Transcend PCIe SSD 220S 256GB Review

Posted on May 17, 2026 by Raymond Chen

The Transcend PCIe SSD 220S 256GB occupies an interesting niche as a budget PCIe 3.0 NVMe drive that uses MLC NAND, a flash type increasingly rare in consumer SSDs.

Inside the 220S you will find Silicon Motion SM2262EN controller paired with MLC NAND. The SM2262EN is a well-established eight-channel controller supporting NVMe 1.3, LDPC error correction, and eight NAND channels. This 256 GB capacity includes 512 MB of Samsung DDR3 DRAM for cache—a generous amount for this size. The drive uses standard M.2 2280 form factor, PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe. Larger capacities (512 GB, 1 TB) use Micron 64-layer 3D TLC NAND with higher speeds. No heatsink included. Competitors include WD Blue SN580, Crucial P3 Plus, Kingston NV2. The Transcend MLC NAND and DRAM give it an advantage in write consistency over DRAM-less TLC/QLC alternatives.

✅ Storage Comparisons:

Top PCIe 3.0 SSD Drives Best Deal of 1 TB SSDs NVME Best PCIe 5.0 SSD

🚀 Performance and benchmarks

Transcend rates this 256 GB model for 1,700 MB/s sequential reads and 1,500 MB/s writes—notably lower than the 512 GB and 1 TB variants. This is roughly 2.5x SATA SSD read speed but less than half the 1 TB 220S achieves. Random 4K performance is not officially specified, but the SM2262EN controller typically delivers strong random I/O. Expect 40–60 MB/s random reads and 80–120 MB/s random writes based on controller track record. SLC caching provides decent burst performance, but the smaller NAND capacity limits cache size. Large file transfers will eventually exhaust the cache and drop to NAND-native speeds. For boot drive use, this is not a practical limitation. Compared to SATA, responsiveness improvements are tangible for OS boot, application launches, and game loading.

Performance comparison

Transcend PCIe SSD 220S 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
Transcend PCIe SSD 220S 256 GB (this drive): 1,700 MB/s read, 1,500 MB/s write

🖥️ Endurance and warranty

Transcend specifies 400 TBW endurance for the 256 GB model—equivalent to writing 220 GB daily for five years. At 40 GB/day, this drive lasts nearly 27 years. The 5-year warranty is standard for mainstream SSDs, limited by time or TBW exhaustion. 400 TBW at 256 GB is a write endurance ratio of 1,563 full drive writes—respectable for MLC NAND and higher than TLC-based variants. MTBF is not specified. Warranty service goes through Transcend directly. Keep your purchase receipt.

📊 Specs

Category	Value
Capacity [?]	256 GB
Interface [?]	M.2 3.0 x 4
Controller [?]	Silicon Motion SM2262EN
Memory type [?]	MLC
DRAM [?]	Samsung 512MB DDR3
Read speed (MB/s) [?]	1700
Write speed (MB/s) [?]	1500
Read IOPS [?]	n/a
Write IOPS [?]	n/a
Endurance (TBW) [?]	400
MTBF (million hours) [?]	n/a
Warranty (years) [?]	5

Conclusion

Buy the Transcend PCIe SSD 220S 256 GB for a reliable NVMe boot drive for budget PC builds, laptop upgrades, or HTPC where MLC NAND and DRAM cache consistency matters. Skip it if you need maximum sequential throughput or are building a high-end gaming rig. Consider the WD Blue SN580 for DRAM-less designs at lower prices, or step up to the 512 GB 220S for significantly better sequential performance. For users prioritizing NAND longevity and write consistency over peak speed, this 256 GB model remains viable.

