Addlink S93 2TB: The Sweet Spot in Addlink's Ultra-Slim PCIe 4.0 SSD Lineup (2026)

Name: Addlink S93 2 TB
Brand: Addlink
SKU: addlink-s93-2-tb
Rating: 4.3 (79 reviews)

Posted on July 22, 2026 by Raymond Chen

The Addlink S93 2 TB hits the full 7,400 MB/s PCIe 4.0 ceiling of the Maxio MAP1602 platform — matching the 4 TB flagship — while doubling the 1 TB model's endurance to 1,200 TBW and packing a larger SLC cache for longer sustained writes, all from a single-sided 2.25 mm card that slides into the tightest laptop M.2 slots.

Addlink S93 2TB: The Sweet Spot in Addlink's Ultra-Slim PCIe 4.0 SSD Lineup

Controller & Memory

The Addlink S93 2 TB runs a Maxio MAP1602 four-channel DRAM-less controller paired with YMTC 232-layer 3D TLC NAND running at 2,400 MT/s. It borrows system RAM via Host Memory Buffer for the flash translation layer — the standard approach for budget PCIe 4.0 drives, with no discrete DRAM chip on the PCB. The defining physical trait is the 2.25 mm single-sided M.2 2280 card, one of the thinnest Gen4 drives on the market and slimmer than most competitors at this capacity. Where some 2 TB drives switch to double-sided PCBs to fit enough NAND packages, the S93 keeps everything on one side, which matters in ultrabooks where the M.2 slot sits against the chassis floor or keyboard backplate with no clearance on the underside. Addlink ships the drive bare — no heatsink, no graphene sticker, no thermal pad — and positions it explicitly for laptops and compact desktops where the host device already provides cooling.

The S93 spans three capacities: 1 TB, 2 TB, and 4 TB. Sequential throughput scales with the number of NAND dies populating the controller's four channels, which is why the 2 TB reviewed here is faster than the 1 TB sibling. The 1 TB runs at 7,200 MB/s reads and 6,100 MB/s writes; the 2 TB and 4 TB both step up to the platform's full 7,400 MB/s and 6,500 MB/s — the 2 TB hits the ceiling because it already saturates the MAP1602's four channels with enough interleaved flash planes. Random IOPS are identical across all three capacities at 1,000,000 read and 820,000 write, because they are limited by the controller rather than by NAND parallelism. Endurance scales at a clean 600 TBW per terabyte: 600 TBW on the 1 TB, 1,200 TBW on the 2 TB, and 2,400 TBW on the 4 TB. All three share the same MAP1602 controller, the same YMTC 232L TLC, the same HMB architecture, and the same five-year warranty.

The 2 TB is the sweet spot in the lineup for a straightforward reason: it delivers every performance metric the S93 platform is capable of — full sequential throughput, the full 1,000,000/820,000 random IOPS, and double the 1 TB's endurance — without paying the 4 TB's capacity premium. The 2 TB also carries a meaningfully larger SLC cache than the 1 TB because the cache is carved from available NAND, so writes stay at peak speed for longer before dropping to native TLC throughput. For a laptop acting as a primary drive with an OS, applications, and a working set of media or project files, 2 TB is the capacity where a single-drive setup stops feeling cramped, and the S93's single-sided PCB means that capacity fits where a double-sided 2 TB competitor might not.

Compatibility is standard PCIe 4.0 x4 with NVMe 1.4 and backward compatibility to PCIe 3.0, where throughput halves. The single-sided PCB and 2.25 mm height make the drive a drop-in fit for the PlayStation 5 expansion bay with room for a third-party heatsink under Sony's 11.25 mm ceiling. That said, the S93 is not the natural PS5 pick in Addlink's own lineup; the AddGame A93 shares the same MAP1602 platform but includes an aluminium heatsink in the box. The closest competitors in the DRAM-less HMB budget tier are the WD Black SN770 2 TB, the Team Group MP44 2 TB, and the Crucial P3 Plus 2 TB. The SN770 matches the S93 at 1,200 TBW but trails on sequential reads at 5,150 MB/s and adds AES 256-bit hardware encryption that the S93 omits. The MP44 posts the same 7,400/6,500 headline speeds and a slightly higher 1,300 TBW but ships on a thicker PCB that may foul in some ultrabook slots. The P3 Plus uses QLC NAND with 440 TBW of endurance — barely a third of the S93's rating — and should be crossed off the list for any workload heavier than light-duty bulk storage.

