TL;DR
Get VR and gaming gear delivered free — and shop member deals
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Access to Prime Big Deal Days deals on October 6–7
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
An XDA Developers writer reports that six months with a Crucial T710 PCIe 5.0 SSD brought no noticeable improvement to game loading compared with a Corsair PCIe 4.0 drive. The account is a personal comparison, not a controlled benchmark; game loading can depend on the CPU, memory, game-engine processes and other factors, not just sequential SSD speed.
An XDA Developers writer reports that a Crucial T710 PCIe 5.0 SSD did not noticeably shorten game loading compared with a Corsair MP600 PCIe 4.0 drive used previously. After about six months with the newer drive, the writer described loading times in games as similar. The account compares personal experience rather than presenting controlled test results.
The writer installed the T710 while upgrading to an AM5 system with an X870E motherboard. Crucial rates the drive for sequential read speeds of up to 14,900 MB/s, which the account describes as roughly three times the speed of the older MP600 in the relevant benchmark comparison. The writer reports that the advantage appeared in storage testing, but not in everyday game loading, a topic explored in this guide to NVMe SSDs for VR gaming.
The account says fast travel in open-world games and loading saved games felt much the same on both drives. The writer notes that the T710 might save a fraction of a second in some cases, but says any difference was not noticeable without timing it. No controlled test results, title-by-title timings or full system configuration beyond the upgrade details are provided, so the experience is not a universal measurement of PCIe 5.0 performance.
The article explains that advertised peak sequential speeds do not represent every gaming workload. Games may make random reads at relatively low queue depths, rather than issuing the sustained, sequential requests used to reach headline throughput figures. Loading can also involve CPU work to decompress and process assets, preparing data in RAM and VRAM, game-engine tasks, shader compilation or online services. A faster SSD does not speed up steps limited by other components or processes.
Capacity May Beat Peak Speed for Games
For players choosing a drive mainly to install and run games, the report raises a value question: once a system has a reasonably fast NVMe SSD, higher sequential throughput may not lead to loading improvements that users readily notice. The writer recommends considering a PCIe 4.0 SSD and allocating any budget difference to capacity, particularly as some large games use more than 100 GB.
That recommendation is based on one person’s use, not a broad comparison across games, systems or workloads. The report does not rule out uses for PCIe 5.0 drives. The writer says faster storage may benefit tasks such as running multiple virtual machines and expects future games could make better use of high-speed storage. The conclusion is limited to the writer’s reported gaming experience: higher specifications do not necessarily result in a noticeably faster gaming experience.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
From PCIe 4.0 to PCIe 5.0
The writer bought the T710 while upgrading to an AM5 desktop earlier in 2026, pairing the new drive with a motherboard that supports PCIe 5.0 storage. The previous drive was a Corsair MP600 Gen 4 NVMe from 2019. The writer says the older drive kept loading waits short enough that the increase in benchmark throughput did not produce an obvious change in the gaming experience.
The article also discusses Microsoft DirectStorage, a technology intended to reduce CPU overhead for storage requests and support GPU-based asset decompression. The writer cites Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart as DirectStorage games they had also played the previous year, but reports no noticeable loading improvement on the T710. The account says DirectStorage can work with PCIe 3.0 NVMe storage; it does not provide controlled tests of those games on different SSD generations.
“When gaming, I just don’t see the difference at all, no matter what title I play.”
— XDA Developers writer
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
How Broadly the Results Apply
The report is a single-user comparison and does not publish benchmark timings, repeatable test conditions or results across a defined set of games. It is unclear whether other systems, SSD models, game versions or loading scenarios would show different results. The account supports a limited conclusion about the writer’s upgrade, not a finding that PCIe 5.0 never improves loading.
Future game engines and wider use of DirectStorage could change how effectively games use fast storage. The timing and scale of any such improvement remain uncertain. The article also mentions storage prices amid AI demand but provides no price data or comparison, so it does not establish how much more a PCIe 5.0 drive costs in any particular market.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Future Games Could Change the Trade-Off
The report includes no follow-up test or product announcement. Buyers can compare current drive prices and capacities against their workloads, including game loading, file transfers and virtual machines, which place different demands on storage. The writer’s account describes capacity as more relevant for their gaming-focused system, which already had an NVMe drive.
Whether PCIe 5.0’s potential becomes more visible in games will depend on how upcoming titles handle asset streaming and storage I/O. The report does not establish that a Gen 5 drive is required for gaming or that it will never offer a gaming benefit.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
Did the PCIe 5.0 SSD make games load faster?
In the XDA writer’s experience, the Crucial T710 did not produce a noticeable difference compared with the Corsair PCIe 4.0 drive. The report does not include controlled timings to quantify any small change.
Why might benchmark speeds not translate to faster game loading?
Headline SSD figures usually describe sequential read throughput. Games may use different access patterns, while CPU processing, memory preparation, shader compilation, online services and engine tasks can also affect loading.
Is a PCIe 4.0 SSD enough for gaming?
The report says a reasonably fast PCIe 4.0 NVMe drive was sufficient for the writer’s gaming needs. This is a personal account, not a guarantee for every game or PC.
Can DirectStorage make a PCIe 5.0 SSD worthwhile?
DirectStorage is designed to improve storage I/O handling and support GPU asset decompression, but the writer did not notice faster loading in the cited games on the T710. Future use may differ, and the report does not establish a general performance result.
What should a gaming-focused buyer prioritize?
Based on this account, buyers already using a capable NVMe drive may find more capacity more useful than paying extra for peak PCIe 5.0 speeds. Compare current prices and consider other workloads, such as virtual machines, before choosing.
Source: XDA Developers
Fall Picks
fall essentials
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
