# Asgard AN4 512GB Review — YMTC-Powered PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD (2026)

The Asgard AN4 512 GB is what happens when a Chinese NAND manufacturer and a Chinese controller designer collaborate on a PCIe 4.0 drive — flagship-class sequential speeds at a price that undercuts the Korean and American incumbents by a meaningful margin.

Quick answer: Buy the Asgard AN4 512 GB if you want flagship-class PCIe 4.0 sequential read speeds at a mid-range price and are comfortable with a Chinese SSD brand that has less review coverage and warranty infrastructure than the Korean and American incumbents. The IG5236 controller and YMTC 128L TLC are a genuinely impressive hardware combination that delivers 7,500 MB/s reads — numbers that match drives costing significantly more. Skip it if you need a fully documented warranty, published endurance ratings, or the reassurance of extensive independent benchmark data. The AN4 is a calculated risk that pays off in speed-per-dollar; whether that trade-off is worth it depends on how much you value the safety net of a Samsung or WD warranty. For a boot drive where reads dominate and the drive will rarely see sustained writes, the AN4 512 GB is one of the fastest options at its price point.

## Specifications

| Specification | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Capacity | 512 GB |
| Interface | M.2 4.0 x 4 |
| Controller | Innogrit Rainer IG5236 |
| Memory type | YMTC 128L TLC |
| DRAM cache | No |
| Sequential read | 7500 MB/s |
| Sequential write | 5500 MB/s |
| Random read IOPS | 750000 |
| Random write IOPS | 700000 |
| Endurance | 300 TBW |
| MTBF | 2000000 |
| Warranty | 5 years |

## Performance

The Asgard AN4 512 GB is rated for up to 7,500 MB/s sequential reads and 5,500 MB/s sequential writes at the higher capacities, though the 512 GB variant typically delivers lower write throughput due to fewer active NAND dies. The IG5236 controller's eight-channel architecture and DRAM cache allow it to fully saturate the PCIe 4.0 x4 bus in sequential reads — a claim independently verified at the 1 TB capacity in early reviews. Random IOPS figures are not publicly documented by Asgard for this model, but the IG5236 platform typically delivers 800K–1,000K IOPS at high queue depths on the larger capacities.

The IG5236 is built on a 12 nm process and runs cooler than earlier PCIe 4.0 controllers like the Phison E16, but it still generates more heat than PCIe 3.0 controllers. Sustained write performance depends heavily on thermal conditions — the drive will throttle if the controller temperature exceeds its limit during extended sequential writes. For a 512 GB OS and application drive where writes are small and intermittent, thermal throttling is extremely unlikely. For users who plan to run sustained write workloads on a 512 GB drive — already a niche use case — the combination of the smaller cache and thermal constraints makes the 1 TB or 2 TB variants better choices.

## Endurance, TBW & Warranty

Asgard provides a limited warranty on the AN4, though the exact warranty term and TBW endurance ratings are not consistently documented across all markets and retailers. This is a common characteristic of Chinese SSD brands that sell primarily through online marketplaces — warranty terms may vary by region and are often shorter than the 5-year standard set by Samsung, WD, and Sabrent. Endurance ratings are not publicly specified for the AN4 series. For a 512 GB TLC drive with a DRAM-equipped PCIe 4.0 controller, typical endurance for this class falls in the 300–600 TBW range. Buyers should verify the warranty terms with their specific retailer and be aware that overseas RMA processes may involve longer turnaround times and higher shipping costs than domestic warranty service. For users who prioritise warranty accountability, the ADATA S70 Blade or Samsung 980 Pro at similar speeds offer more established global warranty infrastructure.

## Pros and Cons

**Pros:**

- 7,500 MB/s reads — flagship PCIe 4.0 sequential throughput
- Innogrit IG5236 controller with DRAM cache
- YMTC 128-layer 3D TLC NAND — competitive with Samsung/Kioxia
- Aggressive pricing undercuts Korean and US equivalents
- PCIe 4.0 x4 bus saturation in sequential reads
**Cons:**

- 512 GB write speed lower than 1 TB and 2 TB variants
- Warranty terms and endurance ratings not consistently documented
- Limited independent review coverage for performance verification
- Chinese brand with potentially longer RMA turnaround times
- No included heatsink despite PCIe 4.0 thermal demands


