Introduction
The new Acer Predator GM7000 SSD is one of the fastest Gen4 x4 SSDs we have reviewed, check out our benchmarks in this review. Acer is a well-known company that has existed for a very long time and over the course of decades supplies laptops, systems, monitors, and even components under the Predator branding. In fact, my very own first “Pentium-class” computer was a black Acer Pentium 75MHz PC back in the mid-90s, and what a great-looking and performing system that was.
Well, this review is one of those “did ya know” scenarios, did you know that Acer also has SSDs and RAM? Yes, under its Predator Storage branding, of which it has a dedicated webpage, these SSDs and RAM are gamer focused. Under official license, Acer and Predator branded storage products are designed, manufactured, and marketed by BIWIN Storage Technology company, a leading maker of DRAM memory and solid-state drives (SSD storage devices).
If you browse their product page you will find RAM, including DDR5 with and without RGB, as well as two distinct models of SSDs currently available. There is the GM3500 which is a PCIe 3.0 SSD and then there is the new GM7000 which is a PCIe 4.0 SSD. We will be reviewing the brand-new Acer Predator GM7000 2TB Gen4 x4 M.2 SSD. This SSD includes a unique kind of heatsink and comes in 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, and even 4TB capacities. We will be reviewing the 2TB capacity SSD, model number GM7000-2TB. Check our pricing widget for current street pricing.
Acer Predator GM7000 Specs
The Acer Predator GM7000 2TB Gen4 x4 M.2 NVMe SSD is a standard-sized m.2 2280 NVMe PCIe SSD based on the PCIe 4.0 interface and NVMe 1.4 protocol. This is a TLC-based SSD. Full specs can be read here (PDF). The Acer Predator GM7000 m.2 has a quoted Max Sequential Read Speed of up to 7400MB/s and a quoted Max Sequential Write Speed of up to 6700MB/s for the 2TB and 4TB models. At these speeds, this SSD is one of the higher tiers of Gen4 SSDs that have a 7GB/s read speed. There are multiple tiers and levels of Gen4 SSDs, with more value-oriented ones at 4 or 5GB/s read speeds, but this is one of the upper-tier performance SSDs that has the 7GB/s read speed. Something to note, all capacity models of this SSD (512GB/1TB/2TB/4TB) can run up to the maximum 7400MB/s read speeds.
Now, the Max Sequential Write Speed is determined by the capacity model. The 2TB and 4TB models can run up to the maximum 6700MB/s write speeds, but the 1TB lowers that maximum write speed to 6400MB/s (still very good), and the 512GB model lowers the write speed all the way down to 3400MB/s. Therefore, the 512GB model does have quite a downshift in write performance, but if you go with 1TB and up, you will be in that upper-performance tier on write speeds. There are some faster SSDs that exist with faster-quoted write speeds, but this SSD is right up there in the performance tier.
Here are the rest of the specs, the Max Random Read Speed in IOPS is 540K IOPS for the 512GB model, 1000K IOPS for the 1TB model, 1300K IOPS for the 2TB model, and 1350K IOPS for the 4TB model. The Max Random Write Speed in IOPS is 900K IOPS for the 512GB model, 1000K IOPS for the 1TB model, 1100K IOPS for the 2TB model, and 1150K IOPS for the 4TB model.
The Predator GM7000 SSD also features a dedicated DRAM Cache, which helps position this SSD into that high-performance tier. The 512GB model and 1TB model both have a 1GB DRAM Cache, while the 2TB model has a 2GB DRAM Cache and the 4TB model has a 4GB DRAM Cache.
Acer Predator Storage has also designed the Predator GM7000 SSD to be a power-efficient SSD. The Max Write Power Consumption is 3.35W for the 512GB model, 5.30W for the 1TB model, 5.90W for the 2TB model, and 3.84W for the 4TB model. The Max Idle Power Consumption is 1.66W for the 512GB model, 1.72W for the 1TB model, 1.87W for the 2TB model, and 1.45W for the 4TB model.
In terms of endurance, the 512GB has an endurance rating of 300 TBW, 1TB model is 600 TBW, 2TB model is 1300 TBW and 4TB model is 3000 TBW. They all have a 5-year warranty.
For security, the Predator GM7000 supports 4K LDPC Error Correction and 256-bit AES encryption, and end-to-end data protection. You also get a free copy of Acronis True Image OEM software for backup, cloning, and restore.
SSD Pictures and Components
The Predator GM7000 comes in a nice-sized box, and inside is protected in a plastic shell. It also comes with an M.2 socket screw, which is a nice addition in case you do not have one.
The SSD does have components on both sides, this is important because only one side gets cooled by the unique heat spreader installed. However, thankfully, it is only the controller that needs to be cooled, the NAND flash prefers to run warmer. Therefore, with the heat spreader only on one side, cooling the controller and DRAM it is perfectly fine this way and the NAND flash on the other side does not need passive cooling. Without a heat spreader on the other side, it also allows the SSD to be installed in a laptop, and the unique heat spreader on the top is very thin, so it should fit in laptops well with the heat spreader.
Let’s talk about this unique heat spreader, first of all, we aren’t calling it a heatsink because it is not a traditional solid aluminum heatsink. The Predator GM7000 SSD uses a custom-made graphene-laced foam pad that Acer claims features high thermal conductivity to dissipate heat and reduce operating temperatures. It’s literally stuck on with this foam and just sticks there, with a plastic sticker on top. Acer claims a reduction of about 18c with this foam pad, but with this type of heat spreader, we are dubious.
The Predator GM7000 uses a compact PCB design to achieve lower power consumption and temperatures. The Predator GM7000 SSD is based on an Innogrit IG5236 controller (called the Rainier series). This is a 12nm FinFET CMOS 8-channel controller, which is a modern and advanced node process for SSDs, which is in line with Acer’s claims of their effort in making this a power-efficient SSD. The controller integrates a power management unit to save energy and prolong lifespan.
The Predator GM7000 uses 176-layer Micron B47R NAND flash chips. The dedicated DRAM Cache is handled by 2GB of DDR4-2666MT/s.
