# Gigabyte Aorus 1TB NVMe Gen4 SSD Review (2026)

The Gigabyte Aorus 1TB is an early PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD built on Phison's E16 controller and Toshiba 64L 3D TLC — one of the first Gen4 drives to ship with a bundled heatsink.

Quick answer: The Gigabyte Aorus 1TB was a strong first-generation PCIe 4.0 SSD in 2019, and it still outperforms any PCIe 3.0 drive in sequential speed today. However, the Phison E16 platform has been surpassed by the E18 generation and Samsung's Elpis controller, both of which deliver higher write speeds, better random IOPS, and improved power efficiency. For builders who already own this drive, there is no urgent reason to upgrade — but new buyers should look at the Aorus 7000S, Samsung 980 Pro, or WD Black SN850 for a modern Gen4 experience at a similar or lower price point.

## Specifications

| Specification | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Capacity | 1 TB |
| Interface | M.2 4.0 x 4 |
| Controller | Phison PS5016-E16 |
| Memory type | Toshiba 3D TLC |
| DRAM cache | SK Hynix 2GB DDR4 |
| Sequential read | 5000 MB/s |
| Sequential write | 4000 MB/s |
| Random read IOPS | 750000 |
| Random write IOPS | 700000 |
| Endurance | 1800 TBW |
| MTBF | 1.7 |
| Warranty | 5 years |

## Performance

Gigabyte rates the Aorus 1TB at 5,000 MB/s sequential read and 4,000 MB/s sequential write. Independent reviews from The PC Enthusiast and ThinkComputers confirm these numbers are achievable in CrystalDiskMark on a fresh drive. The E16 controller is the first-generation Phison PCIe 4.0 design, and its random performance — 750K read and 700K write IOPS — is strong for its era but trails the later E18 generation.

In real-world workloads, the Aorus shows a typical Phison SLC cache pattern: burst writes hit the rated speed for the first several hundred gigabytes, then settle to around 1,500 MB/s once the cache fills. 4K random performance is competitive with other E16 drives like the Corsair MP600 but meaningfully slower than PCIe 4.0 drives on the E18 or Samsung Elpis controllers. Game load times, OS boot, and application launches are essentially identical to other Gen4 drives at the same capacity — the difference only shows up in sustained writes and heavy queue-depth workloads.

## Endurance, TBW & Warranty

The Aorus 1TB carries a 1,800 TBW endurance rating, which is notably higher than the 700 TBW on its successor (the Aorus 7000S 1TB). This reflects the older 64-layer BiCS3 flash, which is rated for more write cycles than the faster 96-layer Micron TLC used in the E18 generation. The drive is covered by a 5-year limited warranty. At 50 GB of writes per day, the 1,800 TBW rating translates to roughly 99 years of use — effectively unlimited for any consumer. The MTBF is rated at 1.7 million hours. The drive includes AES-256 hardware encryption support.

## Pros and Cons

**Pros:**

- 5,000 MB/s sequential read on PCIe 4.0
- 1,800 TBW endurance exceeds newer E18 drives
- Included finned heatsink prevents throttling
- AES-256 hardware encryption
- 5-year warranty
**Cons:**

- E16 controller is a generation behind E18
- 4,000 MB/s write trails newer Gen4 drives
- Large heatsink limits motherboard compatibility
- 64-layer TLC is slower than modern 96-layer NAND


## Verdict

The Gigabyte Aorus 1TB was a strong first-generation PCIe 4.0 SSD in 2019, and it still outperforms any PCIe 3.0 drive in sequential speed today. However, the Phison E16 platform has been surpassed by the E18 generation and Samsung's Elpis controller, both of which deliver higher write speeds, better random IOPS, and improved power efficiency. For builders who already own this drive, there is no urgent reason to upgrade — but new buyers should look at the Aorus 7000S, Samsung 980 Pro, or WD Black SN850 for a modern Gen4 experience at a similar or lower price point.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Is the Gigabyte Aorus 1TB good for gaming?

The Aorus 1TB delivers 5,000 MB/s reads and competitive game load times on PCIe 4.0. For gaming, it performs similarly to other first-gen Gen4 drives like the Corsair MP600. The difference between this drive and newer Gen4 models like the Samsung 980 Pro is minimal in game load benchmarks — most titles are limited by 4K random reads, where all Gen4 drives cluster together. The included heatsink keeps it cool during extended gaming sessions.

### Is the Gigabyte Aorus 1TB compatible with the PS5?

The bare drive (heatsink removed) meets Sony's 5,500 MB/s+ read speed recommendation with 5,000 MB/s — which is slightly below the recommended threshold but above the minimum. The 1TB model uses Toshiba BiCS3 TLC with SK Hynix DRAM and should fit the PS5 M.2 slot once the factory heatsink is removed. Sony does not officially list this model, but it meets the interface (PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe) and form factor (M.2 2280) requirements.

### What is the TBW endurance of the Gigabyte Aorus 1TB?

The Aorus 1TB is rated for 1,800 TBW (terabytes written), backed by a 5-year warranty. This is notably higher than the 700 TBW on the newer Aorus 7000S 1TB, because the older 64-layer BiCS3 TLC flash used in this drive has higher write endurance per cell. At 50 GB of writes per day, it would take approximately 99 years to exhaust the rated endurance.

### How does the Aorus compare to the Aorus 7000S?

The Aorus 7000S is the direct successor. It uses the Phison E18 controller instead of the older E16, delivering 7,000 MB/s reads (vs 5,000) and 5,500-6,850 MB/s writes (vs 4,000). Random IOPS are also higher on the 7000S. However, the original Aorus has higher endurance (1,800 vs 700 TBW at 1TB) thanks to the older, more durable flash. For new purchases, the 7000S is the better choice. Existing Aorus owners have no pressing reason to upgrade for gaming or general use.

### Does the Gigabyte Aorus have DRAM cache?

Yes. The 1TB model includes SK Hynix DDR4 DRAM for the flash translation layer mapping table. This is a full DRAM cache, not a DRAM-less design relying on host memory buffer (HMB). The DRAM ensures consistent random read/write performance and is standard for Phison E16-based drives.

### Is the Gigabyte Aorus still worth buying in 2026?

For new purchases, no. The E16 platform has been surpassed by newer, cheaper, and faster drives. The Aorus 7000S, Samsung 980 Pro, WD Black SN850, and numerous other PCIe 4.0 drives offer higher performance at similar or lower prices. However, if you already own the Aorus, there is no compelling reason to replace it for gaming or general desktop use — its performance remains competitive with PCIe 3.0 drives and the 1,800 TBW endurance rating means it will outlast most systems.

---

Last updated: 2026-05-17. Source: https://ssdrive.net/gigabyte-aorus-1-tb