# Silicon Power US70 4TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD Review (2026)

The Silicon Power US70 4 TB is the largest capacity of Silicon Power's Phison E16 PCIe 4.0 lineup, pairing Kioxia 96-layer TLC with a DDR4 DRAM cache for 5,000 MB/s sequential reads.

Quick answer: The Silicon Power US70 4 TB is a sensible pick for a buyer who wants a lot of proven, reliable PCIe 4.0 storage without paying for the newest 7,000 MB/s parts. Its strengths are capacity, a DDR4 DRAM cache, a 3,600 TBW endurance rating and a five-year warranty, all at a competitive price. Its weaknesses are equally clear: the older Phison E16 controller caps sequential speed at 5,000 MB/s and runs warmer than modern Gen4 designs, so buyers chasing peak benchmarks or a cool-running drive should look elsewhere. Choose it for a large game and media library where capacity and warranty matter more than the last word in speed; skip it if you want the fastest Gen4 drive or a DRAM-less part that sips power.

## Specifications

| Specification | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Capacity | 4 TB |
| Interface | M.2 4.0 x 4 |
| Controller | Phison PS5016-E16 |
| Memory type | 3D TLC |
| DRAM cache | DDR4 |
| Sequential read | 5000 MB/s |
| Sequential write | 4400 MB/s |
| Random read IOPS | 750000 |
| Random write IOPS | 750000 |
| Endurance | 3600 TBW |
| MTBF | 2000000 |
| Warranty | 5 years |

## Performance

Silicon Power rates the US70 4 TB at up to 5,000 MB/s sequential read and 4,400 MB/s sequential write, with 750,000 random read and 750,000 random write IOPS. Those numbers place it squarely in the entry-to-mid PCIe 4.0 tier: fast enough to handle large game loads, video scrubbing and bulk file transfers comfortably, but well behind the 7,000 MB/s ceiling of newer Gen4 drives built on Phison E21T or Maxio MAP1602 controllers. The DDR4 DRAM cache helps sustained random performance and keeps the drive responsive under mixed workloads, which is the main practical advantage of this design over DRAM-less competitors.

In real-world desktop and gaming use the US70 4 TB feels quick and responsive, and the gap to a 7,000 MB/s drive is rarely noticeable outside of large sequential file moves. The Phison E16 controller's one weakness is heat: it runs warmer than modern Gen4 parts, so under long sustained writes a drive without a heatsink may pull back to protect itself. For a 4 TB drive used as a game and media library that is rarely an issue, but heavy content-creation workloads benefit from a motherboard M.2 heatsink. Independent reviews of the US70 family confirm it meets its rated sequential figures and behaves like a solid, predictable Gen4 performer.

## Endurance, TBW & Warranty

Silicon Power backs the US70 with a five-year limited warranty, and the 4 TB model carries a 3,600 TBW (terabytes written) endurance rating. That is strong coverage for a value Gen4 drive: 3,600 TBW works out to roughly 1,970 GB of writes every single day for five years, vastly more than any typical 20 to 50 GB daily consumer workload. At 50 GB of writes per day you would need around 197 years to exhaust the rated endurance, so the NAND will outlast the warranty term by a wide margin and wear is not a realistic concern. The five-year term is the binding limit, and it matches or exceeds the warranty length on most competing PCIe 4.0 drives. Silicon Power handles RMAs through its regional service centres, and proof of purchase is required, so keep your receipt. For a 4 TB drive likely holding a large game and media library, the combination of TLC NAND, a DRAM cache, a 3,600 TBW rating and five-year cover is reassuring.

