Best M.2 (NVME) SSD for Laptop

[Tgeer276]

So I'm looking to get myself a Razer Blade, but I dont fully agree with Razers pricing differences between the 256GB, 512GB and 1TB models so I had the idea to get the 256GB model, replace the SSD with a 1TB model I buy separately and sell the 256GB SSD that was included. Question is which SSD to replace it with ...
I searched around a bit and discovered that the 2017 Blades come either with Samsung PM951s or PM 961s (according to what i read, only the 256GB is PM951).
Now my projected daily use includes frequent work with MS Office, AutoCAD, different games (new and old) and especially multitasking, meaning often having several browser tabs and programs open simultaneously.
I live in Germany and from the cheapest retailer I have my eye on the following M.2 options:
1- Crucial MX300 1TB SSD 280€
2- WD Blue 1TB SSD 295€
3- Intel 600p 1TB NVME 330€
4- Samsung PM961 1TB NVME 390€

I'm tried looking into reviews of them all and while you see large differences in theoretical performance, when translated into real-world performance theres often not much of a difference, with NVME SSDs only showing a noticeable difference over Sata SSDs in large Adobe projects or so...
So realistic opinion, which SSD would be the better buy regarding longterm durability and naturally bang/buck?

 

[JohnnyLucky]

HI!

The first thing you can do is eliminate the Samsung 941, 951, and 961 solid state drives because they are all OEM models not meant for sale to the general public.

OEM models are specifically designed for installation by computer companies in "off the shelf" desktop and mobile pc's that are sold to the public. Samsung and other ssd manufacturers enter into agreements to sell large quantities of their ssd's to companies like Dell, Lenovo, Apple, HP, and others. The specifications and features for any given OEM model may change depending on what a pc company wants. The Dell version of the 961 may have more or fewer features than the Lenovo version of the 961. They are not all equal.

In addition, there is no Samsung manufacturer's warranty for OEM models simply because they were never meant for retail sales. Instead, a warranty is provided by the pc company that installed the OEM model in their pc's. Typically the pc company warranties are only for one year instead of the typical Samsung retail warranty of 5 years.

Samsung does allow a few select vendors to sell their OEM models as genuine replacement parts for OEM models installed by pc companies in their off the shelf pc's. It is convenient when an OEM ssd goes bad after the typical one year warranty period.

There is even more confusion due to varying model numbers, part numbers, and SKU's. Samsung has different identification data for each and every model version. The retail version, OEM version designed for each pc company, different geographical regions, and different capacities result in quite a few identification numbers. The vendors sometimes make it worse. HP called their Samsung 941 a "Z Drive" with no mention that it was their version of the 941.

Based on the information you provided, it appears a basic entry level or mainstream ssd should be sufficient with two exceptions. You mentioned AutoCAD and Adobe. Both of those applications "might" benefit from use of a premium ssd. Results will vary depending on what an individual is doing with those applications.

I maintain an ssd database that is listed in a sticky at the very top of this forum section. Due to popular demand I recently added warranty and endurance information for each model. Here is the link:

http://www.johnnylucky.org/data-storage/ssd-database.html

The very top section is for PCIe 3.0x4 and M.2 3.0x4 NVMe ssd's. There are new columns for warranties and endurance estimates. You'll also find links to technical reviews in English and many other languages, including German language reviews. There are no advertisements or other distractions. This is strictly a hobby.

 

[Tgeer276]

Alright, with the PM961 out would you recommend an NVME SSD at all or rather stick with M.2 SATA?

 

[JohnnyLucky]

I took a quick look at the newest Razer Blade notebook specifications. It can accommodate an M.2 3.0 x 4 ssd. It is also backward compatible with older M.2 versions like M.2 Sata 3.

All of the M.2 3.0 x 4 and all of the PCIe 3.0 x 4 solid state drives listed in the ssd database use the new NVMe protocol in the newest motherboard's system BIOS. Some motherboard manufacturers have also added BIOS updates that improve NVMe compatibility. It is all part of a new international standard.

All of the M.2 SATA 3 ssd's use the older ACHI protocol instead of NVMe.

If cost is an issue, then I would probably go with the Crucial MX300 M.2 SATA 3, 6Gb/s ssd.

If cost is not an issue than I would probably go with the Samsung 850 EVO M.2 SATA 3 6Gb/s ssd providing it is available at a good price. The 850 EVO can easily hold its own against the Samsung 850 Pro and other premium M.2 SATA 3 ssd's.

There are only two M.2 SATA 3.0 x 4 NVMe ssd's in your list - the Intel 600P and the Samsung 961. Ruling out the 961 leaves you with just the 600P. Technical reviews of the 600P were not that great. The 600P is Intel's lowest priced ssd. The ssd has some problems with the onboard SLC cache. It was supposed to be an affordable competitor for the Samsung 850 EVO. Unfortunately, the 600P didn't even come close to the 850 RVO.

 

[Tgeer276]

I had a look at several of the reviews you linked in your SSD list and I'm weighing whether to get a 600p from intel or a SATA SSD stick. But you seem to be absolutely accurate: Taking the Anandtech Review of the Intel 600p as reference, in practically 70-80% of the different load tests the SATA M.2 850 EVO beats the 600p across the board, while at the same time ALWAYS consuming about 50% less power regardless of the type of test...
Really puts the tendency in favour of the 850 EVO ... Just remains the question whether it'd be worth it to invest more money to get a higher capacity SSD but at lower performance than the OEM model originally installed...