# ADATA Swordfish 250GB Review — Entry-Level PCIe 3.0 NVMe (2026)

The ADATA Swordfish 250GB is a budget PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD that trades raw speed for affordability, making it a sensible step up from SATA for budget-conscious builders.

Quick answer: The ADATA Swordfish 250GB is a budget NVMe SSD for users who want to move off a SATA SSD without spending much. Its 1,800/1,200 MB/s speeds are a solid improvement over SATA, but they lag well behind mainstream PCIe 3.0 alternatives like the Samsung 980 or WD Blue SN570, which cost only marginally more. The drive's sustained write performance collapses under heavy loads, which rules it out for content creation or large-file workflows. Buy it for a budget office PC or as a secondary game drive; skip it if you need consistent performance or plan to use it as your only storage.

## Specifications

| Specification | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Capacity | 250 GB |
| Interface | M.2 3.0 x 4 |
| Controller | Realtek RTS5763DL |
| Memory type | ADATA 3D TLC |
| DRAM cache | Host Memory Buffer |
| Sequential read | 1800 MB/s |
| Sequential write | 1200 MB/s |
| Random read IOPS | 180000 |
| Random write IOPS | 180000 |
| Endurance | 120 TBW |
| MTBF | 1.8 |
| Warranty | 5 years |

## Performance

The ADATA Swordfish 250GB is rated for 1,800 MB/s sequential reads and 1,200 MB/s sequential writes, with up to 180,000 random read and write IOPS. These are manufacturer-rated best-case figures, and real-world performance tells a more nuanced story. For users upgrading from a SATA III SSD capped at roughly 550 MB/s, the Swordfish delivers a roughly threefold improvement in sequential reads — boot times and application launches will feel noticeably snappier.

However, the Swordfish falls well short of the PCIe 3.0 x4 ceiling of approximately 3,500 MB/s. Mainstream PCIe 3.0 drives like the WD Blue SN570 and the Samsung 980 push 3,000–3,500 MB/s reads and 2,500–3,000 MB/s writes, making the Swordfish roughly half as fast in sequential workloads. The HMB architecture also introduces a dependency on system-level support — if the host does not properly support HMB, performance degrades further.

Under sustained write loads, the Swordfish's limitations become stark. Independent testing by StorageReview found that the drive's 4K random write performance collapsed to around 9,710 IOPS under heavy workload stress, with extreme latency spikes and near-total throughput stalls. The SLC cache is small by design, and once it exhausts, the underlying TLC NAND cannot sustain high write rates. For everyday tasks like web browsing, office work, and light gaming, this behaviour is invisible. For anyone moving large files — video editors, content creators, or anyone regularly copying tens of gigabytes — the Swordfish will feel sluggish once the cache fills.

## Endurance, TBW & Warranty

ADATA backs the Swordfish 250GB with a five-year limited warranty, capped at 120 TBW (terabytes written). At a typical consumer write workload of 20 GB per day, 120 TBW translates to roughly 16 years of use — well beyond the warranty period — so most users will never approach this limit. Even at a heavier 50 GB per day, the drive would last approximately six and a half years. The TBW figure is modest for an NVMe drive but reasonable given the entry-level positioning. ADATA provides the SSD Toolbox utility for monitoring drive health, checking remaining endurance, and applying firmware updates. The warranty covers manufacturing defects and does not extend to drives that exceed their TBW rating within the warranty period.

## Pros and Cons

**Pros:**

- 1,800 MB/s reads, 3x faster than SATA SSDs
- M.2 2280 form factor fits most desktops and laptops
- Five-year warranty from ADATA
- HMB design keeps power draw low for laptops
- 120 TBW endurance sufficient for light daily use
**Cons:**

- 1,800 MB/s reads well below PCIe 3.0 ceiling
- DRAM-less design with HMB dependency
- Severe write performance collapse under sustained loads
- 120 TBW endurance low for an NVMe drive
- 250 GB capacity limits game installations


## Verdict

The ADATA Swordfish 250GB is a budget NVMe SSD for users who want to move off a SATA SSD without spending much. Its 1,800/1,200 MB/s speeds are a solid improvement over SATA, but they lag well behind mainstream PCIe 3.0 alternatives like the Samsung 980 or WD Blue SN570, which cost only marginally more. The drive's sustained write performance collapses under heavy loads, which rules it out for content creation or large-file workflows. Buy it for a budget office PC or as a secondary game drive; skip it if you need consistent performance or plan to use it as your only storage.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Is the ADATA Swordfish 250GB good for gaming?