Storage Comparisons:

Top 2 TB SSDs Best PCIe 4.0 SSD Drive Best Deal of 1 TB SSDs NVME

S93 Performance & Benchmarks

Addlink rates the 2 TB S93 at 7,400 MB/s sequential reads and 6,500 MB/s sequential writes over a PCIe 4.0 x4 link — the full ceiling of the Maxio MAP1602 platform and a 3 to 6 percent uplift over the 1 TB sibling. Random performance is rated at up to 1,000,000 read IOPS and 820,000 write IOPS, controller-limited figures that are identical across all three S93 capacities. The MAP1602 is built on TSMC 12 nm silicon with four NAND channels running at 2,400 MT/s, and has seen wide adoption across YMTC-based drives from multiple brands including Addlink's own AddGame A93.

Performance comparison

Addlink S93 2 TB vs M.2 4.0 x 4 peers

Switch between sequential throughput and random IOPS to see how this drive stacks up against other M.2 4.0 x 4 SSDs in our database. The highlighted bar is the drive on this page — click any other bar to open that drive.

Patriot Viper PV593 1 TB: 14,500 MB/s read, 14,000 MB/s write
Patriot Viper PV593 2 TB: 14,500 MB/s read, 14,000 MB/s write
Patriot Viper PV593 4 TB: 14,500 MB/s read, 14,000 MB/s write
Patriot Viper PV573 2 TB: 14,000 MB/s read, 12,000 MB/s write
Addlink S93 2 TB (this drive): 7,400 MB/s read, 6,500 MB/s write

The Guru3D review of the 4 TB S93 family flagship found sequential CrystalDiskMark results that matched rated speeds and sustained writes that held at roughly 5,000 MB/s through about 25 percent of capacity before the SLC cache exhausted and writes settled to native TLC speed. The 2 TB model has a proportionally larger SLC cache than the 1 TB — roughly double, given the 2x NAND capacity — so sustained write throughput holds at peak speed through larger transfers before the cache fills. For a drive likely to serve as a laptop's primary storage with an OS, applications, and a working set of media, the 2 TB's larger cache keeps large file copies, game installs, and video exports at speed longer before they hit the TLC write floor. Addlink claims over 35 percent lower power consumption than typical Gen4 x4 SSDs, a figure that tracks with the MAP1602's reputation for efficiency on the TSMC 12 nm node. For a laptop drive, power draw under load matters as much as peak throughput — a drive that sips watts during sequential reads extends battery life during file transfers. Independent testing of MAP1602-based drives consistently shows competitive PCMark 10 Storage and 3DMark Storage Gaming scores within the top third of PCIe 4.0 SSDs, though the DRAM-less HMB architecture does show higher 4K random write latency than drives with discrete DRAM like the Samsung 990 Pro or WD Black SN850X — drives that sell at a meaningfully higher price and are in a different performance tier entirely.

Addlink S93 vs Competitors

See how the S93 stacks up against other M.2 4.0 x 4 drives in our database:

Compare with rival drives:

ADATA XPG Gammix S70 Blade 2 TB Patriot Viper VP4300 2 TB Acer Predator GM7000 2 TB

Endurance, TBW & Warranty

Addlink covers the S93 2 TB with a five-year limited warranty, capped by whichever arrives first between the term and the 1,200 TBW endurance rating. That TBW scales linearly across the S93 family at 600 TBW per terabyte — 600 TBW at 1 TB and 2,400 TBW at 4 TB — which tracks YMTC 232-layer TLC's rated cycle life and is competitive within the budget PCIe 4.0 segment. The WD Black SN770 2 TB matches it at 1,200 TBW, while the Team Group MP44 2 TB edges ahead at 1,300 TBW; the Crucial P3 Plus 2 TB, built on QLC, manages only 440 TBW — barely a third of the S93's rated endurance. At a typical consumer workload of 20 GB of writes per day, a 1,200 TBW rating works out to roughly 164 years of endurance — the five-year warranty term expires long before the NAND approaches its write limit. Even at an aggressive 50 GB per day the drive clears 65 years, so TBW exhaustion is a non-issue for the boot-and-apps role this drive is most likely to fill. The 1,200 TBW headroom does become relevant if the 2 TB S93 is repurposed as a scratch disk or content-creation volume, where daily writes can reach into the hundreds of gigabytes — in those scenarios the 2 TB's doubled endurance over the 1 TB is a genuine advantage. Addlink rates the S93 at 2.0 million hours MTBF, a population-reliability statistic that describes expected failure rates across a large fleet rather than a lifespan promise for any individual unit. Warranty claims are handled through the retailer or distributor; Addlink does not operate a direct end-user RMA portal in most regions.

