What is the cheapest 500GB SSD with a dram cache

[Linus No Beard]

only requirements

SATA 3 2.5 inch drive with dram cache that has about 500GB so 512, 500, and 480 are fine

[8tg]

Probably something along the lines of the crucial MX500 series

 

[mariushm]

You should first ask yourself why you really want DRAM cache on a SATA drive? Just because someone said dram cache is good in some Youtube video months or years ago when SSD drives were not as advanced as current drives? Things change.

 

The DRAM cache is only useful if you have very heavy writes, lots of concurrent write threads... (ex if you have a database with lots of simultaneous users querying it and updating records) and if you're in that situation you're better off with a nvme m.2 drive (which can be installed in a pci-e slot using an adapter if it's needed). It's pointless for a regular user, or someone who just occasionally downloads some torrents or steam games.

 

DRAM cache won't make the SSD faster for reads and won't give drive more endurance... a regular WD Blue dramless with TLC can reach 550 MB/s (the sata interface speed) when reading files and will last you enough time...

 

 

 

[Linus No Beard]

2 minutes ago, mariushm said:

You should first ask yourself why you really want DRAM cache on a SATA drive? Just because someone said dram cache is good in some Youtube video months or years ago when SSD drives were not as advanced as current drives? Things change.

 

The DRAM cache is only useful if you have very heavy writes, lots of concurrent write threads... (ex if you have a database with lots of simultaneous users querying it and updating records) and if you're in that situation you're better off with a nvme m.2 drive (which can be installed in a pci-e slot using an adapter if it's needed). It's pointless for a regular user, or someone who just occasionally downloads some torrents or steam games.

 

DRAM cache won't make the SSD faster for reads and won't give drive more endurance... a regular WD Blue dramless with TLC can reach 550 MB/s (the sata interface speed) when reading files and will last you enough time...

 

 

 

look i just want a good drive to transfer windows too i have it on a nvme drive but with win 11 coming out i am putting Linux on my main drive so i need to put windows on something else and i wont use a hdd

[mariushm]

Then just get something with TLC memory and good ratings.

My default is WD Blue series but Crucial MX500 is also good and SK Kynix drives are also good (and some of the lowest power, good for laptops)... all are around 50-55$

 

Western Digital Blue 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (WDS500G2B0A) - PCPartPicker

WD Blue  ... 545 MB/s reads , 525 MB/s writes , Marvell controller, Sandisk 15nm TLC NAND chips, 100k IOPS reads, 80k IOPS writes,  200 TB endurance, 3 years warranty

 

Crucial MX500 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (CT500MX500SSD1) - PCPartPicker

Crucial MX 500 ... 560 MB/s reads, 510 MB/s writes , Silicon Motion SM2258 controller, Micron 64 layer TLC,  95k IOPS reads, 90k IOPS writes, 180 TB endurance, 5 years warranty

 

SK hynix Gold S31 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (SHGS31-500GS-2) - PCPartPicker

 

SK Gold S31 : 560 MB/s reads, 525 MB/s writes, Hynix Quartz controller, 72 layer TLC, some LPDDR3 dram cache, 300 TB endurance, 5 years warranty

 

 

[BondiBlue]

2 hours ago, mariushm said:

You should first ask yourself why you really want DRAM cache on a SATA drive?

Because it makes a noticeable difference? I still mainly use SATA SSDs, and the difference between a drive with DRAM and one without is noticeable, especially for a boot drive.