Is a Gen5 SSD worth €20–30 more than a Gen4 drive?

Gen5 drives can run noticeably hotter, especially during sustained transfers, so the specific SSD controller matters. The motherboard’s M.2 heatsink should be adequate for a normal Gen5 drive as long as you install it correctly and leave the thermal pad’s protective film removed. For heavy workloads, airflow around the M.2 area still helps.

For gaming, even a good Gen3 SSD is usually fast enough, so Gen4 already gives you plenty of performance. Unless you regularly move huge files or run demanding storage workloads, Gen5 probably won’t make a noticeable difference in boot times or game loading. The extra €20–30 isn’t unreasonable, but it’s not essential.

I’d consider Gen5 for that small a price difference if you want some extra headroom for future workloads. Just compare the actual models rather than buying based only on the interface—some Gen5 SSDs are much hotter than others, while a high-end Gen4 drive can offer better efficiency and value.

Before paying extra, check the drive’s sustained transfer behavior, warranty, and reliability reputation. Gen5 speeds mainly matter when transferring very large files or doing professional work; ordinary desktop use and gaming usually feel almost identical on Gen4. Also, be cautious with brands whose warranty support is known to be difficult.