# DAHUA C970 Plus 2TB: big budget Gen4 storage (2026)

The DAHUA C970 Plus 2 TB is the capacity flagship of DAHUA's budget Gen4 line, delivering 7,200 MB/s reads, a large SLC cache, and 1,200 TBW of endurance without a DRAM cache.

Quick answer: Buy the DAHUA C970 Plus 2 TB for a budget build that needs genuine PCIe 4.0 speed and a large capacity, whether as a game library, an archive, or a project cache, with 1,200 TBW of endurance to back it up. Skip it when many hundreds of gigabytes are written in single transfers, since the DRAM-less design settles to about 1.5 GB/s outside the SLC cache, or when brand familiarity matters, where the Crucial P310 2 TB is the safer pick. The natural rivals are the Crucial P310 2 TB and Kingston NV2 2 TB, both budget Gen4 drives. We rate the 2 TB C970 Plus an excellent value for anyone who wants a lot of fast storage without a flagship price.

## Specifications

| Specification | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Capacity | 2 TB |
| Interface | M.2 4.0 x 4 |
| Controller | Maxio MAP1602 4 Channel |
| Memory type | YTC 232-L TLC |
| DRAM cache | No |
| Sequential read | 7200 MB/s |
| Sequential write | 6400 MB/s |
| Random read IOPS | 1026000 |
| Random write IOPS | 766000 |
| Endurance | 1200 TBW |
| MTBF | 2000000 |
| Warranty | 5 years |

## Performance

The 2 TB C970 Plus is rated at 7,200 MB/s sequential reads and 6,400 MB/s writes over PCIe 4.0, with up to 1,026,000 random read IOPS and 766,000 random write IOPS. Independent reviews of the series confirm the rated numbers are realistic, with the 1 TB measuring around 7,125 MB/s read in CrystalDiskMark; the 2 TB behaves the same, helped by an even larger SLC cache.

In practice the drive is quick across the board. Game load times are bounded by the CPU and decompression once a drive clears about 3,000 MB/s, so the C970 Plus feels identical to a flagship in gaming. The 2 TB's strength is sustained throughput: its large SLC cache absorbs long contiguous writes at full speed, so moving a large game library or media folder holds high speed for longer than the smaller capacities before settling to the native TLC rate.

Thermals remain a strength, with reviewers recording around 42 C during full-drive writes using the included graphene heatsink, and the drive keeps performing close to rated even at 90 percent capacity. Random access is solid thanks to HMB, though heavy mixed workloads show a little more latency than a DRAM-equipped module. For a budget drive with this much capacity, the C970 Plus 2 TB is an outstanding value.

## Endurance, TBW & Warranty

DAHUA backs the C970 Plus with a five-year limited warranty, with some regional listings promoting up to ten years. The 2 TB model is rated at 1,200 TBW of endurance, the highest in the line, scaling from 300 TBW on the 512 GB through 600 TBW on the 1 TB. At a typical 20 GB per day of writes, 1,200 TBW equates to roughly 164 years, so the flash will outlast the warranty in any realistic workload, and even a heavy 100 GB per day leaves over three decades. The drive is rated for a 2,000,000 hour MTBF, a population statistic rather than a promise about a single unit. Returns run through the retailer or DAHUA depending on region, and the included graphene heatsink covers everyday cooling.

## Pros and Cons

**Pros:**

- 2 TB capacity on a budget Gen4 drive
- Up to 7,200 MB/s reads
- Largest SLC cache in the C970 Plus line
- 1,200 TBW endurance rating
- Single-sided PCB fits laptops
- Graphene heatsink included
**Cons:**

- DRAM-less; sustained writes drop to ~1.5 GB/s
- HMB depends on system RAM
- Budget brand reputation vs established rivals
- No hardware encryption support


## Verdict

Buy the DAHUA C970 Plus 2 TB for a budget build that needs genuine PCIe 4.0 speed and a large capacity, whether as a game library, an archive, or a project cache, with 1,200 TBW of endurance to back it up. Skip it when many hundreds of gigabytes are written in single transfers, since the DRAM-less design settles to about 1.5 GB/s outside the SLC cache, or when brand familiarity matters, where the Crucial P310 2 TB is the safer pick. The natural rivals are the Crucial P310 2 TB and Kingston NV2 2 TB, both budget Gen4 drives. We rate the 2 TB C970 Plus an excellent value for anyone who wants a lot of fast storage without a flagship price.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Is the DAHUA C970 Plus 2 TB good for gaming?

