Crucial P310 4000GB

The Crucial P310 4000GB represents a generational evolution in Micron’s consumer storage lineup, utilizing the Phison PS5027-E27T controller to nearly saturate the PCIe 4.0 interface. This architecture is DRAM-less, relying on Host Memory Buffer (HMB) technology to map address tables via system RAM rather than onboard volatile cache. The drive pairs this 12nm controller with Micron’s 232-layer QLC NAND, achieving sequential throughput metrics previously reserved for TLC-based flagship drives. The M.2 2280 variant retains the thermal characteristics of the 2230 initial release for handheld devices, and the controller can run warm under load, so passive cooling is advisable in restricted airflow environments. The drive depends heavily on a large dynamic Pseudo-SLC cache, and sustained writes that exceed the cache (such as filling the entire 4TB volume at once) will drop performance to native QLC speeds.

Key Specifications

• Interface: PCIe 4.0 x4 (NVMe 2.0)
• Max Sequential Read: 7100 MB/s
• Max Sequential Write: 6000 MB/s
• Controller: Phison PS5027-E27T (4-channel, DRAM-less)
• NAND Type: Micron 232-Layer QLC
• DRAM Cache: None (HMB Support)
• Physical Trait: Single-sided PCB design (improving compatibility with ultra-thin laptops)

Hardware Alternatives

• Corsair MP600 ELITE 4000GB: This drive serves as the primary hardware cousin within the Phison ecosystem, utilizing the same Phison E27T controller but paired with Kioxia BiCS TLC NAND rather than QLC, yielding similar burst speeds with better endurance and sustained write performance.
• Lexar NM790 4000GB: Represents competition from the Maxio reference design platform, using the Maxio MAP1602 controller paired with YMTC 232-layer TLC NAND, offering comparable efficiency and DRAM-less performance while avoiding the native write speed penalties associated with QLC.
• WD Black SN770: A direct functional competitor using a proprietary SanDisk/Western Digital architecture; like the P310 it is a DRAM-less PCIe 4.0 drive, though the P310 offers higher theoretical maximum sequential throughput (7100 MB/s vs. 5150 MB/s on the SN770).