## Pros and Cons

**Pros:**

- Large 4 TB capacity at a competitive price
- DDR4 DRAM cache for sustained performance
- Kioxia 96-layer 3D TLC NAND
- 3,600 TBW endurance rating
- 5-year warranty
- Mature, well-understood Phison E16 platform
**Cons:**

- 5,000 MB/s is slower than newer Gen4 drives
- Phison E16 controller runs warm under sustained writes
- No heatsink included
- Older Gen4 design behind current 7,000 MB/s parts


## Verdict

The Silicon Power US70 4 TB is a sensible pick for a buyer who wants a lot of proven, reliable PCIe 4.0 storage without paying for the newest 7,000 MB/s parts. Its strengths are capacity, a DDR4 DRAM cache, a 3,600 TBW endurance rating and a five-year warranty, all at a competitive price. Its weaknesses are equally clear: the older Phison E16 controller caps sequential speed at 5,000 MB/s and runs warmer than modern Gen4 designs, so buyers chasing peak benchmarks or a cool-running drive should look elsewhere. Choose it for a large game and media library where capacity and warranty matter more than the last word in speed; skip it if you want the fastest Gen4 drive or a DRAM-less part that sips power.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Is the Silicon Power US70 4TB good for gaming?

Yes. At 5,000 MB/s sequential read the US70 4 TB is comfortably fast for gaming, and DirectStorage-era titles load quickly from it. The real draw is capacity: 4 TB holds a large game library alongside the operating system with room to spare, so you are not constantly uninstalling to make space. It is not the absolute fastest Gen4 drive, but for most gamers the difference versus a 7,000 MB/s part is negligible in actual load times.

### Is the Silicon Power US70 4TB compatible with the PS5?

Yes. Sony requires an M.2 NVMe SSD with a sequential read of 5,500 MB/s or higher for the PS5 expansion slot, and the US70's 5,000 MB/s rating sits just under that line, so it is borderline for the official requirement. In practice many US70 owners use it in a PS5 without issues, but Sony has not listed this exact model on its compatibility page and you should add a heatsink for PS5 installation. If you want guaranteed PS5 compliance, a drive rated above 5,500 MB/s is the safer choice.

### Does the Silicon Power US70 have a DRAM cache?

Yes. The US70 uses a DDR4 DRAM cache alongside the Phison PS5016-E16 controller and Kioxia 96-layer TLC NAND. A DRAM cache speeds up the flash translation layer for faster random access and more consistent sustained performance than DRAM-less designs, which matters for an operating system and game library drive. It is one of the US70's advantages over cheaper DRAM-less PCIe 4.0 competitors.

### What is the TBW endurance of the Silicon Power US70 4TB?

The 4 TB US70 is rated at 3,600 TBW (terabytes written) over its life, backed by a five-year warranty. That works out to roughly 1,970 GB of writes per day for five years, far beyond a typical 20 to 50 GB daily consumer workload, so the NAND outlasts the warranty by many decades. Endurance is not a realistic concern for gaming or everyday use on this drive.

### Does the Silicon Power US70 4TB need a heatsink?

It benefits from one. The Phison E16 controller runs warmer than newer Gen4 designs, so under sustained writes a bare US70 without cooling can throttle to protect itself. Most modern desktop motherboards include an M.2 heatsink that covers the drive, which is enough for typical use. For PS5 installation a heatsink is required, and for heavy sustained-write workloads an aftermarket M.2 heatsink is sensible insurance.

### How does the Silicon Power US70 compare to the WD Black SN850X?

Both are PCIe 4.0 drives, but the WD Black SN850X is the faster and more modern part, reaching up to 7,300 MB/s sequential reads versus the US70's 5,000 MB/s, and it tends to run cooler. The US70 counters with a DDR4 DRAM cache, a 3,600 TBW endurance rating on the 4 TB model, a five-year warranty and usually a lower price. Choose the SN850X for peak Gen4 speed; choose the US70 for capacity value and a DRAM cache on a budget.

### Is the Silicon Power US70 4TB good for video editing?

It is a decent budget choice for video editing thanks to the 4 TB of capacity, DDR4 DRAM cache and TLC NAND, which together handle multi-stream 4K scrubbing and large project files reasonably well. The 5,000 MB/s sequential read is adequate rather than class-leading, and the warm-running E16 controller can pull back under long sustained exports, so a motherboard heatsink helps. For heavy professional workflows a faster, cooler drive like the SN850X is better, but for value-minded editors the US70 4 TB is workable.

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Last updated: 2026-06-23. Source: https://ssdrive.net/silicon-power-us70-4-tb