Addlink G55H 1TB Review: PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD With Heatsink (2026)

Posted on June 13, 2026 by Raymond Chen

The Addlink G55H 1 TB pairs a PCIe 5.0 NVMe controller with a pre-installed 8.75mm heatsink, hitting 10,300 MB/s reads in a PS5-ready package.

Addlink G55H 1TB Review: PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD With Heatsink

Controller & Memory

The G55H is the heatsink-equipped sibling of Addlink's G55, both built around the Phison E31T 7nm DRAM-less controller paired with 3D TLC NAND. Without dedicated DRAM, the drive relies on the Host Memory Buffer (HMB) protocol to borrow a small slice of system RAM for its mapping tables, which keeps the bill of materials lean without gutting random performance. Addlink also layers SLC caching and LDPC error correction on top, and the firmware supports SMART health monitoring, TRIM, and thermal throttling.

The included aluminum heatsink uses a crosscut grid design with a thermal silica pad, adding 8.75mm of total height. That puts it safely under Sony's 11.25mm ceiling for PS5 expansion, and the drive exceeds the 5,500 MB/s minimum read speed Sony recommends. In a desktop Gen5 slot the G55H runs at full speed; in a Gen4 slot (including the PS5) it caps at roughly 7,000 MB/s, which still doubles SATA-era throughput. Addlink's own marketing claims the heatsink runs up to 45% cooler than a bare PCB, and the low-power 7nm controller draws significantly less than earlier Gen5 designs that ran hot enough to throttle under load.

The G55H also comes in 2 TB and 4 TB capacities that share the same rated sequential reads. Write speeds may differ slightly across capacities, and endurance scales proportionally. Direct rivals include the Crucial T705 and Samsung 990 EVO Plus on the PCIe 5.0 side, while anyone whose motherboard tops out at Gen4 can get comparable practical performance from the WD Black SN850X at a lower price.

G55H Performance & Benchmarks

Addlink rates the G55H 1 TB at up to 10,300 MB/s sequential read and 9,000 MB/s sequential write over the PCIe 5.0 x4 bus. The spec sheet lists up to 1,300K random read and 1,500K random write IOPS, which are strong numbers for a DRAM-less design. In practice, expect those ceiling figures inside the SLC cache window; once the static cache fills during sustained large-file transfers, writes will drop to the native TLC write speed, which is typical for drives in this segment.

Performance comparison

ADDLINK G55H 1 TB vs M.2 5.0 peers

Switch between sequential throughput and random IOPS to see how this drive stacks up against other M.2 5.0 SSDs in our database. The highlighted bar is the drive on this page — click any other bar to open that drive.

  • Corsair MP700 Pro XT 4 TB: 14,900 MB/s read, 14,400 MB/s write
  • PNY XLR8 CS3250 1 TB: 14,900 MB/s read, 13,500 MB/s write
  • PNY XLR8 CS3250 2 TB: 14,900 MB/s read, 14,000 MB/s write
  • Acer Predator GM9 1 TB: 14,500 MB/s read, 11,000 MB/s write
  • ADDLINK G55H 1 TB (this drive): 10,300 MB/s read, 9,000 MB/s write

On a PCIe 4.0 slot the interface bottleneck reduces real-world throughput to roughly 7,000 MB/s reads, matching what the PS5 can accept. For gaming and general desktop use, the gap between Gen4 and Gen5 is minor: game load times, OS boot, and application launches are largely bound by random 4K performance and latency, where the G55H's HMB architecture holds its own. The real Gen5 advantage shows up in large-file workflows: transferring a 50 GB video project or unpacking a game archive will feel meaningfully faster than on any Gen4 drive. Independent reviewers have called the G55H one of the fastest DRAM-less PCIe 5.0 SSDs tested, noting competitive benchmark scores alongside low power draw.

ADDLINK G55H vs Competitors

See how the G55H stacks up against other M.2 5.0 drives in our database:

Endurance, TBW & Warranty

Addlink backs the G55H with a 5-year limited warranty, ending when the stated TBW endurance or the five-year term is reached, whichever comes first. The 1 TB model carries a 600 TBW endurance rating. At a typical consumer write workload of 20 to 50 GB per day, 600 TBW translates to roughly 33 to 82 years before the endurance counter would theoretically expire, so the warranty period is almost always the binding constraint. The drive reports its remaining endurance percentage through SMART (CrystalDiskInfo reads attribute 05, labeled Percentage Used), so it is straightforward to monitor health over time. The drive is rated for 1.5 million hours MTBF, a population-level reliability statistic rather than a per-unit guarantee, but it reflects the confidence level typical of modern TLC consumer drives. RMA is handled through the retailer or by contacting Addlink support directly.

