# Addlink AddGame A93 4TB: The Flagship DRAM-less PCIe 4.0 NVMe (2026)

The Addlink AddGame A93 4 TB is the top-capacity variant of Addlink's budget PCIe 4.0 line, delivering 7,400 MB/s reads and 3,000 TBW endurance from a DRAM-less Maxio MAP1602A controller and YMTC 232-layer TLC — with an aluminium heatsink in the box and PS5 compatibility at a competitive price per terabyte.

Quick answer: The Addlink AddGame A93 4 TB earns its place as the endurance king of the budget PCIe 4.0 HMB tier. At 3,000 TBW it outlasts every direct competitor at the 4 TB capacity — including drives with discrete DRAM that sell at a higher price — and the bundled aluminium heatsink removes the hassle of sourcing third-party cooling. The 7,400/6,500 MB/s speed ceiling is competitive although not class-leading, and the single-sided PCB keeps installation straightforward in thin laptops and the PS5 expansion bay.

## Specifications

| Specification | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Capacity | 4 TB |
| Interface | M.2 4.0 x 4 |
| Controller | Maxio Tech MAP1602-C |
| Memory type | YMTC 232-L TLC |
| DRAM cache | No |
| Sequential read | 7400 MB/s |
| Sequential write | 6500 MB/s |
| Random read IOPS | 1000000 |
| Random write IOPS | 820000 |
| Endurance | 3000 TBW |
| MTBF | 2000000 |
| Warranty | 5 years |

## Performance

On the 4 TB AddGame A93, Addlink rates sequential reads at 7,400 MB/s and writes at 6,500 MB/s over a PCIe 4.0 x4 link, with random performance rated up to 1,000,000 read IOPS and 820,000 write IOPS — identical to the 2 TB sibling and matching the controller-limited ceiling of the MAP1602A platform. The 4 TB matches the peak speeds of the 2 TB and sits roughly 3 percent ahead of the 1 TB variant in sequential reads and 6 percent ahead in writes, a gap that is invisible in game loads and OS boots but noticeable in sustained large-file transfers where the additional NAND parallelism shortens completion times by seconds to tens of seconds.

What distinguishes the 4 TB from the smaller capacities is the sustained write profile. The SLC write cache scales with total NAND capacity, so the 4 TB absorbs roughly four times the burst-write volume of the 1 TB before exhausting the cache and dropping to native YMTC TLC speed. For workloads that move large project files, video footage, or extensive game installations, the 4 TB stays at full PCIe 4.0 throughput for longer stretches. Under PCMag's testing the 1 TB A93 delivered sequential CrystalDiskMark results that matched its rated speeds and scored above average in PCMark 10 Storage traces; the 4 TB shares the same controller and NAND so the random-access latency and application-load profile carries over, with the larger cache shifting the sustained-write knee further out. The bundled aluminium heatsink is a genuine contributor to sustained throughput — the MAP1602A runs cool under typical desktop loads, but extended sequential writes raise controller temperature, and the factory heatsink keeps the drive out of thermal throttling territory longer than a bare PCB would manage. For a 4 TB drive that may realistically see bulk write workloads — something less common on a 1 TB boot drive — the factory cooling is more than a convenience.

## Endurance, TBW & Warranty

Addlink covers the AddGame A93 4 TB with a five-year limited warranty, capped by whichever arrives first between the five-year term and the 3,000 TBW endurance rating. That TBW figure is the ceiling of a line that scales from 750 TBW at 1 TB through 1,500 TBW at 2 TB, holding a consistent 750 TBW per terabyte across all three capacities — a scaling pattern that tracks YMTC 232-layer TLC's rated cycle life and sits well above the budget PCIe 4.0 average. The closest rival at 4 TB is the Lexar NM790, which also carries 3,000 TBW and the same MAP1602A platform, but the Team Group MP44 4 TB stops at 2,500 TBW and the Samsung 990 EVO Plus 4 TB at 2,400 TBW. Even the WD Black SN850X 4 TB, a pricier drive with discrete DRAM, is rated for 2,400 TBW — the A93's endurance lead is substantial at every capacity tier.

