Seagate FireCuda 540 Review
The Seagate FireCuda 540 has made a splash in the market as one of the first high-profile Gen 5 NVMe SSDs, designed for users who want to optimize their gaming experience with the best processors and motherboards that are PCIe 5.0 compatible. It serves as the successor to the popular Seagate FireCuda 530 and offers a glimpse into the potential of next-generation technology, but at a high cost.
This cutting-edge Gen 5 NVMe SSD comes with a hefty price tag, especially given the limited motherboard support for this technology. With prices starting at $189.99 for 1TB and $319.99 for 2TB, the FireCuda 540 is not a budget-friendly option. In comparison, Gen 4 alternatives like the FireCuda 530 and Kingston Fury Renegade SSD offer similar performance at a fraction of the cost, making the FireCuda 540 an investment for early adopters.
The FireCuda 540 lives up to its claims of 10,000 MB/s sequential performance, delivering high-speed reads and writes when connected to a Gen 5 compatible NVMe M.2 port. However, it’s important to consider whether this level of performance is necessary for current applications or if it’s more of a future-proofing investment.
The drive is currently available in the US, UK, and Australia, with prices starting at $189.99 for 1TB and $319.99 for 2TB. While its performance is impressive, the FireCuda 540 is part of a new wave of Gen 5 drives that come at a premium price.
In terms of design and features, the FireCuda 540 keeps it simple with a minimalistic look. Running on the Phison E26 controller and 232-Layer Micron TLC flash memory, the drive offers lightning-fast performance, and it is backward compatible with older 4×4 NVMe slots.
In performance tests, the FireCuda 540 excels, delivering outstanding sequential read and write speeds, as well as impressive random 4K read and write performance. Its overall score places it firmly at the top of the NVMe SSD market.
While there are no PC games currently optimized for the FireCuda 540’s blisteringly fast performance, the drive’s future-proofing capabilities make it a solid investment for those looking to stay ahead of the curve.
In summary, the Seagate FireCuda 540 is an impressive Gen 5 NVMe SSD that offers top-tier performance, albeit at a high cost. If you’re looking for leading sequential performance from your NVMe SSD, the FireCuda 540 is the way to go to future-proof your gaming experience.