The ADATA Swordfish 250GB handles basic gaming adequately, with 1,800 MB/s reads providing faster game load times than any SATA SSD. However, the 250 GB capacity limits you to the operating system plus only one or two modern games. The drive's sustained write performance also collapses under heavy loads, so installing multiple large games simultaneously will be slow. For a dedicated gaming drive, the 1 TB or 2 TB Swordfish makes more sense, or consider a faster alternative like the WD Blue SN570 for better load times.

### Is the ADATA Swordfish 250GB compatible with the PS5?

No, the ADATA Swordfish 250GB is not compatible with the PlayStation 5. Sony requires a PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD with sequential reads of at least 5,500 MB/s. The Swordfish is a PCIe 3.0 drive rated at only 1,800 MB/s reads, far below Sony's minimum. It also does not include a heatsink, which the PS5 requires for M.2 drives. The Swordfish works fine in a PS4 as a replacement for the stock hard drive, but it cannot be used in a PS5.

### Does the ADATA Swordfish 250GB have a DRAM cache?

No, the ADATA Swordfish 250GB does not have a dedicated DRAM cache. It uses the NVMe Host Memory Buffer (HMB) protocol instead, which borrows a small amount of system RAM — typically a few megabytes — to manage the flash translation layer. HMB narrows the gap between DRAM and DRAM-less SSDs for light workloads, but it cannot match the consistency of a true DRAM cache under heavy sustained writes. The Swordfish's 4K random write performance drops sharply under sustained load, which is a known limitation of HMB-based budget drives.

### What is the TBW endurance of the ADATA Swordfish 250GB?

ADATA rates the Swordfish 250GB at 120 TBW (terabytes written), covered by a five-year limited warranty. At a typical consumer write workload of 20 GB per day, 120 TBW would last roughly 16 years. Even at 50 GB per day, the drive would last about six and a half years. The TBW rating is modest compared to mainstream NVMe drives — a Samsung 980 250GB is rated at 150 TBW — but it is adequate for light desktop use, web browsing, and office applications.

### Does the ADATA Swordfish need a heatsink?

The ADATA Swordfish 250GB does not ship with a heatsink, and it does not strictly require one. As an entry-level PCIe 3.0 drive with relatively modest 1,800/1,200 MB/s speeds, the Swordfish does not generate the same thermal load as high-performance NVMe drives. Most motherboards include M.2 heatsinks, and if yours does, using one is good practice. If you are installing the drive in a laptop or a motherboard without an M.2 heatsink, the Swordfish will operate safely without one under normal desktop workloads.

### How does the ADATA Swordfish 250GB compare to the Kingston NV2?

The ADATA Swordfish 250GB and the Kingston NV2 occupy the same entry-level tier with similar specs. Both are DRAM-less PCIe drives using HMB, both target budget builds, and both offer comparable sequential read and write speeds for their capacities. The Swordfish 250GB is rated at 1,800/1,200 MB/s, while the NV2 250GB hits roughly 3,500/1,300 MB/s on paper — making the NV2 significantly faster in reads. However, both drives suffer from similar sustained write performance limitations. Choose based on whichever is cheaper at the time of purchase.

### Is the ADATA Swordfish 250GB good for video editing?

The ADATA Swordfish 250GB is not recommended for video editing workflows. While its 1,800 MB/s reads are faster than SATA, the drive's sustained write performance collapses under heavy loads — StorageReview testing showed 4K random writes dropping to around 9,710 IOPS with extreme latency spikes. Video editing involves sustained large-file writes that will exhaust the Swordfish's small SLC cache quickly, leading to significant slowdowns. For video editing, consider a drive with DRAM and higher sustained write performance, such as the Samsung 980 or WD Black SN750.

---

Last updated: 2026-05-17. Source: https://ssdrive.net/adata-swordfish-250-gb