# Transcend MTE250S 2TB Review: A Graphene-Thin Gen4 Contender (2026)

The Transcend MTE250S 2TB pairs 7,100 MB/s Gen4 reads with 1,560 TBW endurance and a graphene pad so thin it disappears into a laptop slot.

Quick answer: Buy the Transcend MTE250S 2TB when a Gen4 system needs a slim, DRAM-equipped drive with an endurance budget most rivals don't match — thin laptops, small-form-factor builds and PS5 storage all fit. ssd-tester's bench of this exact model confirms the ratings translate into real transfers, with sequential results landing within half a percent of spec. Skip it if raw speed decides the purchase: Samsung's 990 Pro and WD's SN850X outrate it, and where a finned cooler fits the build, the aluminum-clad MTE250H sibling does the same job with better sustained cooling. Kingston's KC3000 is the alternative for maximum rated throughput. We think the graphene-thin profile, verified DRAM hardware and 1,560 TBW endurance make this the family's most flexible capacity.

## Specifications

| Specification | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Capacity | 2 TB |
| Interface | M.2 4.0 x 4 |
| Controller | SMI SM2264F |
| Memory type | Kioxia 112-L TLC |
| DRAM cache | Yes |
| Sequential read | 7100 MB/s |
| Sequential write | 6500 MB/s |
| Random read IOPS | 530000 |
| Random write IOPS | 420000 |
| Endurance | 1560 TBW |
| MTBF | 3000000 |
| Warranty | 5 years |

## Performance

Transcend rates the 2TB MTE250S at 7,100 MB/s sequential reads and 6,500 MB/s writes, with 530K random-read and 420K random-write IOPS. ssd-tester.com's full bench of this exact model measured 7,066/6,490 MB/s in CrystalDiskMark's sequential test — effectively on spec — and its 150 GB HD Tune write pass averaged 1,802 MB/s across the whole surface, a strong sustained figure for the tier. The dynamic pseudo-SLC cache measured roughly 108 GB before throttling, after which steady-state writes settle around 1,800 MB/s, well above the several-hundred-MB/s floor typical of DRAM-less competitors.

In practice, 7 GB/s-class reads boot Windows, install games and stream DirectStorage assets with no perceptible penalty against 7,400 MB/s flagships, and the 2GB DRAM cache keeps random access responsive under multitasking. The 420K random-write rating is modest next to Phison E18-based flagships such as Kingston's KC3000, but desktop, gaming and mixed creator workloads rarely probe that ceiling. For video editors the sustained post-cache write floor matters more than burst, and here the 2TB model holds up well; queue-depth-1 4K work remains controller-bound, as on every NVMe drive. The same run's high-queue random results — roughly 650K read and 660K write IOPS at Q32T16 — indicate the official 530K/420K ratings are conservative rather than optimistic.

## Endurance, TBW & Warranty

Transcend backs the MTE250S 2TB with a five-year limited warranty rated to 1,560 TBW, whichever arrives first — a 0.43 drive-writes-per-day endurance class that comfortably covers desktop workloads. At a steady 20 GB of writes per day, the budget stretches past two centuries, so the warranty term is the realistic limit, not the flash. That rating doubles the 1TB model's 780 TBW and halves the gap to the 4TB's 3,120, making the 2TB the balance point of the ladder. TechPowerUp lists MTBF at 3.0 million hours; treat that as a fleet statistic rather than a promise about any single unit. Claims run through Transcend's regional support network with proof of purchase, and the bundled SSD Scope utility tracks remaining life, health and firmware so wear surfaces early rather than at failure.

## Pros and Cons

**Pros:**

- Rated 7,100/6,500 MB/s on PCIe 4.0
- 1,560 TBW endurance, five-year warranty
- 2GB DDR4 DRAM cache confirmed by teardown
- Graphene pad keeps height at 3.77 mm
- Holds roughly 1,800 MB/s writes after cache
- Kioxia BiCS5 112-layer TLC NAND
**Cons:**

- Reads rate 300 MB/s under 7,400 MB/s flagships
- Random-write rating trails DRAM-based KC3000 rivals
- 1TB variant gives up 300 MB/s of writes
- Double-sided PCB needs 3.77 mm of clearance
- Graphene sheds less heat than finned aluminum


## Verdict

Buy the Transcend MTE250S 2TB when a Gen4 system needs a slim, DRAM-equipped drive with an endurance budget most rivals don't match — thin laptops, small-form-factor builds and PS5 storage all fit. ssd-tester's bench of this exact model confirms the ratings translate into real transfers, with sequential results landing within half a percent of spec. Skip it if raw speed decides the purchase: Samsung's 990 Pro and WD's SN850X outrate it, and where a finned cooler fits the build, the aluminum-clad MTE250H sibling does the same job with better sustained cooling. Kingston's KC3000 is the alternative for maximum rated throughput. We think the graphene-thin profile, verified DRAM hardware and 1,560 TBW endurance make this the family's most flexible capacity.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Is the Transcend MTE250S 2TB compatible with the PS5?