## Verdict

Buy the Asgard AN4 512 GB if you want flagship-class PCIe 4.0 sequential read speeds at a mid-range price and are comfortable with a Chinese SSD brand that has less review coverage and warranty infrastructure than the Korean and American incumbents. The IG5236 controller and YMTC 128L TLC are a genuinely impressive hardware combination that delivers 7,500 MB/s reads — numbers that match drives costing significantly more. Skip it if you need a fully documented warranty, published endurance ratings, or the reassurance of extensive independent benchmark data. The AN4 is a calculated risk that pays off in speed-per-dollar; whether that trade-off is worth it depends on how much you value the safety net of a Samsung or WD warranty. For a boot drive where reads dominate and the drive will rarely see sustained writes, the AN4 512 GB is one of the fastest options at its price point.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Is the Asgard AN4 512GB good for gaming?

Yes, the AN4 512 GB is a fast gaming boot drive. Game load times are dominated by random read latency, and the IG5236 controller with DRAM delivers competitive random read performance. The 7,500 MB/s sequential reads will load large game assets faster than any PCIe 3.0 drive, though the difference between 7,500 MB/s and 5,000 MB/s in actual game load times is typically less than one second — game engines are rarely bottlenecked by raw sequential throughput at these speeds. The 512 GB capacity holds the OS plus roughly 3–4 modern AAA titles. For a dedicated game library, the 1 TB or 2 TB AN4 variants offer more space and better sustained write performance.

### Does the Asgard AN4 have a DRAM cache?

Yes, the AN4 includes a dedicated DRAM cache paired with the Innogrit IG5236 controller. The DRAM stores the flash translation layer mapping table locally, reducing latency and improving consistency under mixed read/write workloads compared to DRAM-less HMB designs. This is one of the key hardware differentiators between the AN4 and budget PCIe 4.0 drives like the Addlink S90 Lite or Silicon Power UD90, which are DRAM-less. The DRAM cache is essential for the controller to maintain its rated 7,500 MB/s sequential reads and high random IOPS under sustained workloads.

### What is the TBW endurance of the Asgard AN4 512GB?

Asgard does not publish TBW endurance ratings for the AN4 series. For a 512 GB TLC drive with a DRAM-equipped PCIe 4.0 controller, typical endurance falls in the 300–600 TBW range, providing roughly 16 to 32 years of service at a 50 GB/day workload. The lack of a published endurance figure is a common characteristic of Chinese SSD brands and means buyers cannot know whether the warranty is TBW-limited or what the endurance ceiling is. Users who need a documented endurance rating should consider the ADATA S70 Blade (740 TBW for 1 TB) or Samsung 980 Pro (600 TBW for 1 TB) as alternatives with published specifications and global warranty infrastructure.

### Is the Asgard AN4 compatible with the PS5?

The AN4 meets Sony's PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe requirement and the 7,500 MB/s rated read speed easily clears Sony's 5,500 MB/s recommendation. The M.2 2280 form factor fits the PS5 expansion bay, but the drive does not include a heatsink, which Sony requires. You would need to install a third-party heatsink that keeps total height under 11.25 mm. The AN4 is not on Sony's official PS5 compatibility list, and Asgard is not a brand Sony has certified. Many IG5236-based drives work in PS5, but the lack of certification means there is a small risk of compatibility issues after console firmware updates. For guaranteed PS5 compatibility, a Sony-certified drive is the safer choice.

### How does the Asgard AN4 compare to the Samsung 980 Pro?

Both the AN4 and Samsung 980 Pro are PCIe 4.0 flagships with DRAM caches and 7,000+ MB/s read speeds, but they approach the market from opposite directions. The 980 Pro uses Samsung's in-house Elpis controller and Samsung V-NAND — a fully vertically integrated design with published endurance (600 TBW for 1 TB), a 5-year global warranty, and extensive independent benchmark data. The AN4 uses third-party components — Innogrit IG5236 controller and YMTC 128L TLC — with undocumented endurance, variable warranty terms, and sparse review coverage. In sequential performance, they are peers. In everything else — warranty, documentation, brand accountability — the 980 Pro is the safer choice. The AN4 earns its place on price; if the savings are significant, it is a defensible alternative for buyers who accept the trade-offs.

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Last updated: 2026-05-23. Source: https://ssdrive.net/asgard-an4-512-gb