At a typical consumer workload of 20 GB of writes per day the 4 TB would need more than 400 years to exhaust its write budget, so the five-year warranty term expires long before the NAND approaches its rated limit. Even a heavy 100 GB-per-day content-creation workflow clears 80 years. Addlink rates the drive at 2 million hours MTBF, which is a population-reliability statistic describing expected failure rates across a large fleet rather than a lifespan prediction for any individual unit. The warranty is serviced through the retailer or distributor; Addlink does not operate a direct end-user RMA portal in most regions, and warranty fulfilment depends on the point-of-sale channel.

## Pros and Cons

**Pros:**

- 3,000 TBW endurance leads the budget PCIe 4.0 tier
- 7,400/6,500 MB/s sequential speeds on PCIe 4.0
- Aluminium heatsink included in the box
- Single-sided M.2 2280 fits thin laptops and PS5
- YMTC 232-layer TLC at 4 TB — no QLC at this price
- Five-year warranty with per-terabyte endurance scaling
- Largest SLC cache in the A93 family
**Cons:**

- DRAM-less HMB design limits sustained random I/O versus discrete DRAM
- No AES 256-bit hardware encryption
- Warranty serviced through retailer, no direct end-user RMA portal
- 4 TB premium over 2 TB may exceed most buyers' needs
- No independent 4 TB review — performance data scaled from 1 TB PCMag unit


## Verdict

The Addlink AddGame A93 4 TB earns its place as the endurance king of the budget PCIe 4.0 HMB tier. At 3,000 TBW it outlasts every direct competitor at the 4 TB capacity — including drives with discrete DRAM that sell at a higher price — and the bundled aluminium heatsink removes the hassle of sourcing third-party cooling. The 7,400/6,500 MB/s speed ceiling is competitive although not class-leading, and the single-sided PCB keeps installation straightforward in thin laptops and the PS5 expansion bay.

Buyers who do not need 4 TB should look at the 2 TB sibling, which offers the same peak speeds and 1,500 TBW at a meaningfully lower price. The 1 TB is the entry ticket for pure gaming builds where a larger library fits on a secondary drive. The Lexar NM790 4 TB is the closest alternative — same controller, same NAND, same endurance, same speeds — but ships bare, so anyone who would otherwise add a heatsink should default to the A93. The A93 is not built for write-intensive workstation scratch-disk duty where discrete DRAM and higher channel counts matter; for that workload the WD Black SN850X 4 TB justifies its premium. For a large, fast, durable game-and-media drive that arrives with everything needed in the box, the A93 4 TB is the best value in its class.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Is the Addlink AddGame A93 4 TB good for gaming?

It is overkill for gaming in the best way. The AddGame A93 4 TB delivers 7,400 MB/s sequential reads and 1,000,000 random read IOPS — well past the threshold where game load times stop scaling with storage speed because the CPU and asset decompression become the bottleneck. Game loads are predominantly sequential reads, which play to the MAP1602A controller's strengths and do not stress the DRAM-less HMB design. The 4 TB capacity holds a massive game library — 100-plus modern titles — with room for recordings, mods, and a secondary OS partition. The bundled heatsink keeps temperatures in check during marathon sessions, and the 3,000 TBW endurance is so far beyond gaming write patterns (a few gigabytes of saves and patches per week) that the drive will be obsolete long before it wears out. At this price tier the 4 TB competes against QLC drives with a fraction of the endurance, making the TLC-based A93 the smarter buy for a long-lived gaming build.

### Is the Addlink AddGame A93 4 TB compatible with the PS5?

Yes, and the 4 TB capacity makes it one of the largest PS5-ready drives available. Sony requires an M.2 NVMe SSD recommending at least 5,500 MB/s sequential reads and fitting within 110 by 25 by 11.25 millimetres with a heatsink installed. The A93 4 TB clears the speed bar at 7,400 MB/s, and the bundled aluminium heatsink measures 8.75 mm — well under the 11.25 mm ceiling — so the drive drops straight into the expansion bay with no extra hardware. The single-sided PCB aids clearance. The 4 TB capacity is the practical sweet spot for a PS5: the console's internal 825 GB drive fills quickly with modern titles that routinely exceed 100 GB, and the expansion drive becomes the primary game library. Sony does not maintain a publicly updated official compatibility list, but the A93 meets every published criterion.

