by 2 reviews.
Silicon Power 2TB UD90 NVMe 4.0 Gen4 PCIe M.2 SSD Review: Speed Meets Affordability
The Silicon Power 2TB UD90 NVMe 4.0 Gen4 PCIe M.2 SSD is a high-performance storage solution designed for gamers, content creators, and professionals who demand speed and reliability. With read speeds of up to 5,000 MB/s and write speeds of up to 4,800 MB/s, this SSD leverages PCIe 4.0 technology to deliver nearly double the bandwidth of PCIe 3.0 drives. It’s packed with features like SLC Caching, Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) coding, and End-to-End (E2E) data protection, ensuring both speed and data integrity. Plus, its M.2 2280 form factor makes it compatible with a wide range of systems, including laptops, desktops, and gaming consoles like the PS5.
But does it live up to the hype? Let’s dive into the pros and cons based on real customer experiences.
Pros: What Customers Love
1. Blazing-Fast Speeds
The standout feature of the Silicon Power UD90 is its incredible speed. Customers rave about how it transforms their systems, with lightning-fast boot times, quick game loading, and seamless file transfers. One user noted, “This drive is insanely fast. Boot times, game loading, and file transfers are all lightning quick now.” Another customer using it in their PS5 said, “It’s very fast and works great for games on the PS5.”
For content creators and professionals handling large files, the UD90 delivers consistent performance. A reviewer shared, “The load times are incredibly fast. I’ve installed it in multiple computers, and it still works great.”
2. Easy Installation
Installation is a breeze, even for those who aren’t tech-savvy. Customers appreciate the plug-and-play nature of the SSD. One user mentioned, “Installation was simple—plug and play with no issues.” Another reviewer highlighted its compatibility with tight spaces, saying, “The UD90 is single-sided and very thin, making it perfect for my miniPC with limited room.”
3. Great Value for Money
The UD90 offers top-tier performance at a fraction of the cost of competing brands. Customers consistently praise its affordability. One reviewer stated, “It performs just as well as more expensive drives but at a fraction of the cost.” Another added, “It’s great to see SSD prices coming way down, and this drive offers comparable performance at a significantly lower cost.”
4. Reliable Brand Reputation
Silicon Power has built a reputation for reliability, and the UD90 is no exception. Many customers have used multiple Silicon Power drives without issues. One reviewer shared, “I’ve bought many drives from this brand and have never had an issue with quality and longevity.” Another customer praised the company’s customer service, saying, “They upgraded and replaced my old failed drive for free. Amazing company and amazing products!”
Cons: Where It Falls Short
1. Sustained Write Speeds Drop Significantly
While the UD90 excels in short bursts, its sustained write speeds can be disappointing. One user reported, “Copying large files (about 1TB) exposed just how bad the performance is—sustained writes quickly dropped to an abysmal 150MB/s–250MB/s.” This suggests that the SLC cache is relatively small, leading to throttling during prolonged tasks.
2. Potential QLC NAND Concerns
Some customers suspect that the drive uses QLC NAND instead of TLC, which could explain the performance drop-off after the cache fills up. A reviewer noted, “This strongly suggests the drive is using QLC NAND instead of TLC, which explains the poor sustained performance.” While Silicon Power advertises TLC NAND, the real-world performance has left some users skeptical.
3. Limited Customer Support
A few customers expressed frustration with Silicon Power’s customer support. One reviewer shared, “I reached out to Silicon Power’s support to confirm the NAND type and explain the performance problems, but after three days with no response, I decided to dig into the issue myself.”
Final Verdict
The Silicon Power 2TB UD90 NVMe 4.0 Gen4 PCIe M.2 SSD is a solid choice for users seeking high-speed storage at an affordable price. Its blazing-fast read/write speeds, easy installation, and reliable performance make it a great option for gamers, content creators, and professionals. However, its sustained write speeds and potential QLC NAND concerns may be a dealbreaker for users handling large, continuous workloads.
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly SSD for everyday use or gaming, the UD90 is a fantastic pick. But for those who need consistent, high-performance storage for intensive tasks, it might be worth investing in a slightly pricier TLC-based drive.
In conclusion, the Silicon Power UD90 offers excellent value for most users, but it’s not without its flaws. Weigh your needs carefully before making a decision!
Specification Silicon Power 2TB UD90 NVMe 4.0 Gen4 PCIe M.2 SSD R/W up to 5,000/4,800 MB/s (SP02KGBP44UD9005):
Comments from Amazon:
4TB SSD. Great product at a great price. I am using it in PS5 and its working great and very fast. I was very skeptical about how well it would work out, but I'm extremely surprised on how well its working. Its very easy to install and use. Its great for games on the PS5. Thank you so much to the seller. Great job and great product.
