Patriot P300 256GB PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD (2026)
The Patriot P300 256 GB is an entry-level PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD built around Phison's DRAM-less E13T controller, offering 2,100 MB/s reads for budget builders upgrading from SATA storage.
Controller & Memory
The P300 is Patriot's budget NVMe line, designed to get users off SATA SSDs and onto the PCIe 3.0 x4 bus without spending much. The US-market variant uses Phison's PS5013-E13T 4-channel DRAM-less controller paired with Kioxia BiCS4 96-layer TLC NAND. Non-US markets receive a version with a Silicon Motion SM2263XT controller instead, distinguishable by the PCB color: blue for US, black for international.
Because the E13T lacks a dedicated DRAM chip, the P300 relies on Host Memory Buffer (HMB) technology, which borrows a small portion of system RAM for the flash translation table. This works transparently on Windows 10 version 1709 and later, but users on older operating systems or systems with very limited RAM may see reduced random I/O performance. The 256 GB capacity is the smallest practical size in the P300 lineup, which spans 128 GB through 2 TB.
The 256 GB model uses a single-sided M.2 2280 PCB with a thin label on top, no heatsink, no RGB lighting, and no bundled software. It is a straightforward budget drive. Competitors in the same PCIe 3.0 DRAM-less segment include the Kingston NV2, Crucial P3, and WD Blue SN580. The P300 differentiates mainly through pricing, as its performance profile is similar to other E13T-based drives.
Storage Comparisons:
P300 Performance & Benchmarks
Patriot rates the P300 256 GB at up to 2,100 MB/s sequential reads and up to 1,650 MB/s sequential writes, with random performance up to 290,000 read IOPS and 260,000 write IOPS. These figures are identical across all P300 capacities, which is common for DRAM-less budget drives where the controller's four channels saturate before the NAND capacity becomes a bottleneck.
Patriot P300 256 GB 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.
- 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
- Patriot P300 256 GB (this drive): 2,100 MB/s read, 1,650 MB/s write
In practice, the P300 256 GB delivers a clear upgrade over SATA SSDs, which max out around 550 MB/s. Against higher-end PCIe 3.0 drives with DRAM caches, the P300's random I/O performance falls behind, particularly in write-heavy workloads where the DRAM-less design and small SLC cache are limiting factors. For OS boot drive duty and light gaming, the P300 256 GB is adequate. For sustained writes of large files, the 256 GB capacity's small SLC cache will exhaust quickly and write speeds will drop to the native TLC write rate.
Patriot P300 vs Competitors
See how the P300 stacks up against other M.2 3.0 x 4 drives in our database:
Compare with rival drives:
Endurance, TBW & Warranty
The P300 256 GB carries an 80 TBW endurance rating within Patriot's warranty period. At a typical 10 GB per day write workload for a boot drive, the 80 TBW rating would take approximately 21 years to exhaust. Budget drives typically carry lower endurance ratings than enthusiast models, and the P300 sits at the lower end of the spectrum. The Phison E13T platform uses LDPC error correction for data integrity. Patriot backs the P300 with their standard limited warranty.
Patriot P300 256 GB Specifications
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Capacity [?] | 256 GB |
| Interface [?] | M.2 3.0 x 4 |
| Controller [?] | Phison PS5013-E13T |
| Memory type [?] | Toshiba 3D TLC |
| DRAM [?] | HMB |
| Read speed (MB/s) [?] | 2100 |
| Write speed (MB/s) [?] | 1650 |
| Read IOPS [?] | 290000 |
| Write IOPS [?] | 260000 |
| Endurance (TBW) [?] | 80 |
| MTBF (million hours) [?] | 2 |
| Warranty (years) [?] | 5 |
Verdict: Is the P300 Worth It in 2026?
The Patriot P300 256 GB is a straightforward budget NVMe SSD that gets the job done for basic desktop use, OS boot, and light application loading at a low price point. Builders outfitting a new system on a tight budget or upgrading from a SATA SSD will see a meaningful speed improvement. Anyone doing sustained large-file writes, heavy gaming, or content creation should step up to a DRAM-equipped NVMe like the Patriot VPN100 or a higher-capacity P300 variant, since the 256 GB model has limited write performance under heavy workloads.
+ Pros
- 2,100 MB/s reads, a big step up from SATA
- Single-sided M.2 2280 fits any desktop or laptop
- Low power draw suits notebook use
- HMB support eliminates dedicated DRAM cost
- Cons
- 256 GB fills up quickly with modern games
- DRAM-less design limits random write performance
- Small SLC cache exhausts under sustained writes
- Low 80 TBW endurance rating
- No included heatsink or software
Buy this or similar SSD Storage:
Video Review
Patriot P300 M.2 SSD Test: Price to Performance Sweet Spot?
