DAHUA C970 Plus 512GB: fast Gen4 on a budget (2026)
The DAHUA C970 Plus 512 GB is a DRAM-less PCIe 4.0 NVMe that delivers up to 7,200 MB/s reads and 6,400 MB/s writes with YMTC 232-layer TLC and HMB, at a budget price.
Controller & Memory
DAHUA, better known for surveillance cameras, makes a solid line of consumer SSDs, and the C970 Plus is its fast mainstream PCIe 4.0 module. The 512 GB model pairs Maxio's MAP1602 four-channel controller with YMTC (Yangtze Memory) 232-layer 3D TLC NAND and no DRAM, relying on the Host Memory Buffer to keep the flash translation layer in system RAM. It is rated at 7,200 MB/s sequential reads and 6,400 MB/s writes over PCIe 4.0 x4, numbers that put it at the top of the budget Gen4 field.
The C970 Plus ships in 512 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB. The 512 GB is the entry point and the smallest capacity of the three; all share the same controller and NAND, with endurance scaling from roughly 300 TBW here up to 1,200 TBW on the 2 TB. The drive is single-sided, so it drops into laptops and thin builds easily, and it comes with a slim graphene heatsink in the box that handles most workloads fine.
Because it is DRAM-less, the C970 Plus leans on a large SLC cache to hit its rated write speeds, and once that cache fills, writes drop to the native TLC rate. For the 512 GB capacity that cache is smaller than on the 1 TB, so very large sustained transfers slow sooner. In daily use - booting, loading games, copying files up to a few tens of gigabytes - the drive holds full speed and feels every bit as quick as pricier DRAM-equipped rivals. It is a strong value choice for a budget gaming build or a laptop upgrade where PCIe 4.0 bandwidth is available.
Storage Comparisons:
C970 Plus Performance & Benchmarks
The 512 GB 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 Chinese reviews of the series measured the 1 TB around 7,100 MB/s read and 6,600 MB/s write in CrystalDiskMark, confirming the rated figures are honest and not marketing padding.
DAHUA C970 Plus 512 GB 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
- DAHUA C970 Plus 512 GB (this drive): 7,200 MB/s read, 6,400 MB/s write
In real use the drive is quick where it matters. Game load times, which are bounded by the CPU and decompression once a drive clears roughly 3,000 MB/s, are indistinguishable from a flagship Gen4 module. The SLC cache absorbs writes at full speed until it fills, after which sustained write speed settles to about 1.5 GB/s, which is normal for a DRAM-less TLC drive. For a 512 GB boot or game drive, transfers rarely exceed the cache, so the slowdown is seldom felt.
Thermals are a highlight: reviewers recorded around 42 C during full-drive writes with the included graphene heatsink, and the drive kept performing close to rated speed even at 90 percent capacity. Random access is solid thanks to HMB, though heavy mixed workloads on a nearly full drive will show a little more latency than a DRAM-equipped module. For the money, the C970 Plus delivers genuine PCIe 4.0 performance without the flagship price.
DAHUA C970 Plus vs Competitors
See how the C970 Plus stacks up against other M.2 4.0 x 4 drives in our database:
Compare with rival drives:
Endurance, TBW & Warranty
DAHUA covers the C970 Plus with a five-year limited warranty, a generous term for a budget drive, with some regional listings promoting up to ten years. The 512 GB model is rated at 300 TBW of endurance, the smallest of the three capacities; the 1 TB carries 600 TBW and the 2 TB 1,200 TBW. At a typical 20 GB per day of writes, 300 TBW equates to roughly 41 years, so the flash will comfortably outlast the warranty term in normal use. The drive is rated for a 2,000,000 hour MTBF, though that figure is a population statistic, not a guarantee for any single unit. Returns are handled through the retailer or DAHUA depending on region, and the included graphene heatsink covers everyday cooling.
DAHUA C970 Plus 512 GB Specifications
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Capacity [?] | 512 GB |
| Interface [?] | M.2 4.0 x 4 |
| Controller [?] | Maxio MAP1602 4 Channel |
| Memory type [?] | YTC 232-L TLC |
| DRAM [?] | No |
| Read speed (MB/s) [?] | 7200 |
| Write speed (MB/s) [?] | 6400 |
| Read IOPS [?] | 1026000 |
| Write IOPS [?] | 766000 |
| Endurance (TBW) [?] | 300 |
| MTBF (million hours) [?] | 2000000 |
| Warranty (years) [?] | 5 |
Verdict: Is the C970 Plus Worth It in 2026?
Buy the DAHUA C970 Plus 512 GB for a budget gaming build or laptop upgrade that wants genuine PCIe 4.0 speeds without paying for a DRAM cache or a famous brand. Skip it when very large files are moved regularly, since the DRAM-less design and small SLC cache mean sustained writes slow to about 1.5 GB/s, or when more capacity is needed, in which case the 1 TB is the sweet spot. The natural rivals are the Crucial P310 512 GB and the Kingston NV2, both budget Gen4 options that trade a little speed for lower cost. We rate the C970 Plus an honest, fast value drive, and the 512 GB is a fine boot or small-game-library pick.
+ Pros
- Up to 7,200 MB/s reads, top of budget Gen4
- YMTC 232-layer TLC NAND
- Single-sided PCB fits laptops
- Graphene heatsink included
- Five-year warranty at a budget price
- Runs cool under sustained load
- Cons
- DRAM-less; sustained writes drop to ~1.5 GB/s
- Small SLC cache on the 512 GB model
- HMB depends on system RAM
- Minor latency under heavy mixed workloads
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Video Review
Dahua C970 Series SSD
