Hynix Gold P31 2TB

As you are in the UK I hate to tell you, got a couple of 2TB WD Black SN850X Gen 4 drives for £109 ea from the WD store on Amazon UK during the so-called Black Friday long weekend before Xmas.
The price has since gone back up to £160.

If you are of the benchmark go faster crowd they are also twice the speed of the SKhynix Gold P31 assuming Gen 4 interface.
Real world you won't find any difference.

They all get warm when working hard as they may have to dissipate around ~8 watts, hence most have heatsink models, however those won't fit in Laptops.

" I'm surprised at the number of drives that lack a DRAM cache. I wonder how important a cache is for most of us?"

I have looked at a vast variety of tests of both kinds of drive, for most people i.e. consumers it will make no difference DRAM cache or not. TLC designs have better durability/endurance than QLC designs.

"Assume that's the equivalent of samsung magician?"

All the mainstream SSD manufacturers have their own management software, however the only real use is to update drive Firmware.

Helmut said:

As you are in the UK I hate to tell you, got a couple of 2TB WD Black SN850X Gen 4 drives for £109 ea from the WD store on Amazon UK during the so-called Black Friday long weekend before Xmas.
The price has since gone back up to £160.

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On Amazon UK right now the 2TB WD_BLACK SN770 is at £118. https://www.amazon.co.uk/WD_BLACK-SN770-2280-Gaming-speed/dp/B09QV5KJHV
Not as fast as the SN850X for sure, but then, it's still a Gen 4 and shouldn't be much slower when it's going to be used in a Gen 3 socket anyway. Even so, I'll have to agree now is probably not the best time to go buy an SSD regardless of where you live.

Helmut said:

If you are of the benchmark go faster crowd they are also twice the speed of the SKhynix Gold P31 assuming Gen 4 interface.
Real world you won't find any difference.

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The only real-world difference outside of running those kinds of special heavy apps that the average user typically never does run IMO speed wise is when copying large amounts of data e.g. by extracting a large archive that either is not compressed or uses a compression strength that is low enough for the CPU to be able to keep the de-compression speed up high enough for it to sustain the maximum read/write transfer rates [that the SSD in question is capable to deliver]. Another "niche" example is when you use a Ramdisk and you, like me, often copy fairly large amounts of data between the SSD and it the whole time (and/or use something like Sandboxie-Plus which also can copy large amounts of data between different folder locations one or more of which might reside on the SSD).

Helmut said:

They all get warm when working hard as they may have to dissipate around ~8 watts, hence most have heatsink models, however those won't fit in Laptops.

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True, but in a laptop with a Gen 3 socket, a Gen 4 SSD [that would commonly dissipate up to about 8 watts if operating in a Gen 4 socket] would be tamed both speed wise and heat wise so as a result it is still possible for the Gen 4 SSD to get less warm, or get warm less fast, when compared to many Gen 3 SSD models from various brands. So it actually depends.

When it comes to performance versus heat, AFAIK the Sabrent Rocket Q4 2230 SSD is still king of the (Gen 4) hill. It's great for those cramped-up spaces such as a (very) thin laptop, even though there is a fairly heavy price premium attached to carrying less weight from choosing a thinner than thin laptop. Usually, there tends to be that... and this one's no different: https://www.amazon.co.uk/SABRENT-Internal-Compatible-surface-SB-2130-1TB/dp/B0C5YS3QY4

Helmut said:

" I'm surprised at the number of drives that lack a DRAM cache. I wonder how important a cache is for most of us?"

I have looked at a vast variety of tests of both kinds of drive, for most people i.e. consumers it will make no difference DRAM cache or not.

Click to expand...

For most people, under most circumstances yes, speed differences will be small and most likely will be too small to be noticed or will barely be noticeable. Again, it tends to be more prominent if you often copy large amounts of data in such a particular way that the copy speed isn't held back by anything other than the actual SSD's maximum sustained transfer rates themselves. If you don't, then not so much.

Helmut said:

TLC designs have better durability/endurance than QLC designs.

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Yeah, albeit it should also be noted IMO that 300 TBW is still more than enough endurance to satisfy the needs of the vast majority of people who don't write vast amounts of data to their SSD constantly.

Helmut said:

"Assume that's the equivalent of samsung magician?"

All the mainstream SSD manufacturers have their own management software, however the only real use is to update drive Firmware.

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...And to receive a notification in the notification area of the taskbar when a new firmware update is available for download, as well as to change the over-provisioning (OP) with ease or to Secure Erase/Sanitize the SSD when needed.

Ghot said:

Be careful with them. They'll take your arm off!


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Seriously... these are the Amazon reviews. You have a winner there...
As long as it's sold and shipped by a respectable retailer, you should be fine.

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View attachment 85260

Complete AnandTech review

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lol The Corsair MP400 is probably the slowest NVMe I have ever had the embarrassment of owning. As for this Hynix Gold P31 we are looking at an entirely different creature altogether. TechPowerUp has this to say about it:


"Unlike some other high-end M.2 NVMe SSDs, the Hynix Gold P31 does not come with a heatsink preinstalled, and it doesn't need one. Even in our worst-case thermal loading test did we not even see a hint of thermal throttling—very impressive. This clearly sets the drive apart from Phison and SMI-powered drives, which do run into thermal throttling in some situations. The magic lies in the controller, which must be a very energy-efficient design—lower energy consumption means less heat output, which avoids throttling."