+ Pros

MLC NAND offers higher write endurance than TLC/QLC
512 MB Samsung DDR3 DRAM cache—generous for 256 GB
Silicon Motion SM2262EN controller is proven and reliable
400 TBW endurance is strong for this capacity
5-year warranty matches industry standards
DRAM-backed design maintains consistent sustained performance
Bare PCB fits thin laptops and compact M.2 slots

- Cons

Sequential speeds (1,700/1,500 MB/s) lower than larger 220S capacities
No included heatsink—may throttle without airflow
Slower than newer PCIe 4.0 drives at similar price
SLC cache size limited by 256 GB NAND capacity
Random 4K performance not officially specified

🛒 Buy this or similar SSD Storage:

Samsung 980 Pro 2 Tb

-57% $165
List Price: $379.99

Buy on Amazon

INLAND Performance Plus 1 Tb

$79.99

Buy on Amazon

Silicon Power 512GB NVMe SSD

$42.97

Buy on Amazon

✨ Video Review

Best Budget NVMe SSD? - Transcend MTE220S Review

⁉️ FAQ

Yes, the Transcend PCIe SSD 220S 256 GB is adequate for gaming. NVMe provides marginal benefits over SATA for actual gameplay—most games load assets where the speed difference between 1,700 MB/s and SATA 560 MB/s translates to a second or two on level loads. The 512 MB DRAM cache helps maintain consistent load times, but 256 GB capacity fills quickly with modern games (many exceed 100 GB). Consider 512 GB or higher for more than 2–3 large titles.

The Transcend 220S 256 GB meets minimum PCIe requirements but falls short of recommended speeds. Sony specifies PCIe Gen4 with 5,500+ MB/s reads as optimal; this drive is PCIe 3.0 at 1,700 MB/s. It will function but load times will not match recommended spec. No heatsink is included—a third-party M.2 heatsink fitting PS5 dimensions (110 x 25 x 11.25 mm) is required. Most users should choose a PCIe 4.0 drive validated for PS5 use.

Yes, this drive includes 512 MB of Samsung DDR3 DRAM. DRAM serves as a fast cache for the NAND flash mapping table. DRAM-backed drives maintain more consistent performance under sustained workloads compared to DRAM-less designs using Host Memory Buffer or NAND portion. The 512 MB allocation is generous for 256 GB—many competitors use 256 MB or no DRAM at all.

Transcend rates the 256 GB model for 400 TBW—total data writable before warranty expiration. At 400 TBW, you could write 220 GB daily for five years. At a realistic 40 GB/day workload, the drive lasts nearly 27 years. The 256 GB variant 400 TBW compares favorably to TLC-based drives at similar capacity, which often rate 150–200 TBW.

Yes, the 256 GB is significantly slower than the 512 GB variant. The 256 GB rates 1,700/1,500 MB/s reads/writes, while the 512 GB achieves 3,500/2,100 MB/s. This gap stems from different NAND (MLC vs 3D TLC) and likely fewer active NAND channels on the smaller capacity. The 256 GB also has lower TBW (400 vs 800). If sequential throughput matters, the 512 GB or 1 TB models offer better performance per dollar.

The Transcend 220S 256 GB and WD Blue SN580 250 GB target the same budget NVMe tier. The SN580 is DRAM-less using Host Memory Buffer, while Transcend includes 512 MB dedicated DDR3 DRAM—giving Transcend sustained write consistency advantage. The SN580 has higher sequential speeds (4,150 MB/s reads on PCIe 4.0), but real-world boot drive differences are modest. Transcend MLC NAND offers higher endurance (400 TBW vs 300 TBW). Choose Transcend for DRAM-backed consistency and endurance, SN580 for higher peak speeds.

The Transcend 220S 256 GB is adequate for light 4K editing but capacity is the primary limitation. Sequential write speeds (1,500 MB/s) and DRAM cache handle 4K streams requiring 300–600 MB/s. However, 256 GB leaves little headroom for media files and projects. The SLC cache exhausts during large exports, dropping speeds. Serious editors should consider 512 GB or 1 TB with higher speeds. Works for hobbyist editing, not ideal for professional workflows.

Yes, the Transcend 220S 256 GB uses standard M.2 2280 form factor and works in any laptop with M.2 NVMe slot. Ships as bare PCB without heatsink, keeping height low for thin laptops. Some ultraportables use shorter 2230 or 2242 formats—this 2280 drive will not fit. Supports NVMe power management including DevSleep and APSM for battery life. Verify laptop accepts M.2 2280 NVMe drives before purchasing.