Storage expert Crucial has today added two M.2 NVMe SSDs to it growing arsenal. P3 Plus runs off a PCIe 4.0 x4 interface and offers peak read and write speeds of 5,000/4,200MB/s, respectively, while P3 uses the more established PCIe 3.0 x4 conduit and provides speeds of 3,500/3,000MB/s.
Both drives use in-house Micron controllers and 176-layer 3D NAND and slot between existing high-performance P5 Plus and entry-level P2 SSDs. It is likely the latter will be discontinued to make way for the P3 pair.
Unlike incumbent solutions, which top out at a 2TB capacity, P3 Plus and P3 are available in up to 4TB capacities, thus keeping Crucial relevant in the mass-market space occupied by the likes of Samsung, WD, Kingston, Corsair, et al.
It’s a shame that no further specs are provided, such as IOPS, TBW, power, though these will be available closer to the release in the next few months.
“For users that have been waiting to upgrade their PCs to Gen4 SSDs, the wait is over. With the forthcoming availability of the new Crucial P3 Plus SSD, anyone seeking high-performance SSDs can upgrade to NVMe Gen4 storage and affordably futureproof their PC,” said Teresa Kelley, vice president and general manager of Micron’s Commercial Products Group. “Both the Crucial P3 Plus and P3 SSD products will strengthen our overall SSD portfolio and NVMe product category by offering competitive choices for high-performance storage that enables users to get more done in less time.”
Given declining NAND prices and significant competition already present, Crucial will need to price the pair well. Club386 believes a 1TB P3 Plus makes sense at £100, while a 1TB P3 needs to be closer to £70.
