SK Hynix Gold P31 1TB NVMe – Quick Look Review

Manufacturer: SK Hynix SK Hynix Gold P31 1TB NVMe – Quick Look Review

SK Hynix P31 Primed for Performance

We did some quick benchmarking on the SK Hynix Gold P31 1TB NVMe storage device, and it has shown some impressive performance based on the tests done so far. Take a look at the Crystal Disk Mark standard test charts and PC Mark Storage benchmarks below. The Western Digital SN750 drive we compared it with is known to be a good quality, and well performing NVMe device, while the SK Hynix does actually seem to edge it out a bit, at least in these quick tests. Both the SK Hynix and the Western Digital are using proprietary controllers from what I understand, and both were formatted and tested empty for the comparisons below.

"The SK hynix Gold P31 PCIe NVMe SSD is the world’s first 128-layer NAND and the first PCIe NVMe consumer SSD installed with the NAND to deliver more stable computer performance. The Gold P31 is an excellent and affordable way to upgrade your computer for optimum power consumption and is an ideal solution for those who are spending more time than ever video conferencing, gaming or doing design or production work."

Biodegradable and Soy Ink

I was mildly surprised by certain aspects of the packaging for the SK Hynix Gold P31 actually, with how upfront SK Hynix was in declaring everything was printed with soy ink and all the packing material was biodegradable. So if that counts for something as a potential purchaser, you should know that. It was indeed, well packed though.

The test bench system was with an Intel 10700k, 16gb 3200Mhz Corsair ram, on a Z490 Gigabyte board. Almost without having to say it, but the GPU was one you can probably buy, the inglorious Nvidia GT710. The drives were swapped into the primary NVMe slot for direct 4x CPU PCIe lane access.

Crystal Diskmark & PC Mark Storage Test Performance

SN750 NVMe CD Mark
Western Digital SN750 Black 1TB
SK Hynix Gold P31 1TB NVMe - Quick Look Review - General Tech 11
SK Hynix NVMe CD Mark
SK Hynix Gold P31 1TB
SK Hynix Gold P31 1TB NVMe - Quick Look Review - General Tech 12

Perhaps it’s the first party manufacturing of NAND which gives SK Hynix some inside knowledge for optimization, or the 128 layer design or their controller is a bit newer? (Note there is a newer version of the SN750, but our performance is close to the published specs for the SN750 on the WD site). The performance difference between these two on these on the Crystal Disk Mark test is small, around 5% – 10% or so, but it does seem to exist. Both have a 5-year warranty, which is not bad either.

Conclusion

These sorts of NVMe Gen 3 storage devices have generally reached a performance level that is quite good enough for most average use cases. This SK Hynix Gold P31 seems especially well suited to average and above average uses for desktop situations based on these performance metrics. Especially considering our CDM tests at several queue depths, single threaded, actually exceed SK Hynix’s claimed performance of 3,500MB/s read and 3,200MB/s writes.

If you are in the market for a well performing drive, which compares favorably to respected competition, do also consider the P31 Gold 1TB from SK Hynix. The regular retail price for our 1TB test unit is already competitive at around $135. But timed to start with Amazon Prime Day on the 21st and 22nd of this month they’ll be going on sale for 20% off. Oh yeah.

Review Disclosures

This is what we consider the responsible disclosure of our review policies and procedures.

How Product Was Obtained

The product is on loan from SK Hynix for the purpose of this review.

What Happens To Product After Review

The product remains the property of SK Hynix but is on extended loan for future testing and product comparisons.

Company Involvement

SK Hynix had no control over the content of the review and was not consulted prior to publication.

PC Perspective Compensation

Neither PC Perspective nor any of its staff were paid or compensated in any way by SK Hynix for this review.

Advertising Disclosure

SK Hynix has not purchased advertising at PC Perspective during the past twelve months.

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About The Author

Brett VanSprewenburg

Years of geek-ism in programming, digital image processing, capture, compression and other online application work has landed Brett here - amongst his many endeavors - webmaster and contributor @ PC Perspective. Whether its wrenching on race cars, dune buggies or web sites, only the size and shape of the tools are different. The solution always starts in your head.

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