I'm upgrading an older PC with a Gigabyte GA-B150-HD3P, Intel i5-6500, 16GB of RAM, and a PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 slot running CachyOS/Linux. The board supports booting from NVMe, so I'm specifically looking for an NVMe drive rather than an M.2 SATA model.
I only need around 256GB, while 500–512GB would already be plenty. I originally preferred a drive with onboard DRAM, but I'm also open to a well-designed DRAM-less SSD with HMB if its controller and NAND combination has a good reputation for normal desktop workloads.
Some new drives available in Germany include the Samsung PM9C1 256GB for about €50, Fikwot FN501 Pro 256GB for €52, PNY CS1030 250GB for €62, Lexar NM620 256GB for €78, BIWIN Black Opal NV3500 512GB for €83, PNY CS1030 500GB for €85, and Lexar NM620 512GB for €89. DRAM-equipped options are much more expensive, and many are only available in 1TB capacities, such as the Acer Predator GM7000, Verbatim Vi7000G, WD Black SN850X, Kingston KC3000, and Samsung 990 PRO.
Older PCIe 3.0 models such as the Samsung 970 EVO Plus, 970 PRO, 950 PRO, or PM981 are also worth considering if they can be found at a sensible price. I'm willing to buy used, provided the seller can show recent SMART or CrystalDiskInfo information including health, power-on hours, and host writes.
What NVMe SSD would you recommend for this system, preferably a reliable 256GB or 500/512GB model that is reasonably priced and available in Germany or elsewhere in Europe?
3 Answers
Double-check the exact M.2 slot and firmware support before ordering. Some boards from that generation had M.2 slots wired only for SATA, and NVMe boot support was not universal. If your particular GA-B150-HD3P revision and BIOS support PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe, then the proposed drives should work, but it is worth confirming in the manual and checking that the system can boot from one.
Small NVMe drives with DRAM have become a difficult market. Many manufacturers have stopped making 256GB and 500GB models because the price difference and performance benefit are small, while remaining stock is often overpriced. A 970 EVO Plus can still be good, but new listings are mostly third-party stock at unreasonable prices, so it may not be worth chasing one.
That matches what I’ve been seeing. I’m no longer treating DRAM as mandatory, so a reputable DRAM-less drive with HMB is also on the table if the price and flash/controller combination make sense.
A used Samsung PM981 could be a reasonable compromise. It is an older OEM drive rather than a particularly fast modern model, but it has onboard DRAM and can sometimes be found at acceptable prices. For a used example, I’d only buy after seeing a recent SMART report, including remaining health, total host writes, power-on hours, and any recorded errors.
The PM981 is one of the more interesting used options I’ve found. Its age and OEM origin mean I’d want detailed SMART data first, but it could make more sense than paying a premium for an old retail drive.
In this case the board’s slot is specified as PCIe 3.0 x4 and NVMe boot is supported, but I’ll still verify the BIOS settings and boot behavior during installation.