As with most things PC I'm sure user preference is a factor. I had some charts tucked away some place taken from Tom's Hardware where it looked like Sabrent had the fastest horse in the race, but only off the stretch. This is something to consider, especially when moving large swaths of data (something I tend to do). To be fair, I've never owned any HYNIX NVMe and I've never bench tested any either; but from all I've read about this make and model it ranks high among its competitors. Ha! I've yet to install my 2TB SAMSUNG 980 PRO! It's already old and outdated.

@hazel 123 I think you made a good upgrade. The market for faster NVMe seems endless and with each passing year there are faster and more efficient productions. There's also a whole lot of hype surrounding this market. Generally speaking, the few seconds (or even minutes) you manage to shave off your personal workload with faster storage is negligible. Commercially, those minutes can add up to the extent that they can justify the expense of high end storage but rarely so much with personal computing. What matters is value for your personal cost and I think you have that aced with this choice. The real test is time and thermals are the enemy when it comes to SSDs. The fact that TechPowerUp barely noticed any throttling at all with this storage is impressive. Anyway, that's just my take on it. The test of time will tell. Thanks for sharing.

Scannerman said:

lol The Corsair MP400 is probably the slowest NVMe I have ever had the embarrassment of owning. As for this Hynix Gold P31 we are looking at an entirely different creature altogether. TechPowerUp has this to say about it:

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Yes, I know.
Unfortunately when I made the pic I used a Corsair SSD, because it was mostly black.

Ghot said:

Yes, I know.
Unfortunately when I made the pic I used a Corsair SSD, because it was mostly black.

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What?? You didn't choose the WD SN770 BLACK?? I'm crushed.

Hazel123 said:

Thanks. Does the software link come in the box? Assume that's the equivalent of samsung magician?

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IMO it isn't very useful, I don't use it. Unlike Samsung Magician (which I also don't find very useful), it does not provide a way to check for firmware updates. I use Crystaldiskinfo to track the health of my drives.

Seems Corsair attempted to make up for their ludicrous and pathetic excuse for NVMe:



Even on this chart the P31 GOLD gets a worthy review. Yup I'd say it's a good choice for Gen3.

Well I haven't been able to install it/try it out yet as the new (used) laptop had a fault and has to go back.

Hazel123 said:

Well I haven't been able to install it/try it out yet as the new (used) laptop had a fault and has to go back.

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Nasty. This is one reason why I'm partial to desktops. They're generally bigger, but they're also more user serviceable IMO. I hope the repair goes well for you.

I have interest in looking at a Gen3 2TB M2. I'm using a Crucial 1TB P5 M2 (in each of my two Win 11 laptops) for about 18 months now without issue, although they do become warm. Crucial supplies a software utility which has a module for caching using a small system RAM grab. This does indeed boost speed. One TB is still ok for space but I'm alive to this discussion.

The quoted price in this thread for Hynix Gold P31 Gen3 2TB in the UK is the current equivalent of about AUD$270. Amazon Aus is offering a short term price of AUD$200, but EBay Aus is currently offering this item at AUD$135, including delivery. So about 50% of the quoted UK price. Who knows why ?

Does the Hynix Gold P31 Gen3 2TB have a software facility similar to Crucial in that a RAM cache is available ?

ian50 said:

I have interest in looking at a Gen3 2TB M2. I'm using a Crucial 1TB P5 M2 (in each of my two Win 11 laptops) for about 18 months now without issue, although they do become warm. Crucial supplies a software utility which has a module for caching using a small system RAM grab. This does indeed boost speed. One TB is still ok for space but I'm alive to this discussion.

The quoted price in this thread for Hynix Gold P31 Gen3 2TB in the UK is the current equivalent of about AUD$270. Amazon Aus is offering a short term price of AUD$200, but EBay Aus is currently offering this item at AUD$135, including delivery. So about 50% of the quoted UK price. Who knows why ?

Does the Hynix Gold P31 Gen3 2TB have a software facility similar to Crucial in that a RAM cache is available ?

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Again. User Preference really is a factor. I'm quite happy with my Crucial NVMe even though I use it for a scratch drive and once all the data is transferred I keep it blank. Not the fastest but well-balanced in read and writes (probably due to the impressive caching). I'm not sure about the Hynix Gold having the same caching capacity but from the reviews I've read it seems to have this aspect covered as well.


If I were in the market for more NVMe I'd risk buying it from EBay via PayPal. There will always be faster, meaner, leaner out there but what needs to be calculated in all this is cost per GB and reserve space for all those cells that will eventually need trimming. I test a considerable number of drives and I'm learning quickly that faster isn't necessarily always better. I certainly won't knock Crucial NVMe despite its modest speeds.

@Scannerman

Yeah, well thanks for that.

