Intel SSD 670P 2TB QLC NVMe Review (2026)

Posted on May 23, 2026 by Raymond Chen

The Intel 670P 2TB is the flagship capacity of Intel's QLC NVMe line, pairing 144-layer QLC flash with the SM2265G controller for read speeds that rival mainstream TLC drives and enough endurance for serious daily use.

Intel SSD 670P 2TB QLC NVMe Review

Controller & Memory

The 670P 2 TB uses the Silicon Motion SM2265G controller paired with Intel's 144-layer 1 Tbit 3D QLC NAND. A 256 MB Nanya DDR3L DRAM chip handles the flash translation layer. Intel packages the 2 TB capacity into just two NAND packages on a single-sided M.2 2280 PCB, thanks to high-density die stacking.

This is the capacity where the 670P hits its full stride: 3,500 MB/s sequential reads, 2,700 MB/s writes, 310,000 random read IOPS, and 340,000 random write IOPS. Endurance is rated at 740 TBW, and the variable SLC cache scales from 24 GB minimum up to 280 GB on a mostly empty drive. These numbers are all significant improvements over the 660P.

The 2 TB 670P competes with high-capacity QLC drives like the Crucial P3 2 TB and Samsung 870 QVO 2 TB, as well as mainstream TLC NVMe drives like the Kingston KC2500 2 TB. For users who need bulk NVMe storage on a budget, the 670P offers a compelling cost-per-GB ratio with read performance that matches many TLC drives.

670P Performance & Benchmarks

At 3,500 MB/s sequential reads and 2,700 MB/s writes, the 2 TB 670P effectively saturates the PCIe 3.0 x4 interface. These numbers are nearly identical to mainstream TLC NVMe drives, a testament to how far QLC has come since the 660P. Random IOPS reach 310,000 reads and 340,000 writes, both strong figures.

Performance comparison

Intel 670P 2 TB vs M.2 3.0 x 4 peers

Switch between sequential throughput and random IOPS to see how this drive stacks up against other M.2 3.0 x 4 SSDs in our database. The highlighted bar is the drive on this page — click any other bar to open that drive.

  • Intel 670P 2 TB (this drive): 3,500 MB/s read, 2,700 MB/s write
  • ADATA SX 8800 Pro 512 GB: 3,500 MB/s read, 2,700 MB/s write
  • ADATA SX 8800 Pro 1 TB: 3,500 MB/s read, 2,700 MB/s write
  • ADATA XPG Spectrix S40G RGB 256 GB: 3,500 MB/s read, 3,000 MB/s write
  • ADATA XPG Spectrix S40G RGB 512 GB: 3,500 MB/s read, 3,000 MB/s write

AnandTech tested the 2 TB model extensively and found it competitive with TLC drives in real-world trace benchmarks when the SLC cache was available. The review noted that the 670P \"owes most of its improved performance to the upgraded SSD controller\" -- the SM2265G's faster interface to the flash eliminates the 2.4 GB/s bottleneck that limited the older SM2263.

The QLC limitation persists under sustained writes. Once the 280 GB SLC cache is exhausted on a full drive (minimum cache: 24 GB), write speed drops to native QLC rates. For typical consumer workloads with idle periods, this is rarely encountered. For users who regularly write hundreds of gigabytes in one session, a TLC drive is still the better tool.

Intel 670P vs Competitors

See how the 670P stacks up against other M.2 3.0 x 4 drives in our database:

Endurance, TBW & Warranty

Intel rates the 670P 2 TB at 740 TBW over its 5-year warranty, which equates to roughly 405 GB of writes per day. At 0.2 drive writes per day, this is a significant improvement over the 660P's 400 TBW at the same capacity and approaches the endurance class of mainstream TLC drives. A typical consumer writing 30 to 50 GB daily would need decades to reach this limit. Warranty service goes through Intel's standard RMA process.

