What just happened? Micron’s latest storage offering is here for gaming handhelds, mini PCs, and ultraportables. The company just unleashed the Crucial P310 2230 Gen4 NVMe SSD, and they’re making some bold claims about its speed and capacities in that tight little M.2 package.
Hitting virtual shelves now, the P310 rocks the compact M.2 2230 form factor but absolutely does not sacrifice performance. Micron says this is the fastest consumer 2230 Gen4 drive on the market, capable of blistering 7,100MB/s sequential read and 6,000MB/s write speeds.
The P310 also promises up to 1 million random read IOPS. That random performance is crucial for quick game loads and fluid gameplay, so Micron’s drive should let you zip in and out of apps with ease.
There is some debate over whether Micron can truly claim “fastest” status with the P310’s sequential speeds. An IRDM drive launched earlier supposedly has the edge. However, the Crucial SSD’s random performance might give it the real-world advantage for gaming. Plus, that IRDM product doesn’t seem to actually be available stateside yet, as noted by Hot Hardware.
Speaking of handhelds, this SSD seems tailor-made for the Steam Deck and ROG Ally. The capacities top out at a spacious 2TB, giving you room to install a massive game library on those portable powerhouses. Upgrading the storage on those consoles is certainly a bit of a process but can be rewarding for those with the right tools.
The P310 could also be a sweet upgrade for mini PCs and slim laptops where every millimeter of space is precious. Micron specifically identifies models like certain Surface and Dell machines as fitting hosts.
Under the hood, the P310 pairs Micron’s advanced 3D NAND with a controller co-designed with Phison to emphasize power efficiency as well as speed. The companies worked closely to tune that silicon and logic for a perfect balance of battery life and throughput for mobile gaming.
Micron’s new offering is out now at the usual retailers with a five-year warranty. 2TB and 1TB versions cover the current available capacities, with pricing at $214.99 and $114.99, respectively, on Crucial’s website. A larger 2280 model optimized more for desktop gaming rigs is also planned for later this year.