Yes, it is an excellent budget gaming drive, and the 2 TB capacity is its main appeal, holding dozens of modern titles on a single SSD. Game load times are bounded by the CPU and asset decompression once a drive clears about 3,000 MB/s, so the C970 Plus's 7,200 MB/s reads feel identical to a flagship in games. The large SLC cache keeps game installs and library transfers fast, and the drive runs cool. For a high-capacity budget gaming build it is a very strong pick.

### Is the DAHUA C970 Plus 2 TB compatible with the PS5?

Yes. Sony recommends an M.2 NVMe SSD with at least 5,500 MB/s reads and dimensions up to 110 by 25 by 11.25 mm including a heatsink; the C970 Plus's 7,200 MB/s rating clears the speed bar and the included thin graphene heatsink fits the console's slot. The 2 TB capacity is an excellent PS5 upgrade, more than doubling the base storage and fitting a large game library. The drive runs full speed in the console's PCIe 4.0 slot. It is one of the more affordable large-capacity options that meets Sony's spec.

### Does the DAHUA C970 Plus have a DRAM cache?

No. The C970 Plus is a DRAM-less design that uses the Host Memory Buffer (HMB), borrowing a small portion of system RAM to hold the flash translation layer. This lowers cost and is fine for most consumer workloads, but the drive depends more on system memory than a DRAM-equipped module. The impact shows mainly in heavy sustained mixed workloads, where DRAM-equipped drives maintain lower latency; for everyday use the difference is barely noticeable. On a 2 TB drive, the larger SLC cache helps compensate for the lack of DRAM.

### What is the TBW endurance of the DAHUA C970 Plus 2 TB?

The 2 TB C970 Plus is rated at 1,200 TBW, the highest in the line. At a typical 20 GB per day that works out to roughly 164 years, and even a heavy 100 GB per day workload leaves over three decades, so the flash will far outlast the five-year warranty. Endurance scales with capacity: 300 TBW on the 512 GB and 600 TBW on the 1 TB. For a budget drive, 1,200 TBW is a generous, write-friendly rating that suits archive and scratch-disk use.

### Does the DAHUA C970 Plus need a heatsink?

Not for typical use, and one is included anyway. The C970 Plus ships with a slim graphene heatsink, and reviewers recorded around 42 C during full-drive writes with it fitted. The DRAM-less Maxio controller runs cool, so the drive would manage even bare in a well-ventilated case, though fitting the included heatsink is free insurance. On a 2 TB drive the extra NAND runs slightly warmer under sustained load, so the included cooler is worth using, especially in a cramped laptop slot.

### Is the DAHUA C970 Plus 2 TB good for video editing?

Yes, it is a solid budget choice for 4K editing and a good scratch or cache drive. The 7,200 MB/s reads scrub 4K timelines smoothly, and the 2 TB capacity holds a working project plus substantial media. The large SLC cache keeps sustained captures and renders fast before settling to about 1.5 GB/s outside the cache, which is adequate for most editing workloads. For heavy continuous 8K or high-bitrate work a DRAM-equipped drive holds higher sustained throughput, but for most editors the 2 TB C970 Plus offers strong value.

### How does the DAHUA C970 Plus 2 TB compare to the Crucial P310 2 TB?

Both are DRAM-less budget PCIe 4.0 drives with closely matched performance. The C970 Plus is rated slightly higher at 7,200 MB/s reads versus the P310's 7,100 MB/s, and it includes a graphene heatsink and a five-year warranty, while the bare P310 ships without a cooler. Crucial has a longer-standing brand and more mature firmware, which matters to some buyers. For most budget users the C970 Plus offers a little more for the money; the P310 is the safer mainstream-brand option.

---

Last updated: 2026-08-17. Source: https://ssdrive.net/dahua-c970-plus-2-tb