SanDisk Optimus GX 7100M SSD Review | Big League Player

The SANDISK Optimus GX 7100M is a small NVMe SSD built for speed. More importantly, it is in a compact M.2 2230 form factor. This makes it especially well-suited for portable gaming devices and small laptops. The drive uses the PCIe 4.0 x4 bus interface. Its read and write speeds can reach 7,250/6,900 MB/s.

Very solid option for gamers. It is especially useful if you're on a Steam Deck or other mobile devices. It will also work well in supported Surface and Dell notebooks. The drive is available in 1TB and 2TB capacities. It also uses TLC NAND and SanDisk nCache 4.0 technology. Tech Atlantix will look at its design, performance, power consumption, longevity, and real-world gaming performance. We'll also discuss its strengths and weaknesses.

Now, let’s take a look at its features and specifications.

·         M.2 2230 compact form factor

·         PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe 2.0 interface

·         Up to 7,250 MB/s sequential read speed

·         Up to 6,900 MB/s sequential write speed

·         Up to 1M IOPS random read

·         Up to 1.3M IOPS random write

·         SANDISK 8th-generation BiCS TLC 3D CBA NAND

·         SANDISK nCache 4.0 technology

·         Host Memory Buffer for DRAM cache

·         Available in 1TB and 2TB capacities

·         30 × 22 × 2.3 mm dimensions

·         Only 2.8 grams in weight

·         600TBW endurance for 1TB

·         1,200TBW endurance for 2 TB

·         5-year limited warranty

·         Average active power is around 3.5–4W

·         Designed for compatible handheld gaming devices and laptops

Canon FS220 recovers the picture immediately upon switch-on. It is quite compact, measuring just 30 × 22–2.3 mm. The weight is just 2.8 grams. As a result, it fits into much smaller devices than traditional M.2 2280 SSDs.

The main advantage is this small size. For example, handheld gaming devices often have limited internal storage space. So, a 2230 SSD makes much more sense. It also works well in compatible laptops or compact computers. But there is one significant caveat. The 7100M isn't your average desktop-sized SSD; Instead, it uses the M.2 2230 form factor. So check compatibility before you buy.

The Optimus GX 7100M delivers awesome performance. Sequential read speeds can be as high as 7,250 MB/s, while sequential write speeds reach a high of up to 6,900MB/s — almost stupid-fast for such a dinky little PCIe 4.0 SSD.

Its beauty also lies in its performance, with random reads up to 1M IOPS and random writes peaking at 1.3M IOPS. This delivers a responsive experience for games, applications, and other files.

When it was first tested in the real world, PCWorld characterised it as the fastest PCIe 4.0 SSD reviewed up to then. The review also noted its excellent 4K performance and its ability to maintain performance over longer writes. So this is not just about big numbers- like all great SSDs, this drive is also optimized for solid day-to-day performance.

Gaming is undoubtedly a primary focus of this SSD, so here are the details. The 2230 layout also makes it especially appealing for handheld gaming devices. This is very similar to something like SANDISK, which lists certain Steam Deck, MSI Claw, Microsoft Surface and Dell systems as compatible.

It will also speed up transfers as an external storage device, but its high read speed also supports large game installations and faster loading. Fast storage also helps load large AAA games faster. Moves lagging games closer to users: At the same time, nCache 4.0 improves responsiveness and reduces game disconnects for supported workloads.

The 2TB version also performed well in Tom's Hardware, earning a "highly rated" score as "an excellent 2230 drive with solid overall performance coupled with great power efficiency.

One more benefit is Power efficiency. First, portable video game consoles run on a battery. This makes for a powerful, yet power-efficient SSD. Officially, average active read power is cited as being about 3.5W for 1TB and 3.7W for the 2TB solution. Typical write power is approximately 3.8W and 4.0W, respectively. Sleep power is only 5mW. This provides a decent tradeoff between speed and power consumption for the Optimus GX 7100M. This makes it particularly well suited for mobile gaming.

The 1TB Optimus GX 7100M is rated for 600TBW, while the 2 TB models deliver an impressive -12/1800 pebbles. It also includes a 5-year limited warranty. That said, this certainly doesn't mean the drive is unbreakable. That said, the endurance ratings are pretty good for a small gaming SSD. As such, anyone who installs games regularly and transfers large files should expect years of useful life from the drive.

Here is what it offers:

Pros

·         Very small M.2 2230 design

·         Excellent PCIe 4.0 performance

·         Up to 7,250 MB/s read speed

·         Up to 6,900 MB/s write speed

·         Excellent random performance

·         TLC NAND instead of QLC

·         Good power efficiency

·         Available up to 2TB

·         5-year limited warranty

Cons

·         It is expensive compared with slower 2230 SSDs

·         Only 1TB and 2TB capacities are offered

·         Compatibility must be checked because it uses M.2 2230

·         High performance may not be fully useful in older PCIe systems

Take the SANDISK Optimus GX 7100M, an amazing little compact SSD. If you require the quickest PCIe 4.0 performance that can be crammed into a slim M.2 2230 form factor, it's an impressive candidate;

It works particularly well for portable gaming devices. For large game libraries and rapid storage, Tom's Guide describes it as well suited for gamers. The same goes for those with compact, daylight-compatible, crisp laptops, as it performs very well.

The one major drawback of this: The price is high. Unable to find a consensus, PCWorld also called its one main weakness price. Even so, for ultimate performance, density and efficiency, the SANDISK Optimus GX 7100M is one of the best-in-class SSDs you'll find in a 2230 PCIe 4.0 form factor.