fanxiang S690Q
The fanxiang S690Q hits 4700 MB/s reads over PCIe 4.0 x4 with TLC NAND, a DRAM-less design, and a graphene heat spreader that keeps it cool during long PS5 sessions. It adds hardware encryption, a 160 TBW endurance rating, and a 5-year warranty, making it a low-cost upgrade for desktops and laptops alike. Best for budget-conscious gamers expanding PS5 or PC storage who prioritize speed and reliability over maximum write performance.
Snapshot
The 30-Second Version
The fanxiang S690Q 500GB hits 4700 MB/s read but only 1700 MB/s write, landing it in the 60th percentile for speed. The 160 TBW endurance and 5-year warranty are the real highlights, sitting in the 73rd percentile. At 96 to 100 USD, it's a budget PS5 option that will trigger Sony's speed warning but still works.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- 160 TBW endurance rating puts it in the 73rd percentile 73rd
- 5-year warranty is excellent for a budget drive 71st
- 4700 MB/s read speed is solid for the price
- TLC NAND instead of cheaper QLC
- Graphene heat spreader included for PS5 use
Cons
- 1700 MB/s write speed is underwhelming for Gen4
- 500GB capacity sits in the 24th percentile
- DRAM-less design hurts sustained performance
- Falls short of PS5's 5500 MB/s recommendation
- Portable score of 14/100 is a real weak spot
What owners think
The Word on the Street
The proof
Performance
The 4700 MB/s read speed is the star of the show here, landing this drive in the 60th percentile for speed. That's solid for a budget drive, but it's not going to blow anyone away. The 1700 MB/s write speed is where things get less exciting. That's a big gap between read and write, and it's the kind of number you'd expect from a DRAM-less design using SLC caching. Once that cache fills up, writes will slow down further.
The random performance sits at the 59th percentile, which is about average. For everyday use like booting Windows or loading games, you'll be fine. But if you're moving large files around regularly or doing heavy content creation work, this drive will feel sluggish compared to something like the Samsung 990 PRO or Crucial T710. The TLC NAND is a plus at this price point, at least you're not getting QLC.
Specifications
Full Specifications
Drive
| Capacity | 500 |
| Form Factor | M.2 2280 |
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x4 |
| Protocol | NVMe |
| PCIe Generation | 4 |
| External | No |
Performance
| Sequential Read (MB/s) | 4700 |
| Sequential Write (MB/s) | 1700 |
Hardware
| NAND | QLC |
| DRAM Cache | No |
Reliability
| Endurance (TBW) | 160 |
| Warranty (years) | 5 |
Features
| Heatsink | No |
| Hardware Encryption | Yes |
vs Competition
Against the Samsung 990 PRO, this drive isn't even in the same conversation. The 990 PRO has dramatically higher read and write speeds, better random performance, and comes with DRAM. The Crucial T710 and SanDisk Optimus GX PRO 850X also leave the S690Q in the dust on paper. But here's the thing: those drives cost significantly more. The Western Digital SN8100 and Lexar NM790 are closer competitors in spirit, though both offer better performance. The S690Q's real advantage is the warranty and endurance rating, which are genuinely competitive. If you're on a tight budget and need a PS5 drive that works, this will do it. Just don't expect it to feel like a premium drive.