Intel 670P 2 TB Specifications

Category Value
Capacity [?] 2 TB
Interface [?] M.2 3.0 x 4
Controller [?] Silicon Motion SM2265G
Memory type [?] Intel 144L 3D QLC
DRAM [?] Nanya 256MB DDR3L
Read speed (MB/s) [?] 3500
Write speed (MB/s) [?] 2700
Read IOPS [?] 310000
Write IOPS [?] 340000
Endurance (TBW) [?] 740
MTBF (million hours) [?] 1200000
Warranty (years) [?] 5

Verdict: Is the 670P Worth It in 2026?

The Intel 670P 2TB is the best capacity in Intel's QLC lineup and the one that makes the most sense for budget-focused buyers who need bulk storage. Read speeds match mainstream TLC NVMe drives, the 740 TBW endurance is generous, and the 2 TB capacity handles OS, applications, and a large game library in one drive. The QLC write penalty after cache exhaustion is the main compromise. Against TLC alternatives like the Kingston KC2500 2 TB, the 670P wins on price per GB but loses on sustained write consistency. Choose based on workload: read-heavy users will not notice the QLC trade-off.

+ Pros

  • 3,500 MB/s sequential reads
  • 2,700 MB/s sequential writes
  • 740 TBW endurance rating
  • Up to 280 GB SLC cache on empty drive
  • DRAM cache (256 MB Nanya DDR3L)
  • Single-sided M.2 2280 fits thin laptops
  • 310,000 random read IOPS

- Cons

  • QLC write speed drops after SLC cache fills
  • PCIe 3.0 only, no PCIe 4.0
  • 0.2 DWPD endurance lower than TLC (0.3 DWPD)
  • 24 GB minimum SLC cache on full drives
  • No hardware encryption listed

4 / 5 · 75 votes

Buy this or similar SSD Storage:

Samsung 980 Pro 2 TB

-57% $165
List Price: $379.99

Buy on Amazon

Video Review

Introducing the Intel QLC SSD 670p

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. The 670P 2 TB reads at 3,500 MB/s with 310,000 random read IOPS, which is fast enough for any current game. The 2 TB capacity holds the OS plus 40 or more AAA titles. Game load times are indistinguishable from TLC NVMe drives because the QLC limitation only affects writes, not reads. Game installations will be slower during large downloads.

The 2 TB model is rated at 740 TBW, which is 0.2 drive writes per day over 5 years. This translates to approximately 405 GB of writes daily. That is 85% more endurance than the 660P at the same capacity (400 TBW) and approaches the endurance levels of mainstream TLC drives. For any consumer workload, this rating provides a wide margin.

Yes. The 670P includes a 256 MB Nanya DDR3L DRAM chip dedicated to the flash translation layer. This is a proper DRAM cache that helps maintain mapping table performance and consistent random I/O, which is particularly beneficial for QLC drives where native flash access is slower than TLC.

Both are QLC NVMe SSDs at 2 TB. The 670P uses Intel's 144-layer QLC with the SM2265G controller, while the Crucial P3 uses Micron QLC with the Phison E21T controller. Read speeds are similar, but the 670P has DRAM cache whereas some P3 capacities are DRAMless. The 670P also has higher rated endurance. In practice, both drives show similar QLC write behavior once the cache fills.

No. Sony requires PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSDs with at least 5,500 MB/s sequential reads. The 670P is a PCIe 3.0 drive with 3,500 MB/s reads, which falls below Sony's minimum specification for the expansion slot.

For reading video files during editing, the 670P 2 TB works well with 3,500 MB/s reads. The concern is write performance: exporting or rendering video files that exceed the SLC cache will drop to QLC native speed, which is much slower than TLC. For light to moderate editing workloads with time between sessions for cache flushing, it works fine. Professional editors should consider a TLC drive like the Samsung 970 EVO Plus.

On a mostly empty drive the SLC cache can grow to 280 GB, so it takes a large sustained write to exhaust it. Once it does, write speed drops to native QLC rates, which are a fraction of the cached speed. The minimum cache on a full drive is 24 GB. In typical consumer use with idle time between writes, the background garbage collection flushes the cache and restores performance, so most users never encounter the slowdown.

Comments

  • Be the first to comment.

Comments are reviewed before they appear.