# HP EX950 1TB NVMe SSD Review — PCIe 3.0 (2026)

The HP EX950 1TB is a PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD built on the Silicon Motion SM2262EN controller and Micron 64-layer TLC NAND, delivering 3,500 MB/s reads and 650 TBW endurance for builders who need proven NVMe performance.

Quick answer: The HP EX950 1TB is a strong PCIe 3.0 NVMe drive with the SM2262EN controller and Micron TLC delivering competitive performance — particularly with the updated firmware. The 650 TBW endurance, 3,500 MB/s reads, and 1TB capacity make it a well-rounded choice for a combined boot and game drive. The main risk is the early firmware issue; anyone buying an EX950 should verify the firmware version. For the price, the EX950 1TB competes well against the Samsung 970 EVO Plus and WD Black SN750. Builders who need more capacity should consider the EX950 2TB with 1,300 TBW endurance.

## Specifications

| Specification | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Capacity | 1 TB |
| Interface | M.2 3.0 x 4 |
| Controller | Silicon Motion SM2262EN |
| Memory type | Micron 64L 3D TLC |
| DRAM cache | Nanya or Micron 512 - 2TB DDR3 |
| Sequential read | 3500 MB/s |
| Sequential write | 2900 MB/s |
| Random read IOPS | 410000 |
| Random write IOPS | 380000 |
| Endurance | 650 TBW |
| MTBF | 2 |
| Warranty | 5 years |

## Performance

The HP EX950 1TB is rated for 3,500 MB/s sequential reads and 2,900 MB/s sequential writes. With the updated firmware, TechPowerUp found the EX950 2TB was one of the fastest SSDs they had tested at the time, beating the Samsung 970 Pro in some real-life benchmarks. The 1TB model shares the same controller and NAND, performing within a small margin of the 2TB variant.

The dynamic SLC cache on the 1TB model absorbs roughly 50–100 GB of burst writes before folding to TLC speeds around 1,800–2,200 MB/s — strong sustained performance for a PCIe 3.0 drive. Random IO is a particular strength of the SM2262EN controller, which maintains consistent 4K performance even as the drive fills. Gaming load times, file transfers, and application launches are all competitive with drives in this class. The 1TB capacity provides room for 15–25 AAA games alongside the OS.

## Endurance, TBW & Warranty

HP rates the EX950 1TB at 650 TBW with a five-year limited warranty. At 40 GB of writes per day, the endurance budget covers roughly 44 years. The 2 million hour MTBF is a population-level statistic. HP provides SSD management tools for health monitoring and firmware updates. Warranty service is handled through HP's RMA process.

## Pros and Cons

**Pros:**

- 3,500 MB/s reads and 2,900 MB/s writes on PCIe 3.0
- SM2262EN controller with strong random IO
- Micron 64-layer TLC NAND — consistent sustained writes
- 650 TBW endurance with 5-year warranty
- 1TB capacity for OS, games, and working files
**Cons:**

- Early firmware had performance issues — verify update
- HP-branded but manufactured by BIWIN
- Double-sided PCB may limit slim-laptop compatibility
- PCIe 3.0 — surpassed by Gen4 drives
- DDR3 DRAM is older generation compared to DDR4 on newer drives


## Verdict

The HP EX950 1TB is a strong PCIe 3.0 NVMe drive with the SM2262EN controller and Micron TLC delivering competitive performance — particularly with the updated firmware. The 650 TBW endurance, 3,500 MB/s reads, and 1TB capacity make it a well-rounded choice for a combined boot and game drive. The main risk is the early firmware issue; anyone buying an EX950 should verify the firmware version. For the price, the EX950 1TB competes well against the Samsung 970 EVO Plus and WD Black SN750. Builders who need more capacity should consider the EX950 2TB with 1,300 TBW endurance.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Is the HP EX950 1TB good for gaming?

The EX950 1TB delivers 3,500 MB/s reads and 410K random read IOPS, providing fast and consistent game load times. The 1TB capacity holds 15–25 modern AAA titles alongside the OS. The SM2262EN controller maintains performance as the drive fills, which matters for gaming drives that frequently receive large updates. With updated firmware, the EX950 is competitive with the Samsung 970 EVO Plus for gaming workloads.

### Does the HP EX950 1TB have a DRAM cache?

Yes. The EX950 includes DDR3 DRAM (Nanya or Micron) for the Silicon Motion SM2262EN controller's flash translation layer. The 1TB model has a 1 GB DDR3 DRAM chip. While DDR3 is an older generation than the DDR4 used on some competitors, the SM2262EN controller is designed for it and performance is not meaningfully impacted.

### What is the TBW endurance of the HP EX950 1TB?

The HP EX950 1TB is rated at 650 TBW (terabytes written), covered by a five-year limited warranty. At a typical consumer workload of 30–50 GB per day, the endurance budget covers 35 to 59 years. Even at a heavy 100 GB per day, it would take 17 years to exhaust the allowance. For normal desktop and gaming use, endurance is not a practical concern.

### How does the HP EX950 1TB compare to the WD Black SN750?

Both are PCIe 3.0 NVMe drives with TLC NAND and DRAM cache. The SN750 uses WD's in-house controller with Toshiba TLC, while the EX950 uses the Silicon Motion SM2262EN with Micron TLC. Peak speeds are similar at 3,500 MB/s reads. The SN750 has slightly better power efficiency. The EX950 with updated firmware matches or slightly exceeds the SN750 in some real-world benchmarks. Pricing varies — the EX950 is often less expensive. Both are solid choices.

### Is the HP EX950 1TB compatible with the PS5?

The EX950 is a PCIe 3.0 drive, and the PS5 requires PCIe 4.0 or faster NVMe SSDs for its expansion slot. The EX950 does not meet Sony's published requirements for PS5 storage expansion. It is designed for desktop and laptop PCs. For PS5 expansion, a PCIe 4.0 drive with at least 5,500 MB/s reads is needed.

### Should I update the HP EX950 firmware?

Yes, if the drive is running early firmware. HP released a firmware update that significantly improved performance in several benchmarks. Use HP's SSD management software to check the current firmware version and apply the update if needed. The revision addressed write performance issues that were present on launch firmware. The update process is straightforward and does not erase data.

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Last updated: 2026-05-17. Source: https://ssdrive.net/hp-ex950-1-tb