I'm thinking about buying a refurbished 2280 SSD to use as a small portable external storage device. I'm torn between a PCIe Gen 3 SSD and a Gen 5 SSD. I've heard that for regular users, the speed difference isn't really noticeable, and that Gen 5 models tend to run hotter, which might not be ideal in a compact device. Still, I'm curious if going for the Gen 5 is worthwhile since it's more modern and might be useful down the line. What do you think?
3 Answers
You probably won't see much difference between a Gen 3 and Gen 5 SSD, especially when using it as an external drive. For most everyday tasks, Gen 3 is more than enough.
It really depends on the USB port you'll be using for the enclosure. Here’s a quick breakdown of USB speeds:
- USB 3.0: 500 to 600 MB/s
- USB 3.2 (Type C): about 1000 MB/s
- USB 3.2 Gen 2: around 2000 MB/s
- USB 4 (Thunderbolt 3/4): up to 4000 MB/s
- Thunderbolt 5: up to 8000 MB/s
NVMe SSDs can reach much higher speeds (up to 7,000 or even 14,000 MB/s for Gen 5) but you need to match the right port to utilize that bandwidth. If you’re just using everyday USB types, Gen 3 is likely all you need. However, if you plan to install the SSD into a motherboard later, getting the Gen 5 might make sense. Cheers!
Really appreciate this breakdown.
If you're often transferring large files, a Gen 5 might be worth it. Otherwise, Gen 3 should serve you just fine for typical use.
Thank you!
Thank you!