Best 500GB PCIe 3.0 ADATA DRAM-less SSDs
There are 6 500GB PCIe 3.0 ADATA DRAM-less SSDs compared here. The fastest is the ADATA FALCON at 3100 MB/s read, and the highest-rated for endurance is the ADATA XPG GAMMIX S5 (1200 TBW). Sequential reads across the group span 1800–3100 MB/s at 500GB.
Why this configuration
A 500GB PCIe 3.0 ADATA DRAM-less 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. ADATA specifically tends to be chosen here for its firmware track record and warranty support.
500GB is a sensible OS-plus-a-few-games size.
Usually chosen for: budget builders, laptop upgraders and anyone leaving SATA behind.
Good fit: value builds and gaming where cost per gigabyte matters.
Look elsewhere for: databases, virtual machines and other sustained random-write workloads.
Ranked list
Speeds on this page are the manufacturer's 500GB ratings where published (2 of 6 drives), not the family headline figure. Rated writes at 500GB run 1400–1800 MB/s.
| # | Model | Tier | Controller | Read MB/s (at 500GB) | TBW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  ADATA FALCON 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | Mid-range | Realtek RTS5762DL (Dual Core, 8-Ch | 3100* | 1200 | Find on Amazon |
| 2 |  ADATA XPG SX6000 PRO 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | Value | Realtek’s RTS5763DL | 2100* | 600 | Find on Amazon |
| 3 |  ADATA XPG GAMMIX S5 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | Value | Realtek’s RTS5763DL | 2100* | 1200 | Find on Amazon |
| 4 |  ADATA XPG SX6000 Lite 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | Value | Realtek’s RTS5763DL | 1800* | 480 | Find on Amazon |
| 5 |  ADATA SWORDFISH 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | Value | Realtek RTS5763DL (Dual Core, 8-Ch | 1800 | 960 | Find on Amazon |
| 6 |  ADATA XPG SPECTRIX S20G 500GB, 1TB | — | — | 2500 | 600 | Find on Amazon |
* family rating — the manufacturer does not publish a 500GB figure for this drive.
The parts, explained
500GB is a comfortable OS-and-games starting point.
PCIe 3.0 x4 reaches about 3,500 MB/s — plenty for everyday use and gaming, and cheaper than Gen4.
DRAM-less drives use the Host Memory Buffer (HMB) instead — cheaper, and fine for everyday use and gaming, with a small penalty under heavy random writes.
Staying with ADATA means consistent firmware, tooling and warranty handling across the range.
Common questions
Is a DRAM-less 500GB SSD good enough?
For gaming and everyday use, yes — HMB covers those workloads well. If you run sustained heavy random writes (databases, VMs), a drive with a DRAM cache stays more consistent.