My point though was whether a 2TB was worth the extra money for the increase in space. I'm running Crucial P5 1TB M2's for about 18 months now without issue, although a space increase is now a consideration. Gen3's are the go for me since I have no need to upgrade the laptops.

At the moment, a Crucial P5 Gen3 2TB M2 is in Amazon Aus for just under AUD$500, whereas the Hynix P31 Gen3 2TB is on EBay Aus for AUD$135 (about GBP70 at the moment).

Clearly if the Hynix performs as well or better than the Crucial (with its' RAM cache) and remains reliable, then it is the better deal by a long way. AUD$135 for a 2TB Gen3 M2 seems a bit remarkable - so I'm cautious. Why aren't they selling ?

Hynix P31 Gen3 2TB is on EBay Aus for AUD$135 (about GBP70 at the moment).

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That is a bargain.

I just bought three 2TB SKHynix P41 NVMe's for US$156 each from US Amazon. They've gone up a few dollars since then. Using as program/storage drives.

@Scott

Good results, reasonable price - but Gen4

The EBay deal on Hynix P31 2TB Gen3's I've referred to seems quite the deal - so far, no adverse comments on the Hynix brand.

Becoming tempting.

ian50 said:

@Scott

Good results, reasonable price - but Gen4

The EBay deal on Hynix P31 2TB Gen3's I've referred to seems quite the deal - so far, no adverse comments on the Hynix brand.

Becoming tempting.

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Yeah my new motherboard takes 4 Gen4's so I figured I'd get all Gen4's to take advantage of that spec.
Doing so allowed me to phase out all my aging SATA 870 EVO SSD's and two old 970 EVO NVMe's.

They run pretty cool with aftermarket heat syncs. The first one is a Samsung 990 Pro that boots Win 11. The middle one is a 500GB P41 that boots Win10 which resides on a PCIe adapter board. The remaining 3 are all 2TB storage drives.

ian50 said:

@Scannerman

Yeah, well thanks for that.

My point though was whether a 2TB was worth the extra money for the increase in space. I'm running Crucial P5 1TB M2's for about 18 months now without issue, although a space increase is now a consideration. Gen3's are the go for me since I have no need to upgrade the laptops.

At the moment, a Crucial P5 Gen3 2TB M2 is in Amazon Aus for just under AUD$500, whereas the Hynix P31 Gen3 2TB is on EBay Aus for AUD$135 (about GBP70 at the moment).

Clearly if the Hynix performs as well or better than the Crucial (with its' RAM cache) and remains reliable, then it is the better deal by a long way. AUD$135 for a 2TB Gen3 M2 seems a bit remarkable - so I'm cautious. Why aren't they selling ?

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Yeah, well... User preference. I still like my Crucial P5 1TB drive for what I do with it. If you can get that Hynix P31 for that price on EBAY brand new it might be worth it but there does seem to be something about that that seems too good to be true. I'm not suggesting that this is happening but it would not be the first time silicon has been swapped out with lower quality material on the same brand, make, and model. Even Samsung has been caught in the past doing that so buyer beware.

On the other hand, Hynix doesn't exactly have a reputation for high quality silicon and that might be a reason why sales are slow. A lot of this newer NVMe is pretty impressive off the stretch, but those speeds don't usually last long once the thermals begin to kick in and the silicon starts running out of cache. So you might see some pretty impressive numbers being posted here but time is the real test. Can I get 7GBps data transfer speed for an hour straight? I rather doubt it. Even if it lasts that long for five minutes would put it above most NVMe. I can make my NVMe look real impressive too just by RAM caching it and I think I've already proven that here, in this forum. I have no idea how much headroom Hynix has for Trim but this is a consideration. Nonetheless, at that price you really don't stand to lose a whole lot so if you're in the market it might be worth snagging while it's still cheap. I'm just hoping it isn't another bait and switch scam as so many manufacturers have been caught pulling this stunt.

Sorry I can't be more help.

From Scannerman:

... another bait and switch scam as so many manufacturers have been caught pulling this stunt

This is why I'm hesitant. Amazon Aus has discounted the Hynix Gold P31 2TB by AUD$20 this week. Still at AUD$197 compared to the EBay offer at AUD$135 - but both shops are heavily discounting these drives.

Still, Gen3 is fading as a platform as the Gen4 PC's and laptops gain market share. So the discounts are more likely old model runout than scams ... I'll watch these store offers a few more days then either plunge or get off the pot, as they say.

Scannerman said:

Can I get 7GBps data transfer speed for an hour straight? I rather doubt it.

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Who would need to. You would fill the max capacity of the drive in way less than 1 hour at that rate.

I've used machines with PCIe Gen 3 and PCIe Gen 4 drives. In real world and day to day, I cannot tell you which one is which. I would have to run a benchmark or pull out a stopwatch with a very specific task to identify which drive was which. On paper, my SN850 is 2x faster than my SN750. It certainly doesn't run all of my applications, boot and launch games 2x faster.

Amazon is selling it with the same numbers in Canadian currency plus shipping.

HYNIX GOLD 2TB

Still a little rich for my blood. The gen 4 version costs more but it's supposed to run @ double the max speed for gen 3.