Best 250GB PCIe 3.0 MLC DRAM SSDs
There are 11 250GB PCIe 3.0 MLC DRAM SSDs compared here. The fastest is the ADATA SX9000 at 2800 MB/s read. Sequential reads across the group span 1900–2800 MB/s at 250GB.
Why this configuration
A 250GB PCIe 3.0 MLC DRAM SSD is an affordable NVMe step up from SATA. Gen3 is roughly six times SATA's throughput yet often costs little more, making it the easy default for a first NVMe drive or a laptop that only supports Gen3.
250GB covers an OS and core apps with little room for a large game library.
Usually chosen for: budget builders, laptop upgraders and anyone leaving SATA behind.
Good fit: workstation and creative loads that hammer random I/O.
Ranked list
| # | Model | Tier | Controller | Read MB/s (at 250GB) | TBW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Plextor M8PeY 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | High-end | Marvell 88SS1093 | 2500* | 768 | Find on Amazon |
| 2 |  Plextor M8PeG 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | High-end | Marvell 88SS1093 | 2500* | 768 | Find on Amazon |
| 3 |  Samsung 950 PRO 250GB, 500GB | Mid-range | Samsung UBX | 2500* | 400 | Check price on Amazon |
| 4 |  Kingston KC1000 250GB, 500GB, 960GB | Mid-range | Phison PS5007-E7 | 2700* | 1000 | Find on Amazon |
| 5 |  OCZ RD400 128GB, 250GB, 500GB | Mid-range | TOSHIBA TC56NCP070GSB (POSSIVELMEN | 2600* | 296 | Find on Amazon |
| 6 |  OCZ RD400 AIC 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | Mid-range | TOSHIBA TC56NCP070GSB (POSSIVELMEN | 2600* | 592 | Find on Amazon |
| 7 |  Plextor M8PeGN 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | Mid-range | Marvell 88SS1093 | 2500* | 768 | Find on Amazon |
| 8 |  Apacer Z280 128GB, 250GB, 500GB | Value | Phison PS5007-E7 | 2750* | 698 | Find on Amazon |
| 9 |  Patriot HELLFIRE 250GB, 500GB | Value | Phison PS5007-E7 | 2550* | 230 | Find on Amazon |
| 10 |  ADATA SX9000 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | — | Marvell 88SS1093 | 2800* | 1000 | Find on Amazon |
| 11 |  ADATA XPG SX8000 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | — | Silicon Motion SM2260 (Dual ARM Co | 1900* | 640 | Find on Amazon |
* family rating — the manufacturer does not publish a 250GB figure for this drive.
The parts, explained
250GB fits an OS plus core apps.
PCIe 3.0 x4 reaches about 3,500 MB/s — plenty for everyday use and gaming, and cheaper than Gen4.
MLC NAND is older and costs more per gigabyte, but is very durable.
An onboard DRAM cache keeps the flash mapping table on the drive, holding random performance steady under sustained load.