Long warranty, high performance and good price. Where’s the catch? (Test)

Patriot Memory is an American company operating since 1985. It focuses on RAM modules, semiconductor media, memory cards, pen drives and mobile accessories. We receive offers in almost all price and performance segments, and there is even a dedicated series for gamers Viper. It is therefore not surprising that their products are popular all over the world, including in Poland.

This time we take a look next-generation flagship SSDi.e. the model Patriot Viper PV593. This is a proposal in the format M.2 2280which uses a controller Silicon Motion SM2508 made in 6 nm lithography from TSMC and memory 3D TLC NAND in the form of 232-layer 2400 MT/s chips from Micron. This is complemented by LPDDR4X DRAM.

There are three capacity variants to choose from: 1, 2 and 4 TBwhich differ slightly in declared performance. In our case (2 TB), the manufacturer promises up to 14,000 MB/s for reading and up to 13,000 MB/for sequential writing. It is worth noting that it is a double-sided structureso the memories are on both sides. We don’t get a heat sink here, but the sticker is a thin plate – always something.

The Telepolis editorial test platform includes components prepared for almost everything that manufacturers offer to the consumer market. The computer is based on the top model of the Intel Arrow Lake processor. The exact specification is as follows:

• Processor: Intel Core Ultra 9 285K
• Motherboard: MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
• RAM: Kingston FURY Renegade DDR5 RGB CUDIMM (2x 24 GB, 8400 MHz, CL 40)
• Graphics card: GIGABYTE AORUS GeForce RTX 4080 16 GB MASTER
• Charger: Cooler Master MWE Gold V2 1050 W
• Case: Fractal North XL
• Cooling: Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 A-RGB
• Thermal paste: SilentiumPC Pactum PT-4

We conduct tests on the current Windows 10 system. Background programs are kept to a minimumand component management applications are disabled. This is to ensure constant measurement conditions and eliminate variables. Each test is performed several times (5 to 10 times) and then an average value is obtained.

For measurements, we used popular and proven programs in the latest versions, including: CrystalDiskMark, PCMark 10 and 3DMark. In addition, there were practical tests using specially prepared file packages:

• 12,500 JPG files with a total weight of 30.5 GB
• 3 MKV files with a total weight of 48 GB
• 1 file weighing 63 GB

The first test aims to verify the manufacturer’s declarations regarding read and write speeds. It is performed using CrystalDiskMark. The measurements took place not on the default settings, but in the NVMe SSD profile. Three different packages were checked – 16 MiB, 1 GiB and 32 GiB. Each measurement taken fromhe was defeated five times in three series. Then the whole thing was added up to calculate the average.

In terms of sequential reading, the Patriot Viper PV593 performs very well. It has identical results to the recently tested Kingston FURY Renegade G5 or WD_Black SN8100, which use the same controller. Only the Samsung 9100 Pro, with proprietary components, is doing better. However, this value is lower than in the specification.

Also in the case of sequential recording, the Patriot Viper PV593 is on the podium. It is true that it loses only slightly to the above-mentioned Kingston and Sandisk, but here there are differences in the memories used – Patriot chose Micron, competitors chose Kioxia. There are also differences in construction (single- vs. double-sided).

The next series of tests concerns reading and writing again, but randomly. Here, many tested SSDs experience significant drops. And these are the types of speeds that most users will observe on a daily basis.

With random reading, the situation repeats itself again – Patriot trails Samsung by 11.5%, but trails Kingston and Sandisk by about 8%. Nevertheless, we are talking about very good performance here, especially for the average person – computers in typical home use read data much more often than they write it.

The chart for the recording is flattening out significantly, and the Patriot Viper PV593 is in the middle of the pack. On the one hand, these results are similar to other PCIe 5.0 x4 SSDsand only ADATA with an active cooling system lags behind. On the other hand, the previous generation flagship devices have very similar results.

Benchmarks are often referred to as “blank numbers.” The truth is, however, that while some of them do not actually make much sense, there are still several proven solutions on the market with repeatable scenarios. One of them is PCMark 10 with “Full Drive Benchmark”. It records approximately 204 GB of data and measures speeds and access times.

Another of our selected test programs also comes from UL Benchmarks. We are talking about the well-known and respected 3DMark with the less known “Storage Benchmark” scenario. It is noticeably shorter than PCMark 10 and geared more towards gamers. It includes seven different tests including:

• Battlefield V Loading;
• Loading Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
• Loading Overwatch Game;
• Copying the folder with the Counter Strike: Global Offensive game;
• Game video recording (OBS, 1080p, 60 FPS);
• Installing The Outer Worlds game;
• Game save in The Outer Worlds.

Benchmarks confirm that Patriot Viper PV593 will work well in gaming computers. It will be very fast, although not the fastest option, which will easily cope with installing, loading and transferring large AAA games or recording videos for YouTube, Twitch or TikTok.

It’s time to stop with artificial tests and move on to practical tests. To start with, we take the scenario of copying small files. We used it for this purpose a package consisting of 12,500 photos in *.jpg format. We are talking about various resolutions and sizes (from 72 KB to 50 MB), but most of them are standard graphics ranging in size from 1 to 5 MB. As in every case, the test was carried out several times and then an average was taken.

A large number of small files are the Achilles heel of the Patriot Viper PV593. There is a clear hiccup, not only other PCIe 5.0 x4 SSDs are taking the lead, but also the top models of the previous generation.

When copying medium files we are talking about a folder with three films in *.mkv format, which gives us a total of over 48 GB. Again, the test was performed on the same medium several times to obtain the arithmetic mean. Less copy time means better results.

The situation with medium and small files is betterand during everyday use, no one will count down the seconds with a stopwatch in their hand. After all, if you are building a computer for work, then there are definitely better solutions on the market.

We already know the performance, but what do the temperatures look like? After all, they affect the life of the equipment. It’s no secret that efficient SSDs like to heat up. Especially in tight spaces like a laptop or console. Measurements were performed during long-term file copying in a well-ventilated, closed computer housing. None of the media was under the graphics card. The room temperature was 25°C.

In terms of temperatures, the Patriot Viper PV593 performs well, placing in the middle of the pack. It’s neither the coolest nor the warmest SSD we tested. Nevertheless, there is no reason to worry about thermal throttling.

Patriot Viper PV593 is well-thought-out design with branded components. We get a controller and dice that have already been battle-tested and are also used by the competition. The lack of a factory radiator ensures a wide compatibility not only with desktop computers, but also with consoles and laptops. Although in the last case it is a double-sided structure may prove to be a problem in a few cases.

The real performance falls slightly behind the promises of the Americans, but we are still talking about good parameters. The tested SSD performs particularly well at reading files, but is slightly worse at writing them and when they are full. In my opinion this is it Suggested for a home computer or gaming machine, but not a workstation.

The temperatures are correct (below 70°C) and the warranty conditions are very good – up to 5 years with a data storage limit of 1,400 TBW, while the competition usually offers 1,200 TBW. Of course you have to remember that you need a relatively newer computer with a PCI Express 5.0 interface, otherwise you will not use its full potential.

What about price? Well, there is currently a crisis in the DRAM and NAND market, so the landscape will be completely different in a few weeks or months. Currently, Patriot Viper PV593 2 TB costs approximately PLN 1,299 in Poland. For a PCIe 5.0 x4 SSD, it’s a good price, because the competition discussed today (Kingston, Sandisk) is several hundred zlotys more expensive. The problem is that You can buy PCIe 4.0 x4 flagships cheaper and they will be enough for most people.