PNY CS3150 XLR8 Gaming Epic-X RGB 1TB PCIe Gen5

PNY CS3150 XLR8 Gaming Epic-X RGB 1TB PCIe Gen5 Review & Specifications

The PNY CS3150 XLR8 Gaming Epic-X RGB 1TB PCIe Gen5 by PNY is a NVMe solid-state drive (SSD) featuring 1000 GB of storage. It is built with TLC 232-layer NAND flash memory and utilizes a Phison PS5026-E26 controller to manage data access, wear leveling, and overall performance. This model leverages the cutting-edge PCIe 5.0 x4 interface, delivering a theoretical maximum bandwidth of up to 32 GB/s. It also complies with the modern NVMe 2.0 specification, which introduces modular architecture, improved command sets, and support for Zoned Namespaces. The drive is available in a M.2 2280 form factor. Note that optimal performance requires a motherboard with PCIe 5.0 support; otherwise, the SSD will operate at the maximum speed allowed by your system configuration.

NVMe SSD Performance

Sequential read and write speeds reach 11500 MB/s and 8500 MB/s respectively, while random read/write performance delivers up to 1400k and 1300k IOPS. The drive offers an endurance rating of 700 TBW and is backed by a 5-year manufacturer warranty.

This SSD includes a dedicated 2048 MB DRAM cache module running at 4266 MHz. This discrete DRAM chip serves as a high-speed buffer between the controller and NAND flash, significantly reducing latency and improving random read/write performance. DRAM allows the controller to store the Flash Translation Layer (FTL), which is essential for efficient address mapping and wear leveling. Combined with a Dynamic SLC write cache, it offers excellent burst speeds and consistent performance under heavy workloads.

This SSD module offers high-end performance, achieving 81.1% of the top score in our synthetic benchmark, relative to the fastest NVMe SSD tested. It is an excellent choice for enthusiast gaming systems, professional creative suites, and data-heavy workloads such as compiling, virtualization, and large-scale file transfers.

Cost-Effectiveness

From a cost-efficiency standpoint, this SSD delivers excellent value at just $ per terabyte. The overall combined performance-to-price ratio, which evaluates both maximum performance and total storage capacity per dollar, is calculated at %. Based on this metric, the drive is a less favorable value in this category. However, with a high raw performance rating of 81.1%, it may still appeal to users who prioritize speed and responsiveness over cost or capacity. For budget-conscious users, more balanced alternatives may be preferable.