# Silicon Power UD70 2TB QLC NVMe SSD Review (2026)

The Silicon Power UD70 2TB is the range-topping capacity of this budget QLC NVMe line, offering 3,400 MB/s reads and the highest sustained-write headroom in the UD70 family thanks to more NAND die for parallel writes.

Quick answer: The Silicon Power UD70 2TB is a capacity-first QLC NVMe drive that delivers 3,400 MB/s reads at the lowest cost per GB in the UD70 range. The 2TB model is the best-performing variant thanks to more NAND die for parallel writes and a larger SLC cache. The QLC trade-off — slow writes after cache exhaustion and lower endurance — is the same as on all QLC drives. For budget builders who need 2TB of NVMe storage primarily for reading (game libraries, media storage, general desktop use), the UD70 gets the job done. Anyone who writes large files regularly should invest in a TLC alternative like the Silicon Power P34A80 or the WD Blue SN570, which offer more consistent write performance.

## Specifications

| Specification | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Capacity | 2 TB |
| Interface | M.2 3.0 x 4 |
| Controller | Phison PS5012-E12S-32 |
| Memory type | Micron 3D QLC |
| DRAM cache | SLC Caching DRAM Buffer |
| Sequential read | 3400 MB/s |
| Sequential write | 3000 MB/s |
| Random read IOPS | 250000 |
| Random write IOPS | 650000 |
| Endurance | 530 TBW |
| MTBF | 1.8 |
| Warranty | 5 years |

## Performance

The UD70 2TB is rated for 3,400 MB/s sequential reads and 3,000 MB/s sequential writes. Within the dynamic SLC cache, the drive hits these numbers consistently. The 2TB model's larger cache absorbs more data before write speeds drop to native QLC rates, giving it the best sustained-write profile in the UD70 range. Native QLC writes on the 2TB model typically land around 200–300 MB/s after the cache fills — still below SATA SSD speeds, but better than the smaller capacities.

Read performance is consistent across the UD70 range regardless of capacity. Gaming load times, OS boot, and application launches are essentially the same as on any PCIe 3.0 NVMe drive. The 2TB capacity is large enough to hold 30–50 modern AAA titles, making it suitable as a combined boot and game drive. The practical limitation remains QLC's write characteristics: anyone regularly moving multi-gigabyte files or writing large datasets will notice the cache-exhaustion drop-off.

## Endurance, TBW & Warranty

Silicon Power covers the UD70 2TB with a five-year limited warranty. No specific TBW rating is published for the UD70 series. QLC NAND has lower write endurance than TLC — approximately 1,000 program-erase cycles versus 3,000 for TLC — but the 2TB capacity provides a large pool of cells to distribute writes across. For read-heavy desktop use, the drive should last well beyond the warranty period. Sustained-write-heavy workloads will deplete the write budget faster. Warranty service is handled through the retailer or Silicon Power's RMA portal.

## Pros and Cons

**Pros:**

- 3,400 MB/s sequential reads on PCIe 3.0
- 2TB capacity at a competitive price per GB
- DRAM cache buffer included
- Larger SLC cache and better sustained writes than smaller UD70 models
- Five-year warranty coverage
**Cons:**

- QLC NAND — slow sustained writes after cache fills
- No published TBW endurance rating
- QLC write endurance lower than TLC alternatives
- Double-sided PCB may limit slim-laptop compatibility
- Not suitable for write-heavy workloads


## Verdict

The Silicon Power UD70 2TB is a capacity-first QLC NVMe drive that delivers 3,400 MB/s reads at the lowest cost per GB in the UD70 range. The 2TB model is the best-performing variant thanks to more NAND die for parallel writes and a larger SLC cache. The QLC trade-off — slow writes after cache exhaustion and lower endurance — is the same as on all QLC drives. For budget builders who need 2TB of NVMe storage primarily for reading (game libraries, media storage, general desktop use), the UD70 gets the job done. Anyone who writes large files regularly should invest in a TLC alternative like the Silicon Power P34A80 or the WD Blue SN570, which offer more consistent write performance.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Is the Silicon Power UD70 2TB good for gaming?

The UD70 2TB delivers 3,400 MB/s reads, providing fast game load times on par with other PCIe 3.0 NVMe drives. Gaming is read-heavy, so the QLC limitation has minimal impact during gameplay. The 2TB capacity holds 30–50 modern AAA titles, making it a practical single-drive solution. Game installations may be slower than on TLC drives once the SLC cache fills, but loading and playing installed games is fast. For budget gaming builds needing high capacity, the UD70 2TB is a sensible choice.

### What is the SLC cache size on the UD70 2TB?

The dynamic SLC cache on the UD70 2TB is larger than on the 500GB and 1TB models, typically absorbing 80–150 GB of writes before folding to QLC. The exact size depends on how full the drive is — the cache shrinks as the drive fills up. On a mostly empty 2TB drive, burst writes of up to 150 GB will complete at full speed. Once the cache fills, writes slow to native QLC rates around 200–300 MB/s on the 2TB model.

### Does the Silicon Power UD70 2TB have a DRAM cache?

Yes. The UD70 includes a DRAM cache buffer that assists the Phison E12S controller in managing the flash translation layer. This is particularly important on QLC drives, where the mapping table is larger than on TLC due to the higher cell density. DRAM cache gives the UD70 an advantage over DRAM-less budget NVMe drives in sustained random IO performance.

### How does the UD70 2TB compare to the Crucial P1 2TB?

Both are QLC PCIe 3.0 NVMe drives. The UD70 uses the Phison E12S with a DRAM buffer, while the Crucial P1 uses the Silicon Motion SM2263 with HMB (no dedicated DRAM). Peak read and write speeds are similar at 3,400/3,000 MB/s. The UD70's DRAM cache may provide a slight edge in random IO performance. Both suffer from QLC's characteristic write speed collapse after the SLC cache fills. Pricing and availability typically determine the better buy.

### Is the UD70 2TB suitable for a NAS or home server?

The UD70 2TB is designed for consumer desktop and laptop use, not NAS or server workloads. QLC NAND's lower write endurance and slow sustained writes make it poorly suited for the write-amplified workloads common in NAS environments (RAID rebuilds, snapshots, continuous writes). For a NAS, a TLC drive with a published TBW rating and consistent sustained write performance is a better choice. The UD70 works best as a read-heavy client drive.

### Does the UD70 2TB work in a laptop?

The UD70 2TB is double-sided, meaning NAND packages are mounted on both faces of the M.2 2280 PCB. This makes the drive thicker than single-sided designs, and some slim laptops may not have clearance. Check the laptop's M.2 slot height specification (typically 2.38 mm for single-sided) before purchasing. Standard desktop motherboards accommodate double-sided drives without issue.

---

Last updated: 2026-05-23. Source: https://ssdrive.net/silicon-power-ud70-2-tb