On the test bench today is the XPG Spectrix S40G M.2 NVMe RGB SSD. RGB has become very popular in the last few years and the fact that this SSDs RGB package can be configured with XPG’s own software package is a bonus, as well as its configuration being part and parcel with some motherboards.
As a storage reviewer, however, we are always interested when companies break free of the current trend to add different hardware profiles to their products. XPG has done this with the Spectrix S40G by combining it with a not so commonplace Realtek RTS5762 8-channel NVME PCIe 3.0×4 controller.
The XPG S40G is a PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 SSD that is available in capacities ranging from 256GB to 2TB. It uses the latest NVMe 1.3 protocol, comes with a 5-year limited warranty, and has performance specifications up to 3500MB/s read and 3000MB/s write with up to 290K read and 240K write IOPS at low 4k disk access. It has AES 256-bit encryption on board and has a listed product guarantee of 640TBW for the 1TB drive.
The XPG Spectrix S40G is available in the 2280 (80mm) form factor, and has its components situated on a black two-sided PCB. It contains the Realtek RTS5762 controller we spoke of above, 4 packages of ADATA branded NAND flash memory, this being Micron 3D TLC, and a Nanya DDR3-1600 128mb DRAM chip.
The SSD also includes a passive cooling cover that is stuck to the SSD with thermal tape and can be easily removed if not needed. Remember though, the cover provides the benefits of good looking RGB. Each of the four memory packages is 256GB RAW NAND flash memory for a total of 1TB. When formatted, this SSD provides a total of 954GB of storage space to the end-user.
This link will bring you to the XPG RGB software that you see in this picture. It not only provides unlimited color combinations, but also, various lighting effects to include breathing, strobe, cycle, rainbow, breathing rainbow, comet and comet rainbow, along with static options.
SSD testing at TSSDR differs slightly, depending on whether we are looking at consumer or enterprise storage media. For our XPG Spectrix S40G NVMe M.2 SSD testing today, our goal is to test in a system that has been optimized with our SSD Optimization Guide. To see the best performance possible, the CPU C states have been disabled, C1E support has been disabled, and Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology (EIST) has been disabled. Benchmarks for client testing are also benchmarks with a fresh drive so, not only can we verify that manufacturer specifications are in line but also, so those buying pre-built systems with the S40G can replicate our tests to confirm that they have an SSD that is top-notch. We even provide links to most of the benchmarks used in the report.
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
The components of this Test Bench are detailed below. All hardware is linked for purchase and product sales may be reached by a simple click on the individual item. As well, the title is linked back to the individual build article where performance testing can be validated.
TSSDR ASROCK Z370 TAICHI TEST BENCH (link)
PC CHASSIS: Corsair Graphite 760T Arctic White Window Chassis
MOTHERBOARD: ASRock Z370 Taichi
CPU: Intel Coffee Lake Core i7-8770K
CPU COOLER: Corsair Hydro Series H110i GTX V.2
POWER SUPPLY: Corsair RM850x 80Plus
GRAPHICS: MSI Radeon RX570
MEMORY: Corsair Vengeance RGB 32GB DDR4 3600Mhz C18
STORAGE: Intel Optane 900P 480GB SSD
KEYBOARD: Corsair Strafe RGB Silent Gaming
MOUSE: Corsair M65 Pro Gaming
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
BENCHMARK SOFTWARE
The software in use for today’s analysis is typical of many of our reviews and consists of Crystal Disk Info, ATTO Disk Benchmark, Crystal Disk Mark, AS SSD, Anvil’s Storage Utilities, AJA, and TxBench. Our selection of software allows each to build on the last and to provide validation to the results already obtained.
CRYSTAL DISK INFO VER. 8.3.1
Crystal Disk Info is a great tool for displaying the characteristics and health of storage devices. It displays everything from temperatures, the number of hours the device has been powered, and even to the extent of informing you of the firmware of the device.
Crystal Disk Info validates that our SSD is running in PCIe 3.0 x4 (four-lane), and also that NVMe 1.3 protocol is in use.
ADATA SSD TOOLBOX
The XPG Spectrix S40G is fully compatible with ADATA’s own SSD Toolbox which is probably one of the most complete SSD software programs in the business. Not only does it provide complete quick and full diagnostics and the ability to run a TRIM of the drive, but also, its Utilities include SSD Security Erase along with Firmware Update and toolbox Upgrade.
