Test SSD pro PlayStation 5 » Vortex

With the release of a recent major firmware update for the PlayStation 5, functionality has been significantly expanded, among other things. For the first time since the launch of the console, we can open the device in our region with impunity and insert a second internal disk into it. This – as we have known for a long time – must meet certain parameters and you can find them in the box below. But in the end the reality is a bit different and you can also try discs that do not meet the official parameters perfectly (we wrote here). However, the practice verified so far and from foreign media is that if players follow the recommendations, they do not have to worry about compromises. And since we also promised to give you our own impressions before the update was released, you can finally start reading them. However, in our case we did not aim low and thanks to the willing cooperation with Alza.cz we had the opportunity to try disks that can not be called other than bestiemi. We received the best of the best for the loan, and below you can see the impressions from the tests of the three disks from the manufacturers Gigabyte, Samsung and Western Digital, while all tested had a capacity of 2 TB.

But before we get to the results of the tests as such, let’s first focus on installing the disks themselves. It may seem easy to some, but compared to the competing Xbox Series S / X, it is a drop more complicated process. However, if you have ever held a screwdriver in your hand and you understand that it is not the most sensible to start any installation of live equipment, you have nothing to worry about.

Paradoxically, the most complicated step in the disc replacement process is to remove the plastic side. It is necessary to lift it with force on one side and at the same time push it with feeling on the other side. Of course, it is only necessary to remove the cover on one side of the console – when looking at the built-in console from the front, it is the right side, ie the version with the drive on the side where there is just a hole for the disc. It is a cover without a logo. Here, I would ideally recommend potential do-it-yourselfers to visit YouTube and search for a video with illustrative instructions. For example, a contribution from the Arekkz Gaming channel can be recommended at random, instructions in the form of pictures can be found below anyway. But don’t forget to turn off the console from the power supply, as we wrote above!

Image to replace the disc

Then it is necessary to remove the metal cover of the free M.2 slot, where you can already find a screw with an iconic set of symbols. We could also find it in the previous generation of the console for interest. Under the cover, there is already a space for connecting the disk, where it is only necessary to pay attention to the correct insertion into the connector. First, however, it is necessary to determine the total length of the disk and, if necessary, select the correct position in the console of the prepared spacer. Be sure to remove the fixing screw from the post first. In our case, it was true that all the selected disks corresponded in length to the original position of the column, so there was no need to change it. As for connecting the disc, it is ideal to insert the disc at a slight angle and then place and insert it with a slight pressure so that the connectors disappear completely. Then all you have to do is secure the disc in advance with the unwanted screw, pre-install the metal cover, lower the side panel and lower the console. Keep in mind, however, that Sony strongly recommends that you have a heat sink installed that is also the size specified (in the form of the total height created by adding the disc and heat sink). Sure, the console won’t know if you’ve installed a heat sink, but it can negatively affect the performance and overall life of the drive.

If you’ve done everything right, you’ll be greeted with a forced disk format and a speed test when you turn on the console. Subsequently, you can set in the console menu which unit the games should be installed by default and the fun can begin. Copying data to a new disk is very simple and above all lightning fast. Paradoxically, it is even significantly faster than copying to a standard internal drive disk, which brings us to the most important thing – speeds.

As reference values, we will of course use the original internal disc, which Mark Cerny highlighted so much in the introduction of the PlayStation 5. Cerny promised instant recording when the hardware specifications were revealed, and his experience with optimized titles proved him right. For example, Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered starts in less than eight seconds and takes only two seconds to load a saved position. Players literally don’t even have time to blink. Another similarly optimized title is the Control action, in which you can get to the main menu from the console dashboard again in about eight seconds (and you’ll still be able to view logos and copyrights along the way) and it will take seven seconds to load game positions. True, this is not an instant recording, however, the time is gone when we had the position loaded and went to the fridge for a snack. You can see the overall summary of the values ​​in the table below.

