NVMe SSDs are definitely a step up in Speed from a SATA SSD, but they are a little bit expensive too. There are not a lot of options in COVID.
So, I am going to list and rank all the NVMe SSDs available in Pakistan at the time of writing this article.
First, let’s answer some questions for some of our curious readers.
Is NVME better than SATA SSD?
Contrary to the popular opinion that NVMe is better than SATA SSD, I don’t think so.
On paper or specifications, NVMe is like 4-5 times faster than SATA SSD and that is true only for Sequential Read/Writes. Sequential Read/Writes are used only for copying large files from one place to another.
Every other thing like game loading, Windows loading, installing applications uses only Random Read/Write.
So unless you are copying and pasting a lot of large files on a daily bases or doing Photo or Video Editing, you are not going to see the difference in speed between NVMe and SATA SSD.
Note, I said ‘see the difference’. What I mean is, you can still feel the difference in application loading time, if you get a really fast NVMe SSD. For average NVMe SSDs, there is no difference in speeds.
If you do not want to take my word for it, take a look at the video below. The first one is the NVMe, the second is the SATA SSD, the third one is a simple Hard Disk.
If you are interested in a SATA SSD, this is my list and guide for SATA SSD for Pakistan 2020.
SSD Guide and List of SATA SSDs: Pakistan 2020
This is why, if you are on a budget or do not care about gimmicks like 3000 MB/s, you should stick with a SATA SSD. SATA SSD is cheap and they perform the same in real life.
Minimum Size For an NVME Drive?
If you really want to get the blazing fast speeds of NVMe, you have to get at least 500 GB NVMe SSD to consider it an upgrade.
The 128 GB or 256 GB versions of NVME have almost the same write speeds as a good SATA SSD unless you are buying Samsung 970 EVO Plus.
If you are not limited by the m2 form factor in your computer, you should buy a SATA SSD of 250GB instead of 128GB NVME SSD.
So yes, NVMe is expensive but it is also more durable than a SATA Drive.
HMB vs DRAM in NVMe?
There are DRAMLess SSDs in NVMe too, which is why another method is used in some of the DRAMless SSDs to make up for the lack of DRAM and it is called Host Memory Buffer (HMB). Not all DRAMless NVMe SSDs have HMB.
The HMB uses a portion (100-500 MB) of System Memory or RAM to store mapping information of the SSD on the RAM.
HMB significantly increases the random Read/Writes of the DRAMless SSDs but a DRAM SSD will definitely outperform an SSD with HBM.
An example of this is ADATA S5 Gammix, which is a DRAMless SSD but it has HMB and the speed of this SSD is really good. Most users would not even realize the lack of DRAM in this SSD.
So the final verdict is, any HMB DRAMless SSD is better than a normal DRAMless SSD and any DRAM SSD is better than an HMB SSD if you plan to fill up more than 85% of the SSD.
If you are only going to fill up the SSD to 80%, then it would not matter a lot, what SSD you buy as long it was a fast SSD to start with.
M.2 SATA VS M.2 NVMe
There are two types of m.2 SSDs. M.2 is the form factor name, the chip size in which NVMe is available nowadays. M.2 SATA looks exactly like NVMe SSD but there is one difference between them physically speaking.
The above picture should clear the physical difference between an M.2 SATA SSD and an M.2 NVMe SSD. The speed of the M.2 SATA SSD is still the same as a normal 2.5′ SATA SSD even though it looks like an NVMe SSD.
7) Kingston A2000
Kingston A2000 is the bare minimum, I would recommend anyone to buy if they are looking for an NVME SSD. It has a DRAM Cache which Linus loves so much.
Although it does not have the fastest NVME Speeds that you expect from PCIe, it is definitely an upgrade over any average SATA SSDs.