ATTO DISK BENCHMARK VER. 3.05
ATTO Disk Benchmark is perhaps one of the oldest benchmarks going and is definitely the main staple for manufacturer performance specifications. ATTO uses RAW or compressible data and, for our benchmarks, we use a set length of 256mb and test both the read and write performance of various transfer sizes ranging from 0.5 to 8192kb. Manufacturers prefer this method of testing as it deals with raw (compressible) data rather than random (includes incompressible data) which, although more realistic, results in lower performance results.
A bit confusing perhaps… The XPG Spectrix S40G reaches listed read speeds of 3.5GB/s no problem but, at least this software, has us stalled at 1.8GB/s for reading performance. We tested the same in our Z370, X299 and newest X570 systems just to ensure what we were seeing was correct.
CRYSTAL DISK BENCHMARK VER. 7.0.0 x64
Crystal Disk Benchmark is used to measure read and write performance through sampling of random data which is, for the most part, incompressible. Performance is virtually identical, regardless of data sample so we have included only that using random data samples.
THROUGHPUT
IOPS
Crystal Diskmark performance appears quite a bit better, write throughput still being just a bit short, however. Conversely, both read and write IOPS are better than listed specs.
AS SSD BENCHMARK VER 1.9
The toughest benchmark available for solid-state drives is AS SSD as it relies solely on incompressible data samples when testing performance. For the most part, AS SSD tests can be considered the ‘worst-case scenario’ in obtaining data transfer speeds and many enthusiasts like AS SSD for their needs. Transfer speeds are displayed on the left with IOPS results on the right. The AS SSD results aren’t as appealing as we might like to see but do get a first look at reading and write IOPS which appear to be in the general ballpark of listed specs.
AS SSD displays what we might expect for throughput read and even IOPS, however, the high sequential write performance should be much higher.
XPG Spectrix S40G RGB NVMe M.2 SSD Review (1TB)
On the test bench today is the XPG Spectrix S40G M.2 NVMe RGB SSD. RGB has become very popular in the last few years and the fact that this SSDs RGB package can be configured with XPG’s own software package is a bonus, as well as its configuration being part and parcel with some motherboards.
As a storage reviewer, however, we are always interested when companies break free of the current trend to add different hardware profiles to their products. XPG has done this with the Spectrix S40G by combining it with a not so commonplace Realtek RTS5762 8-channel NVME PCIe 3.0×4 controller.
The XPG S40G is a PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 SSD that is available in capacities ranging from 256GB to 2TB. It uses the latest NVMe 1.3 protocol, comes with a 5-year limited warranty, and has performance specifications up to 3500MB/s read and 3000MB/s write with up to 290K read and 240K write IOPS at low 4k disk access. It has AES 256-bit encryption on board and has a listed product guarantee of 640TBW for the 1TB drive.
The XPG Spectrix S40G is available in the 2280 (80mm) form factor, and has its components situated on a black two-sided PCB. It contains the Realtek RTS5762 controller we spoke of above, 4 packages of ADATA branded NAND flash memory, this being Micron 3D TLC, and a Nanya DDR3-1600 128mb DRAM chip.
The SSD also includes a passive cooling cover that is stuck to the SSD with thermal tape and can be easily removed if not needed. Remember though, the cover provides the benefits of good looking RGB. Each of the four memory packages is 256GB RAW NAND flash memory for a total of 1TB. When formatted, this SSD provides a total of 954GB of storage space to the end-user.
This link will bring you to the XPG RGB software that you see in this picture. It not only provides unlimited color combinations, but also, various lighting effects to include breathing, strobe, cycle, rainbow, breathing rainbow, comet and comet rainbow, along with static options.
SSD testing at TSSDR differs slightly, depending on whether we are looking at consumer or enterprise storage media. For our XPG Spectrix S40G NVMe M.2 SSD testing today, our goal is to test in a system that has been optimized with our SSD Optimization Guide. To see the best performance possible, the CPU C states have been disabled, C1E support has been disabled, and Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology (EIST) has been disabled. Benchmarks for client testing are also benchmarks with a fresh drive so, not only can we verify that manufacturer specifications are in line but also, so those buying pre-built systems with the S40G can replicate our tests to confirm that they have an SSD that is top-notch. We even provide links to most of the benchmarks used in the report.
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
The components of this Test Bench are detailed below. All hardware is linked for purchase and product sales may be reached by a simple click on the individual item. As well, the title is linked back to the individual build article where performance testing can be validated.
