Shane Downing

St. Augustine

Freelance Storage Reviewer at Tom's Hardware

Featured in: Favicon

tomshardware.com Favicon

newsbreak.com Favicon

yahoo.com

Articles

Acer's new Predator SSD aims to take over the budget PCIe 5.0 SSD arena

6 days ago | tomshardware.com | Shane Downing

The Acer Predator GM9000 is a fast and efficient drive that aims to be a more affordable, albeit not the best, high-end PCIe 5.0 SSD. Pros+Good power efficiency for a PCIe 5.0 SSD+Decent sustained performance+No major performance gapsCons-Availability-Older flashWhy you can trust Tom's HardwareOur expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
The Crucial P510 2TB SSD Review: A budget PCIe 5.0 SSD that's good but not great

1 week ago | tomshardware.com | Shane Downing

The Crucial T510 is a fast, budget-friendly PCIe 5.0 SSD with reasonable power efficiency and consistent sustained performance. Pros+Good all-around performance+Excellent sustained performance+Satisfactory power efficiencyCons-Limited capacitiesWhy you can trust Tom's HardwareOur expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Phison E28 2TB SSD Review: A return for vengeance

1 week ago | tomshardware.com | Shane Downing

The Phison E28 is the best Gen 5 SSD to date, with excellent performance and power efficiency in an all-around dynamite package. Pros+Excellent performance+Record-setting power efficiency+Good random 4K latenciesCons-Mediocre sustained performanceWhy you can trust Tom's HardwareOur expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Sandisk WD Black SN8100 2TB SSD Review: The fastest overall consumer SSD ever made

1 month ago | tomshardware.com | Shane Downing

The Sandisk WD Black SN8100 is the pinnacle of SSD design, bringing fantastic performance and power efficiency in one nice package. TODAY'S BEST DEALSPros+Super fast Gen 5 SSD+Top tier all-around performance+Power-efficient+Good capacity range+Good features and supportWhy you can trust Tom's HardwareOur expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
PNY CS2150 2TB SSD review: More 'budget' PCIe 5.0 SSD goodness

2 months ago | tomshardware.com | Shane Downing

The PNY CS2150 is another great budget PCIe 5.0 SSD with good all-around performance and high power efficiency. TODAY'S BEST DEALSPros+Strong all-around performance+High power efficiency+Cool-running for a PCIe 5.0 SSDCons-Very limited capacity range-PricingWhy you can trust Tom's HardwareOur expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Samsung 9100 Pro SSD Review: Samsung’s Capable Answer To Phison’s Storage Gauntlet

Mar 18, 2025 | tomshardware.com | Shane Downing

Samsung has finally given an answer to the slew of Phison E26-based high-performance PCIe 5.0 SSDs. The 9100 Pro comes in hot, promising up to 8TB of the fastest storage on the planet with the name to back it up. No more compromises with thermal throttling or massive power consumption — the market leader is here to show how it’s done. Or at least that’s a reasonable expectation. It’s a bit late in the game, especially now that we’ve seen what Silicon Motion’s hardware can do on the Micron 4600.
Micron's new 4600 SSD is the first great PCIe 5.0 SSD with no drawbacks

Mar 16, 2025 | tomshardware.com | Shane Downing

The Micron 4600 SSD is a dream come true for enthusiasts who want the highest level of storage performance without compromise. Pros+Excellent all-around and sustained performance+Efficient for a high-end driveCons-Weaker OEM warranty-No 8TB optionWhy you can trust Tom's HardwareOur expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test. Go to page:The Micron 4600 SSD will have storage lovers rejoicing.
WD Black SN7100 SSD Review: The power efficiency king, with caveats

Mar 12, 2025 | tomshardware.com | Shane Downing

The new power efficiency champion is here. WD’s Black SN7100 NVMe SSD sets a new benchmark with its low power consumption, and its random read performance is also similarly surprising. All of that comes at a price, both literally and in the form of lower all-around performance. Is it a worthwhile tradeoff, and how does it stack up to the best SSDs? The update to WD’s popular Black SN770, a drive we loved back when we reviewed it, is finally here.
Klevv CRAS C925 SSD Review: Competent but uninspiring

Dec 10, 2024 | tomshardware.com | Shane Downing

The Klevv CRAS C925 is a competent but relatively boring budget SSD. It has passable performance and good power efficiency, but fails to stand out in any real way. The 2TB model we're reviewing isn't currently in stock anywhere either.
Crucial P310 (2280) SSD Review: Same great taste, but with a new look

Dec 6, 2024 | tomshardware.com | Shane Downing

The Crucial P310 keeps the good all-around performance and power efficiency of its shorter 2230 sibling, making it a good budget drive for laptops especially. Pros+Good all-around performance+Power-efficientCons-Poor sustained performance (QLC)-High MSRP and street pricingWhy you can trust Tom's Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.