Addlink S93 2 TB Specifications

Category	Value
Capacity [?]	2 TB
Interface [?]	M.2 4.0 x 4
Controller [?]	Maxio Tech MAP1602-C
Memory type [?]	YMTC 232-L TLC
DRAM [?]	HMB
Read speed (MB/s) [?]	7400
Write speed (MB/s) [?]	6500
Read IOPS [?]	1000000
Write IOPS [?]	820000
Endurance (TBW) [?]	1200
MTBF (million hours) [?]	2000000
Warranty (years) [?]	5

Verdict: Is the S93 Worth It in 2026?

The Addlink S93 2 TB is the capacity that makes the strongest case for this drive. It delivers the full 7,400 MB/s sequential read ceiling of the MAP1602 platform, doubles the 1 TB's endurance to 1,200 TBW, and carries a larger SLC cache for longer sustained-write headroom — all while staying single-sided at 2.25 mm, fitting slots where competing 2 TB drives with thicker or double-sided PCBs will not clear. The five-year warranty is class-standard, the power-draw claims are credible given the TSMC 12 nm controller's track record, and the YMTC 232-layer TLC NAND delivers endurance that buries QLC-based competitors at this price point. Buyers who can make do with 1 TB save money and still get a capable drive, but the 2 TB is the S93 to buy if the budget allows — it is faster, lasts twice as long, and makes a single-drive laptop feel properly spacious. Look past the S93 if the system lacks integrated M.2 cooling — Addlink's own AddGame A93 2 TB ships with an aluminium heatsink on the same MAP1602 platform and carries an even higher 1,500 TBW endurance rating. The closest competitor outside Addlink's lineup is the Team Group MP44 2 TB, which matches the S93 on headline speeds and slightly exceeds it on TBW, but ships on a thicker PCB. For a thin laptop where clearance is the binding constraint and 2 TB is the capacity target, the S93 is one of the very few drives that solves both problems at once.

+ Pros

7,400 MB/s sequential reads — full MAP1602 platform ceiling
1,200 TBW endurance doubles the 1 TB model's write budget
Ultra-slim 2.25 mm single-sided PCB fits tight laptop slots
Larger SLC cache than the 1 TB for sustained write headroom
Five-year warranty, competitive in the budget PCIe 4.0 segment
YMTC 232-layer TLC endurance buries QLC competitors
Over 35% lower power consumption than typical Gen4 drives

- Cons

DRAM-less HMB design limits sustained random I/O latency
No heatsink included — bare drive only
No AES 256-bit hardware encryption
AddGame A93 sibling offers higher endurance with included heatsink
No English-language dedicated review of this capacity

4.3 / 5 · 79 votes

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Video Review

REVIEW (2026): Addlink S93 4TB SSD Expansion. ESSENTIAL details.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes — the 2 TB hits 7,400 MB/s sequential reads and 6,500 MB/s writes, a 3 to 6 percent uplift over the 1 TB's 7,200 MB/s and 6,100 MB/s. The gap comes from NAND parallelism: the 2 TB populates more of the Maxio MAP1602 controller's four channels with higher-density dies, giving the controller more flash planes to interleave across. Random IOPS are identical at 1,000,000 read and 820,000 write because they are controller-limited. The real-world difference is invisible in game loads and OS boots; it shows up in large file copies where the 2 TB finishes a few seconds sooner. The more meaningful capacity-level advantage is the SLC cache, which grows with total NAND and gives the 2 TB substantially more sustained-write headroom before performance drops to native TLC speed.

It is a strong gaming drive, particularly for laptops. The Addlink S93 2 TB delivers 7,400 MB/s sequential reads and 1,000,000 random read IOPS — enough that game load times stop scaling with storage speed and the CPU becomes the bottleneck. The DRAM-less HMB design is not a liability for gaming because titles issue large sequential reads rather than sustained random writes, and the MAP1602 controller posts 3DMark Storage Gaming scores on par with top PCIe 4.0 drives. The bare-drive design means you will need a motherboard with an integrated M.2 heatsink or a third-party cooler for a desktop build. For a gaming laptop with a tight M.2 slot, the S93's 2.25 mm single-sided PCB is a genuine advantage — it fits where thicker 2 TB drives will not, and 2 TB is enough capacity for a substantial Steam library alongside the OS. The WD Black SN770 2 TB is the closest alternative for desktop gaming, offering similar endurance but lower peak reads.