| Spec | fanxiang S690Q | Samsung 990 PRO | Crucial T500 | Western Digital WD_BLACK SN8100 | Lexar Professional NM1090 PRO | ADATA GAMMIX S70 Blade AGAMMIXS70B-2T-CS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 500GB | 2TB | 2TB | 2TB | 2TB | 2TB |
| Form Factor | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 |
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x4 | PCIe 4.0 x4 | PCIe 4.0 x4 | PCIe 5.0 x4 | PCIe 5.0 x4 | PCIe 4.0 |
| Seq Read | 4,700 MB/s | 7,450 MB/s | 7,400 MB/s | 14,900 MB/s | 14,400 MB/s | 7,400 MB/s |
| Nand Type | QLC | TLC | TLC | TLC | TLC | TLC |
| Dram Cache | false | true | true | true | true | true |
| Endurance | 160 TBW | 1200 TBW | 1200 TBW | 2400 TBW | 1400 TBW | 1480 TBW |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
| Product | Speed | Random | Feature | Capacity | Endurance | Social Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| fanxiang S690Q | 62 | 60.3 | 32.3 | 25.8 | 73.1 | 70.7 |
| Samsung 990 PRO Compare | 93.1 | 96.8 | 98.9 | 78.5 | 86 | 96.6 |
| Crucial T500 Compare | 93.5 | 96.2 | 98.9 | 78.5 | 83 | 99.7 |
| Western Digital WD_BLACK SN8100 Compare | 99.5 | 99.4 | 99.7 | 78.5 | 93.9 | 6.9 |
| Lexar Professional NM1090 PRO Compare | 97.9 | 98 | 97.5 | 78.5 | 89.3 | 42.1 |
| ADATA GAMMIX S70 Blade AGAMMIXS70B-2T-CS Compare | 92.1 | 89.1 | 93.6 | 78.5 | 77.5 | 83.8 |
Price
Value & Pricing
At 96 to 100 USD, the S690Q 500GB is in a weird spot. You're paying budget Gen4 prices for a drive that delivers budget Gen4 performance, which is fine. But the capacity is the problem. 500GB for around 100 USD means you're paying roughly 20 cents per gigabyte, and that's not great when 1TB drives from competitors often cost only slightly more. The 5-year warranty and 160 TBW endurance do add value, but the CAD 140 listing in Canada feels steep for what you're getting. If you can find this on sale, it makes more sense.
Amazon 1 offer From CA$140
We started tracking prices for this product on Nov 8, 2026. The chart appears once we have more data.
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Overview
The fanxiang S690Q 500GB is a budget PCIe 4.0 drive that's trying to punch above its weight class. The headline number is 4700 MB/s sequential read, which sounds impressive until you realize the PS5 recommends 5500 MB/s and this drive will trigger a speed warning on Sony's console. The write speed is a much more modest 1700 MB/s, which lands it in the middle of the pack for Gen4 drives in our database.
Where this drive actually shines is endurance and features. The 160 TBW rating puts it in the 73rd percentile for endurance, and the 5-year warranty is genuinely good for a budget drive. The graphene heat spreader is a nice touch for PS5 use. But the 500GB capacity is a real limitation, sitting in the 24th percentile, and the DRAM-less design means you'll feel the hit in sustained workloads.
Common Questions
Q: Will this drive work in a PS5?
Yes, it will work, but the PS5 recommends 5500 MB/s read speed and this drive tops out at 4700 MB/s. Sony's console will display a performance warning, though games will still load and run. The graphene heat spreader helps with thermals in the PS5's M.2 slot.
Q: Is the DRAM-less design a problem?
For everyday tasks like booting Windows or loading games, you probably won't notice. But the lack of DRAM means the drive relies on SLC caching, and once that cache fills up during large file transfers, write speeds will drop. The 1700 MB/s write speed already reflects this limitation.
Q: How does the 500GB capacity compare to other drives?
The 500GB capacity sits in the 24th percentile for this category, meaning most competing drives offer more storage. If you're installing multiple modern games, which can easily exceed 100GB each, you'll fill this drive quickly. The S690Q does come in larger capacities up to 4TB if you need more room.
Who Should Skip This
If you're building a high-performance desktop or doing content creation work, look elsewhere. The 1700 MB/s write speed and DRAM-less design will frustrate you during large file transfers. The 500GB capacity in the 24th percentile is also a dealbreaker if you have a big game library. And if you want a PS5 drive without the speed warning, you'll need something that hits 5500 MB/s read, which this doesn't. The portable score of 14/100 also suggests this isn't a great choice for external enclosure use.
Verdict
The fanxiang S690Q 500GB is a budget drive that makes sense for a specific buyer: someone who needs a cheap PS5 storage expansion and doesn't mind the speed warning, or someone upgrading an older laptop from a SATA SSD. The 160 TBW endurance and 5-year warranty are the real selling points here, not the speed. The 4700 MB/s read is fine, but the 1700 MB/s write and DRAM-less design hold it back. At 96 to 100 USD, it's not a screaming deal, but it's not a rip-off either. Just know what you're getting.
