Conclusion
The new Acer Predator GM7 1TB PCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe M.2 SSD is a $89.90 USD manufactured by BIWIN. It uses a Maxio MAP1602 controller and 2400MT/s fast YMTC Xtacking 3.0 3D NAND. This TLC-based SSD is rated at 7400MB/s read and 6300MB/s write speeds sequential.
In our performance testing, it started off very strong in PCMark 10’s full storage benchmark, topping our graph. This was due to a very fast access time, at only 50ns it beat the Acer Predator GM7000 and other SSDs. In light workloads, however, in PCMark 10’s quick performance testing, it underperformed. We did see the performance come up over the GM7000 in PassMark’s PerformanceTEST benchmark.
In CrystalDiskMark’s throughput testing, the Acer Predator GM7 1TB SSD performed well, near the top of the chart in performance. It was just under the Acer Predator GM7000 and ADATA LEGEND 960 in performance. Its read performance was strong and consistent, and only its write performance had a larger decrease. However, it was still faster than the MSI SPATIUM SSDs, PATRIOT VIPER VPR400, and CORSAIR Force MP600 SSDs.
In our file copy performance, it was again just under the GM700 in performance, and on par with the PATRIOT VIPER VPR400 but faster than the ADATA LEGEND 960. The Final Fantasy benchmark game loading time was the slowest, however. ATTO showed that the SSD has consistent performance across the board, and performs right under the GM7000. Finally, in workstation performance, this SSD sat at the bottom, it is not for the dedicated workstation application performance.
Cooling
The Acer Predator GM7 1TB SSD does not come with a heatsink. This is a one-sided SSD, so you don’t need to worry about cooling the backside. Thanks to the efficient 12nm process controller and two NAND flash chips on this 1TB model, plus the high efficiency in power utilization, the temperatures on this SSD are very good.
In our Stress Test, we got maximum temperatures of 69c, and keep in mind we push the SSD hard to reach maximum temperatures. At 69c it runs cooler than the Acer Predator GM7000 by 13c degrees, which is very impressive. It’s on par with some SSDs that have heatsinks, like the CORSAIR Force MP600. In lighter loads, not stressing the SSD, temperatures were as low as 43c while operating. All in all, this SSD makes for an excellent laptop SSD upgrade.
Final Points
BIWIN suggested the Acer Predator GM7 SSD would be able to retain most of the performance of the GM7000 being a DRAM-less SSD, yet be more cost-effective than the GM7000. Our CrystalDiskMark results and ATTO benchmark results absolutely proved this to be true. In read-and-write sequential performance, the Acer Predator GM7 SSD was only slightly under the performance of the Acer Predator GM7000. Its random performance wasn’t bad either, it’s certainly under the GM7000, but it’s not massively so.
It also performed extremely well in access time and latency in our testing. This SSD had the best access time, and these are the kinds of things that actually change the experience of running applications and doing things on your computer. In something like a laptop, the best access time and lowest latency you can has a big impact on the experience. This SSD also fits well for laptop upgrades because it is one-sided, and runs very cool for its performance level, not requiring a heat sink or excessive cooling. With the low power utilization and power efficiency, this is a great cost-effective, value SSD for your desktop or laptop.
Considering the GM7 is a DRAM-less SSD, it is retaining a lot of throughput performance. That 2400MT/s NAND is coming in clutch, and that is nice to see on a DRAM-less SSD. That performance, plus Host Memory Buffer support and an SLC cache make this DRAM-less SSD a capable SSD for gaming, or any desktop or laptop usage.