The internal SSD set the bar high, and the expectations of the other disks were even greater. The first tested was the Gigabyte Aorus GEN4 7000s, which you can buy on the Alze in the tested size of 2 TB for 10,890 crowns and which was the only one on loan that contained a natively installed cooler. For the two remaining discs, we supplied our own heatsink, as shown in our gallery. The price of a half-capacity disk is more than half less, so if you only need to expand “only” by 1 TB, prepare 5,189 crowns. Even with this model, it is not a purely cheap matter, but we note that it is an absolutely top-notch disc, which with its parameters meets the specifications of Sony. In addition, it is appropriate to add a price comparison with the competition in the form of a Seagate Expansion Card for the Xbox Series X / S 1TB, which can be purchased for 5,799 crowns.

However, for this price you get a completely adequate teammate for the basic disk in the console. For example, in Spider-Man Remastered, it gets to the menu in an average of 7.59 hundredths of a second. It then takes barely two seconds and less than two tenths on top to load the game across several saved positions. The game loads two tenths of a second slower, but it’s not something you might notice in such a forum. The other measured values ​​also correspond to the native disk and you will not honestly encounter the change. Everything simply runs as it should.

The second tested disc was the Samsung 980 PRO 2TB, which you can find on Alza for 9,999 crowns; the price of a half-size disk is set at 5,299 crowns. And if you look at the table below, you won’t see too many differences in this case either. Titles optimized for PlayStation 5 behave in much the same way and the differences are negligible. In the main menu of the Control title, you are on average in less than eight seconds, and for example, loading Death Stranding positions does not take more than seven seconds. Other attempts were even faster to learn, but here I would rather point the difference compared to the previous Gigabyte to slight differences in selected positions. Also, loading titles for PlayStation 4 behaves practically the same, and for all tested discs, you can get to the Kingdom Come menu in about a minute, and the fastest loading of a saved position in Cyberpunk takes about 14 seconds.

In the end, we kept the potentially best – Mark Cerny recommended WD Black SN850 NVMe 2TB, which can be purchased in the tested size for 9,999 crowns, and for half sizes, half price also applies. Here, for example, it is obvious at first glance that the first two tested titles adjusted for the potential of the PS5 get into the menu more slowly. The measured 7.59 seconds at Gigabyte can be contrasted here with the value of 8.13 seconds, but – hand on heart – a similar difference is hard to tell. The other values ​​also look practically comparable, which in the end actually makes the choice of disk quite easy.

However, testing the data transfer rate is a separate chapter. Here a bizarre situation arises, which partly contradicts Mark Cerny’s words about the perfection and speed of the chosen solution. The table below shows that copying data to the console’s internal disk can be up to ten times slower in some cases. However, the opposite is different, and for example, the more than 100 GB Cyberpunk 2077 can be reached in both Gigabyte and Samsung in less than a minute and 14 seconds.

Summary

Below you will find a table of the most important – an overall comparison of the loading times of positions for individual titles and discs. For each of the games, we have selected the first column with values, ie we will compare the loading of the same position of the game. The highlighted values ​​are the lowest achieved, and at first glance it might seem that the Gigabyte Aorus GEN4 7000s is a better drive compared to the others and that all the others are also faster compared to the console’s internal drive, however, a closer look at the values ​​reveals that differences they are almost marginal.

The conclusion is clear for us. If you run sprints and attack Olympic records, then you have a clear idea of ​​a hundredth of a second and you can’t tell the difference. For us, ordinary mortals, however, the information must be enough that the differences are often negligible and do not matter. In the final reason, therefore, arguments such as personal sympathy (or antipathy) to a particular manufacturer, or even workshop processing, are surprisingly relevant. Here we point out the weirdness discovered with the WD Black SN850 NVMe drive and which you can notice in the gallery above – the drive is slightly bent. It is difficult to judge whether it is a defect of a piece or a series, however, the defect was obvious. However, it had absolutely no effect on the function, in other words: if you are considering a purchase, follow the parameters set by Sony and do not step next to it. In conclusion, let’s just remark that in addition to the price, you should also monitor the stated service life and the provided warranty in the parameters of the disc.