Why The Fastest Storage Is Unnecessary For Most Users: PCIe 5.0 SSDs Are Not For You

PCIe 5.0 SSDs are the fastest storage option currently available for the consumer market, practically offering almost double the bandwidth of PCIe 4.0, which can bring you up to 16 GB/s across 4 lanes. Some Gen5 SSDs offer around 15,000 MB/s, making them a perfect solution for heavy workloads. However, these insane speeds are offered even before any user even needs them. Instant boot times, fast game loading, and smooth productivity workflows were already offered by Gen4 SSDs. So in my opinion, following the price hike and thermal challenges, Gen5 SSDs have struggled to prove themselves valuable in everyday use.

I recently built a custom PC, and the most time-consuming part was deciding on the processor storage for me, as I needed good storage. So before buying, I personally dug into the storage and all the components to make sure I didn’t make any nuisance mistakes. And I learnt that the latest PCIe 5.0 is most probably not needed by everyone. And in this article, I will share why. So without any further ado, let’s head into the article.

Key Specifications at a Glance

Why Gen5 SSDs are not for you

Sequential Speeds Were Not the Bottleneck

Most of our daily work loads depend on random IOPS (Input/Output Operations Per Second) rather than sequential throughput. The speed benefits of Gen5 are often unnoticeable because typical uses like gaming, web browsing, and standard work rarely push Gen4 performance to its limit.

Limited Software Adoption

Theoretically speaking, technology such as DirectStorage can benefit from PCIe 5.0 bandwidth, but only a small number of games currently support it. And also GPU decompression and performance overhead will still limit real-world improvements.

Cost and Thermal Challenges

- Gen5 SSDs are significantly more expensive

- DRAM shortages have pushed storage prices higher

- Higher power draw leads to increased heat

- Many models require large sinks or active cooling

- Thermal throttling remains a concern under sustained load

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Final Thoughts

Right now, hardly anyone is using those super-fast PCIe 5.0 SSDs because software isn't really taking full advantage of their speed yet. But, as things like DirectStorage become more common and when the prices drop, they'll probably become a much more sensible option.

As per the benchmarks, PCIe 5.0 SSDs deliver really impressive numbers, but practically users will see little benefit over proven PCIe 4.0 drives. Higher costs, more heat, and minimal performance gains in common workloads make them hard to justify as per their pricing today. However, with time Gen5 SSDs will remain a glimpse of the future when the prices justify them better.