Sabrent has announced their new Rocket 2230 SSD. This will contend for his list of best SSDs. The Sabrent Rocket 2230, as its name suggests, is compliant with the M.2 2230 form factor and is compatible with compact devices such as Steam Deck, Microsoft Surface, Ultrabooks and Intel NUC.
Due to Steam Deck’s design, portable game consoles only accept M.2 2230 SSDs, and there aren’t many options on the market. One of her Steam Deck specific owners discovered a mod that inserts a longer SSD into the device, such as the M.2 2242. However, Steam Deck designers warned against such hacks, as they can cause Steam Deck overheating issues and significantly reduce the lifespan of the console. Sabrent’s latest Rocket 2230 SSD makes upgrading his SSD in your Steam deck easier and safer.
The Rocket 2230 features a single-sided design that allows you to squeeze into tight spaces without any problems. Sabrent’s recipe for the Rocket 2230 includes Phison’s new E21T SSD controller and Micron’s 176-layer TLC NAND. Combined with the PCIe 4.0 interface, the Rocket 2230 can achieve incredible speeds of up to 5 GBps. However, the performance varies depending on the capacity. Speaking of capacity, Sabrent sells the Rocket 2230 in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB flavors, so there’s plenty of space for storing data and games in the case of Steam Decks.
Sabrent Rocket 2230 Specifications
| model # | SB-2130-256 | SB-2130-512 | SB-2130-1TB |
|---|---|---|---|
| capacity | 256GB | 512GB | 1TB |
| NAND | B47 | B47 | B47 |
| controller | E21 | E21 | E21 |
| interface | PCle Gen4 × 4 | PCIe Gen4 4 | PCle Gen4 × 4 |
| Certification | CE, FCCVCCI, BSMI, RoHS, UKCA | CE, FCCVCCI, BSMI, RoHS, UKCA | CE, FCCVCCI, BSMI, RoHS, UKCA |
| Maximum sequential read | 4,650 (MB/s) | 5,000 (MB/s) | 4,750 (MB/s) |
| Maximum sequential write | 1,900 (MB/s) | 3,700 (MB/s) | 4,300 (MB/s) |
| Random 4K QD32 (IOPS) reads | 220K | 440K | 450K |
| Random 4K QD32 (IOPS) writes | 470K | 920K | 545K |
| Power consumption R/W | R3550 / W2800 (mW) | R4000 / W4000 (mW) | R4150 / W4300 (mW) |
| power supply | 3.3V | 3.3V | 3.3V |
| form factor | M.2 2230 | M.2 2230 | M.2 2230 |
| height | 2.15mm | 2.15mm | 2.15mm |
| width | 22mm | 22mm | 22mm |
| length | 30mm | 30mm | 30mm |
| operating temperature | 0~70℃ | 0~70℃ | 0~70℃ |
| Storage temperature | -40~85℃ | -40~85℃ | -40~85℃ |
| MTBF | 1.5 million hours | 1.5 million hours | 1.5 million hours |
| impact resistance | 1,500G | 1,500G | 1,500G |
| data correction | LDPCs | LDPCs | LDPCs |
| guarantee | 5 years after registration | 5 years after registration | 5 years after registration |
| TBW | 200 | 300 | 600 |
The 256GB model has sequential read and write speeds up to 4,650 MBps and 1,900 MBps respectively. The 512GB model is capable of 5,000 MBps sequential read and 3,700 MBps sequential write. The 1TB version is the highest performing variant with sequential read and write speeds reaching 4,750 MBps and 4,300 MBps respectively.
In terms of random performance, the 256GB SSD features 220,000 IOPS read and 470,000 IOPS write, while the 512GB SSD boasts 440,000 IOPS read and 920,000 IOPS write. As for the 1TB version, it offers random read and write performance of up to 450,000 IOPS and 545,000 IOPS respectively.
Sabrent compared the branded Rocket 2230 1TB SSD to the Kingston OM3PDP3512B-A01. Kingston OM3PDP3512B-A01 was included in his one on Steam Deck using KDiskMark, an alternative to CrystalDiskMark. The Kingston drive’s sequential read and write speeds were 2,427.26 MBps and 1,077.39 MBps, respectively. The Sabrent SSD, on the other hand, delivered 3,530.6 MBps sequential read and 2,713.23 MBps sequential write. So the Rocket 2230 provided 45% higher sequential reads and 152% higher sequential writes.
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The Rocket 2230’s durability isn’t spectacular, but it’s good enough for everyday use. Sabrent rates the 256GB and 512GB models for endurance at 200 TBW and 300 TBW respectively. A 1 TB unit is rated at 600 TBW.
Sabrent supports the Rocket 2230 with a 5-year limited warranty, but consumers must register the drive. The company also includes a free copy of Acronis True Image software so users can clone their old drive to his new SSD.
Unfortunately, Sabrent didn’t reveal the Rocket 2230’s price. However, Sabrent said he said the SSD will be arriving in the company’s warehouse soon, so it shouldn’t be long before the drive shows up on Amazon.