Also, this is the cheapest NVME SSD starting at 8500 rs for 256GB version which makes it available for all budget users.
| Specifications: | Kingston A2000 |
|---|---|
| Storage | 250/500/1000 GB |
| Sequential Read | 2000/2200/2200 MB/s |
| Sequential Write | 1100/2000/2000 MB/s |
| Random Read | 150/180/250 K (IOPS) |
| Random Write | 180/200/220 K (IOPS) |
| TBW | 150/300/600 TB |
| DRAM | Yes |
| Price | 8500/14000/23000 PKR |
| Official Distributor in Pakistan | Shingpoint |
Kingston A2000 official Specification Page:
Rating:
Where to Buy:
Czone Link
Easyskinsinc Link
Shingpoint Link
6) Adata XPG GAMMIX S5
Adata XPG Gammix S5 is a mid-range SSD targeted to Gamers and Enthusiasts. Oddly enough, it still does not have a DRAM which Gamers love to have, even though they don’t need it always.
It does have HMB (Host Memory Buffer) which helps a lot in storing the location map of each and every block on the SSD in the System RAM.
One more unique feature of this SSD is the heat sink, I was skeptical too at first. But after testing it. I can easily say that the temperatures are 5-10 degrees Celcius lower with the heat sink.
| Specifications: | XPG Gammix S5 |
|---|---|
| Storage | 256/512/1024 GB |
| Sequential Read | 2100/2100/2100 MB/s |
| Sequential Write | 1200/1400/1400 MB/s |
| Random Read | 190/250/250K (IOPS) |
| Random Write | 190/240/240K (IOPS) |
| TBW | 150/300/600 TB |
| DRAM / HMB | No / Yes |
| Price | 9000/15000/25000 PKR |
| Official Distributor in Pakistan | Daraz, Pakdukaan, myshoponline |
Adata XPG Gammix S5 official Specification Page:
Rating:
Where to Buy:
TechGlobe.pk Link
Galaxy.pk Link
Pakdukaan Link
Gtstore Link
GamingMania Link
Eezpc Link
5) Gigabyte NVMe SSD
Gigabyte NVMe SSD is just like the SATA version of Gigabyte SSD. Fast, Cheap, and No DRAM Cache. But there is HBM in this SSD which should compensate for the lack of DRAM.
The Sequential Read/Writes are normal for an NVMe SSD but the Random Read/Writes are way above an average NVMe SSD which is what makes this SSD unique.
This is my favorite DRAMless NVMe SSD in this list because it is cheap, affordable, easily available, and provides the best bang for the buck.
| Specifications: | Adata SU900 |
|---|---|
| Storage | 256/512/1024 GB |
| Sequential Read | 1700/1700/2500 MB/s |
| Sequential Write | 1100/1550/2100 MB/s |
| Random Read | 180/270/295 K (IOPS) |
| Random Write | 250/340/430 K (IOPS) |
| TBW | 400/800/1600 TB |
| DRAM / HMB | No / Yes |
| Price | 8000/13500/23500 PKR |
| Official Distributor in Pakistan | Easetec.com.pk |
Gigabyte NVMe SSD official Specification Page:
Rating:
Where to Buy:
TechGlobe.pk Link
Galaxy.pk Link
Industech Link
Czone Link
Daraz Link
4) Adata XPG Spectrix S40G
Adata XPG Spectrix S40G is one of the favorite SSDs among Gamers because it has RGB lights. It looks amazing with a full rig using RGB parts.
The looks are not the only thing good about this SSD, the performance of this SSD is really good too. It also has a DRAM Cache for an extra performance boost when it is above 80% full.
