Is a Gen 3 NVMe Still a Good Option for Gaming?
Asked by
PixelPioneer89
I'm considering purchasing a Lexar NM620 2TB Gen 3 NVMe as secondary storage for my gaming PC, which currently has a Kingston NV3 1TB Gen 4 as the primary drive. The Lexar is priced around $185, making it the cheapest 2TB NVMe available in my area. I have a motherboard with one PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot and one PCIe 4.0 M.2 slot, and expanding my storage has been on my mind for a while now. Given my gaming-focused usage, I'm curious if this Gen 3 NVMe is worthwhile or if I should wait for prices to drop, considering the financial hit it represents for me. Are there specific gaming scenarios where I'd need a Gen 4 drive? How significant is the loading time difference between Gen 3 and Gen 4?
Answers
For gaming, Gen 3, Gen 4, or even Gen 5 performance won't be very noticeable. Focus more on the type of NAND used; TLC drives generally perform better than QLC, but as a secondary drive, it shouldn't be a major concern.
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No worries about Gen 3 being an issue at all! You won't miss out on performance for gaming. Just know that if you’re frequently working with massive files for tasks like video editing, you might feel a difference then.
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Definitely a yes! Unless you’re into heavy video editing or often transferring huge files, the difference between Gen 3 and Gen 4 won't really matter for your average gaming experience.
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Yeah, Gen 3 NVMe drives are still more than enough for most uses, especially for gaming. You probably won't see a major difference in load times compared to Gen 4 or even decent SATA SSDs. If you're looking to save some cash in the long run, consider investing in some extra RAM instead of spending more on a faster drive.
SmartShopper42: That's encouraging! Do you think $185 is a fair price for that Lexar drive?
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For gaming and general use, a SATA SSD is even still a solid choice. When it comes to your Lexar NM620 with its 3500MB/s read speed, remember that gaming doesn’t typically rely on sequential speeds. The performance difference you'll notice in gaming won’t be affected much by whether it's a Gen 3 or Gen 4 drive.
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CuriousCat88: Glad to hear it's a TLC drive!