Crucial P310 500GB PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280
The PCIe 4.0 x4 interface delivers up to 6,600 MB/s reads and 3,500 MB/s writes, making this 500GB M.2 2280 drive a fast upgrade for gaming handhelds like the ROG Ally X and Lenovo Legion Go. Its DRAM-less TLC design keeps power draw low, which helps preserve battery life in portable devices, and the included Acronis software simplifies cloning. Best for budget-conscious gamers or home users who need a quick, reliable Gen4 SSD for game storage and everyday tasks without paying a premium.
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Overzicht
The 30-Second Version
Fast sequential reads, terrible random writes, and a price that swings USD 36 depending on where you shop. Buy it cheap for a handheld or secondary slot, skip it for your main drive.
Pros & Cons
Pluspunten
- 6,600 MB/s sequential reads are genuinely quick for the price 95th
- TLC NAND instead of cheaper QLC 77th
- Works in handhelds like ROG Ally X and Legion Go 67th
- Acronis cloning software included
Minpunten
- Random write performance is near the bottom of our database
- 500GB fills up after a few AAA games
- DRAM-less design struggles under sustained loads
- 3-year warranty is shorter than premium drives
Wat eigenaren vinden
The Word on the Street
Hoe de mening van eigenaren in de loop van de tijd veranderde
ExclusiefOp basis van wanneer klanten hun reviews daadwerkelijk schreven - zo zie je of de eerste lof standhield.
- Q2 202588/100
Buyers praised the P310's speed and easy installation, but noted fit issues with motherboard heatsinks and NVMe panels, plus a missing M.2 screw. Temps were acceptable, and value was seen as fair.
- Fast performance, near advertised speeds, easy installation, and good value for the price.
- Fit issues with motherboard heatsinks and NVMe panels; some suggest buying the no-heatsink version.
- Missing M.2 screw in packaging; low TBW rating for a Gen4 drive.
- Temps idle 35-40C, under load 49-60C depending on heatsink; acceptable but worth noting.
- Q1 202595/100
Buyers in Q1 2025 praised the drive's honest advertised speeds, fast real-world performance, and easy installation. One noted the lack of DRAM info but had no issues.
- Performance matches advertised speeds; fast transfers and quicker game map loading.
- Easy installation in desktop and laptop; minimal effort required.
- Exceptional 5-year warranty and reliable operation without issues.
- Lack of clarity on DRAM inclusion; some wish for more transparency.
Gebaseerd op 9 gedateerde klantreviews, gegroepeerd per kalenderkwartaal. Analyse per periode is in het Engels.
De feiten
Performance
Sequential reads hit 6,600 MB/s, which lands in the upper quarter of drives we track. That's the number you'll feel during big file transfers and game loads. But the random write IOPS are a real weak spot, sitting in the bottom 10% of all drives in our database. For everyday booting and app launches it's fine, but heavy multitasking or sustained writes will show the DRAM-less design's limits. The TLC NAND helps, but it can't fully make up for the missing cache.
Specifications
Full Specifications
Drive
| Capacity | 500 |
| Form Factor | M.2 2280 |
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x4 |
| Protocol | NVMe |
| PCIe Generation | 4 |
| External | No |
Performance
| Sequential Read (MB/s) | 6600 |
| Sequential Write (MB/s) | 3500 |
| Random Read (IOPS) | 6600 |
| Random Write (IOPS) | 3500 |
Hardware
| NAND | TLC |
| DRAM Cache | No |
Reliability
| Warranty (years) | 3 |
Features
| Heatsink | No |
vs Competition
The Samsung 990 PRO and WD Black SN850X both crush this drive on random performance and endurance, but they cost significantly more. If you're building a gaming rig and want the best, those are the picks. The P310's real competition is other budget Gen4 drives. Against the Lexar NM1090 PRO, the Crucial holds its own on sequential reads but falls behind on random writes. For a handheld upgrade or secondary drive, the P310 makes sense. For a primary boot drive in a desktop, spend a bit more.
