CONCLUSION

   The P31 Gold series is the very first SSD to feature 128-Layer 3D TLC NAND flash and that’s good not only in terms of cost/pricing but also performance and available storage capacity. Now granted the P31 Gold is not the fastest Gen3X4 SSD in the charts but considering that it’s based on a 4-channel controller whereas all the faster models (slightly faster) are based on 8-channel controllers speaks volumes about this specific drive and what we can expect in the future by adding even more layers (for example 176-layer NAND is just around the corner). The lack of AES 256-bit hardware encryption support may be an issue for office use but I don’t see it becoming a problem for home use. A far more serious issue was that the drive was only available in 500GB and 1TB capacities but since SK hynix recently announced a 2TB model things have improved (still I do believe that 4TB models should become more widely available).

   At the time of this review the P31 Gold 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen3x4 SSD by SK hynix retails for just USD134.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 150.24Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) meaning exactly what you’d expect for such a model. Again, this may not be quite the fastest Gen3x4 SSD in the market today but it is amongst the fastest ones and thanks to its endurance numbers (750TBW for the 1TB model is not bad at all) it does offer very good bang for your buck which is also why it gets the Golden Award.

PROS

- Very Good Overall Performance (Especially For A 4 Channel Controller)
- Endurance Numbers (750 TBW)
- First SSD With 128 Layer NAND Flash
- 5 Year Limited Warranty
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Thermal Throttling (12 Hour SNIA Test)