Micron has just unveiled the Crucial P310, which it claims is the world's fastest 2230-format SSD. This extra speed won't help when it comes to a Steam Deck SSD upgrade, but the Asus ROG Ally X will benefit, and there are other factors that still make this drive a worthwhile choice for any mobile device needing an SSD upgrade.
The Steam Deck OLED form – but all variants of the device can benefit from an SSD upgrade. The maximum capacity of the handheld is 1TB, but lower-priced options come with less storage space, with the cheapest version having just a tiny 64GB of capacity.
As well as simply providing a big capacity boost for Steam Decks, then, the new Crucial P310 drive can also provide a performance boost for the likes of the forthcoming Asus ROG Ally X. That's because, while the new drive is the fastest one available, the Steam Deck can't take full advantage of all that speed as it uses a PCIe 3.0 interface. The ROG Ally X, however, has a PCIe 4.0 interface to match this drive.
That means it will be able to take advantage of this drive's blazing read speed of 7,100MB/s and write speed of 6,000MB/s. Those numbers are for sequential (i.e. single large file) read and write operations, but the drive also boasts solid random read/write numbers, with Micron stating the random read operations count as 1,000,000 IOPs, although Micron doesn't specify a figure for random write operations.
Another crucial factor of this drive is that it uses a Phison E27T 4-channel DRAM-less controller, with the lack of DRAM aiding in reducing the power consumption of the drive, potentially helping you get better battery life out of your handheld than other rival drives. The flash storage itself is Micron's 3D NAND, and the company states that the drives have a 220TBW (terabytes written) or 440TBW lifetime rating, for the 1TB and 2TB drives respectively. Plus the drives come with a five-year warranty.
Technically, there are lots of PCIe 4.0 drives that could fit into the ROG Ally X, as one of its big upgrades over the original ROG Ally is having the ability to fit large-format 2280 SSDs, which are the types of drives commonly used in the best gaming PCs. The Steam Deck and most other handhelds, though, only use shorter 2230 drives, which is the form factor used by the P310.
So, if you've already got a Steam Deck in need of a storage boost, but you're eyeing up the Asus ROG Ally X as an upgrade, the Crucial P310 could be the ideal drive to bridge that gap. It will fit in your Steam Deck and bring top-tier performance to your Ally X.
The P310 is available now starting at $114.99 for the 1TB model and rising to $214.99 for the 2TB version. Those prices are a touch higher than competing drives, but most alternatives don't reach such high speeds, plus we wouldn't be surprised to see this drive's price shift once it has been out for a while.
For more essential Steam Deck upgrades, check out our best SSD for gaming guide has more top picks for those seeking a full-size drive for their gaming PC.
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