ADATA XPG Gammix S10 512GB M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD Review (Page 1)

Introduction

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ADATA's XPG Gammix S10 M.2 NVMe SSD is aimed toward value-conscious buyers that are looking for more than SATA can offer for about the same price. The XPG Gammix S10 delivers on price and unexpectedly delivers in a big way on aesthetics. The XPG Gammix S10 is in our opinion the best-looking M.2 NVMe SSD we've ever seen.

The XPG Gammix S10 has an integrated, eye-catching and very functional heat sink. This heat sink is a bit more practical than some of the larger ones that we've seen before. The sleek-looking XPG Gammix S10 looks and feels like it would have a high price-tag, but it is very affordable. In-fact it is the most affordable 4-lane NVMe SSD on the market.

The XPG Gammix is configured similarly to Intel's popular 600p series NVMe SSDs. The main difference between the 600p and the XPG Gammix is a huge one. They both utilize SMI's SM2260 NVMe controller and Gen1 IMFT 32-layer TLC flash, but the XPG Gammix S10 is utilizing all 8-channels available on the SMI SM2260. The 600p only utilizes six of the 8 available channels and to make matters worse, the 600p employs oddball 384Gbit die 32-layer Gen1 IMFT flash. This unfortunate combination results in the 600p being the lowest performing NVMe SSD we've ever tested.

Fortunately, ADATA did not repeat Intel's mistake with the XPG Gammix S10. The XPG Gammix S10 utilizes the SM2260's available 8-channels and pairs it with 256Gbit IMFT 3D TLC flash. Now, this combination isn't going to light up our charts, but it is far superior to the Intel 600p's configuration. The XPG Gammix S10 is targeted at those of you that are looking for more performance than SATA has to offer at a super-low price point. In this respect, we think ADATA hit the mark perfectly with the XPG Gammix S10.

That flashy heat-sink is eye-catching, but it is also functional. ADATA claims that the aluminum heat-sink utilized on the XPG Gammix S10 reduces temperatures by about 10c in comparison to M.2 SSDs without a heat sink. The red and black heat-sink should be a perfect color combination for most builds. Additionally, we really like the way the heat-sink adds a bit of heft to the drive making it feel like a quality piece of hardware.

The XPG Gammix S10 provides additional value for purchasers with included Acronis cloning software as well as full compatibility with ADATA's SSD Toolbox. The SSD Toolbox allows you to monitor drive health, update firmware, secure erase the drive, and optimize your system for SSD use. Both Acronis and ADATA's SSD Toolbox are available via free downloads from ADATA. These value adds and super-low retail cost, in our opinion, make the XPG Gammix S10 one of the best values on the market today.

Let's get the XPG Gammix S10 on the bench and see exactly what kind of performance it is serving up.

Specifications

ADATA's XPG Gammix S10 Series is available in four capacities: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB.

• MTBF: 5 Million Hours
• Warranty: 5-Year Limited Warranty
• SLC caching
• LDPC
• SMART
• TRIM
• End-to-End Datapath Protection
• Garbage Collection

The 512GB ADATA XPG Gammix S10 we have on the bench is currently retailing for $165.

Last updated: Nov 15, 2019 at 01:16 pm CST