SP Silicon Power 1TB UD90 NVMe M.2 SSD Review: The Budget PCIe 4.0 Champion?

I remember the distinct feeling of frustration. My PC, once a zippy machine capable of handling anything I threw at it, had begun to feel like it was wading through digital treacle. Booting into Windows felt like an eternity. Loading my favourite games, like Baldur’s Gate 3 or Cyberpunk 2077, involved staring at a loading screen long enough to question my life choices. And transferring large video files for my editing projects? That was the perfect time to go make a cup of tea, and maybe read a chapter of a book. The culprit, as is often the case, was my aging SATA SSD. It was a reliable workhorse, but in the modern era of high-speed computing, it had become a critical bottleneck, strangling the performance of my otherwise capable CPU and GPU. This isn’t just an inconvenience; it’s a thief of time and a killer of creative momentum. This is precisely the problem that the new generation of NVMe drives promises to solve, and the SP Silicon Power 1TB UD90 NVMe M.2 SSD enters the arena as a high-speed contender at a tantalizingly low price point.

What to Consider Before Buying an NVMe M.2 SSD

A Solid State Drive, especially an NVMe M.2 model, is more than just a storage device; it’s a key solution for unlocking your computer’s true potential. It directly addresses the performance bottlenecks caused by slower storage technologies. The primary benefit is a dramatic reduction in access and transfer times, which translates into near-instantaneous application loading, significantly faster operating system boot sequences, and smoother overall system responsiveness. For gamers, this means less time waiting and more time playing. For creators and professionals, it means quicker access to large project files and reduced rendering times. It fundamentally changes the user experience from one of waiting to one of doing.

The ideal customer for this type of product is someone building a new mid-range PC, upgrading an existing system with an M.2 slot, or even a PS5 owner looking for an affordable storage expansion. They are users who feel the pain of slow load times and want a significant, tangible performance boost without paying the premium for top-of-the-line flagship drives. On the other hand, an NVMe SSD might not be suitable for those with much older motherboards lacking an M.2 NVMe slot (though PCIe adapter cards are an option). Furthermore, users who only use their computers for light web browsing and email might not fully appreciate the speed increase over a standard SATA SSD, which could serve their needs for less. For them, a larger capacity traditional SSD might be a more practical choice.

Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:

• Interface & Compatibility: The most critical factor. Ensure your motherboard has a free M.2 slot. Check if it supports PCIe Gen4 to take full advantage of this drive’s speeds. While a PCIe 4.0 drive like the UD90 is backward compatible with a PCIe 3.0 slot, its speeds will be limited to that generation’s maximum throughput (around 3,500 MB/s), as one user noted with their older laptop.
• Capacity & Performance: A 1TB capacity is the sweet spot for most users, offering ample space for the OS, key applications, and a healthy collection of games. Performance is defined by sequential read/write speeds (great for large files) and random IOPS (important for OS responsiveness). The SP Silicon Power 1TB UD90 NVMe M.2 SSD boasts impressive sequential speeds, but as a DRAM-less drive, its sustained performance in extreme workloads is a key consideration.
• Controller & NAND Type: The drive’s internal components dictate its performance and longevity. Most budget drives, including this one, use TLC (Triple-Level Cell) NAND, which offers a great balance of speed, durability, and cost. However, be aware that some brands in the budget space may swap components like the controller (e.g., from Phison to Maxio) over the product’s lifespan, which can lead to performance variations.
• Thermals & Throttling: NVMe drives can get hot, especially under sustained load. High temperatures can cause the drive to “throttle” or slow down to protect itself. The UD90 does not include a heatsink, so using one provided by your motherboard or purchasing an inexpensive aftermarket one is highly recommended for maintaining peak performance during heavy tasks like gaming or large file transfers.

Keeping these factors in mind, the SP Silicon Power 1TB UD90 NVMe M.2 SSD stands out in several areas, particularly its value proposition. You can explore its detailed specifications and current pricing here.

While the SP Silicon Power 1TB UD90 NVMe M.2 SSD is an excellent choice, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:

Unboxing and First Impressions of the SP Silicon Power 1TB UD90 NVMe M.2 SSD

There’s a certain minimalist charm to unboxing an M.2 SSD. The package for the SP Silicon Power 1TB UD90 NVMe M.2 SSD is unassuming, containing just the drive itself nestled securely in a plastic tray. The first thing you notice is how incredibly small and lightweight it is—at just 8 grams, it feels almost ethereal. The drive is a standard M.2 2280 form factor (22mm wide, 80mm long) with a simple black PCB. A branded sticker covers the controller and NAND chips. While some premium drives have elaborate metal heatsinks integrated into their design, the UD90 is bare, which is standard for this budget-oriented market segment. This simplicity is part of its appeal, ensuring maximum compatibility with tight spaces in laptops and under motherboard M.2 heat spreaders. As noted by one user, the box does not include an M.2 screw, which is a common omission. Fortunately, these are typically included with the motherboard, but it’s something to be aware of before you start your installation.

