Patriot SSD

The Patriot VP4300 Mini is a 2TB M.2 2230 drive built for handhelds like the Steam Deck and ROG Ally. Speeds are solid at 5,000 MB/s reads, but endurance is average and there are zero customer reviews. Worth considering if you need 2TB in a 2230 form factor, otherwise look elsewhere.

Sequential reads hit 5,000 MB/s and writes land at 3,500 MB/s, which puts it in the middle of the pack for PCIe 4.0 drives overall but is genuinely impressive for a 2230 stick. Random performance sits at the 59th percentile, so it's fine for game loads and everyday tasks but won't blow anyone away. The endurance story is less exciting: 250 TBW is dead average, and the 3-year warranty doesn't exactly scream confidence. For a handheld gaming drive, the speeds are more than enough. For a workstation drive, you'd want more staying power.

Against the Samsung 990 Pro and WD Black SN850X, the VP4300 Mini gives up a lot of raw speed and endurance. Those full-size drives hit 7,000+ MB/s reads and carry 600 TBW or more. But they also won't fit in a Steam Deck, so the comparison is a bit unfair. The Micron T710 and Crucial T710 are closer in spirit, but they're also full-size M.2 2280 drives. If you need 2230 specifically, the Patriot is one of very few 2TB options. If you don't, buy the SN850X and don't look back.

Pricing is all over the map. In the US you'll see it listed anywhere from USD 280 to USD 437 across three listings, and the best deal we found is at Newegg. In Europe the spread is even wider, EUR 399 to EUR 660 across four listings. That's a huge gap for the same drive. At the low end, this is a reasonable buy for a 2TB 2230. At the high end, you're paying full-size 4TB money for a mini drive with average endurance. Shop around before you commit.

The Patriot VP4300 Mini is a 2TB M.2 2230 drive aimed squarely at handheld gamers and thin laptops. It's one of the few drives this size that actually hits 2TB, which is a big deal if you're tired of juggling microSD cards on a Steam Deck or ROG Ally. The 5,000 MB/s read and 3,500 MB/s write speeds are solid for a 2230 form factor, though not earth-shattering by full-size PCIe 4.0 standards.

But here's the thing: this drive has some rough edges. The endurance rating of 250 TBW is just average, the feature set is thin, and there's basically zero social proof out there. No reviews, no ratings, nothing. You're buying on specs and hope.

Skip this if you're building a desktop or upgrading a full-size laptop. The 2230 form factor limits cooling and endurance, and you'll pay a premium for the mini size. If you need a workhorse drive for video editing or heavy writes, get a full-size M.2 2280 with a 5-year warranty and higher TBW. Also skip it if you like buying products with actual customer reviews, because this one has none.

This drive is for handheld gamers who need maximum storage in a tiny package. If you've got a Steam Deck or ROG Ally and you're sick of deleting games, the 2TB capacity alone makes this worth a look. Everyone else should probably pass. The endurance is average, the warranty is short, and there's no track record to lean on. It's a niche product that nails the niche but doesn't do much beyond it.