| Spec | Crucial P310 | Kingston FURY Renegade SFYRDK/4000G | Samsung 9100 PRO | Western Digital Black SN850X | Micron T710 CT4000T710SSD5 | SanDisk WD_BLACK SN8100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 500GB | 4TB | 4TB | 4TB | 4TB | 8TB |
| Form Factor | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 |
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x4 | PCIe 4.0 | PCIe 5.0 x4 | PCIe 4.0 x4 | PCIe 5.0 | PCIe 5.0 x4 |
| Seq Read | 6,600 MB/s | 7,300 MB/s | 14,800 MB/s | 7,300 MB/s | 14,500 MB/s | 14,900 MB/s |
| Nand Type | TLC | TLC | TLC | TLC | TLC | TLC |
| Dram Cache | false | true | true | true | false | true |
| Endurance | - | 4000 TBW | 2400 TBW | 2400 TBW | 2400 TBW | 4800 TBW |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
| Product | Speed | Random | Feature | Capacity | Endurance | Gebruikersoordeel | Affordability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crucial P310 | 77 | 6.6 | 53.6 | 26.7 | 42 | 95.3 | 67.1 |
| Kingston FURY Renegade SFYRDK/4000G Compare | 93.3 | 94.4 | 93.9 | 92.6 | 94 | 95.3 | 8.5 |
| Samsung 9100 PRO Compare | 99.2 | 99.8 | 99.7 | 92.6 | 86 | 99.6 | 5.1 |
| Western Digital Black SN850X Compare | 89 | 95.6 | 89.4 | 92.6 | 88.2 | 95.3 | 10.3 |
| Micron T710 CT4000T710SSD5 Compare | 99.1 | 99.2 | 89.4 | 92.6 | 86 | 77.3 | 11.3 |
| SanDisk WD_BLACK SN8100 Compare | 99.1 | 99.3 | 97.6 | 98.1 | 81 | 44.5 | 3.2 |
Prijs
Value & Pricing
Pricing is all over the place right now. We're seeing USD 134 to USD 170 across six US listings, which is a USD 36 spread for the exact same drive. At USD 134 it's a solid budget pick. At USD 170 you're getting into territory where better drives exist. Shop around before you buy, and don't pay the high end of that range.
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Overview
The Crucial P310 500GB is a budget Gen4 drive that punches above its weight class for the price. The headline number is 6,600 MB/s sequential read, which is genuinely fast for a drive in this tier. But the real story is what you're giving up: random write performance is basically at the bottom of the barrel, and 500GB fills up fast if you're installing modern games.
Common Questions
Q: Is this drive good for gaming?
For loading games, yes. The 6,600 MB/s sequential read speed means levels and open worlds load quickly. But don't expect it to handle background tasks or heavy multitasking well while gaming, the random write performance is rough.
Q: Will this work in my laptop?
If your laptop has a standard M.2 2280 slot with PCIe Gen4 support, yes. It's also backwards compatible with Gen3 slots, though you'll cap out around 3,500 MB/s. Check your laptop's spec sheet before buying.
Q: Is 500GB enough storage?
For a boot drive with a few apps, sure. For a game library, no. Modern AAA titles run 50-150GB each, so you'll fill this up after 3-5 games. If you're a gamer, look at the 1TB or 2TB version instead.
Who Should Skip This
If you're building a new desktop and this is your only drive, skip it. The random write performance will bottleneck you under real workloads, and 500GB is too small for a primary drive in 2025. Spend the extra cash on a WD Black SN850X or Samsung 990 PRO instead. If you need a cheap secondary drive for game storage or a handheld upgrade, this is fine.
Verdict
The Crucial P310 500GB is a decent budget Gen4 drive if you catch it at the low end of its price range and your workload is mostly sequential. But the abysmal random write performance and small capacity make it a tough sell as a primary drive in 2025. It's best as a secondary game storage drive or a handheld upgrade, not your main OS drive.
Usage Scores
- Algemeen51.1
- Budget85.2
- Gaming42.2
- Laptop56.5
- Console46.5
- Portable15.5
- Workstation43
