Conclusion
In this review, we took a look at the ADATA LEGEND 970 2TB PCIe Gen5 M.2 NVMe SSD which offers PCIe Gen5 performance at 10,00MB/s read and write. By way of the Phison E26 controller, and 232-layer 3D NAND Flash, the ADATA LEGEND 970 2TB SSD is a monster performer. It utilizes ADATA’s patented cooling solution, which keeps the overall size profile minimal, uses active cooling, and keeps the SSD from throttling in the most intense situations. With an SLC Cache, a DRAM cache, and the latest features thanks to NVMe 2.0 the ADATA LEGEND 970 SSD packs it all in an aesthetically pleasing form factor.
PCI-Express 5.0 SSDs
The PCI-Express 5.0 interface and NVMe 2.0 protocol are the key factors in regard to SSDs of this new generation which the ADATA LEGEND 970 utilizes. Combined with a new breed of controllers, and 3D NAND Flash, it allows these SSDs to perform at higher speeds for sequential and random read/write performance.
In the previous generation (PCIe Gen4 x4) SSDs would run on the PCIe 4.0 interface with x4 lanes, which gave it an interface theoretical speed limit of 8,000MB/s. Now, due to inefficiencies of the protocol and hardware, we were never going to see 8,000MB/s Gen4 SSDs, but we did see some peak read performance that was in the mid 7,000MB/s range, and this was the maximum limit that could offer. With PCI-Express 5.0 operating with x4 lanes the theoretical maximum interface limit is now 16,000MB/s.
This opens up the door for much faster SSDs, though it will be true that we will never see the theoretical maximum, it should eventually get close over the course of time. For now, we have what happened with PCIe Gen3 and Gen4, we will get generationally slower PCIe Gen5 SSDs now until the technology and hardware can catch up to allow faster transfer speeds. Over time, controllers will improve, 3D NAND Flash will improve, and eventually we will see faster and faster Gen5 SSDs come. However, with that being the case, even the slowest Gen5 SSDs are still going to “pwn” Gen4 SSD performance, and our review bares this out.
Cooling
The ADATA LEGEND 970 2TB SSD we have reviewed today does utilize a custom heatsink and fan pre-installed. Our maximum temperatures while running a stress test for 20 minutes managed to heat up the SSD to 68c.
It is true that PCIe Gen5 SSDs run hotter, the controller is more powerful and can push higher bandwidths, and with that comes added heat. It is imperative to keep a Gen5 SSD cooled with either a robust passive heatsink or an active solution, especially the faster you go.
With the ADATA LEGEND 970 hitting 68c, it doesn’t run as hot as the ADATA LEGEND 960 or Acer Predator GM7. However, it is still on the higher end of the spectrum, but consider the performance it offers. The temperatures are well within tolerable limits for the SSD, and at these temperatures, it will not throttle.
We do have to mention the fan noise, which spins with a high-pitch whine that is noticeable. It is however necessary, as this SSD would be too hot to run passively. Alternatively, you might be able to get away with a passive solution if it were a heatsink double or triple the size, but then you are adding a lot of girth to this SSD. The benefit of ADATA’s solution is that it keeps the SSD in a thinner profile, and allows it to be more compatible with systems. The downside is that the fan noise is quite noticeable.
We would like to see some form of fan-stop, or intelligent fan control that keeps the fan at lower RPMs while the SSD is idle, and only spins up during high workloads, this would be a great addition that would solve the noise problem. The main takeaway is that the fan is always spinning at this high RPM.
ADATA SSD Toolbox
ADATA offers a robust SSD management software called ADATA SSD Toolbox, and it really does offer a lot of features to utilize your SSD to its full potential.
Starting in the main menu, you are able to view the drive health, temperature, and remaining lifespan of the ADATA LEGEND 970. These metrics are extremely important in owning an SSD, so that you may keep an eye on its lifespan and health. In addition, the temperature monitoring is a great bonus so you can easily see how hot the SSD is getting, and if it is getting to throttling temperatures. In addition, you can check S.M.A.R.T. status and drive details from this menu as well.
The ADATA SSD Toolbox offers a quick and full diagnostic scan ability that scans your drive for errors. The SSD Toolbox also allows you to check for firmware updates and update firmware if needed, something we did check before testing. This ability is very important. It also offers a Secure Erase function, to securely erase data on the SSD, another very important feature.
There is an SSD Optimization menu that allows you to enable Superfetch/Prefetch, as well as Hibernation/NTFS Memory Usage/Lare System Cache/System Files in Memory to optimize drive performance with Windows features enabled or disabled. There is also a built-in benchmark to check the SSD performance and track it over time. Lastly, the ADATA SSD Toolbox offers a CloneDrive feature allowing you to clone one SSD to another, or vice versa. This is a very handy ability, and it is built right into the SSD software, very nice.
Final Points
The ADATA LEGEND 970 2TB PCIe Gen5 M.2 NVMe SSD is a great performing SSD. There is no question that it beats the performance of even the fastest PCIe Gen4 SSDs, in every metric. It isn’t just sequential read and write or theoretical burst performance either, the ADATA LEGEND 970 SSD has much improved random read and write performance, either with long queue depths or short queue depths, as well as improved access times and fetch times thanks to a very fast DRAM cache. We also experienced very fast game load times, only 8.9 seconds average in Forspoken and it utilizes DirectStorage well, and we had just a blazing fast load time in Final Fantasy Endwalker Benchmark that we’ve never seen before. File copy performance was also strong.
The ADATA LEGEND 970 2TB PCIe Gen5 x4 NVMe SSD impressed us with fast performance in all tests. The cooling solution is eloquent, and the form factor is useable and compatible, we are impressed by the fact that it doesn’t take up much space. It keeps the SSD cool enough for everyday use, but the fan noise can be noticeable in a quiet room. The endurance is decent, but not the highest we’ve seen, Gen4 SSDs can have higher endurance. We are impressed by ADATA’s SSD Toolbox suite of software, it is very complete and includes a log of features that are useful to manage your SSD.
The ADATA LEGEND 970 2TB PCIe Gen5 M.2 NVMe SSD is not a cheap SSD, it does cost to purchase a PCIe Gen5 SSD. What you are paying for, however, is a generation of SSD that will beat a Gen4 SSD in performance in every which way, bare none, and an integrated pre-installed active slim heatsink and fan. If performance is your priority, and you need something that is compatible in small places, the ADATA LEGEND 970 is a great option for PCIe Gen5 performance and will fit into any build.