Verdict and Conclusion
If you’re planning to install and run a Gen5 SSD on your PC system, there’s one big precaution that you need to be aware of. Most Gen5 SSDs tend to run extremely hot, and definitely require extra cooling in the form of a large heatsink. High temperatures due to insufficient cooling can cause throttling, and thus reducing its overall performance.
Thankfully, the PNY XLR8 CS3150 comes with an unique dual-fan heatsink design, which helps to keep your Gen5 SSD cool and thus preventing performance throttling. At full load, it produced a maximum temperature of only 48 degees Celsius, which is fairly low for a Gen5 SSD. As far as I’m aware, the PNY XLR8 CS3150 is the only Gen5 SSD on the market with a dual-fan heatsink design.
https://youtube.com/shorts/qW9GIdJqSJ0?si=efnc5mr0owJ5WY7p
So what about performance? Well, during our benchmarks, the PNY XLR8 CS3150 performed better than we expected and wel above its advertised speed. In our Crystalmark tests, it produced a maximum read speed of 11,679 MB/sec and write speeds of 10,181 MB/sec. For Anvil’s 4K QD16 read/write test, we got phenomenal IOPS scores of 280,294.10 and 549,243.28 respectively.
Its excellent performance is all thanks to the already-proven Phison E26 PCIE 5.0 SSD controller, along with Micron’s 232-layer 3D TLC NAND chips, which provides the best combination for performance and endurance. So as far as performance is concerned, I couldn’t be more happier.
Wait, there’s more. The SSD also comes with RGB lighting which adds great aesthetics for gamers. Again, it’s another first … as of right now, the PNY XLR8 CS3150 is the only PCIE Gen5 SSD on the market that offers RGB lighting.
The only thing that slightly irked me, is the USB cable that needs to be plugged in to your motherboard’s USB header, as it powers the cooling fans and RGB lighting. It can be unsightly and it’s not ideal, but manageable. Now, the SSD comes with dual cooling fans, and as you know, anything that spins will produce noise … just be aware of that!
And lastly, the maximum storage compacity for the PNY XLR8 CS3150 series is currently 1TB, there isn’t a 2TB or 4TB option.
You can buy the PNY XLR8 CS3150 M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen 5×4 1TB SSD (with RGB heatsink) for around USD $185 from Amazon – https://amzn.to/3QuvSNh
Final Thoughts
The PNY XLR8 CS3150 Gen5 SSD packs a big punch in terms of performance. The dual-fan heatsink design does a great job of cooling the SSD, while the RGB lighting adds great aesthetics to any gaming PC.
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