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Best Budget PCIe 4.0 SSD?
Review Summary
The XPG Gammix S50 Lite is a budget-friendly M.2 NVMe PCIe4x4 SSD offering decent performance and reliability. It’s aimed at users seeking a fair balance between PCIe 4.0 performance and affordability.
Hours Tested: 6
Overall
-
Quality - 8/10
8/10
-
Performance - 7.5/10
7.5/10
-
Features - 7.5/10
7.5/10
-
Value - 8/10
8/10
Pros
- Affordable PCIe 4.0 SSD.
- Sleek Design.
- Reliability Features.
- Software Toolbox.
- Good MTBF and TBW Ratings.
Cons
- Mediocre Transfer Rates.
- Not for Ultra-High Transfer Rates.
- Dual-Sided PCB Challenge.
ADATA has launched and we are writing on the XPG Gammix S50 Lite. These drives are available in only two densities, 1TB and 2TB. These drives have mediocre transfer rates as compared to the other M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 drives having higher transfer rates. The idea behind the S50 Lite is to give the user a fair play on the PCIe 4.0 interface without breaking wallet and ADATA has exactly achieved this.
We will be looking at 1TB variant today.
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Key Takeaways
- The XPG GAMMIX S50 Lite is a budget-friendly M.2 NVMe PCIe4x4 SSD offering good performance, sleek design, and a range of features like SLC caching and LDPC coding for data security.
- You should get the XPG Gammix S50 Lite if you’re seeking an affordable PCIe 4.0 SSD with decent speed for gaming and related tasks, along with reliability features like TRIMM DEVSLP, Garbage Collection, and Wear Leveling.
- You should avoid this SSD if you require ultra-high transfer rates or demand top-tier performance, as the XPG GAMMIX S50 Lite, with its 4-channel controller, might not match the speeds of higher-end PCIe 4.0 SSDs like the GAMMIX S70 series.
Check out the drive’s specifications before we start.
| Capacity | 1TB |
| Form Factor | M.2 2280 |
| NAND Flash | 3D NAND |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 80 x 22 x 4.3mm / 3.15 x 0.87 x 0.17inch (with heatsink), 80 x 22 x 3.3mm / 3.15 x 0.87 x 0.12inch (without heatsink) |
| Interface | PCIe Gen4x4 |
| Sequential Read (Max*) | Up to 3900MB/s |
| Sequential Write (Max*) | Up to 3200MB/s |
| 4KB Random Read IOPS(Max*) | Up to 490K |
| 4KB Random Write IOPS(Max*) | Up to 540K |
| Operating Temperature | 0°C – 70°C |
| Storage Temperature | -40°C – 85°C |
| Shock Resistance | 1500G / 0.5ms |
| MTBF | 2,000,000 hours |
| Terabytes Written (TBW)(Max Capacity*) | 1480TB |
| Warranty | 5 Years |
XPG Gammix S50 Lite is equipped with Intelligent SLC Caching and DRAM Cache Buffer functions to accelerate the read/write performance. To ensure data integrity and the safety of data transmission, the GAMMIX S50 Lite features LDPC ECC. We will be looking at the 1TB variant today. These drives have a sleek heatsink with a pre-installed thermal pad.
Packaging and Unboxing
The drive is shipped in a paperboard packing box.
Closer Look
The XPG GAMMIX S50 Lite 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4×4 SSD has a M.2 form factor of 2280. It is an M Key type SSD compatible with the majority of the M.2 slots on the modern motherboards.
The dimension of the SSD is 80x22x4.3mm (LxWxH). We have an XPG branded sleek aluminum cover on the top, which is rested on the components using a thermal pad. Interestingly enough, these SSDs have components on both sides of the PCB which makes a cooling task a bit challenging. There is white color stenciling or lining on the heat sink. We have a black color PCB.
There is a large white sticker on the back. It has the part number and serial number of the drive printed. The drive is rated to draw 3.3V. There is an XPG branding on the top of the sticker. Removing this sticker would void the warranty. The power consumption is 0.33W Active (Typical) and 0.14W Slumber (Typical).
This is effectively a DUAL sided PCB where components are used on both sides of the PCB. It seems like the same PCB is being used for all the densities of the SSDs in this line up.
We removed the heatsink from the top of the SSD. The thermal pad’s removal was a bit painful experience. You can see the residue of the pad in the picture. We have two NAND Flash chips along with the DRAM chip and the controller. The XPG S50 Lite 1TB is using SK Hynix 8GB DDR4 memory chip rated at 2133Mhz for caching purpose.
Surprisingly, XPG has used Silicon Motion’s SM2267 controller on the XPG S50 Lite 1TB. This is a 4-channel controller. Usually on high-end SSDs, you will find 8-channel controller from Phison or Samsung. Combining with the SLC caching would improve the writing speed.
We removed the sticker from the SSD (Voiding its warranty). Two more NAND flash chips are on this side. We mentioned above that this SSD is dual-sided one meaning it has components on both sides.
The closeup image on the right shows the close up of the NAND Flash chip. We have a total of 4x these chips making up a total of 1TB. Each comes to 250GB size approximately. ADATA is using their own branding on these chips but these are Micron’s 3D TLC NAND particles.
ADATA SSD ToolBox
XPG has provided comprehensive software to control the various aspects of the GAMMIX S50 Lite. It is called Toolbox and can be downloaded from their website. Let’s go through the software.
