I'm choosing between a Kingston NV3 1TB for €159 and a WD_BLACK SN7100 1TB for €189. The SN7100 is the faster, higher-end TLC drive, but my current laptop only supports PCIe Gen 3, so both SSDs would run at roughly the same interface speed. I mainly want to install and play games from the drive.
I'm considering the SN7100 because I could move it into a future laptop that supports Gen 4, where its speed would matter more. I also expect to keep the drive for a long time and may fill much of its 1TB capacity. However, I doubt I'll ever approach the Kingston's 320TBW rating, much less the SN7100's 600TBW rating.
For this use case, is the TLC SN7100 worth the extra €30, or would the two drives perform and last similarly because I won't be doing heavy write workloads?
3 Answers
A QLC drive is generally fine for a game library. The main concern is sustained writing, such as repeatedly transferring huge amounts of data, rather than loading games or playing them. TLC would make more sense for an operating-system or work drive with heavier everyday writes, but the practical difference for a secondary gaming SSD should be small.
It may be worth checking other locally available options before deciding. For example, a discounted Biwin Black Opal NV7400 or Patriot P400 Lite could offer better value, depending on pricing and retailer reliability. Also confirm that the Legion 5 has the correct M.2 2280 slot rather than a shorter 2230 slot.
It is a Lenovo Legion 5, and the other suitable drives available from local Slovak retailers are either more expensive or unavailable. I’ll still verify the exact slot size before ordering.
For a Gen 3 laptop, there isn’t much benefit to buying a fast Gen 4 SSD right now because the interface will limit both drives. The write-endurance concern is also probably much bigger than it needs to be. A 320TBW rating would require extremely heavy daily writes over many years, which normal gaming use is unlikely to approach.
TLC can still have advantages: it generally maintains performance better when the drive is nearly full and during long, sustained writes. If you leave some free space on the Kingston, you probably won’t notice a meaningful difference for storing and playing games. Choose the SN7100 if the extra cost is worthwhile for future-proofing and peace of mind, not because the Kingston is likely to wear out.
The usual advice to use TLC for the operating system is often repeated without much explanation. For ordinary desktop use, the important factors are more likely to be capacity, price, controller behavior, and how full the drive is than a simple OS-versus-games distinction.