Best 500GB PCIe 4.0 DRAM-less SSDs
There are 28 500GB PCIe 4.0 DRAM-less SSDs compared here. The fastest is the Biwin NV7400 at 7450 MB/s read. Sequential reads across the group span 4150–7450 MB/s at 500GB.
Why this configuration
A 500GB PCIe 4.0 DRAM-less SSD is the value-performance sweet spot. You keep Gen4's high sequential speed — the part game loading and everyday tasks actually use — while dropping the DRAM chip (HMB fills in) trims the price.
500GB is a sensible OS-plus-a-few-games size.
Usually chosen for: value-minded gamers and upgraders chasing NVMe speed at the lowest sensible cost.
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
The top 20 of 28 are listed. The full SSD catalogue filters on every spec.
Speeds on this page are the manufacturer's 500GB ratings where published (19 of 28 drives), not the family headline figure. Rated writes at 500GB run 4000–6900 MB/s.
| # | Model | Tier | Controller | Read MB/s (at 500GB) | TBW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biwin NV7400 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | Mid-range | Maxiotek MAP1602A | 7450* | — | Check price on Amazon |
| 2 | Acer Predator GM7 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | Mid-range | Maxio MAP1602 | 7400* | — | Check price on Amazon |
| 3 | AGI AI828 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 8TB | Mid-range | TenaFe TC2201 | 7400* | — | Check price on Amazon |
| 4 | KingSpec XG7000 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 8TB | Mid-range | Maxio MAP1602, Silicon Motion SM22 | 7400* | — | Check price on Amazon |
| 5 | KLEVV CRAS C925G 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | Mid-range | Maxio MAP1602 | 7400 | — | Check price on Amazon |
| 6 | Lexar NM790 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | Mid-range | Maxio MAP1602 | 7400* | — | Check price on Amazon |
| 7 | Patriot VP4300 Lite 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | Mid-range | Maxio MAP1602 | 7400 | — | Check price on Amazon |
| 8 | Netac NV7000-t 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | Mid-range | Maxio MAP1602 | 7300* | — | Check price on Amazon |
| 9 | Western Digital Black SN7100 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | Mid-range | SanDisk Polaris 3 | 7250 | — | Check price on Amazon |
| 10 | Crucial P310 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | Mid-range | Phison E27T | 7100 | — | Check price on Amazon |
| 11 | Western Digital Blue SN5100 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | Mid-range | Polaris 3 | 7100 | — | Check price on Amazon |
| 12 | Silicon Power US75 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | Mid-range | Maxio MAP1602 | 7000 | — | Check price on Amazon |
| 13 | Patriot P400 V4 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | Mid-range | Maxio MAP1602 | 6200 | — | Check price on Amazon |
| 14 | ADATA Legend 860 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | Value | RTS5772DL | 6000 | — | Check price on Amazon |
| 15 | Kingston NV3 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | Value | Silicon Motion SM2268XT2 | 6000 | — | Check price on Amazon |
| 16 | Western Digital Blue SN5000 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | Value | WD Polaris 3 | 5500 | — | Check price on Amazon |
| 17 | KLEVV CRAS C910 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | Value | Realtek RTS5772DL, InnoGrit IG5220 | 5200 | — | Check price on Amazon |
| 18 | Western Digital Black SN770 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | Value | SanDisk 20-82-10081-A1 (Polaris MP | 5150 | — | Check price on Amazon |
| 19 | Western Digital Black SN770M 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | Value | WD 20-82-10081 | 5150 | — | Check price on Amazon |
| 20 | Addlink S90 Lite 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | Value | Phison E21T | 5000* | — | Check price 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 4.0 x4 delivers roughly 7,000 MB/s, the current price-to-performance sweet spot for most builds.
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.
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.