Use the Security Erase function at your own discretion. If going this route, you may have to hot unplug and replug the drive if it goes in the Freeze state. Also, it will prompt for the password which can be found in the User Manual of the Toolbox. The User Manual can be downloaded from the link given in the System Information.
Performance
The following configuration was used for the PCIe 4.0 testing:
- AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
- X570 AORUS PRO WIFI
- Corsair Vengeance RED LED 16GB @ 2667MHz DDR4
- Noctua NH-U12A
- HyperX 120GB SSD [OS Drive]
- Colorful iGame GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4G [For Display]
- Cooler Master MWE650W Gold PSU
The following configuration was used for the PCIe 3.0 testing:
- Intel i7 10700k
- MSI MAG Z490 TOMAHAWK
- EK-AIO Basic 360
- T-Force NightHawk RGB 16GB @ 3200MHz DDR4
- Addlink S70 256GB NVMe SSD [OS Drive]
- bequiet! Straight Power 11 850W Platinum PSU
The above picture shows the ADIA64 Extreme’s S.M.A.R.T status of the XPF S50 Lite 1TB.
The above picture shows the AIDA64 Extreme’s read-out of the supported commands and features of the XPG S50 Lite 1TB.
Synthetic Benchmarks
We have used the following software:
- AS SSD 1.8.5636.37293
- ATTO Disk Benchmark 3.05
- CrystalDiskMark 6
- Anvil Pro Storage Utilities 1.1.0
- Performance Test
- DiskBench
We will be showing the snapshots of the respective software run on PCIe 3.0 and PCIe 4.0 testing.
Real World Performance
We have used DiskBench in multiple scenarios to check the real world data transfer rates to and from the XPG GAMMIX S50 Lite 1TB and 2.5” SATA 6 SSD, 3.5” HDD and USB 3.0 based Flash drive. For this, the Gaming folder of Far Cry 5, consisting of roughly 30 GB was from different drives to the XPG Gammix S50 Lite. The folder has large size to small size multiple files and sub-folders.
Here are the results:
Game Loading Time
We copied Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt on the SSD and measured the load time from double clicking the game exe file till it gives control to the user. It took approximately 10 seconds to load the game.
Final Words
The XPG Gammix S50 Lite is a great, affordable PCIe 4.0 SSD but its still not for everyone.
Buy It If
✅ You Value Speed and Efficiency: If you prioritize rapid data transfer and seek an SSD that offers impressive sequential read and write speeds, especially for gaming or tasks requiring quick data access, the XPG GAMMIX S50 Lite’s performance is a significant advantage.
✅ Budget is Limited: For those seeking a cost-effective yet reliable PCIe 4.0 SSD, the XPG GAMMIX S50 Lite offers a balance between performance and price, making it an excellent choice without straining your wallet.
✅ Reliability and Warranty Matter: With a 5-year warranty and impressive MTBF and TBW ratings, the XPG GAMMIX S50 Lite assures users of its durability and longevity, making it a reliable storage option.
Don’t Buy It If
❌ You’re Seeking Top-Tier Performance: If you’re in need of high-end, top-tier performance, especially for resource-intensive tasks, the XPG GAMMIX S50 Lite’s 4-channel controller might not provide the absolute peak data read/write speeds you desire.
❌ You Want to Install An Aftermarket Heatsink: If you intend to use an aftermarket heat sink for better thermal performance, the fact that the SSD is a dual-sided PCB might require additional consideration and planning when installing additional cooling solutions.
Final Words
The XPG GAMMIX S50 Lite comes in 1TB and 2TB capacities, using an M.2 form factor (2280) compatible with modern motherboards. It utilizes 3D TLC NAND, operates without a dedicated manufacturer-provided driver, and employs NVMe 1.4 and PCIe 4×4 interface, backward compatible with PCIe 3.0.
Featuring a dual-sided PCB, users considering an aftermarket heat sink should note this for improved thermal performance. The 1TB variant boasts a sleek aluminum heat spreader with XPG branding, capable of sequential read speeds up to 3900 MB/s and write speeds up to 3200 MB/s on PCIe 4.0. On PCIe 3.0, it reaches sequential read speeds of 3400 MB/s and write speeds of 3000 MB/s.
With a MTBF of 2,000,000 hours and 740 TB TBW rating, it uses the SM2267 4-channel controller and includes features like TRIMM DEVSLP, SLC Caching, and RAID Protection. Priced at $145, it offers good performance for random reads, especially for gaming tasks, and operates at a maximum temperature of 66°C under load with a 5-year warranty from XPG. If you’re seeking a higher-end SSD, consider XPG’s S70 series for top-tier performance.
We are thankful to XPG for sending the Gammix S50 Lite 1TB.
Recent Updates
- January 4, 2023: Few text changes to improve readability. Also added image galleries.
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[Hardware Reviewer & Editor]
Meet Nauman Siddique, a highly experienced computer science graduate with more than 15 years of knowledge in technology. Nauman is an expert in the field known for his deep understanding of computer hardware.
As a tech tester, insightful reviewer, and skilled hardware editor, Nauman carefully breaks down important parts like motherboards, graphics cards, processors, PC cases, CPU coolers, and more.
- 15+ years of PC Building Experience
- 10+ years of first-hand knowledge of technology
- 7+ years of doing in-depth testing of PC Hardware
- A motivated individual with a keen interest in tech testing from multiple angles.
- I majored in Computer Science with a Masters in Marketing
- Previously worked at eXputer, EnosTech, and Appuals.
- Completed Course in Computer Systems Specialization From Illinois Tech
Get In Touch: nauman@tech4gamers.com
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