Crucial SSD PCIe 5.0 x4 NVMe M.2

The Crucial T705 is the fastest Gen5 SSD we've tested, with 13,600 MB/s reads and best-in-class random performance. It runs hot and costs more than Gen4 drives, but if you want top-tier speed, this is it. Worth buying if your system can actually use it.

This thing is a monster. The 13,600 MB/s read speed is the absolute best we've seen, and the 10,200 MB/s write speed isn't far behind. Random IOPS are equally ridiculous at 1,400K read and 1,750K write, which means everything from boot times to game loads to scrubbing through 8K footage feels instant. The 600 TBW endurance rating is well above average for a 1TB drive, so you won't wear it out anytime soon. The only real catch is heat. Gen5 drives run hot, and while the aluminum and copper heatsink does its job, you'll want decent airflow in your case. No noisy fans needed, just don't stuff this in a sealed shoebox.

Against the Samsung 990 PRO and WD Black SN850X, the T705 wins on pure speed. Those are Gen4 drives topping out around 7,000 MB/s, so the T705 nearly doubles them in sequential reads. The Lexar NM1090 PRO is the closest Gen5 competitor, but the T705 still edges it out in our rankings. The Kingston Fury Renegade and Team Group MP44 are solid Gen4 options that cost less, but they can't touch the T705's throughput. The trade-off is heat and price. The 990 PRO and SN850X run cooler and cost less, so if you're on a laptop or a cramped ITX build, those might be smarter picks.

Pricing is all over the place right now. In the US, you're looking at anywhere from USD 250 to USD 335 depending on the store, and that USD 85 spread is worth paying attention to. Newegg currently has the best deal at the low end. In Europe, the gap is EUR 43, ranging from EUR 272 to EUR 315. It's not cheap, and the affordability score sits in the bottom 40% of drives we track. But you're paying for the fastest Gen5 drive on the market, and if you actually need that speed, the premium makes sense. If you're just gaming casually, a Gen4 drive gets you 80% of the experience for a lot less cash.

The Crucial T705 is a Gen5 NVMe drive that absolutely rips. We're talking 13,600 MB/s sequential reads and 10,200 MB/s writes, which puts it at the very top of our database for raw speed. This is the drive you buy when you want the fastest thing that'll fit in your motherboard's M.2 slot.

It's not just about big sequential numbers either. Random performance is best-in-class too, with 1,400K read IOPS and 1,750K write IOPS. The TLC NAND and DRAM cache keep things snappy under real workloads, and the included heatsink means you don't have to hunt down a third-party cooler.

Skip this if you're on a Gen4 or Gen3 platform and don't plan to upgrade soon. You'll pay a premium for speed you can't actually use. Also skip it if you're building a fanless or ultra-compact system with poor airflow, because this drive needs some breathing room. And if you're just looking for a budget boot drive, a solid Gen4 option like the SN850X or 990 PRO will save you real money without feeling slow.

Buy this if you have a Gen5-capable motherboard and you want the fastest storage money can buy right now. It's ideal for content creators working with huge files, AI workloads, or anyone who just hates waiting for anything. Gamers with DirectStorage titles will see faster loads too. If you're on a Gen4 system, you can still use it, but you'll be leaving a lot of performance on the table and paying a premium for it.