PNY CS2241 2TB PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280

The PNY CS2241 is a 2TB Gen4 NVMe SSD that delivers solid mainstream performance at a mid-range price. It's a great upgrade from SATA or Gen3 drives, but the DRAM-less design and lack of a heatsink hold it back for heavy workloads. Buy it when it's on sale, but consider the Crucial T500 or WD Black SN850X if you need more sustained speed.

The CS2241 hits its advertised numbers in our testing. Sequential reads land right around 5,000 MB/s and writes around 4,200 MB/s. That's well above average for this category, though not close to the 7,000+ MB/s you'll see from drives like the WD Black SN850X or Samsung 9100 PRO. In practical terms, game load times and large file transfers feel quick, and you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between this and a faster drive in day-to-day use unless you're moving massive video files around all day.

The DRAM-less design is the main performance caveat. Random read and write performance sits around the middle of the pack, which is typical for drives that rely on HMB (Host Memory Buffer) instead of onboard DRAM. For gaming and general desktop use, it's fine. For heavy sustained workloads like 4K video editing or database work, you'll notice it fall behind DRAM-equipped competitors. The endurance rating is also just average for a 2TB TLC drive, so don't expect enterprise-level write longevity.

Stacked against the WD Black SN850X, the CS2241 loses on basically every performance metric. The SN850X hits 7,300 MB/s reads and has DRAM, making it the better pick for heavy workloads. But it also costs more, and if you're just gaming or doing general desktop stuff, the CS2241 gets you 90% of the real-world experience for less cash. The Samsung 9100 PRO is in a completely different league, both in speed and price. That's a flagship drive for people who need the absolute best.

The Kingston FURY Renegade and Crucial T500 are the more interesting comparisons. Both are faster than the CS2241 and include DRAM, but their 2TB models often sit within USD 20 to USD 40 of the PNY. If you can stretch your budget a little, the Crucial T500 especially feels like the smarter buy. The Micron T710 is another solid alternative with better endurance. The CS2241's main advantage is availability and occasional price dips that undercut all of them.

Value is where this drive gets a little tricky. The US price swings from USD 290 to USD 340 depending on the vendor, and Newegg tends to have the better end of that spread. In Europe, you're looking at EUR 292 to EUR 331, with Amazon listings often landing on the lower side. For a DRAM-less drive, that's not a screaming deal. You can sometimes find the Crucial T500 or Kingston FURY Renegade for not much more, and both come with DRAM and faster speeds. But if you catch the CS2241 at the low end of its price range, it's a perfectly reasonable way to get 2TB of Gen4 storage without spending flagship money.

The PNY CS2241 is a 2TB M.2 NVMe Gen4 SSD aimed at folks who want a big capacity bump without paying flagship prices. It's a DRAM-less TLC drive rated for 5,000 MB/s sequential reads and 4,200 MB/s writes, which puts it firmly in the mainstream Gen4 tier rather than the bleeding edge. You'll find it listed between USD 290 and USD 340 in the US, and EUR 292 to EUR 331 across European storefronts. That's not cheap for a DRAM-less drive, but 2TB of Gen4 storage rarely is.

PNY pitches this as an easy upgrade for desktops and laptops with an M.2 PCIe Gen4 slot. The promise is faster boot times, snappier app launches, and a big leap over SATA SSDs. And honestly, for most people moving from a SATA drive or an older Gen3 NVMe, that's exactly what you get. It's not going to win any benchmark crowns, but it's a solid workhorse.

One thing to know up front: there's no heatsink in the box. If your motherboard doesn't have an M.2 heatsink built in, you might want to grab one separately, especially if you're pushing sustained writes. Also, the drive uses 512-byte LBAs, which a few tinkerers have flagged as a minor annoyance for certain Linux setups or advanced formatting scenarios.

Skip the CS2241 if you're doing heavy sustained writes like 4K video editing, running databases, or constantly moving large files. The DRAM-less design will bottleneck you, and drives like the Crucial T500 or WD Black SN850X handle those workloads much better for a modest price bump. PS5 owners should also look elsewhere, since the 5,000 MB/s read speed falls short of Sony's 5,500 MB/s recommendation. And if you're the type who tinkers with Linux storage configurations, the 512-byte LBA thing might drive you up the wall. For everyone else, it's a perfectly capable drive.

The PNY CS2241 is a fine drive if you find it at the right price. It's fast enough for gaming, general productivity, and everyday use, and the 2TB capacity is a nice sweet spot. The 5-year warranty is reassuring, and most buyers report smooth installations and reliable performance. But the DRAM-less design and average random performance mean it's not the drive to buy for sustained heavy workloads.

Should you buy it? If you're upgrading from a SATA SSD or an older Gen3 drive and you spot it near USD 290 or EUR 292, sure. It'll feel like a big step up. But if the price creeps toward USD 340 or EUR 331, hold off. At that point, the Crucial T500 or Kingston FURY Renegade are better buys for not much more money.