I bought this product because my 2TB M2 SSD was getting full. I have a huge library of purchased movies, TV, and music and I needed a bigger hard disk that could handle the amount of data that I had that continued to grow. The load times are incredibly fast. I have installed it in multiple computers (I've had to upgrade a few times) and it still works great. I love the fact that even with a little less than half of the disk used, it still loads everything quickly. I have even installed software on it when my host drive does not have enough space and it still loads very quickly. Definitely worth every penny I paid for it.
Specs are on point, as you can see in other reviews. This is a reliable brand with great value and performance. No compatibility issues. Installed quickly into my Lenovo T15 and fired right up. I've bought many drives from this brand and have never had an issue with quality and longevity.
Had it plugged in and running in about 2 min. 7GB read and about 4.5GB write. Fast enough for me! Tried some really long writes and it dipped to 500MB/sec once in a while but not less than that. That tells me that it's probably TLC nand and not QLC (I was a little worried about that cause I couldn't confirm). I know the 2TB and smaller are all TLC so logically the 4TB should be also but wasn't 100% sure. Hit a max. of 60 degrees C (140 F) so that's not too bad. It sure feels nice to have a 4TB drive that is FAST!......and doesn't cost an arm and a leg. It's great to see SSD prices coming way down in the last several months. SP is not a top brand but I've never had a problem with any of the dozen or so components I've purchased over the last 5 or 6 years so I've gotten to trust them. They tend to offer comparable performance at significantly lower cost. So far I'm really happy with this SSD and highly recommend it. ***Update*** It's now a few months later and I thought I would add a little more information. I bought a Beelink SER6 miniPC recently. It came with a bottom-of-the-barrel 512GB QLC SSD (slow and hot). I wanted to upgrade it right away as I had a few other (much better) SSD's kicking around. I tried 2 of them but they would NOT fit - too thick. The 4TB UD90 was PERFECT. It is single sided and very thin. The fact that there is very limited room in this PC so that you cannot even install a decent heat sink, makes it imperative that the SSD runs fairly cool. The UD90 does that along with great speed so it was the perfect upgrade for my new mini computer. So glad I hadn't already set it up for another purpose. So, if you need a great priced, fast SSD to install in tight spaces this is the perfect choice.
Absolutely, here’s the review rewritten from your perspective, making it clear that you also experienced the slow speeds and recommend staying away from this drive: --- **Avoid This Drive – Slow and Disappointing!** I didn’t personally buy multiple Silicon Power drives in the past, but after seeing detailed reviews and specs, I expected the UD90 to be a decent budget SSD. It’s advertised with a Phison E21T controller and TLC NAND, boasting speeds of 5000MB/s read and 4500MB/s write in SLC mode. On paper, it looked like a solid choice with a 3000TBW rating. However, after putting it to use, I immediately ran into severe slowdowns. Copying large files (about 1TB) exposed just how bad the performance is—sustained writes quickly dropped to an abysmal 150MB/s–250MB/s. Further testing confirmed that the SLC cache is incredibly small (only 15GB–65GB), and once it runs out, the drive slows to a crawl. The controller struggles to flush the cache efficiently, making recovery painfully slow. Benchmarks show that outside of the SLC cache, speeds tank to around 250MB/s for reads and 150MB/s–250MB/s for writes. This strongly suggests the drive is using QLC NAND instead of TLC, which explains the poor sustained performance. QLC not only has lower endurance but also significantly throttles after the cache fills up—impacting both write and read speeds. And for what? To save $10–$20 over a proper TLC drive? Absolutely not worth it. Temperature-wise, it stays reasonable at around 49°C with a heatsink, but that doesn’t make up for the glaring performance issues. If this drive actually used TLC with a proper cache, it could have been a great value option. Instead, it’s a classic case of cutting corners at the cost of real-world usability. I also reached out to Silicon Power’s support to confirm the NAND type and explain the performance problems, but after three days with no response, I decided to dig into the issue myself. In the end, I avoided further frustration and went with a slightly slower but *far* more reliable TLC + DRAM drive (TeamGroup MP34) for just $20 more. If you’re considering this drive—don’t. The performance limitations make it a terrible value, and there are far better options out there.
I had an old drive that failed on me they upgraded and replaced it for free. amazing company and amazing products!
The Silicon Power 2TB UD90 NVMe Gen4 SSD is a beast! With read/write speeds of up to 5,000/4,800 MB/s, this drive is insanely fast. Boot times, game loading, and file transfers are all lightning quick now. It performs just as well as more expensive drives but at a fraction of the cost. Installation was simple—plug and play with no issues. It works perfectly on my Gen4-capable system, and I've seen a noticeable improvement in overall system responsiveness. For anyone looking to upgrade their storage with high performance and plenty of capacity, this SSD is a no-brainer. Highly recommend!