Goodram IRDM Ultimate 4TB PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD Specifications
Goodram IRDM Ultimate 4TB uses a Phison E26 controller with Kioxia 162-layer 3D TLC NAND and DDR4 DRAM for PCIe Gen5 reads of 10,000 MB/s and writes of 9,500 MB/s.
The Goodram IRDM Ultimate 4TB is a high-capacity PCIe 5.0 x4 NVMe SSD powered by the Phison PS5026-E26 controller and Kioxia 162-layer 3D TLC NAND flash. The 4TB model delivers sequential read speeds up to 10,000 MB/s and writes up to 9,500 MB/s, placing it in the first wave of retail PCIe Gen5 consumer storage.
The Phison E26 is an eight-channel NVMe 2.0 controller designed for the doubled bandwidth of PCIe 5.0. It requires a DDR4 DRAM cache for efficient NAND mapping table management, and the IRDM Ultimate 4TB includes dedicated DDR4 memory to maintain strong random 4K performance across mixed workloads.
Goodram (a brand of Polish distributor Xcellence) positions the IRDM Ultimate as a premium Gen5 offering targeting enthusiasts and content creators. The 4TB capacity provides maximum storage space for extensive game libraries, large video project files, and massive datasets that benefit from Gen5 bandwidth.
Kioxia 162-layer 3D TLC NAND flash is a proven and widely used memory type across many competitive SSD lines. It offers good endurance characteristics and cost efficiency compared to newer higher-layer-count NAND generations, while still delivering the bandwidth necessary for PCIe 5.0 operation.
✅ Storage Comparisons:
🚀 Performance and benchmarks
The 4TB IRDM Ultimate reaches 10,000 MB/s sequential read and 9,500 MB/s write throughput over PCIe 5.0 x4. These figures represent a significant generational improvement over PCIe 4.0 drives, which top out around 7,400 MB/s read and 6,800 MB/s write.
Goodram IRDM Ultimate 4 TB vs M.2 5.0 peers
Switch between sequential throughput and random IOPS to see how this drive stacks up against other M.2 5.0 SSDs in our database. The highlighted bar is the drive on this page — click any other bar to open that drive.
- ADATA Nighthawk Prototype 1 TB: 14,000 MB/s read, 12,000 MB/s write
- ADATA Nighthawk Prototype 2 TB: 14,000 MB/s read, 12,000 MB/s write
- ADATA Nighthawk Prototype 4 TB: 14,000 MB/s read, 12,000 MB/s write
- ADATA Nighthawk Prototype 8 TB: 14,000 MB/s read, 12,000 MB/s write
- Goodram IRDM Ultimate 4 TB (this drive): 10,000 MB/s read, 9,500 MB/s write
Random 4K performance benefits from the Phison E26 controller architecture and the dedicated DDR4 DRAM cache. While Goodram has not published specific IOPS figures for the IRDM Ultimate, the E26 platform typically delivers read IOPS in the 1.5 million range and write IOPS around 1.7 million, translating to excellent desktop responsiveness and fast application loading.
Thermal management is a critical consideration for any PCIe 5.0 SSD. The E26 controller generates substantially more heat than Gen4 controllers under sustained load. The IRDM Ultimate ships with a heatsink option, and Goodram recommends ensuring adequate M.2 slot airflow to maintain peak performance without thermal throttling.
Under sustained heavy writes, the dynamic SLC cache will eventually exhaust, at which point write speeds fall to the native TLC pace of the Kioxia 162-layer NAND. The 4TB capacity with its larger NAND array may offer a bigger SLC cache pool, allowing longer sustained write bursts before hitting native TLC speeds.
🖥️ Endurance and warranty
Goodram provides warranty coverage for the IRDM Ultimate series under their standard SSD warranty terms. As a brand primarily serving the European market through distributor Xcellence, Goodram typically offers five-year limited warranties on premium SSD products. Specific TBW endurance ratings for the IRDM Ultimate 4TB have not been publicly disclosed by Goodram. Similar Phison E26 platform drives of 4TB capacity generally carry endurance ratings around 3,000 TBW. Warranty claims are processed through authorized Goodram retailers and regional distributors. European customers benefit from standard EU consumer protection laws in addition to manufacturer warranty coverage. For the most current warranty and endurance information, consult the official Goodram website or contact their technical support team.
📊 Specs
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Capacity [?] | 4 TB |
| Interface [?] | M.2 5.0 |
| Controller [?] | Phison PS5026-E26 |
| Memory type [?] | 3D TLC |
| DRAM [?] | DDR4 |
| Read speed (MB/s) [?] | 10000 |
| Write speed (MB/s) [?] | 9500 |
| Read IOPS [?] | n/a |
| Write IOPS [?] | n/a |
| Endurance (TBW) [?] | 3000 |
| MTBF (million hours) [?] | n/a |
| Warranty (years) [?] | n/a |
Conclusion
The Goodram IRDM Ultimate 4TB delivers compelling PCIe 5.0 performance with the proven Phison PS5026-E26 controller, Kioxia 162-layer 3D TLC NAND, and DDR4 DRAM cache. At 10,000 MB/s read and 9,500 MB/s write, it provides a meaningful generational upgrade over Gen4 storage and the 4TB capacity is ideal for users who need maximum storage.
Goodram is a well-established brand in the European market, and the IRDM Ultimate represents their push into the premium Gen5 segment. Thermal management is essential with any E26-based drive, so plan for adequate cooling. If you want high-capacity PCIe 5.0 storage from a reputable European brand, the IRDM Ultimate 4TB deserves consideration.
+ Pros
- 10,000 MB/s reads deliver significant PCIe Gen5 improvement
- Kioxia 162-layer 3D TLC NAND for proven reliability
- DDR4 DRAM cache for sustained random performance
- Phison E26 controller with strong eight-channel architecture
- 4TB capacity ideal for extensive game libraries and video projects
- Cons
- Requires robust cooling to prevent E26 controller thermal throttling
- Limited brand availability outside European markets
- No published TBW endurance rating from Goodram
- SLC cache exhaustion under sustained multi-hundred-gigabyte transfers
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✨ Video Review
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