ADATA SSD

The ADATA Mars 980 Blade is a PCIe 5.0 speed demon at a price that undercuts the Samsung 9100 Pro by a wide margin. With 14,000 MB/s reads and 12,000 MB/s writes, it's in the top 3% of drives we've tested. The main concern is boot detection issues on some Z890 motherboards, so check compatibility before buying. At $380 from Best Buy, it's one of the best value Gen5 drives on the market right now.

Let's talk numbers. The Mars 980 Blade is rated for 14,000 MB/s sequential read and 12,000 MB/s sequential write. In our database, that puts it at the 97th percentile for speed, which is basically best-in-class territory. Random performance is even more impressive at the 98th percentile, with 2,000K random read IOPS and 1,650K random write IOPS. For real-world use, that means faster game loads, snappier file transfers, and less waiting when you're scrubbing through 4K video timelines.

But sustained performance matters more for heavy workloads than the headline numbers. The DRAM cache helps here, keeping write speeds from cratering when you're moving hundreds of gigabytes at once. The SMI SM2508 controller is also more power-efficient than earlier Gen5 controllers, which means less heat and less thermal throttling. That said, one verified reviewer found benchmark performance disappointing compared to expectations, and boot detection issues on a Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Master and MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi. That's a real concern we'll dig into later.

The Samsung 9100 Pro is the obvious competitor here. It's faster on paper in some metrics, has a longer warranty, and Samsung's reputation for reliability is basically unmatched. But you're paying a premium for that. The Mars 980 Blade gets you within spitting distance of the 9100 Pro's performance for significantly less money. If you're on a budget, the ADATA drive is the smarter buy.

The WD_BLACK SN850X and Kingston Fury Renegade are PCIe 4.0 drives, so they top out around 7,000 MB/s. That's half the speed of the Mars 980 Blade, but they're also cheaper and don't have the same motherboard compatibility concerns. If you're not doing heavy file transfers or you're on an older platform without PCIe 5.0, those drives are still excellent choices. The Crucial T710 is another Gen5 option worth considering, though it tends to run hotter and often requires a beefier heatsink. The Seagate FireCuda 530R is a solid Gen4 drive with a great warranty, but it can't touch the ADATA drive's raw speed.

Here's where the Mars 980 Blade gets really interesting. We're seeing it listed between $380 and $466 across three US listings. That's a spread of $86, which is enough to buy a decent 1TB SATA SSD or a nice dinner. Best Buy has the lowest price at $380, so if you're buying, that's where we'd start. Compared to the Samsung 9100 Pro, which typically runs $100 to $150 more for the same capacity, the ADATA drive is a genuine bargain.

But value isn't just about the sticker price. The 1480 TBW endurance rating is solid, and the DRAM cache means you're not sacrificing sustained performance to hit that lower price. The 3-year warranty is shorter than Samsung's 5-year coverage on the 9100 Pro, so you're trading some long-term peace of mind for upfront savings. For most people, that's a trade worth making. Just make sure your motherboard plays nice with it before you commit.

The ADATA Mars 980 Blade is one of those drives that makes you realize how far storage has come. We're talking 14,000 MB/s read and 12,000 MB/s write on a 2TB stick that costs less than a nice dinner for four. It's built on the SMI SM2508 controller with TLC NAND and a DRAM cache, which is the current sweet spot for PCIe 5.0 drives that don't require a heatsink the size of a small paperback. For gamers, creators, and anyone moving huge files around, this is a serious contender.

Who's this for? If you're building a new AMD or Intel platform with a PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot and you want top-tier speed without paying Samsung 9100 Pro money, this is your drive. It also works in a PS5, though you'll be capped at 6,500 MB/s there, which is fine because the PS5 can't use PCIe 5.0 speeds anyway. The 1480 TBW endurance rating is solid for a 2TB drive, and the 3-year warranty is about average for this class.

What makes this interesting is the value angle. In our database, this drive sits at the 98th percentile for random performance and 97th for speed. That's basically the top of the charts. But the price is where it gets spicy. We're seeing it listed between $380 and $466 across US retailers, which undercuts the Samsung 9100 Pro by a meaningful margin. The catch? Some users are reporting boot detection issues on certain motherboards. More on that below.

If you're running an Intel Z890 board, especially a Gigabyte or MSI model, you should probably look elsewhere until ADATA addresses the boot detection issues. The last thing you want is a drive that only shows up half the time when you power on your system. The Samsung 9100 Pro or Crucial T710 are safer bets on those platforms, though you'll pay more.

If you're on a PCIe 4.0 platform or you don't do heavy file transfers, this drive is also overkill. A WD_BLACK SN850X or Kingston Fury Renegade will give you 90% of the real-world performance for less money, and you won't have to worry about Gen5 compatibility quirks. And if you need a portable drive, this isn't it. The portable use case scored 22.5 out of 100 in our testing, which is one of the worst we've seen for that application.

If you're building a new system with a PCIe 5.0 slot and you want maximum speed without paying Samsung prices, the Mars 980 Blade is an easy recommendation. The performance numbers speak for themselves, and the value proposition is hard to beat. Just do a quick search to make sure your specific motherboard doesn't have known boot detection issues with this drive. The reports we've seen are on Z890 boards, so if you're on AMD's B850 or X870 platform, you're probably fine.

For PS5 owners, this drive is overkill but still a great choice. You'll be capped at 6,500 MB/s, but the drive runs cool and doesn't need a heatsink, which is a real plus in the PS5's tight M.2 bay. If you're on an older platform without PCIe 5.0, save your money and grab a good Gen4 drive like the SN850X instead. You won't notice the difference in day-to-day use.