Crucial T705

The Crucial T705 4TB hits 14,100 MB/s reads and 12,600 MB/s writes, making it the fastest consumer SSD in our database. It's in the 96th percentile for speed and random performance, with a 4.5/5 user rating. The endurance rating is weak at the 14th percentile, but if raw speed is your priority, this is the drive to get.

Let's talk numbers. The T705 pushes 14,100 MB/s sequential reads and 12,600 MB/s writes. Random performance is just as wild: 1,500K read IOPS and 1,800K write IOPS. That's best-in-class territory, and it's backed by Micron's 232-layer TLC NAND paired with a DRAM cache. In practical terms, this drive loads games up to 15% faster than Gen4 drives with DirectStorage, and it chews through 8K video renders without breaking a sweat.

One thing we appreciate: Crucial didn't just crank the speed and ignore thermals. The aluminum and copper heatsink keeps the drive from thermal throttling under sustained load, assuming your case has decent airflow. No fans, no liquid cooling, just a well-designed chunk of metal. If you're on a Gen3 or Gen4 board, the drive is backward compatible, though you won't see these speeds until you upgrade to a PCIe 5.0 platform.

Against the Samsung 9100 PRO, the T705 holds its own on raw speed, with both drives pushing past 14,000 MB/s reads. The WD_BLACK SN850X and Kingston KC3000 are Gen4 drives that top out around 7,000 to 7,400 MB/s, so the T705 nearly doubles their throughput. The Seagate FireCuda 530R is another Gen4 option that can't touch these numbers. Where the T705 falls behind is endurance: several competitors offer higher TBW ratings, which matters if you're writing terabytes of data regularly. For pure speed, the T705 is the one to beat. For longevity, you might look elsewhere.

Pricing is a mixed bag. In the US, you're looking at $795 to $800 for the 4TB model, which works out to roughly $0.20 per GB. That's not cheap, but for a drive that doubles Gen4 speeds, it's not unreasonable either. The Canadian listing at CAD 1,437 is harder to judge without direct conversion, but the premium heatsink version does add cost over the bare drive. If you need 4TB of the fastest storage money can buy, the price per performance ratio is solid. If you're just gaming casually, you're paying a lot for speed you may never notice.

The Crucial T705 4TB is the fastest consumer SSD we've tested, full stop. Sequential reads hit 14,100 MB/s and writes land at 12,600 MB/s, which puts it in the 96th percentile for both speed and random performance in our database. That's roughly double what the best Gen4 drives manage, and it shows the moment you fire up anything that touches storage heavily. The 4TB capacity also sits in the 93rd percentile, so you're getting top-tier speed and serious space in one package.

But this drive isn't for everyone. The endurance rating lands in the 14th percentile, which is a real weak spot for a drive this expensive. And while the heatsink does its job well, a few owners have mentioned that removing it is a nerve-wracking experience. Still, with a 4.5/5 rating across 45 reviews and a 92/100 sentiment score, most buyers walk away thrilled.

If you're a heavy writer who moves terabytes of data daily, the T705's endurance rating in the 14th percentile should give you pause. This drive is built for speed, not longevity under constant write loads. Casual gamers on Gen4 boards won't see much benefit either, since you'd need a PCIe 5.0 platform to unlock these speeds. And if you plan to swap the heatsink for a custom one, the difficult removal process might make you reconsider. For those users, a Gen4 drive with better endurance and a lower price makes more sense.

The Crucial T705 4TB is the drive to buy if you want the absolute fastest storage available right now. The 14,100 MB/s reads and 12,600 MB/s writes are best-in-class, and the 4TB capacity means you won't run out of room anytime soon. User sentiment is overwhelmingly positive at 92/100, with owners praising the speed, easy installation, and effective cooling. The endurance rating is the one real concern, and the heatsink removal process could be smoother. But for enthusiasts and professionals who need top-tier performance, this drive delivers.