Silicon Power XS70 Review: The Best Value NVMe SSD for PS5s and PCs

A good NVMe SSD, or non-volatile memory express solid state drive gives you blazing-fast read/write speeds. A gen 4 NVMe SSD boasts up to 7000MB/s write speeds, which are over seven times as fast as traditional SATA SSDs, and 35-times greater than spindle HDDs (hard disk drives). Especially for gaming, multimedia usage, and work productivity, an NVMe SSD is crucial. However, they can get pretty pricey. Thankfully, you’ll find budget-priced models. Silicon Power’s XS70 is an outstanding NVMe SSD that delivers fast rear/write speeds, comes with up to 4TB of storage, and even works with PlayStation 5 game consoles. Whether you’re looking to upgrade your laptop, desktop, or PS5, the XS70 is a great option. Learn why this is one of the best value PS5 SSDs–and PC solid state drives for that matter–in our hands-on Silicon Power XS70 review!

Silicon Power XS70 Review Verdict

The Silicon Power XPower XS70 is an exceptional NVMe SSD. As an NVMe PCIe Gen 4 N.2 2280 SSD, the XS70 sports read/write speeds of up to 7,300/6,800 MB/s. It comes in two variants: One for desktops and PS5 game consoles that comes with a heatsink, and another for laptops sans heatsinks.

You can snag the XS70 with 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB of storage space. I copped the Silicon Power XS70 specifically to install in my PlayStation 5, and found it easy to install. While you’ve got no shortage of PS5 SSDs to pick from, the Silicon Power provides nearly unrivaled bang for your buck.

When I purchased the Silicon Power 4TB XS70 version, it was just over $200 USD (but prices vary, so be sure to check at the time of purchase). By comparison, that’s slightly more than most 2TB PS5 SSDs, like options from Western Digital Black, but you get double the storage space.

Read/write speeds are incredibly fast. In my Silicon Power XS70 PS5 review, I found that game installations were super quick, and transferring games or apps from my console’s internal storage to the XpPwer XS70 took just a minute or two. Looking at performance benchmarks, the Silicon Power XS70 even held its own, beating out competitors such as the WD_Black SN850, Samsung 980 Pro, and Crucial P5 Plus in many tests.

The Silicon Power XS70 laptop iteration lacks a heatsink, but if you need one for whatever reason after the fact–for instance, if you initially use the SSD in your laptop, then migrate it to a desktop or game console–then you can always just get a third-party heatsink. Notably, the Silicon Power 1TB XS70 has a slower write speed of 6,000 MB/s versus 6,800 with Silicon Power 2TB XS70 NVMe and Silicon Power 4TB XS70. Still, that’s a marginal write speed difference, and so negligible that most folks won’t notice a in real-world usage.

Overall, I didn’t find much I didn’t like about the XS70. Particularly after subscribing to EA Play, Electronic Arts’s subscription service on my PlayStation 5 which let me download dozens of games to play for just $4.99/month (a ridiculously good deal), I wanted to upgrade my console’s storage. The Silicon Power XS70 SSD allowed me to do that without breaking the bank, adding a whopping 4TB of storage space for a price where most SSD rivals give you 2TB.

Silicon Power XS70 Specs

• Storage interface: PCIe 4 x 4, NVMe 1.4
• Form factor: M.2 2280
• Storage capacities: 1TB, 2TB, 4TB
• DRAM: DDR4
• Read write speeds: 7,300/6,800 MB/s (2TB and 4TB); 7,300/6,000 MB/s (1TB)
• Memory: Micron 176L TLC
• Controller: Phison PS5018-E18

What alternatives to the Silicon Power XS70 should you consider?

Although I recommend the Silicon Power XS70 as the NVMe SSD with the best bang for your buck, there are loads of other solid state drives on the market. Some of the most popular opitons, especially for PS5 SSDs, include the Samsung 980 Pro and WD_Black SN850.

When comparing the Silicon Power XS70 vs. Samsung 980 Pro, the XPower XS70 actually trounced the 980 Pro in 3DMark (gaming performance), PCMark 10 (everyday performance), DiskBench (file transfers), and CrystalDiskMark (general storage file transfer) benchmarks. However, the 980 Pro came out on top with Quarch, which measured temperature and power consumption.

Looking at the Silicon Power XS70 vs. WD_Black SN850, the XPower XS70 was better in 3DMark, DiskBench, CrystalDiskMark, and Quarch PPM, with the WD_Black above the Silicon Power in PCMark 10.

Where the Silicon Power XS70 really shines is with its fast file transfers, gaming performance, and massive storage capacity that doesn’t break the bank. For general usage, there are some slightly better and more energy-efficient drives. But it’s tough to find this combination of high-caliber storage for serious gaming that doesn’t compromise on space. Especially with the massive file size of most video games now, it’s essential to have plenty of room on your PC or console.

Silicon Power XS70 Review: Final Thoughts

Overall, the XS70 is a fantastic SSD for gaming, whether in a PS5 game console, gaming laptop, or gaming desktop. Even for everyday use, it’s a solid drive with a nearly unrivaled price-per-gigabyte. In particular, I found the XS70 a phenomenal PS5 SSD for storage space expansion. But it’s also a nice option for gaming PCs. While the Silicon Power 2TB XS70 PEIe Gen4 is probably the sweet spot for most people, I like that there’s a generously-sized 4TB version which meant I could install Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered, Miles Morales, Fifa 2023, The Sinking City, Horizon Forbidden West, Mass Effect Trilogy, plus a handful of other games and still have plenty of storage space left.

Aside from video gaming, the XPower XS70 works well for nearly any situation. For instance, its generous storage capacities of up to 4TB, fast file transfer rates, and excellent affordability make it a good choice for creatives seeking tons of hard drive room for photo or video editing. Ultimately, the Silicon Power XS70 is a superb NVMe SSD for a variety of folks, from gamers to content creators, and anyone who needs loads of high-performance wallet-friendly storage space.

Looking to continue leveling up your PS5 once you’ve upgraded your storage space? Check out the best PS5 headsets. Or read my review of the PlayStation 5 Spider-Man controller. You can also learn how to use PS Remote Play on Android and iOS.

Silicon Power XS70 Review: FAQs