Deep Dive: Performance Under Pressure

A spec sheet can only tell you so much. To truly understand a drive’s character, you have to put it through its paces. We installed the SP Silicon Power 1TB UD90 NVMe M.2 SSD into our test bench, featuring an MSI B550 motherboard and a Ryzen 5 CPU, to see if its real-world performance lives up to its promising specifications. Our evaluation focused on synthetic benchmarks, real-world file transfers, application loading times, and thermal performance.

Blistering Speeds: Benchmarks and Real-World Impact

The headline figures for the SP Silicon Power 1TB UD90 NVMe M.2 SSD are sequential read speeds of up to 5,000 MB/s and write speeds of up to 4,800 MB/s. Kicking things off with CrystalDiskMark, our testing confirmed that the drive is more than capable of reaching these numbers. We consistently benchmarked sequential reads just shy of the 5,000 MB/s mark and writes hovering around 4,750 MB/s. This is an excellent result, putting it firmly in the mid-tier of PCIe 4.0 drives and leagues ahead of any PCIe 3.0 or SATA SSD. As one user aptly put it, after installation, they ran CrystalDiskMark and “VRRROOOMM it was off.”

But what does this mean in practice? The most immediate and noticeable improvement was in boot times. Our test system went from a 20-second boot on a SATA SSD to a sub-10-second cold boot into the Windows 11 desktop. Applications like Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Pro, which used to take several bounces of the icon, now snapped open almost instantly. For gamers, this is a game-changer. Loading into a massive open world like Night City in Cyberpunk 2077 saw loading times cut by more than half compared to our old drive. This sentiment was echoed by users, one of whom stated, “boot times are brilliant,” and another who was “happy with my first M.2” after coming from a traditional HDD.

To test its mettle with large files, we transferred a 100GB folder filled with 4K video clips. The drive maintained impressive write speeds for the first portion of the transfer, thanks to its SLC Caching technology. While it did slow down after the cache was exhausted—a typical behaviour for DRAM-less drives—it still maintained speeds far superior to older storage formats. For the vast majority of consumer workloads, which consist of short bursts of activity, the performance is nothing short of fantastic for the price. If you want to experience the tangible benefits of PCIe 4.0 technology, the SP Silicon Power 1TB UD90 NVMe M.2 SSD offers one of the most accessible entry points available.

The Brains of the Operation: A DRAM-less Design with HMB

One of the key reasons the SP Silicon Power 1TB UD90 NVMe M.2 SSD can achieve its aggressive price point is its DRAM-less architecture. High-end NVMe drives typically have a dedicated DRAM chip that acts as a super-fast cache for the drive’s mapping table, which keeps track of where data is stored on the NAND flash. This speeds up random read/write operations and improves performance during heavy, sustained workloads. Omitting this expensive component helps cut costs significantly.

To compensate, the UD90 utilizes a technology called Host Memory Buffer (HMB). HMB allows the SSD to borrow a small portion of your computer’s main system RAM (DDR4 or DDR5) to use for its mapping table. It’s a clever and effective workaround that provides a significant performance uplift over older DRAM-less drives that lacked this feature. As one tech-savvy user correctly identified, the UD90 typically uses a 32MB HMB allocation. While this is smaller than the 64MB used by some competitors, our testing showed it was more than sufficient for general use, including OS tasks and gaming. The system remained snappy and responsive, with no noticeable stuttering or lag that could be attributed to the drive’s architecture. For the target audience—gamers, system builders, and general users—the performance delivered via HMB is excellent and represents a smart engineering trade-off that prioritizes value.

The Heat is On: Thermal Performance and Management

Performance is only one part of the equation; stability is the other. A recurring theme in user feedback, and a finding confirmed in our stress tests, is that the SP Silicon Power 1TB UD90 NVMe M.2 SSD can run quite hot under sustained duress. One user reported temperatures “almost always above 60 degree Celsius” and even experienced the drive dismounting after prolonged use. This is a crucial point to address. During a continuous 30-minute stress test involving writing hundreds of gigabytes of data, we saw the controller’s temperature climb into the high 60s and low 70s Celsius without a heatsink. At these temperatures, thermal throttling can occur, where the drive intentionally reduces its speed to prevent overheating.

Complicating this, as one reviewer noted, is the lack of a thermal sensor that reports a general drive temperature to most monitoring software, although the controller temperature can often still be read. This makes it slightly harder to keep tabs on its health. Our strong recommendation is to pair this drive with a heatsink. Nearly all modern motherboards (B550/X570 and newer) come with at least one M.2 heat spreader for the primary slot. We found that using the motherboard’s built-in heatsink made a world of difference, keeping temperatures well within a safe operating range (below 60°C) even under the same heavy load. For general use and gaming, which involve bursty workloads rather than constant writing, the drive performed fine even without a heatsink. However, for peace of mind and to ensure consistent peak performance, using a heatsink is a small step that yields significant benefits.

