Verdict: A rare PCIe 5.0 deal that is worth it—if you accept the trade‑offs
This deal compares PCIe 4.0 vs 5.0 SSD options at a time when storage prices are inflated, highlighting one of the few name‑brand PCIe 5.0 SSD deals that slips down into PCIe 4.0 territory while older high‑performance PCIe 4.0 drives are also discounted.
In today’s expensive SSD market, the discounted Crucial P510 PCIe 5.0 NVMe stands out because it undercuts many comparable PCIe 4.0 models while delivering much higher sequential performance. That makes it good value by current standards if you need a fast boot or primary drive now, not later. The main compromise is capacity: the highlighted configuration is only 1TB, at a time when many power users would prefer 2TB for comfort and longevity. Stock is also finite, with the line already discontinued, so this is not a deal that will stick around. Overall verdict: strong performance-per-dollar in a bad market, but not a slam dunk for everyone.
The PCIe 5.0 angle: faster than PCIe 4.0 at a similar going rate
The Crucial P510 is a PCIe 5.0×4 M.2 NVMe SSD that delivers sequential read speeds up to 11,000MB/s and sequential writes up to 8,500MB/s, numbers that outpace typical PCIe 4.0 drives across the board. In the current market, where many PCIe 4.0 1TB drives sit at unexpectedly high prices due to the wider memory supply crunch, seeing a name‑brand PCIe 5.0 model slip into roughly the same price band is unusual.
According to one review, "on all counts" the Crucial P510’s performance is higher than a comparable PCIe 4.0 drive. That means you are paying about what you would for a fast PCIe 4.0 1TB SSD but getting next‑generation throughput that is better suited to heavy game libraries, content creation, and large project files. The catch is that this offer relies on international import, which adds some uncertainty around delivery times and after‑sales support even though duties and fees are calculated upfront.
PCIe 4.0 still fights back: Lexar NM790 and other budget NVMe options
While the PCIe 5.0 P510 deal grabs attention, high‑end PCIe 4.0 SSDs are also seeing meaningful SSD price drops from their earlier peaks. The 2TB Lexar NM790, for example, has fallen well below the significantly higher levels it reached in early to mid‑year, representing one of its lowest prices in months. It is a PCIe Gen 4 NVMe M.2 2280 drive rated for up to 7,400MB/s reads and 6,500MB/s writes, and is widely praised for strong sustained performance rather than only short bursts.
Beyond speed, the NM790 is notably power‑efficient, with Lexar claiming it uses up to 40% less power than many DRAM‑cache PCIe 4.0 SSDs, a benefit that independent testing has echoed. That makes it a flexible choice for both laptops and desktops, covering day‑to‑day productivity, gaming, and even content creation builds where PCIe 5.0 support may not exist. In other words, if your system tops out at PCIe 4.0, this kind of discounted 2TB drive can still give you a large, fast, and efficient upgrade without paying a premium for bandwidth you cannot use.
Risks, timing, and how long these deals may last
There are two kinds of risk to weigh here: supply risk and delivery logistics. On the PCIe 5.0 side, the Crucial P510 is already a discontinued line that was pulled when its parent company shifted focus to more profitable enterprise memory during the current supply crunch. The drives that remain in the channel are limited, and sources warn that these stocks will dry up eventually rather than receive fresh replenishment.
On the pricing front, both the P510 import deal and the Lexar NM790 and similar PCIe 4.0 offers exist against a backdrop where SSD prices are described as inflated compared with previous generations of deals. Current discounts are relative to recent high points, not the best prices enthusiasts remember. Prices and savings are also explicitly flagged as subject to change, with recent checks only valid as of mid‑July and no promise of how long they will hold. If you are waiting for a full market reset, you might be waiting a long time; if you need a drive now, these offers are about as appealing as the current landscape gets.
Buy if / Skip if
- Buy the Crucial P510 if you want one of the cheapest name‑brand PCIe 5.0 SSD deals available today and can accept 1TB capacity.
- Skip the Crucial P510 if you are uncomfortable with international delivery risk or prefer straightforward local after‑sales support.
- Buy the Crucial P510 if you need a fast boot drive right now and value significantly higher throughput than typical PCIe 4.0 SSDs.
- Skip the Crucial P510 if you can wait out the current memory crisis and hope for broader SSD price drops later.
- Buy the Lexar 2TB NM790 if your system only supports PCIe 4.0 and you want a roomy, power‑efficient drive at a rare recent low.
- Skip the Lexar 2TB NM790 if you already have PCIe 5.0 support and care more about peak bandwidth than extra capacity.