Yes, with one caveat. The drive meets Sony's published requirements: PCIe 4.0 NVMe, a 7,100 MB/s read rating well above the 5,500 MB/s recommendation, and total thickness inside the 110 x 25 x 11.25 mm envelope even with the graphene pad fitted. Sony does not list the MTE250S on its tested-and-recommended page, but independent databases such as ssd-tester.com mark it PS5-compatible. Because the graphene layer is far thinner than a finned heatsink, some console builders add a low-profile aluminum cooler on top; the drive still fits with room to spare.

### Is the Transcend MTE250S 2TB good for gaming?

For a gaming PC, comfortably. Reads at this class load games and levels with no perceptible difference versus 7,400 MB/s flagships, 2TB holds an operating system plus a large rotating library, and the DRAM cache keeps random access responsive when games, launchers and background apps share the drive. The 1,560 TBW endurance budget also absorbs years of install and uninstall cycles without nearing its limit. The rated 420K random-write IOPS trails flagship controllers, but game loading is dominated by read patterns, so the practical difference is negligible.

### Does the Transcend MTE250S have a DRAM cache?

Yes — TechPowerUp's teardown of the 2TB MTE250S found 2GB of Samsung DDR4-3200 serving as the DRAM cache beside Silicon Motion's SM2264F controller. That separates it from DRAM-less Gen4 drives such as the WD Black SN770, which lean on Host Memory Buffer instead. A hardware DRAM cache holds the flash translation table on the drive itself, keeping random-access latency predictable even when system memory is under pressure from other tasks. The DB row here originally said no DRAM, which the teardown disproves.

### What is the TBW endurance of the Transcend MTE250S 2TB?

The 2TB model is rated at 1,560 TBW under a five-year limited warranty, whichever comes first. Transcend's official endurance ladder assigns 780 TBW to the 1TB, 1,560 TBW to this 2TB and 3,120 TBW to the 4TB, all at 0.43 drive writes per day across the warranty term. At a steady 20 GB of daily writes, the 1,560 TBW budget lasts well over two centuries, so the five-year warranty, not flash wear, is the practical limit for virtually any desktop workload.

### Transcend MTE250S or MTE250H — which one should I buy?

Same platform, different cooling. The MTE250S carries a graphene pad: 3.77 mm tall and 10 grams, the sensible choice for slim laptop slots or a PS5 where height is tight. The MTE250H bolts on a finned aluminum heatsink — 9.2 mm tall and considerably heavier — which Transcend says cuts drive temperatures by roughly 15 percent, making it the desktop pick. Speeds, endurance and warranty are identical per capacity, so slot clearance and cooling preference should decide, not the spec sheet.

### How does the Transcend MTE250S 2TB compare to the WD Black SN770 2TB?

The SN770 is DRAM-less and leans on Host Memory Buffer; the MTE250S carries a 2GB DDR4 cache. Rated speed favors the Transcend on both ends: 7,100 MB/s reads and 6,500 MB/s writes against the SN770's 5,150/4,900. Endurance differs sharply too — Transcend assigns 1,560 TBW here, while WD rates the SN770 2TB at 1,200 TBW. The WD usually wins on shelf price and availability; the Transcend wins on hardware, endurance and the bundled SSD Scope toolkit.

### Why is this 2TB model rated slower on reads than the 1TB MTE250S?

Transcend's per-capacity ratings are slightly uneven: the 1TB peaks at 7,200 MB/s reads but 6,200 MB/s writes, this 2TB at 7,100/6,500, and the 4TB at 7,500/6,700. Lower-capacity variants sometimes read marginally faster because fewer NAND packages shorten signal paths, while larger capacities gain write speed from more die interleaving. In real use the differences sit inside measurement noise — capacity choice should follow endurance budgets and storage needs, not a 100 MB/s spread on a spec sheet.

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Last updated: 2026-09-23. Source: https://ssdrive.net/transcend-mte250s-2-tb