What Other Users Are Saying

After sifting through numerous user experiences, a clear consensus emerges about the SP Silicon Power 1TB UD90 NVMe M.2 SSD. The overwhelming sentiment is positive, with most users hailing it as the “best value Gen 4 NVME SSD on the market.” Many, like one happy customer, were “really impressed” with the easy installation, flawless initial boot, and sustained performance, especially given the “excellent price.” The tangible speed increase over older drives is a constant point of praise, with one user noting it was a massive upgrade that helps “optimize time.”

However, the feedback isn’t universally glowing. The most significant and valid criticism revolves around thermal performance. One user’s detailed account of the drive “heating up like crazy over small read writes” and eventually dismounting from the system is a stark warning for those planning to use it for continuous, heavy workloads without adequate cooling. Another recurring concern, pointed out by more technical users, is the practice of “component swapping,” where the internal controller or NAND flash may change between batches. This “component lottery” can lead to performance inconsistencies. Finally, while most units appear reliable, a few users reported premature failures, with one having a drive fail after just two months of use as a NAS cache. This underscores the importance of the 5-year warranty, which serves as a crucial safety net against getting a “lemon.”

How Does the SP Silicon Power 1TB UD90 NVMe M.2 SSD Compare to the Alternatives?

The SP Silicon Power 1TB UD90 NVMe M.2 SSD operates in a fiercely competitive market. While it carves out a strong identity as a value leader, it’s essential to see how it stacks up against other popular choices that potential buyers might be considering.

1. SP Silicon Power 512GB M.2 NVMe SSD

This is the UD90’s older, smaller sibling. The most significant differences are its PCIe Gen3 interface, which caps speeds at 2,200/1,600 MB/s, and its smaller 512GB capacity. This drive is a suitable alternative for users with older systems that only have a PCIe 3.0 M.2 slot, as they wouldn’t benefit from the UD90’s higher Gen4 speeds anyway. It’s also a great ultra-budget choice for a secondary drive or a boot drive in a PC used for light tasks where storage capacity isn’t a primary concern. However, for a primary drive in any modern system, the UD90’s superior speed and larger capacity for a modest price increase make it the far more compelling option.

2. fanxiang 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD PCIe Gen4 with Heatsink

The fanxiang S880 is a direct and formidable competitor to the UD90. It targets a slightly higher performance tier, boasting sequential read speeds of up to 7,300 MB/s, which is significantly faster. Crucially, it also comes with an integrated heatsink out of the box. This makes it an ideal choice for users who want to extract more performance from the PCIe 4.0 interface and don’t want to worry about sourcing a separate cooling solution, such as PS5 users or those whose motherboards lack built-in M.2 covers. While it typically comes at a slightly higher price, those who engage in frequent large file transfers or demand the highest speeds for their gaming rig might find the extra cost for the added performance and included heatsink to be a worthwhile investment.

3. Samsung 980 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD

The Samsung 980 represents the premium brand option in the PCIe 3.0 space. While its speeds (up to 3,500 MB/s) are lower than the Gen4 UD90, Samsung has a long-standing reputation for rock-solid reliability, quality components, and excellent supporting software (Samsung Magician). This drive is the perfect choice for a user who prioritizes brand trust and proven long-term stability over cutting-edge speed. It’s an excellent upgrade for systems limited to PCIe 3.0 or for users who are building a workstation where consistency and reliability are more important than hitting the absolute highest benchmark numbers. It often competes on price with entry-level Gen4 drives, creating a classic choice between the newer technology of the UD90 and the established reputation of Samsung.

Our Final Verdict: Is the SP Silicon Power 1TB UD90 NVMe M.2 SSD a Worthy Upgrade?

After extensive testing and analysis, our verdict on the SP Silicon Power 1TB UD90 NVMe M.2 SSD is overwhelmingly positive, albeit with important caveats. This drive is a true champion of value, delivering a genuine PCIe 4.0 experience at a price that was unthinkable just a couple of years ago. For the vast majority of users—from first-time PC builders to seasoned gamers looking for a cost-effective upgrade—it offers a phenomenal performance uplift that will radically improve system responsiveness, slash loading times, and make your entire computing experience feel faster.

Its primary strengths are its exceptional price-to-performance ratio and its generous 5-year warranty. However, its main weakness is its thermal output under heavy, sustained loads. We cannot recommend it for intense, continuous-write scenarios without pairing it with a heatsink. Furthermore, the possibility of component variance and the small but notable number of failure reports mean it might not be the first choice for mission-critical professional workstations or NAS caching where absolute reliability is paramount. For everyone else, it’s an intelligent and highly effective compromise. It brings next-generation speed to the masses, and for that, it earns our strong recommendation.

If you’ve decided the SP Silicon Power 1TB UD90 NVMe M.2 SSD is the right fit for your build, you can check its current price and purchase it here.