Crucial P310 1TB SSD PCIe NVMe Review

My Daughter Filled Her PS5 SSD PCIe NVMe

My daughter was running out of space on her PlayStation 5, so I got her one of these. It’s the Crucial P310, an SSD PCIe NVMe drive that slots right into the PS5’s expansion bay. It’s the Crucial P310, an SSD PCIe NVMe drive that slots right into the PS5’s expansion bay, and once it’s in, the console just gets it. You can grab one for yourself here on Amazon.

I say PlayStation 5, but that’s not the only place this thing works. It’ll go into laptops, into computers, and into handheld gaming units too. Same drive, same install. So even though I bought it to fix a storage crunch on a console, it’s a lot more flexible than that.

What This SSD PCIe NVMe Drive Is

It’s a 1TB Gen4 NVMe drive rated up to 7,100 MB/s read. This whole thing right here is plug-and-play. You plug it in onto the motherboard of the PlayStation 5, or the Xbox, or whatever unit you want, and it basically becomes your 1TB of extra storage. Mine’s the 1TB, but you can go down to 500GB or all the way up to 4TB depending on how much room you need.

7,100 MB/s Is Crazy Fast

It runs at 7,100 MB/s read, that’s roughly double what a Gen3 drive delivers. On the PS5, that headroom is what lets the console stream game assets without stuttering; you’re not waiting for the drive to catch up to what’s happening on screen. Crucial pairs it with 6,000 MB/s write on the spec sheet, which lines up with how quick the whole thing felt once it was in.

The best part is there’s no extra setup dance. Once it’s installed, the PlayStation boots up and recognizes the drive instantly. No firmware juggling, no third-party formatting on a separate PC. You insert it, power on, and the console reads it as usable storage without a single extra step.

The Static Electricity Step You Can’t Skip

The one thing I was careful about was static. When you install it, you really need to make sure there’s no static electricity on your hands. That’s not a marketing footnote, it’s the real gotcha with any bare NVMe drive. Touch a grounded metal surface first, don’t do the install on a carpet in wool socks, and handle it by the edges.

It’s not hard, but it’s the step people rush past because the drive looks so simple. The board is small and exposed, so a static zap is the one way to turn an easy plug-and-play job into a bad afternoon. Take the extra thirty seconds. That’s the whole friction, and it’s on you, not the drive.

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Crucial P310 1TB Gen4 NVMe SSD

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Who This Is For

Anyone with a PS5 that’s throwing the “storage full” message. That was my exact situation with my daughter’s console, and one 1TB drive fixed it. If your kid keeps a big library of AAA games plus gameplay videos, the 1TB gives real breathing room, and the 4TB option exists if you want to never think about it again.

It’s also for the person who owns more than a console. Since this SSD PCIe NVMe drive works in laptops, desktops, and handhelds like the ROG Ally X or Legion Go, it’s one part that can move around your setup. If you’re not chasing the last 200 MB/s that a flagship Samsung 990 Pro costs a premium for, the P310 hits the PS5’s real-world ceiling anyway, the console’s expansion slot is the bottleneck long before the drive is.

Console Expansion Bay vs a USB Drive

An internal NVMe drive wins over an external USB SSD for one reason: games run from it. A USB drive can store PS5 games and it’s easier to plug in, but it can’t run current-gen games directly the way this internal slot does. That’s the trade. USB is simpler; the internal Gen4 route is the one that gives you actual play space at full speed.

The catch is you have to open the console and touch the motherboard slot to install it. If that makes you nervous, a USB drive is the lower-effort path. But if you want your games loading off the fast storage, the internal drive is the answer, and this one drops in cleanly.

Advice Before You Install

Pick the right capacity up front. The 500GB fills fast if you’re stacking AAA titles, so if you’re already out of space, the 1TB is the safer floor and the 4TB is the buy-once move. Match it to how your household actually uses the console, not the cheapest number.

Ground yourself before you touch the drive, handle it by the edges, and seat it fully in the slot before you screw anything down. Once it’s in and the console recognizes it, you’re done. You can grab the drive on Amazon here and have it installed the same day it arrives.

Pros

• Plug-and-play install, the PS5 booted up and understood the drive with no extra setup
• Blazing 7,100 MB/s read speed for quick game and file loads
• Works across PS5, laptops, desktops, and handhelds like the ROG Ally X and Legion Go
• Capacity range from 500GB up to 4TB so you can size it to your library
• Gen4 performance without the premium top-tier price

Cons

• You have to be careful about static electricity on your hands during install
• Requires opening the console and touching the motherboard slot, which not everyone is comfortable with
• The 500GB fills up fast if you keep a big game library

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Crucial P310 need a heatsink for the PS5?

The P310 ships without a heatsink. The PS5 expansion bay requires one, Sony is explicit about this in the console’s manual. Buy a compatible M.2 heatsink separately before you open the console, or you’ll be putting the side panel back on and waiting for a second delivery.

Will the PS5 recognize it automatically after install?

Yes. Once it’s installed, the PlayStation boots up and completely understands the drive is in there. You don’t need to format it on a separate PC first or run any special firmware step.

Can I use this in a laptop or handheld instead of a console?

Yes. It’s an M.2 2280 NVMe drive that works in laptops, desktops, and handhelds including the ROG Ally X, Legion Go, and AYANEO Kun. Same drive, same install process into the M.2 slot.

Does it work in older Gen3 systems?

Yes, it’s backward compatible with PCIe Gen3 systems. You won’t hit the full 7,100 MB/s on a Gen3 slot since the interface caps the speed, but the drive still runs and gives you the storage.

What capacity should I get?

Get 1TB if you’re already out of space, since 500GB fills fast with modern games. Step up to 4TB if you keep a large library and want to stop managing storage entirely. I went with 1TB for my daughter’s PS5.

Is any software included?

Yes, the listing includes Acronis data recovery software. That’s more useful if you’re installing it in a PC or laptop as a system drive than in a console, but it comes with the purchase either way.

How hard is the install for a first-timer?

It’s simple as long as you discharge static from your hands first and handle the drive by the edges. The drive itself is plug-and-play; the only real care is grounding yourself and seating it fully before securing it. It took me minutes.

Can it store and run PS5 games or just store them?

An internal NVMe drive in the PS5 expansion bay lets you both store and run PS5 games directly, which is the advantage over an external USB drive that can only hold them. That’s the whole reason to go internal.

Get it now

Crucial P310 1TB Gen4 NVMe SSD

Get the best price on Amazon →

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