Crucial, a leading manufacturer of solid-state drives (SSDs), has announced the launch of its latest addition to the Gen5 consumer NVMe SSD lineup – the T705 PCIe 5.0 M.2 2280 NVMe SSD. This new drive takes over the flagship position from the Crucial T700, which was released last year. With a focus on the high-end consumer SSD segment, Crucial aims to cater to gamers, content creators, professional users, and data-heavy AI applications.
The T705 utilizes the same platform as its predecessor, the T700, featuring Phison’s E26 controller and Micron’s B58R 232L 3D TLC NAND. However, the key difference lies in the B58R NAND operating at 2400 MT/s in the T705, compared to 2000 MT/s in the T700. This improvement is made possible by Micron’s matured 232L NAND process. The new drive boasts increased performance in all aspects, including up to 20% faster random writes and 18% higher sequential reads. Crucial also claims more bandwidth within a similar power window for the T705.
The T705 is available in three capacities – 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB. Customers have the option to choose between heatsink and non-heatsink versions, with a special white heatsink limited edition offered for the 2TB variant. This white heatsink caters to users with white-themed motherboards, which are gaining popularity in the market.
To appeal to gamers, Crucial highlights the use of Phison’s ‘I/O+ Technology’ in the T705, which optimizes DirectStorage. The E26 controller in this high-performance drive is equipped with Micron LPDDR4 DRAM (1GB / TB of flash) for efficient flash translation layer (FTL) management.
Here are the specifications for the Crucial T705 Gen5 NVMe SSD:
– Capacity: 1TB, 2TB, 4TB
– Controller: Phison PS5026-E26
– NAND Flash: Micron B58R 232L 3D TLC NAND at 2400 MT/s
– Form-Factor, Interface: Double-Sided M.2-2280, PCIe 5.0 x4, NVMe 2.0
– Sequential Read: 13600 MB/s, 14500 MB/s, 14100 MB/s
– Sequential Write: 10200 MB/s, 12700 MB/s, 12600 MB/s
– Random Read IOPS: 1.4 M, 1.55 M, 1.5 M
– Random Write IOPS: 1.75 M, 1.8 M, 1.8 M
– SLC Caching: Dynamic (up to 11% of user capacity)
– TCG Opal Encryption: Yes
– Warranty: 5 years
– Write Endurance: 600 TBW, 0.33 DWPD; 1200 TBW, 0.33 DWPD; 2400 TBW, 0.33 DWPD
– MSRP: $240 (24¢/GB) (Non-Heatsink), $260 (26¢/GB) (Heatsink); $400 (20¢/GB) (Non-Heatsink), $440 (22¢/GB) (Black Heatsink), $484 (24.2¢/GB) (White Heatsink); $714 (17.85¢/GB) (Non-Heatsink), $730 (18.25¢/GB) (Heatsink)
Crucial assures customers that the included passive heatsink is sufficient to prevent heavy throttling during extended use. The firmware throttling activates at 81°C, with a protective shutdown at 90°C. While flash pricing has increased compared to last year, the use of 2400 MT/s flash allows Crucial to position the T705 as a premium product. The 4TB capacity variant can be purchased for as low as 18¢/GB, while the 1TB and 2TB options range from 20 to 26¢/GB depending on the heatsink choice.
Although several Gen5 consumer SSDs using the same 2400 MT/s B58R 3D TLC NAND and Phison’s E26 controller are expected to enter the market in the coming months, Crucial’s vertical integration with Micron on the NAND front may give them an advantage in terms of pricing. However, it’s worth noting that the Gen5 consumer SSD market is still in its early stages, with only one mass-market controller (Phison E26) currently available. Other vendors, such as Innogrit and Silicon Motion, may gain traction in this space. For now, Crucial/Mic