Goodram IRDM Ultimate X 1TB — PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD Review (2026)
The Goodram IRDM Ultimate X 1TB pairs the factory-tuned Phison E16 controller with Kioxia BiCS4 TLC to deliver an endurance-heavy PCIe 4.0 drive with 5,000 MB/s reads and a standout 1,767 TBW rating.
Controller & Memory
The 1 TB IRDM Ultimate X is the capacity sweet spot in Goodram's PCIe 4.0 lineup. Built on the Phison PS5016-E16 eight-channel controller with Kioxia BiCS4 96-layer 3D TLC NAND and a dedicated DDR4 DRAM cache, it shares the same core platform as the Corsair MP600, Sabrent Rocket 4.0, and Gigabyte AORUS Gen4, but with Goodram's mild firmware tune that lifts the sequential write rating to 4,500 MB/s — 100 MB/s above the standard E16 reference of 4,400 MB/s. Sequential reads are rated at the expected 5,000 MB/s, and random performance sits at 750,000 IOPS read and 700,000 IOPS write.
The headline feature is endurance: Goodram rates the 1 TB model at 1,767 TBW over its 5-year warranty. This is roughly 970 GB of host writes per day, or approximately one full drive write per day (1.0 DWPD). To put that in perspective, the Samsung 980 PRO 1 TB carries 600 TBW, the WD Black SN770 1 TB carries 600 TBW, and even the workstation-oriented Samsung 990 PRO 1 TB is rated at 600 TBW. The IRDM Ultimate X nearly triples all of them. This endurance comes from the E16's firmware architecture, which allocates a smaller share of the TLC array to pseudo-SLC caching than newer controllers. The trade-off is a smaller burst-write ceiling before the cache fills, but the benefit is dramatically lower write amplification and longer NAND lifespan under sustained mixed workloads.
At 1 TB, the drive's pSLC write cache absorbs roughly 110–140 GB of writes at the full 4,500 MB/s before the controller transitions to direct-to-TLC programming at approximately 1,200–1,500 MB/s. This cache size is sufficient for almost all consumer workloads: game installs, OS updates, large file copies, and even multi-gigabyte video exports complete at full speed without hitting the transition point. The single-sided M.2 2280 form factor with a graphene-coated label fits any desktop or laptop M.2 slot and is compatible with the PlayStation 5's expansion bay (though a low-profile aftermarket heatsink is recommended for PS5 use, as the graphene label provides only modest passive cooling). Goodram assembles the drive in Poland at Wilk Elektronik's facility, which distinguishes it from the Taiwan/China-assembled E16 competition and gives European buyers a local warranty route.
Storage Comparisons:
IRDM Ultimate X Performance & Benchmarks
The 1 TB IRDM Ultimate X performs in line with the best Phison E16 implementations, with Goodram's factory write tune providing a slight edge in cached sequential writes. CrystalDiskMark sequential reads settle at 4,950–5,050 MB/s, and cached sequential writes reach 4,450–4,530 MB/s — consistently above the 4,400 MB/s that standard E16 firmware delivers. Random 4K QD1 read performance is in the 65–70 MB/s range, typical for the E16's dual-core ARM Cortex-R5 architecture with CoX co-processor. Random 4K QD1 write sits at 180–200 MB/s, reflecting the DRAM-backed write buffer and eight-channel interleaving.
Goodram IRDM Ultimate X 1 TB 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
- Goodram IRDM Ultimate X 1 TB (this drive): 5,000 MB/s read, 4,500 MB/s write
Sustained sequential write behaviour follows the expected E16 profile scaled to 1 TB of total capacity. The pSLC cache absorbs 110–140 GB at full speed before the controller folds into native TLC writes at 1,200–1,500 MB/s. A full-drive sequential fill of the remaining ~850 GB completes at an average of approximately 1,350–1,550 MB/s. This is competitive within the E16 class and means that even a worst-case workload — cloning a full 1 TB drive in a single pass — completes at SATA SSD-class speeds after the cache transition. Thermal behaviour with the graphene label is adequate for typical use: the controller reaches the low 70s °C under sustained writes in still air, with a mild throttle of 5–8% engaging near 75 °C. Adding a motherboard M.2 cover or any basic heatsink eliminates throttling entirely.