### Does the Addlink AddGame A93 have a DRAM cache?

No discrete DRAM — the AddGame A93 is a DRAM-less design that relies on Host Memory Buffer technology. The Maxio MAP1602A controller borrows roughly 32 MB of system RAM to hold the flash translation layer mapping table, the same job a discrete DRAM chip would perform on a pricier drive. For consumer workloads — game loads, OS boots, application launches — HMB delivers near-DRAM responsiveness because these are predominantly sequential reads that do not stress the mapping table. The trade-off surfaces under heavy sustained random writes, where discrete DRAM maintains more consistent latency. At 4 TB the larger SLC cache partially masks this, absorbing longer write bursts before the HMB-limited mapping table becomes the bottleneck. HMB is the norm at this price tier; every direct competitor at 4 TB in the budget segment takes the same approach.

### What is the TBW endurance of the Addlink AddGame A93 4 TB?

The Addlink AddGame A93 4 TB carries a 3,000 TBW endurance rating, the highest in the A93 lineup and among the best in the entire budget PCIe 4.0 segment. The rating scales at 750 TBW per terabyte across the family: 750 TBW at 1 TB, 1,500 TBW at 2 TB, and 3,000 TBW at 4 TB. At 3,000 TBW the 4 TB outlasts the Team Group MP44 4 TB (2,500 TBW), the Samsung 990 EVO Plus 4 TB (2,400 TBW), and even the WD Black SN850X 4 TB with discrete DRAM (2,400 TBW). Only the Lexar NM790 4 TB matches it at 3,000 TBW, and that drive shares the same MAP1602A controller and YMTC 232L NAND — the endurance is a platform characteristic, not a brand differentiator. At 100 GB of writes per day the drive would take over 80 years to exhaust the rating, so the five-year warranty term expires long before the NAND wears out.

### Does the Addlink AddGame A93 4 TB need a heatsink?

It ships with one, and at 4 TB the factory heatsink is more than a convenience — it is insurance for sustained throughput. Addlink includes an aluminium heatsink in the box, an 8.75 mm crosscut-grid slab with a pre-applied silica thermal pad that claims to reduce controller and NAND temperatures by over 20 percent. The MAP1602A controller runs cool in typical desktop and gaming workloads, but the 4 TB capacity is more likely than the 1 TB to see bulk write scenarios — large file transfers, media ingestion, backup dumps — that push sustained writes and raise controller temperature. Extended writes without cooling can trigger thermal throttling, dropping throughput until temperatures recover. The bundled heatsink is thin enough for the PS5 expansion bay and for most laptops, though builders whose motherboard includes a thick M.2 armour plate may need to remove the factory heatsink or use a different slot.

### How does the 4 TB AddGame A93 compare to the Lexar NM790 4 TB?

The two are platform twins and the decision comes down to the heatsink. Both drives use the same Maxio MAP1602A DRAM-less HMB controller, the same YMTC 232-layer TLC NAND, and the same single-sided M.2 2280 PCB, delivering identical 7,400/6,500 MB/s sequential speeds and 3,000 TBW endurance. The A93 includes an aluminium heatsink in the box; the NM790 ships bare and expects the motherboard or a third-party cooler to handle thermals. For a PS5 build or a desktop without an integrated M.2 armour plate, the A93 is the more complete package. For a system with a high-quality motherboard heatsink already installed, the two are functionally identical and the purchase decision should follow price and warranty terms at the point of sale. The A93's factory heatsink is an 8.75 mm plate versus the bare NM790, which may require a separate purchase for some installations.

### Is the 4 TB AddGame A93 faster than the 2 TB version?

No — the 2 TB and 4 TB share the same 7,400 MB/s sequential read and 6,500 MB/s write ratings, both faster than the 1 TB at 7,200/6,100 MB/s but not faster than each other. The speed ceiling is set by the Maxio MAP1602A controller, and both the 2 TB and 4 TB populate enough NAND dies across the controller's four channels to hit it. Random IOPS are identical across all three capacities at 1,000,000 read and 820,000 write because they are controller-limited. What the 4 TB brings over the 2 TB is not peak speed but sustained write headroom: the SLC write cache is roughly twice as large, proportional to total NAND capacity, so the 4 TB stays at full PCIe 4.0 throughput for longer sustained writes before dropping to native TLC speed. Endurance doubles from 1,500 TBW to 3,000 TBW. For pure gaming loads neither difference matters — the 2 TB is the value pick for a game library. For a mixed content-creation and gaming build, the 4 TB earns its premium through the larger cache and higher endurance headroom.

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Last updated: 2026-07-20. Source: https://ssdrive.net/addlink-addgame-a93-4-tb