than most Gen5 drives while doing it.

If you're on a PCIe 4.0 motherboard, this isn't your drive. You'll pay Gen5 prices for Gen4 speeds. Go grab a WD Black SN850X or Crucial T500 instead and pocket the difference. Also skip it if you're building a portable SSD enclosure, the portable score here is terrible and you'll just be wasting money.

Buy the Crucial T710 if you have a PCIe 5.0 motherboard and you actually move big files or play DirectStorage games. It's one of the fastest drives we've ever tested, it runs cooler than the competition, and the 4TB capacity means you won't be juggling installs. Just don't pay full retail. Hunt for the Newegg deal and you'll be very happy.