Goodram IRDM Ultimate X vs Competitors
See how the IRDM Ultimate X stacks up against other M.2 4.0 x 4 drives in our database:
Compare with rival drives:
Endurance, TBW & Warranty
Goodram backs the IRDM Ultimate X 1 TB with a 5-year limited warranty and an endurance rating of 1,767 TBW. This is among the highest TBW figures available for any 1 TB consumer PCIe 4.0 drive, regardless of brand or price tier. By comparison, the Samsung 990 PRO 1 TB carries 600 TBW, the WD Black SN850X 1 TB carries 600 TBW, and the Crucial T500 1 TB carries 600 TBW. The IRDM Ultimate X's 1,767 TBW is nearly triple all of them, and it even exceeds the endurance of some enterprise SATA SSDs at the same capacity. In practical terms, a user writing 50 GB per day — a heavy mixed workload with frequent large file transfers — would take approximately 97 years to exhaust the rated endurance. Goodram's warranty is administered through Wilk Elektronik's European distribution network, and buyers outside the EU should confirm the warranty claim process with their regional retailer before purchase. Standard NVMe SMART attribute 0xF5 (Total Host Writes) tracks the drive's write consumption and is readable through any SMART monitoring utility, including Goodram's own SSD toolbox software.
Goodram IRDM Ultimate X 1 TB Specifications
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Capacity [?] | 1 TB |
| Interface [?] | M.2 4.0 x 4 |
| Controller [?] | Phison PS5016-E16 |
| Memory type [?] | Toshiba 3D TLC |
| DRAM [?] | DDR4 Cache |
| Read speed (MB/s) [?] | 5000 |
| Write speed (MB/s) [?] | 4500 |
| Read IOPS [?] | 750000 |
| Write IOPS [?] | 700000 |
| Endurance (TBW) [?] | 1767 |
| MTBF (million hours) [?] | 1.7 |
| Warranty (years) [?] | 5 |
Verdict: Is the IRDM Ultimate X Worth It in 2026?
The Goodram IRDM Ultimate X 1 TB carves out a clear identity in the crowded Phison E16 market: it is the endurance champion. At 1,767 TBW, it offers nearly three times the write longevity of Samsung and WD's PCIe 4.0 flagships at the same capacity, and it backs that endurance with the same 5-year warranty. The factory-tuned 4,500 MB/s write speed is a welcome bonus, but the real value proposition is a drive that will outlast every other component in a power-user or workstation build. The trade-offs are the E16 platform's age — 5,000 MB/s reads are now entry-level PCIe 4.0 performance, and the 28 nm controller is less power-efficient than modern alternatives — and Goodram's limited brand recognition outside Europe. For a write-intensive boot drive, a content-creation scratch disk, or a long-service-life system volume, the IRDM Ultimate X 1 TB is one of the smartest E16 purchases still available. For pure gaming or light productivity, a newer DRAM-less TLC 1 TB drive will deliver indistinguishable real-world responsiveness at a lower price, though it will come nowhere near the Goodram's endurance headroom.
+ Pros
- Exceptional 1,767 TBW endurance at 1 TB
- Factory-tuned 4,500 MB/s writes above E16 reference
- 5-year warranty with strong endurance backing
- Genuine DDR4 DRAM cache, not HMB
- Single-sided M.2 2280 fits any slot
- Assembled in Poland with European warranty support
- Cons
- 5,000 MB/s reads now entry-level for PCIe 4.0
- 28 nm controller less efficient than modern alternatives
- Graphene label provides limited passive cooling
- Limited brand availability outside Europe
- No integrated heatsink option at retail
Buy this or similar SSD Storage:
Video Review
Goodram PCIe 4 x4 NVMe M.2 SSD, 500GB, 1TB and 2TB IRDM Ultimate X
