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Today, Micron announced the Crucial P310 2280 PCIe 4.0 3D NAND NVMe M.2 SSD (a.k.a. Crucial P310 2280). If the name rings a bell, that's because there was recently the shorter 2230 version of the same drive.
The numbers indicate the physical design of the NVMe SSD. The first two digits show the width and the other two the length, in millimeters.
That said, the new drive is simply the more extended version, shape-wise. Generally, the 2280 form is the most popular, and it is designed to fit readily in many applications where an extender is required for the shorter 2230.
Crucial P310 2280: A standard NVMe SSD with a heatsink version
According to Micron, the shorter P310 2230 "was aimed at ultra-thin laptops and mini-PCs," and the new Crucial P310 2280 is "geared towards gamers, students, and creatives using more powerful hardware like PS5s, desktop PCs, and traditional laptops." The new drive also comes in a heatsink version that is applicable to hardware with limited ventilation, such as game consoles.
Other than the shape, the new Crucial P310 2280 adds a 500GB capacity and is slated to be identical to the 2230 version in performance, endurance, and other features. And that's generally a good thing since the previous drive was among the fastest 4x4 PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSDs you can find.
However, it also shares the same shortcoming: the comparatively short endurance. To make up for that, both drives come with a 5-year warranty.
The table below shows the specs of the Crucial P310 vs. the older Crucial P5 that was released a few years ago.
Hardware specifications: Crucial P310 vs. Crucial P5 Plus
| Micron Crucial P310 | Micron Crucial P5 Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Capacities | 2230: 1TB, 2TB 2280: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | 512GB, 1TB, 2TB |
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x4 | |
| Design (release date) | M.2 2230 (07/17/2024) M.2 2280 (9/17/2024) | M.2 2280 (8/3/2021) |
| Controller | Phison E27T 4-channel DRAM-less controller | Crucial NVMe Architecture |
| NAND Flash Memory | Micron Advanced 3D NAND | |
| Security | None | Full-drive encryption capable (TCG OPAL 2.0 |
| Sequential Read | 1TB, 2TB: 7100 MB/s 500GB: 6600 MB/s | Up to 6600MB/s |
| Sequential Write | 1TB, 2TB: 6000 MB/s 500GB: 3500 MB/s | 1TB, 2TB: Up to 5000MB/s 500GB: Up to 4000MB/s |
| Endurance (Terabyte Written) | 110TB (500GB) 440 TBW (2TB) 220 TBW (1TB) | 1200 TBW (2TB) 600 TBW (1TB) 300 TBW (500GB) |
| Software | Crucial Storage Executive | |
| Heatsink version | Yes (2280 version only) | Yes |
| Warranty | 5 years | |
| US Price | $50 (500GB) $115 (1TB) $215 (2TB) Buy now! | $90 to $190 (500GB to 2TB) Buy now! |
The same real-world performance at a lower cost
I tried the 1TB version of the new drive for a couple of days, and it indeed delivered a very similar performance to the 2TB 2230 version.
Micron says the new P310 2280 drive's "naked" version is available for purchase today, starting at $50 for the 500GB. The 1TB and 2TB cost slightly less than the 2230 counterparts. The heatsink option, designed for game consoles, will ship later this year and will likely cost a few dollars more.
If you're in the market for an affordable and well-performing NVMe SSD, either form of the Crucial P310 is an excellent buy. Pick one that physically fits your hardware well, though in many cases, either will work right out of the box.
Micron Crucial P310 M.2 SSD's Ratings
Pros
Compact and standard designs with excellent PCIe 4.0 performance
Helpful Storage Executive software
5-year warranty; runs cool
Cons
Modest endurance; no hardware encryption
Capacities cap at 2TB
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