Best NVMe SSD for ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E Gaming
Building a powerhouse rig around the ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E Gaming is like choosing a flagship mirrorless camera; you need high-speed storage that won’t bottleneck your “sensor.” This motherboard is a beast, featuring a dedicated PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot that begs for top-tier silicon. Having benchmarked dozens of drives in high-end builds, I’ve found that while the Samsung 990 Pro is the most reliable workhorse, specific users might prefer the raw, bleeding-edge velocity of a Gen5 drive.
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Best NVMe SSD for ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E Gaming: Detailed Reviews
Samsung 990 Pro View on Amazon
The Samsung 990 Pro is the “prime lens” of the SSD world—sharp, reliable, and incredibly fast. Released in late 2022, it perfected the PCIe 4.0 interface with sequential read speeds hitting 7,450 MB/s. When I swap this into a Z790-E build, the responsiveness in Adobe Premiere and heavy multitasking is immediately palpable. It utilizes Samsung’s custom Pascal controller, which offers a 50% improvement in power efficiency over the older 980 Pro. While it isn’t a Gen5 drive, it saturates the Gen4 lanes so effectively that most users won’t notice a difference in daily tasks. The only minor drawback is the premium price tag, but for the peace of mind that Samsung’s Magician software and stellar endurance provide, it’s worth every penny. It’s the drive I trust when I’m offloading 4K footage and can’t afford a single write error.
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WD_BLACK SN850X View on Amazon
If you’re looking for the best “bang for your buck” without sacrificing flagship performance, the WD_BLACK SN850X is my go-to recommendation. It consistently trades blows with the Samsung 990 Pro in gaming benchmarks, often loading massive open-world titles a fraction of a second faster thanks to its sophisticated Game Mode 2.0. This feature predicts what the game will need next and readies the data—think of it like a camera’s predictive autofocus. The 7,300 MB/s read speed is phenomenal, and Western Digital often prices this drive more aggressively than its competitors. It runs a bit hot under sustained loads, but since the ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E comes with those chunky M.2 heatsinks, thermal throttling won’t be an issue for you. It’s a specialized tool that excels in high-burst environments like gaming and active file scrubbing.
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Crucial P3 Plus View on Amazon
Not every drive in your Z790-E needs to be a world-record breaker. The Crucial P3 Plus is what I call the “reliable kit lens”—it gets the job done for a fraction of the cost. With read speeds around 5,000 MB/s, it’s significantly faster than any older SATA SSD or Gen3 drive. It uses QLC NAND, which is how Crucial keeps the price so low. The trade-off is that once you fill the drive or perform massive multi-gigabyte transfers, the write speeds can dip. However, for a secondary drive to store your Steam library or back up your photo catalogs, you’ll rarely notice these limitations. It’s an honest, effective piece of hardware that allows you to put more of your budget toward a better GPU or more RAM while still enjoying the benefits of the NVMe interface.
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Crucial T705 View on Amazon
If you bought the ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E, you likely want to use its headline feature: the PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot. The Crucial T705 is the current “super-telephoto” of the SSD world—huge, powerful, and built for professionals. This drive reaches astronomical speeds of up to 14,500 MB/s. It makes 4K and 8K video editing feel like you’re working with low-res proxies. You’ll notice that Windows boots almost instantly and files move so fast the progress bar barely has time to appear. Be warned: this drive generates significant heat. You absolutely must use the heavy-duty heatsink provided with your Z790-E or buy the version with the integrated cooler. It’s an overkill choice for strictly gaming, but if you’re a content creator who values time above all else, the T705 is the ultimate expression of modern storage technology.
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SK Hynix Platinum P41 View on Amazon
The SK Hynix Platinum P41 is a bit of an “indie darling” in the hardware community. While Samsung and WD get all the marketing buzz, SK Hynix actually manufactures their own NAND and controllers, leading to incredible vertical integration. The P41 is remarkably efficient, meaning it generates less heat for every gigabyte transferred compared to almost any other high-speed Gen4 drive. In a Z790-E build, this is great if you have multiple M.2 drives crowded together and want to keep internal case temperatures down. It hits a sweet 7,000 MB/s and remains incredibly consistent even as the drive fills up. I find it exceptional for long-term reliability; it’s the kind of drive you install and never have to think about again. It’s a sophisticated, “pro” choice for those who value thermal management and efficient design.
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Buying Guide: How to Choose an NVMe SSD
Comparison Table
| Product | Best For | Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung 990 Pro | All-around Pro use | ★★★★★ | Check |
| WD_BLACK SN850X | Gaming Focus | ★★★★☆ | Check |
| Crucial P3 Plus | Budget Build | ★★★★☆ | Check |
| Crucial T705 | Ultra Enthusiast | ★★★★★ | Check |
| SK Hynix P41 | Efficiency | ★★★★☆ | Check |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Z790-E support PCIe 5.0 SSDs?
Yes, the ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E Gaming specifically features one PCIe 5.0 x4 M.2 slot (M.2_1). This allows you to use the latest generation of SSDs like the Crucial T705, which can reach speeds up to 14,500 MB/s. However, note that when this slot is active, the primary PCIe 5.0 x16 slot for your graphics card will drop to x8 mode. In most current gaming scenarios, this has a negligible impact on GPU performance.
Do I need an SSD with a heatsink for this motherboard?
Generally, you do not need to buy an SSD with its own heatsink because the Z790-E comes equipped with excellent integrated M.2 heatsinks for all its slots. In fact, most third-party heatsinks are too bulky to fit under the motherboard’s decorative armor. The only exception is if you are using a high-performance PCIe 5.0 drive that requires an active fan cooler, though the motherboard’s stock cooling is usually sufficient for Gen4 drives.
What is the difference between DRAM and DRAM-less SSDs?
DRAM-equipped SSDs like the Samsung 990 Pro have a dedicated chip to store the “map” of where data is located on the drive. This makes them significantly faster for random access tasks and Windows OS operations. DRAM-less drives, like many budget options, use a portion of your system’s RAM instead (HMB). For a high-end motherboard like the Z790-E, I always recommend a DRAM-equipped drive for your primary C: drive to ensure maximum snappiness.
Which M.2 slot should I use first on the Z790-E?
You should always populate the M.2_1 slot (the one closest to the CPU) first if you have a PCIe 5.0 drive. If you are using a PCIe 4.0 drive and want to avoid splitting bandwidth with your GPU, you can use any of the other four Gen4 slots. The ROG Strix Z790-E is unique in offering five total M.2 slots, providing plenty of room for expansion as your storage needs grow.
Is 2TB enough for a modern gaming and editing PC?
For most enthusiasts, 2TB is the “sweet spot.” Modern AAA games can take up over 100GB each, and 4K video files are equally massive. While 1TB is okay for a start, you’ll find it fills up very quickly. With the Z790-E’s multiple slots, you can always start with a high-speed 2TB boot drive and add more affordable 2TB or 4TB drives later as your library of games and media expands.
Final Verdict
If you want the absolute best experience on your Z790-E, the Samsung 990 Pro remains the gold standard for its reliability and thermal efficiency. Gamers looking to save a few dollars without losing speed should jump on the WD_BLACK SN850X. However, if you bought this specific motherboard to live on the cutting edge, the Crucial T705 is the only drive that truly unlocks the potential of that Gen5 slot.