With SSD technology continuing to develop, 2025 will see the widest variety of choices offered to consumers, from cheaper Gen 3 drives to the highest possible speeds, to Gen 5 NVMe SSDs that are close to 15 GB/s. The potential influence of the appropriate selection of SSD on the worlds of gaming, creation, and daily computing is substantial, given the enormous range of its performance. In order that the customers can make a well-informed decision, we compared the most popular SSDs in three generations.
Drives Tested
PCIe Gen 3 Category
• NCX Dash 3
• Kingston NV2
• TeamGroup MP33 Pro
PCIe Gen 4 Category
• NCX Dash 4
• NCX Dash 4 Pro
• Samsung 990 Pro
• Kingston KC3000
• Kingston NV3
PCIe Gen 5 Category
• NCX Raptor 5
• Crucial T700
• Common TeamGroup/Adata Gen 5 drives
This review focuses on real-world performance, sustained speeds, thermals, and system responsiveness, which matter more to users than synthetic benchmarks.
PCIe GEN 3 SSD CATEGORY — Budget & Everyday Performance
Gen 3 remains the most cost-effective option for older PCs, office systems, and budget gaming rigs.
- NCX Dash 3
Rated: 3500 / 3200 MB/s Read and Write Speed
Dash 3 was the fastest and most consistent Gen 3 drive tested.
It maintained strong, sustained writes, avoided QLC bottlenecks, and stayed thermally stable under load.
Strengths:
• Most stable performance in the group
• Faster long-run transfers than NV2 and MP33 Pro
• Performs like an entry-level Gen 4 in many tasks
Weakness:
• No DRAM Cache. It’s a budget segment, so it is basically nitpicking.
• Availability.
- Kingston NV2
Rated: up to 3500 / 2800 MB/s
Although marketed as Gen 4, NV2’s real-world speeds aligned more closely with Gen 3 performance.
Performance varied on multiple variants of the same capacity based on NAND and controller.
Strengths: Affordable, quick upgrade from SATA
Weaknesses: Inconsistent performance, and some variants had QLC chips
- Team MP33 Pro
Rated: ~2400 / 2100 MB/s
An entry-level drive, but significantly slower than Dash 3 and NV2.
Strengths: Affordable, quick upgrade from SATA
Weaknesses: Inconsistent performance, the official website kept changing its specs, so we could not trust and recommend the product
PCIe Gen 3 Winner: NCX Dash 3
It consistently delivered high performance and a balance of power and affordability.
GEN 4 SSD CATEGORY — Gaming, Content Creation & High Performance
Gen 4 SSDs strike the perfect balance between price and performance in 2025.
Modern firmware and advanced SLC caching have made DRAM-less Gen 4 SSDs surprisingly powerful, often matching or beating older DRAM drives in real usage.
The drives tested represent the full Gen 4 spectrum: budget, professional, and flagship.
1. NCX Dash 4 — DRAM-less Done Right
Rated: 7500 / 6500 MB/s. Dramless but Advanced SLC Cache
Dash 4 delivered one of the most impressive DRAM-less results we’ve seen.
Its huge dynamic SLC cache and high-efficiency controller enabled it to work just below the DRAM SSDs in day-to-day activities.
Strengths: Features Competitive speeds in most tasks against Samsung 990 Pro, KC3000.
- Varnishing thermal characteristics.
• Good loading times of the games.
• Synonymously good performance in a DRAM-less SSD.
Dash 4 demonstrates that DRAM-less technology is good enough nowadays, and even creators can use it.
- NCX Dash 4 Pro — The Creator’s Choice (DRAM Equipped)
Rated: 7500 / 6500 MB/s. DRAM Cache
Dash 4 Pro is designed for users who run sustained workloads such as video editing, rendering, and large file transfers.
