PNY CS2241 1TB PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280

The PNY CS2241 delivers 5,100 MB/s reads and 3,200 MB/s writes, landing at the 70th percentile for speed. Owners rate it 4.7 out of 5 stars across 358 reviews, with sentiment at 88/100. It's not the fastest Gen4 drive, but at USD 137 it's a solid value that runs cool and installs easily.

The CS2241 is a Gen4 drive that behaves more like a really good Gen3 drive. The 5,100 MB/s read speed is solid but nowhere near the 7,000+ MB/s you'll see from top-tier Gen4 options like the Samsung 9100 PRO or Crucial T500. The 3,200 MB/s write speed is where it really shows its mainstream positioning. That's fine for everyday tasks, game loads, and file transfers, but if you're moving massive video files around all day, you'll notice the gap.

Random performance sits at the 62nd percentile, which translates to about average for this class. Nothing embarrassing, nothing exciting. The drive runs cool according to multiple owners, which is a nice bonus for laptop installs where thermal headroom is tight. For a budget-focused Gen4 drive, the numbers are honest and predictable.

Against the Samsung 9100 PRO and Crucial T500, the CS2241 gets smoked on raw speed. Those drives push well past 7,000 MB/s reads and have endurance ratings that embarrass the PNY's 42nd percentile showing. The Western Digital SN7100 and Kingston FURY Renegade G5 also outpace it comfortably. But here's the thing: the CS2241 costs significantly less at its best price, and most people won't feel the difference between 5,100 MB/s and 7,000 MB/s in daily use. The Lexar NM1090 PRO is another step up in performance but also in price. If you're building a budget system or upgrading an older laptop, the PNY makes a strong case. If you're chasing benchmark numbers, look elsewhere.

Pricing on this drive is all over the place. We're seeing USD 137 to USD 250 across three US listings, which is a USD 113 spread. At USD 137, this is a genuinely good deal for a 1TB Gen4 drive with a 4.7-star track record. At USD 250, you're dangerously close to territory where much faster drives live. The affordability score lands at the 57th percentile, so it's not the cheapest option out there, but the included upgrade kit with the transfer adapter and Acronis software adds real convenience value if you're migrating from an older drive. Shop around before you buy, the price difference between vendors is significant.

The PNY CS2241 hits 5,100 MB/s sequential reads and 3,200 MB/s writes, which puts it in the 70th percentile for speed in our database. That's not going to set any records, but it's a massive jump from any SATA drive and plenty for most people. The 1TB capacity lands right around average at the 55th percentile, and the TLC NAND gives it decent endurance for the price.

What really stands out here is the user sentiment. Owners rate it 4.7 out of 5 stars across 358 reviews, and our sentiment analysis puts it at 88/100. People genuinely like this drive. The social proof is strong too, sitting at the 87th percentile. It's not the flashiest SSD on the shelf, but it's one that buyers seem consistently happy with.

If you're doing heavy video editing, large file transfers, or anything that hammers sustained writes, the 3,200 MB/s write speed and 42nd percentile endurance will frustrate you. Content creators and professionals should look at the Crucial T500 or Samsung 9100 PRO instead. Also skip this if you care about firmware updates, PNY doesn't offer them for this drive and that's a recurring owner complaint. And if you see it priced at USD 250, walk away. At that price you're paying premium money for mid-tier performance.

The PNY CS2241 is a budget Gen4 drive that nails the basics. It's not the fastest, it's not the most durable, and the lack of firmware support is a legitimate annoyance. But 358 owners give it 4.7 stars, and our sentiment analysis backs that up at 88/100. People install it, it works, their systems feel faster, and they move on with their lives. At USD 137, that's a compelling pitch. At USD 250, it's a harder sell. Find it at the low end and you've got a reliable, cool-running 1TB drive that does exactly what it promises.