TSSDR ASROCK Z370 TAICHI TEST BENCH (link)
PC CHASSIS: Corsair Graphite 760T Arctic White Window Chassis
MOTHERBOARD: ASRock Z370 Taichi
CPU: Intel Coffee Lake Core i7-8770K
CPU COOLER: Corsair Hydro Series H110i GTX V.2
POWER SUPPLY: Corsair RM850x 80Plus
GRAPHICS: MSI Radeon RX570
MEMORY: Corsair Vengeance RGB 32GB DDR4 3600Mhz C18
STORAGE:Intel Optane 900P 480GB SSD
KEYBOARD: Corsair Strafe RGB Silent Gaming
MOUSE: Corsair M65 Pro Gaming
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
BENCHMARK SOFTWARE
The software in use for today’s analysis is typical of many of our reviews and consists of Crystal Disk Info, ATTO Disk Benchmark, Crystal Disk Mark, AS SSD, Anvil’s Storage Utilities, AJA, and TxBench. Our selection of software allows each to build on the last and to provide validation to the results already obtained.
CRYSTAL DISK INFO VER. 8.3.1
Crystal Disk Info is a great tool for displaying the characteristics and health of storage devices. It displays everything from temperatures, the number of hours the device has been powered, and even to the extent of informing you of the firmware of the device.
Crystal Disk Info validates that our SSD is running in PCIe 3.0 x4 (four-lane), and also that NVMe 1.3 protocol is in use.
ADATA SSD TOOLBOX
The XPG Spectrix S40G is fully compatible with ADATA’s own SSD Toolbox which is probably one of the most complete SSD software programs in the business. Not only does it provide complete quick and full diagnostics and the ability to run a TRIM of the drive, but also, its Utilities include SSD Security Erase along with Firmware Update and toolbox Upgrade.
ATTO DISK BENCHMARK VER. 3.05
ATTO Disk Benchmark is perhaps one of the oldest benchmarks going and is definitely the main staple for manufacturer performance specifications. ATTO uses RAW or compressible data and, for our benchmarks, we use a set length of 256mb and test both the read and write performance of various transfer sizes ranging from 0.5 to 8192kb. Manufacturers prefer this method of testing as it deals with raw (compressible) data rather than random (includes incompressible data) which, although more realistic, results in lower performance results.
A bit confusing perhaps… The XPG Spectrix S40G reaches listed read speeds of 3.5GB/s no problem but, at least this software, has us stalled at 1.8GB/s for read performance. We tested the same in our Z370, X299 and newest X570 systems just to ensure what we were seeing was correct.
CRYSTAL DISK BENCHMARK VER. 7.0.0 x64
Crystal Disk Benchmark is used to measure read and write performance through sampling of random data which is, for the most part, incompressible. Performance is virtually identical, regardless of data sample so we have included only that using random data samples.
THROUGHPUT
IOPS
Crystal Diskmark performance appears quite a bit better, write throughput still being just a bit short, however. Conversely, both read and write IOPS are better than listed specs.
AS SSD BENCHMARK VER 1.9
The toughest benchmark available for solid-state drives is AS SSD as it relies solely on incompressible data samples when testing performance. For the most part, AS SSD tests can be considered the ‘worst-case scenario’ in obtaining data transfer speeds and many enthusiasts like AS SSD for their needs. Transfer speeds are displayed on the left with IOPS results on the right. The AS SSD results aren’t as appealing as we might like to see but do get a first look at reading and write IOPS which appear to be in the general ballpark of listed specs.
AS SSD displays what we might expect for throughput read and even IOPS, however, the high sequential write performance should be much higher.
REAL WORLD FILE TRANSFER COMPARISON
We have put the XPG Spectrix S40G NVMe M.2 SSD besides the best in the business for our true to life data testing. In this test, we simply place 15GB files representing music, video, pictures and operating systems onto the target drive. We then copy each file from one place on the target disk to another, recording the time taken for the transfer.
REVIEW ANALYSIS AND FINAL THOUGHTS
In the beginning, we spoke of our enthusiasm for testing a controller just a bit outside what we might see mainstream, this being the Realtek RTS 5762 8-channel NVMe PCIe 3.0 x4 chip. Our results are pretty much to be expected, in that, they are everywhere. It is the reason we decide to provide the results of so many programs, to include a bit of reality testing.
The XPG Spectrix S40G is a very attractive SSD and it is RGB with software to configure just how the LEDs work so that is of huge benefit. The drive does push out 3.5GB/s throughput and boasts of over 1/4 million reads and write IOPS which speaks very well to user needs. With a 5-year warranty and the configurable RGB, pricing for this SSD is pretty decent and we found it on Amazon the day of this report, from ADATA, for $54.99 (256GB), $79.99 (512GB), $159.99 (1TB), and $309.99 (2TB).
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