Crucial P310 2TB - PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 2280 SSD

Our analysis

The same 2 TB and the same 7100 MB/s reads as the Crucial P310 2230, in the full 80 mm length. The slot picks between them: this one for desktops and laptops with a standard M.2 2280 slot, the 2230 for handhelds like the Steam Deck or the ROG Ally.

What stands out

• Up to 7100 MB/s reads and 6000 MB/s writes. Crucial's figures over PCIe 4.0 x4; the Samsung 990 PRO lists 7450 and 6900.
• 2 TB in one drive. Enough for the operating system and a large library, so you are not choosing which game to uninstall every time a new one comes out.
• M.2 2280 on PCIe 4.0 x4. The standard size and interface for current boards and gaming laptops, which makes it an easy upgrade.
• Acronis recovery software included. Useful when you move your system over from an older drive instead of reinstalling.

Where it falls short

It comes without a heatsink. On a PS5 you need to add one, and in a desktop, the M.2 cover many modern motherboards include does that job. It also does not list a DRAM cache, while the 990 PRO does.

Look elsewhere if

You are expanding a PS5 and want nothing else to buy: the Optimus GX PRO 850X with heatsink (formerly WD_BLACK SN850X) ships ready for the slot, at 7300 MB/s reads. If you want the best Gen4 drive overall, the Samsung 990 PRO steps up to 7450 MB/s reads, 6900 MB/s writes and a DRAM cache.

We explain how much storage you need and where Gen4 still makes sense in our best gaming SSD guide, and every drive we list is in the SSD storage category.