DATO DP330 1TB PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2230

The DATO DP330 is a 1TB M.2 2230 PCIe 3.0 drive with average speed and a solid 5-year warranty. It's fine for handhelds and compact laptops, but the $174+ price tag is too high for what you get. Wait for a sale or look elsewhere.

The DP330 hits its advertised numbers in our testing, landing right at the 50th percentile for speed. That means it's about average for a PCIe 3.0 drive. The 2500 MB/s read speed is plenty snappy for booting an OS or loading games, but the 1700 MB/s write speed is where you'll feel the ceiling if you're moving large files around. The endurance rating is also middle of the pack, so this isn't a drive we'd recommend for heavy write workloads. For a handheld or a secondary laptop drive, it's perfectly adequate. Just don't expect it to keep up with Gen4 drives like the WD_BLACK SN7100.

Stacked against the competition, the DP330 is outclassed. The Samsung 9100 PRO, WD_BLACK WDS800T2XHE, Kingston FURY Renegade, Crucial T710, and SanDisk WD_BLACK SN8100 are all Gen4 or Gen5 drives with dramatically higher speeds. The catch is that most of those are 2280 drives, not 2230. If your device requires the smaller form factor, your options shrink fast. The DP330's real competition is other 2230 drives, and in that space, it's a middle-of-the-road performer. The WD_BLACK SN8100 is the one to beat if you can fit a 2280 drive, but for 2230-only devices, the DP330 is a serviceable, if overpriced, choice.

Pricing is a bit odd here. The US listings show $174 to $186, which is way too much for a 1TB PCIe 3.0 drive. You can get faster Gen4 2230 drives for less money. The 5-year warranty helps, but it doesn't justify the price tag. If you can find this drive on sale for under $100, it becomes a much more interesting budget option. At its current listed price, it's a tough sell.

The DATO DP330 is a 1TB M.2 2230 NVMe drive aimed at handhelds, mini PCs, and laptops that need the smaller form factor. It's a PCIe 3.0 drive, so don't expect Gen4 or Gen5 speeds. You get 2500 MB/s reads and 1700 MB/s writes, which is fine for most everyday tasks and game loading on something like a Steam Deck.

DATO isn't a household name, but the 5-year warranty is a nice safety net. The drive sits right around the middle of the pack in our database for speed and endurance. It's not going to blow anyone away, but it's a practical option if you need a 2230 drive and don't want to pay a premium for a bigger brand.

Skip this if you need serious write performance or you're building a high-end desktop. The 1700 MB/s write speed will bottleneck large file transfers, and the feature set is bare bones. If you can fit a 2280 drive, get a Gen4 option like the WD_BLACK SN7100 instead. You'll get way more speed for your money.

The DATO DP330 is a fine drive for the right use case. If you have a Steam Deck, Surface, or mini PC that needs a 2230 drive and you find this on sale, it'll do the job. The 5-year warranty is reassuring, and the low power draw is a genuine plus for handhelds. But at its current asking price, it's hard to recommend over faster alternatives. This is a drive for people who need the form factor and don't want to hunt for a deal.