I was about to purchase a WD SN7100, which is a competitively priced 2TB SSD, when I came across a video by a popular tech reviewer warning against buying SSDs without DRAM. This specific model was mentioned in the video. I won't be using the SN7100 as my boot drive (I already have an SN850X for that), but I plan to use it for gaming and media storage. While I'm not overly concerned about extremely fast performance (considering I've been gaming on HDDs for the last 15 years), I do care about durability and reliability. So, is it really that bad to go for a DRAM-less SSD in my situation, or am I worrying unnecessarily?
5 Answers
If you can find a decent DRAM SSD, it's definitely worth considering for performance and longevity. But for most casual users, it's not a deal-breaker with DRAM-less models—especially with the current SSD prices being so high!
Honestly, the SN7100 is a solid choice. That video didn't really provide any benchmarks that show a significant performance drop for regular use. For gaming and storage, it's more than enough. Plus, with modern SSDs being so much faster than the older ones, you'll likely be fine without DRAM.
Yeah, it's hard to take tech YouTubers seriously sometimes. They tend to focus on the high-end stuff and might dismiss budget-friendly options that are totally fine.
Unless you're constantly transferring huge files, a DRAM-less drive should work just fine for gaming and media. Most users won't notice the difference. The key thing to watch out for is the NAND type—steer clear of QLC drives!
That's true! It really depends on what you're doing with it. If you don't have heavy workloads, a DRAM-less drive won't hold you back.
I think the concerns about DRAM are a bit overblown nowadays. For gaming, a DRAM-less SSD can still provide a good experience. Most people won't see any real-world impact unless they're doing something super intensive, so I wouldn't stress too much about it.
For a secondary drive, I'd say go for it. HMB support and TLC NAND really help with performance. Just don't expect it to be as fast as a DRAM SSD in heavy usage scenarios, but it's fine for regular gaming and media storage.
Exactly! A lot of new DRAM-less drives are getting better, and honestly, for regular use, they're pretty great.
Right?! There are plenty of good SSDs out there, but pricing is a big factor right now. Don't let the lack of DRAM scare you too much.