Yes, it meets Sony's published requirements, though you will need to add a third-party heatsink. 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 Addlink S93 2 TB clears the speed bar easily at 7,400 MB/s, and the bare 2.25 mm drive leaves roughly 9 mm of headroom for an aftermarket heatsink under the 11.25 mm ceiling. The single-sided PCB also aids clearance. The 2 TB capacity is a practical PS5 choice — modern AAA titles routinely exceed 100 GB, so 2 TB holds a working library without constant shuffling. If you would rather avoid sourcing a separate heatsink, Addlink's own AddGame A93 uses the same MAP1602 controller and YMTC NAND but includes an aluminium heatsink in the box, making it the more convenient PS5 choice from the same brand.

No, the S93 is a DRAM-less design that uses Host Memory Buffer technology instead. The Maxio MAP1602 controller borrows roughly 32 MB of system RAM to hold the flash translation layer mapping table, the same job a discrete DRAM chip performs on a pricier drive like the Samsung 990 Pro or WD Black SN850X. 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. HMB is the standard approach at this price tier; the WD Black SN770, Team Group MP44, and Samsung 990 EVO all take the same DRAM-less HMB approach. The S93's specific advantage is that the MAP1602 controller on TSMC 12 nm silicon runs cooler under HMB load than some competing DRAM-less controllers.

The Addlink S93 2 TB carries a 1,200 TBW endurance rating — double the 1 TB model's 600 TBW and half the 4 TB model's 2,400 TBW, a clean 600 TBW per terabyte across all three capacities. That figure is competitive within the budget PCIe 4.0 segment: the WD Black SN770 2 TB matches it at 1,200 TBW, the Team Group MP44 2 TB edges ahead at 1,300 TBW, and the Crucial P3 Plus 2 TB trails badly at 440 TBW because it uses QLC NAND. At a typical 20 GB of writes per day the S93 2 TB would need roughly 164 years to exhaust its write budget, so the five-year warranty term expires long before the NAND approaches its rated limit. The 1,200 TBW headroom does become relevant if the drive is used as a scratch disk or content-creation volume where daily writes can reach hundreds of gigabytes — in those scenarios, the 2 TB's doubled endurance over the 1 TB is a genuine practical advantage.

It ships without one, which is by design — the S93 is built for laptops and compact systems where a pre-installed heatsink would prevent the drive from fitting at all. The 2.25 mm single-sided PCB is one of the thinnest Gen4 M.2 drives available, and Addlink explicitly targets ultrabooks where the M.2 slot sits against the chassis floor or keyboard backplate with minimal clearance. In a laptop, the chassis itself often acts as a heat spreader through a thermal pad on the bottom panel, and the MAP1602 controller's TSMC 12 nm efficiency keeps thermals manageable even without a dedicated heatsink. In a desktop without an integrated motherboard M.2 cover, you should add a low-profile third-party heatsink — Gen4 controllers can throttle under sustained load when run bare in a desktop case with limited airflow. For a PS5 install, a third-party heatsink is mandatory to meet Sony's requirement that the drive-and-cooler assembly fits within 11.25 mm.

The two share the same core platform — Maxio MAP1602 controller, YMTC 232-layer TLC, HMB, PCIe 4.0 x4 — and deliver essentially identical per-capacity performance at 2 TB. The difference is physical and practical. The S93 is a 2.25 mm bare drive built for thin laptops where a pre-installed heatsink would block installation; it claims over 35 percent lower power consumption than typical Gen4 drives and prioritises efficiency. The AddGame A93 ships with an aluminium heatsink pre-applied, making it the more complete package for a desktop or PS5 build where cooling is the user's responsibility. The A93 2 TB also carries a higher 1,500 TBW endurance rating against the S93's 1,200 TBW, and PCMag awarded the A93 an Editors' Choice for its price-to-performance ratio. If the system has an integrated M.2 heatsink or you are buying for a laptop, the S93 is the better physical fit. If you are building a desktop without motherboard M.2 cooling or upgrading a PS5, the A93 saves you the step of sourcing a separate heatsink and adds endurance headroom.