But you also have to premium for these RGB lights, this is why it costs the same as XPG Gammix S11 Pro which performs better for the same price.
| Specifications: | Adata SU900 |
|---|---|
| Storage | 256/512/1024 GB |
| Sequential Read | 3500/3500/3500 MB/s |
| Sequential Write | 1200/1900/1900 MB/s |
| Random Read | 210/300/300 K (IOPS) |
| Random Write | 230/240/240 K (IOPS) |
| TBW | 640 TB |
| DRAM | Yes |
| Price | 11000/16000/28000 PKR |
| Official Distributor in Pakistan | Daraz, Pakdukaan, myshoponline |
Adata Spectrix S40G official Specification Page:
Rating:
Where to Buy:
GamingMania Link
Eezepc Link
Czone Link
3) Adata XPG Gammix S11 Pro
Adata XPG Gammix S11 Pro is the best NVMe SSD available in Pakistan from Adata. It is definitely not the best NVMe but still, it performs remarkably well for its price.
This is better than Spectrix S40G for the same price and it has the same heat sink as the XPG Gammix S5. The XPG S11 Pro provides so much more value for money than the Gammix S5 Pro.
So if you have the money and want a really good NVMe SSD, this is the bare minimum you should buy.
| Specifications: | Adata SU900 |
|---|---|
| Storage | 256/512/1024 GB |
| Sequential Read | 3350/3350/3350 MB/s |
| Sequential Write | 1150/2300/2300 MB/s |
| Random Read | 220/390/390 K (IOPS) |
| Random Write | 290/380/380 K (IOPS) |
| TBW | 640 TB |
| DRAM | Yes |
| Price | 11000/17000/28000 PKR |
| Official Distributor in Pakistan | Daraz, Pakdukaan, myshoponline |
Adata XPG Gammix S11 Pro official Specification Page:
Rating:
Where to Buy:
GamingMania Link
Galaxy.pk Link
Pakdukaan Link
Eezepc Link
Gtstore Link
2) Addlink S70
Addlink S70 is the best SSD to buy if you want great performance and do not want to break the bank. This is the only SSD available in Pakistan that can compete with titles like Samsung 970 Evo.
Addlink S70 can even beat the best of Adata XPG S11 Pro which is extremely impressive and it costs the same.
| Specifications: | Adata SU900 |
|---|---|
| Storage | 256/512/1024 GB |
| Sequential Read | 3000/3400/3400 MB/s |
| Sequential Write | 1000/2000/3000 MB/s |
| Random Read | 220/350/510 K (IOPS) |
| Random Write | 320/500/500 K (IOPS) |
| TBW | 800 TB |
| DRAM | Yes |
| Price | 1000/15000/28000 PKR |
| Official Distributor in Pakistan | Pakdukaan |
Rating:
Where to Buy:
Daraz Link
Eitimad Link
Pakdukaan Link
1) Samsung 970 EVO/EVO PLUS
Samsung 970 EVO Plus is the best NVMe SSD you could buy except Samsung 970 Pro which is not very budget-friendly even for enthusiasts.
It should be noted that the 250 GB version of Samsung 970 Evo is faster compared to any other 250 GB NVMe SSD out there. I do not mean a little bit faster. But a 250 GB version of Samsung 970 EVO could easily rival a 1 TB version of an average NVMe SSD.
The performance difference between Samsung 970 EVO and 970 EVO Plus is 10-15% with the 970 EVO plus being 10-15% faster.
Even though Samsung 970 EVO is the cheapest NVMe SSD, Samsung has to offer. It is still not cheap, but if you have the money, it is so worth it.
| Specifications: | Adata SU900 |
|---|---|
| Storage | 250/500/1000 GB |
| Sequential Read | 3500/3500/3500 MB/s |
| Sequential Write | 2300/3200/3300 MB/s |
| Random Read | 250/480/600 K (IOPS) |
| Random Write | 550/550/550 K (IOPS) |
| TBW | 600 TB |
| DRAM | Yes |
| Price | 14000/21000/40000 PKR |
| Official Distributor in Pakistan |
Samsung 970 EVO Plus official Specification Page:
Rating:
Where to Buy:
Eitimad Link
Galaxy.pk Link
Czone Link
Gtstore Link
Remarks:
Please consider the following points before buying an NVMe SSD.
Recommendations:
For my personal recommendations,
