The Seagate FireCuda 540 is making waves as one of the first high-profile Gen 5 NVMe SSDs to hit the market, designed for those running the best processors for gaming and motherboards compatible with PCIe 5.0. It’s being touted as an impressive successor to the Seagate FireCuda 530, offering a glimpse into the potential of the next generation of SSDs.
However, the major downside is the price point which is quite high, with the 1TB model retailing for $189.99 and the 2TB model for $319.99. Although it’s an investment, the FireCuda 540 delivers impressive sequential performance, achieving 10,000 MB/s in reads and writes.
But is this level of performance necessary right now, or simply future-proofing for upcoming games? The adoption of Gen 4 SSDs was slow, and the same pattern could repeat itself with Gen 5, meaning it may be a couple of years before software fully utilizes the hardware’s capabilities.
The FireCuda 540 is currently available in the US, UK, and Australia at the aforementioned price points, competing with other Gen 5 offerings such as the Corsair MP700. In terms of specs, it features a PCIe 5.0 x4 NVMe interface, Phison E26 controller, and 232-Layer Micron TLC flash memory.
In terms of performance, the FireCuda 540 excels, surpassing leading Gen 4.0 models and offering impressive random 4K read and write speeds. Its real-world file transfer times are equally impressive, showcasing the capabilities of the Phison E26 controller and Micron TLC flash memory. However, while current games may not fully optimize the capabilities of the FireCuda 540, it’s an investment for future-proofing and ensuring smooth performance in upcoming titles.
Ultimately, if you’re seeking leading sequential performance from your NVMe SSD, the Seagate FireCuda 540 is unmatched in this regard and could be a worthy investment for those looking ahead to the future of gaming.
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