ADDLINK G55H 1 TB Specifications

Category Value
Capacity [?] 1 TB
Interface [?] M.2 5.0
Controller [?] Phison E31T 4 Channel
Memory type [?] Kioxia 218-L TLC
DRAM [?] HMB
Read speed (MB/s) [?] 10300
Write speed (MB/s) [?] 9000
Read IOPS [?] 1000000
Write IOPS [?] 1000000
Endurance (TBW) [?] 600
MTBF (million hours) [?] 1500000
Warranty (years) [?] 5

Verdict: Is the G55H Worth It in 2026?

The Addlink G55H 1 TB is a solid pick for anyone building or upgrading a Gen5 desktop who also wants PS5 compatibility without buying a separate heatsink. Its DRAM-less architecture keeps the price competitive, and the included 8.75mm aluminum heatsink removes the guesswork around thermal management. Skip it if the workstation runs PCIe 4.0 only and has no upgrade path, since a WD Black SN850X or Samsung 990 Pro delivers identical practical speed at a lower cost. The main alternative in the Gen5 space is the Crucial T705, which trades blows on benchmarks but ships without a heatsink on most SKUs. Overall, the G55H 1 TB covers the bases that matter for mainstream Gen5 adoption: fast sequential throughput, PS5-ready out of the box, and a 5-year warranty.

+ Pros

  • Up to 10,300 MB/s sequential reads
  • Pre-installed 8.75mm aluminum heatsink fits PS5
  • Low-power 7nm Phison E31T controller
  • 5-year limited warranty
  • Backward compatible with PCIe 4.0 and 3.0 slots
  • Up to 1,500K random write IOPS

- Cons

  • DRAM-less design relies on HMB support
  • No hardware encryption
  • Gen5 speed only on Gen5-capable motherboards
  • SLC cache is finite; sustained writes drop to TLC speed
  • Addlink has smaller RMA footprint than Samsung or WD

4.5 / 5 · 29 votes

Buy this or similar SSD Storage:

Samsung 980 Pro 2 TB

-57% $165
List Price: $379.99

Buy on Amazon

Video Review

Addlink G55 Gen5 SSD Review - Best DRAMLESS SSD EVER?

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. The G55H ships with an 8.75mm aluminum heatsink that fits within Sony's 11.25mm maximum height limit for the PS5 expansion slot. The drive exceeds Sony's recommended 5,500 MB/s minimum read speed, although it will run at PCIe 4.0 speeds (roughly 7,000 MB/s) since the PS5's slot is Gen4. No extra thermal pads are needed.

No. The G55H uses a DRAM-less Phison E31T controller that relies on the Host Memory Buffer (HMB) protocol, borrowing a small portion of system RAM for its flash translation layer. This keeps the drive affordable while still delivering strong random I/O performance, provided the host platform supports HMB, which all modern AMD and Intel platforms do.

The 1 TB model is rated at 600 TBW (terabytes written). At a typical consumer write workload of 20 to 50 GB per day, that endurance rating would theoretically last decades, so the 5-year warranty term is the practical limit for most users. Remaining endurance can be monitored via SMART attribute 05 in CrystalDiskInfo.

Yes. On a PCIe 5.0 motherboard, game load times, asset streaming, and large-file installs all benefit from the 10,300 MB/s sequential read ceiling. On a PCIe 4.0 motherboard or PS5, the drive caps at roughly 7,000 MB/s, which still outperforms any SATA SSD and matches high-end Gen4 drives. For gaming specifically, random 4K performance matters more than sequential throughput, and the G55H's HMB-based architecture handles that capably.

No. The G55H already includes a premium aluminum heatsink with a crosscut grid design and thermal silica pad, totaling 8.75mm in height. Addlink positions the G55H as thermally self-sufficient for both desktop and PS5 use. Adding a second heatsink on top is unnecessary and could create clearance issues in tight builds.

Both are PCIe 5.0 DRAM-less SSDs with similar rated sequential speeds. The G55H ships with a pre-installed heatsink, while the Crucial T705 typically does not, which matters for PS5 installations. Performance benchmarks between the two are close, with reviewers placing them within a narrow margin of each other. The choice often comes down to pricing and whether the included heatsink is a convenience factor.

The bare G55 (without heatsink) is the better fit for most laptops at just 2.3mm thick. The G55H with its 8.75mm heatsink is taller than many laptop M.2 slots can accommodate. If the laptop has a Gen5 M.2 slot with sufficient clearance, the G55H will work at full speed; otherwise, the G55 bare drive offers the same internals in a slimmer package.

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