ADATA 2TB SSD PCIe 4.0 NVMe

The ADATA Legend 860 is a budget-friendly PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD with 6,000 MB/s reads and 5,000 MB/s writes. It's PS5 compatible, includes a heatsink, and delivers strong performance for gaming and everyday use. Just don't expect top-tier sustained write speeds from this DRAM-less drive.

Sequential reads hit 6,000 MB/s and writes hit 5,000 MB/s, which puts this drive well above average for PCIe 4.0 drives in our database. In practice, that means big file transfers, game installs, and video scrubbing all feel snappy. The SLC cache helps with bursty workloads, so smaller writes get a nice speed boost before the drive settles into its sustained TLC speeds. The DRAM-less design with HMB support is fine for most consumer workloads, though sustained heavy writes will dip a bit compared to drives with dedicated DRAM.

Random performance is about average, landing in the 61st percentile. That's not a knock, it just means this isn't a drive built for database servers or heavy workstation use. For a gaming rig or a general-purpose desktop, you won't notice the difference. The SMI SM2264 controller is a known quantity and does a good job keeping things stable. Endurance sits at 320 TBW, which is middle of the pack, and the 2,000,000 hour MTBF rating is standard fare for this class.

The Samsung 990 PRO is the obvious step up if you want top-tier performance. It's faster across the board, has DRAM, and carries a better endurance rating, but you'll pay for it. The Crucial T500 is another strong alternative that splits the difference, offering better sustained performance than the Legend 860 without the full Samsung price premium. The WD_BLACK SN7100 is worth a look too, especially if you find it on sale, since it tends to have stronger random performance.

The Kingston FURY Renegade G5 and Lexar Professional NM1090 PRO are both faster drives aimed at enthusiasts, but they're also more expensive. If you're building a budget gaming PC or just want a reliable PS5 storage upgrade without spending extra, the Legend 860 holds its own. It's not going to win benchmark shootouts against the 990 PRO, but it's also not trying to. It's a value play, and it does that well.

Pricing is all over the place depending on where you shop. In the US, you'll see this drive listed anywhere from $158 to $189, which is a $31 spread. Newegg has the best deal at the low end, so if you're buying in the US, that's where you want to look. In Canada, the spread is even wider, from CAD 215 to CAD 319, a CAD 104 gap. Memory Express has the best Canadian price. At the low end of those ranges, this drive is a genuinely good value. At the high end, you're getting into territory where the Samsung 990 PRO and Crucial T500 start to look tempting, and those drives are faster with better endurance.

The ADATA Legend 860 is a PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD that sits in the budget-to-midrange bracket, and for most people it's the sweet spot between price and performance. You're looking at 6,000 MB/s sequential reads and 5,000 MB/s writes, which is a big jump over PCIe 3.0 drives and more than enough for gaming, content creation, and everyday desktop use. It comes in a 1TB capacity here, uses TLC NAND, and skips the DRAM cache in favor of Host Memory Buffer (HMB) tech, which keeps costs down without tanking performance.

Is the ADATA Legend 860 good for gaming? Yeah, honestly. It's PS5 compatible, fits the M.2 2280 slot, and loads games fast enough that you won't be staring at loading screens wondering if your drive is the bottleneck. It's also backward compatible with PCIe 3.0, so if you're dropping this into an older board, you'll still see around 3,400 MB/s reads, which is nothing to sneeze at.

At 137 reviews and a 4.6-star average, buyers seem pretty happy with it. The drive lands in the 87th percentile for features and 77th for speed in our database, which means it punches above its price class. It's not the fastest Gen4 drive out there, but it's a solid, dependable option that won't make your wallet cry.

Skip the Legend 860 if you're a content creator doing heavy 4K or 8K video editing, running a database server, or doing anything that involves sustained large file writes. The DRAM-less design and average random performance will bottleneck those workloads. You'd be better off with the Samsung 990 PRO or Crucial T500, both of which have DRAM caches and better sustained write performance. Also skip it if you need more than 1TB of storage, since this particular model tops out at 1TB, though ADATA does offer larger capacities in the Legend 860 line.

Should you buy the ADATA Legend 860? If you're looking for a fast, reliable PCIe 4.0 SSD that won't break the bank, yes. It's a great fit for gaming builds, PS5 storage expansion, and everyday desktop use. The 6,000 MB/s reads are more than enough for anything you'll throw at it, and the included heatsink is a nice touch that some pricier drives skip.

But if you're doing heavy video editing, running a workstation, or just want the absolute fastest drive available, you should look elsewhere. The DRAM-less design and average random performance mean this drive will show its limits under sustained heavy workloads. For everyone else, the Legend 860 is a solid buy, especially if you catch it at the low end of its price range.