Strengths:
• Held top speed longer than NV3
• Matched or exceeded in some cases, Samsung 990 Pro and KC3000 in sustained writes
• Stayed cooler during long workloads than the 990 Pro and KC 3000
• Offered exceptional workload stability
Weakness:
• Availability
• Runs a bit hotter than Dash 4 still, it runs cooler than Samsung 990 Pro
• Slightly Lower Peak Write Speed compared to Samsung 990 Pro
3. Samsung 990 Pro — Premium DRAM Flagship
Rated: ~7400 / 6900 MB/s
Many random performance and high-performance drives with high reliability. But thermal performance was an issue – long-duration tests detected the 990 Pro as being significantly hotter and were unable to be cooled properly without throttling. Who should consider it: Users who have heavy workflows that require a heavy DRAM and have good cooling systems.
Strengths:
• Highest peak speed
• Matched or exceeded all the specs and consistent performance
Weakness:
• Runs really hot. Thermal throttling was seen multiple times.
• Very expensive,
- Kingston KC3000 — Professional-Class DRAM SSD
Rated: ~7000 / 7000 MB/s (2TB+)
KC3000 was very effective in prolonged workloads but needed proper cooling.
Strengths:
• Affordable DRAM SSD
• Cooler than Samsung 990 Pro but hotter than Dash 4 Pro
Weakness:
• Under heavy load, slight thermal throttling was seen
- Kingston NV3 — Entry-Level Gen 4
Rated: ~6000 / 4000 MB/s. Dramless
A decent budget option, but weakest caching and lower sustained performance make it far less competitive than any of these comparisons.
Strengths:
• Affordable
Weakness:
• Low SLC cache.
• Lower peak speed
• Runs hot
Gen 4 Winners
Best for Most Users (Gaming & Daily Use): NCX Dash 4
Modern DRAM-less technology is strong, and Dash 4 leads the category with excellent consistency and thermals.
Best for Content Creators & Professionals: NCX Dash 4 Pro (If you can find it)
Performs in the same class as Samsung 990 Pro and KC3000 while running cooler.
Best DRAM-Based Flagship: Samsung 990 Pro
Choose only if you require specialized professional workloads.
GEN 5 SSD CATEGORY — Ultra-High-Speed Next-Gen Performance
Gen 5 drives are the bleeding edge of SSD performance, targeted at enthusiasts and workstation users.
1. NCX Raptor 5 — A Breakthrough in Gen 5 Cooling
Rated: 14,500 / 13,500 MB/s
Raptor 5 was the most surprising drive in the Gen 5 category.
It maintained full Gen 5 speeds without a heatsink, something no other tested Gen 5 drive managed.
Test Findings:
• Ran was much cooler than the T700 and Adata/Team Gen 5 models. Zero throttling at sustained workloads.
• DRAM cache provided very high responsiveness.
• Supports compact and laptop systems, which are usually incapable of supporting Gen 5 heat levels. Raptor 5 was able to solve the largest Gen 5 problem: thermals, and was more expensive than the other options.
- Crucial T700
Rated: ~12,000 / 11,000 MB/s
A very fast drive, but requires an oversized heatsink.
Thermal throttling occurred quickly without aggressive cooling. - Other Gen 5 Drives (TeamGroup, Adata, etc.)
Rated: ~10,000 / 9,500 MB/s
Good peak speeds, but severe heat buildup and throttling held them back.
Gen 5 Winner: NCX Raptor 5The only drive that stayed cool without added cooling.
For compact builds, SFF cases, or laptops, it is the only realistic Gen 5 option.
Even in full-size PCs, its stability makes it the most versatile Gen 5 SSD tested.
FINAL BUYING RECOMMENDATIONS (2025)
Best Budget SSD (Gen 3): NCX Dash 3
Fastest, most stable, and most consistent Gen 3 drive.
Best Gaming SSD (Gen 4): NCX Dash 4
DRAM-less but performs like a high-end drive.
Best Creator SSD (Gen 4): NCX Dash 4 Pro
Matches Samsung 990 Pro & KC3000 in pro tasks while running cooler.
Best Future-Proof SSD (Gen 5): NCX Raptor 5
Fastest Gen 5 SSD tested and the only one that doesn’t require a heatsink.
