Transcend announces new M.2 SSDs with 2,500 MB/s read speeds

If you’re window shopping for a new solid state drive then be sure to keep Transcend in mind. The memory specialists recently introduced the MTE850 PCIe NVMe M.2 2280 SSD – which boasts read and write speeds of 2,500 MB/s and 1,100 MB/s respectively – joining Samsung and Corsair in offering consumers “blazing fast” flash storage.

While Transcend already has a few M.2 SSDs to their name, the MTE850 represents their first foray into the PCI Express Gen 3 x4 interface and the NVMe 1.2 protocol, all of which is to say that this thing is fast. It directly competes with the likes of the Samsung 950 Pro, and is thus designed for anyone who chews through data like a Singaporean at a buffet spread. They know who they are: the audio-video professionals and the enthusiastic data hoarders. You could slap one of these MTE850s in a high-end gaming rig too, although not many titles take advantage of that speed boost yet.

All that power would be moot if the drive isn’t healthy, of course. Transcend has a free SSD Scope application you may download from their website, packed with all necessary drive management tools one needs. These include viewing S.M.A.R.T. status and running diagnostic scans to updating firmware, enabling TRIM, and erasing or cloning contents.

Transcend’s MTE850 comes in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB capacities, all of which are covered by a three-year limited warranty. Here’s the official product page if you’d like to find out more.