If you call the ORICO IG740-PRO “just another” PCIe Gen 4×4 NVMe SSD, you wouldn’t be wrong. It’s indeed one of many you can find on the market.
However, considering that PCIe 4 is the sweet spot for NVMe SSDs, this is an internal drive more than worth considering. It’s an excellent alternative to the more expensive Crucial P310.
Here’s the bottom line: If you’re looking for a well-performing NVMe SSD that won’t break your bank, the ORICO IG740-PRO will make a good buy. The drive is competitively affordable, fast, and comes with few extras that will make getting it up and running a breeze in any situation where a standard M.2 2280 NVMe SSD fits.
ORICO IG740-PRO: An affordable MVNe SSD with some bells and whistles
While priced lower than the Crucial P310 mainstream drive, the ORICO IG740-PRO actually has some extras.
First, you’ll note that it comes with a thin heatsink and thermal paste that you can quickly attach to the SSD itself. There’s so a little screw wich can come in handy in case the one included with the motherboard has gone missing.
The table below shows the hardware specs of the two SSDs.
ORICO IG740-PRO vs. Crucial P310: Hardware specifications
 |
 |
|
|---|---|---|
| ORICO IG740-PRO | Micron Crucial P310 | |
| Capacities | 1TB, 2TB | 2230: 1TB, 2TB 2280: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB |
| Interface | PCIe Gen 4×4 | |
| Design (availability) |
M.2 2280 (November, 2024) |
M.2 2230 (07/17/2024) M.2 2280 (9/17/2024) |
| Controller | Undisclosed | Phison E27T 4-channel DRAM-less controller |
| NAND Flash Memory | TLC 232 Layers | Micron Advanced 3D NAND |
| Security | AES 256-bit Encryption | None |
| Sequential Read (estimate) |
1TB: 7100MB/s 2TB: 7400MB/s | 1TB, 2TB: 7100 MB/s 500GB: 6600 MB/s |
| Sequential Write | 6500MB/s | 1TB, 2TB: 6000 MB/s 500GB: 3500 MB/s |
| Endurance | .6 DWPD or 1TB: 600TBW 2TB: 1200TBW |
.22 DWPD or 500GB: 110TBW 1TB: 220 TBW 2TB: 440TBW |
| Software | None | Crucial Storage Executive |
| Heatsink | Included as accessories | Yes (2280 version only) |
| Warranty | 5 years | |
| US Price (Check street price!) |
$66.49 (1TB) $139.99 (2TB) |
$50 (500GB) $115 (1TB) $215 (2TB) |
Good endurance, no user-accessible features
As shown on the table above, on the inside, the ORICO IG740-PRO also has more than its Crucial counterpart.
It has built-in hardware encryption and a significantly higher endurance rating of 0.6 DWPD, compared to the 0.22 DWPD of the Crucial P310. Higher endurance generally translates into better longevity, which is essential for those who write a lot to their internal storage.
In return, the ORICO drive has no dashboard software and therefore no user-accessible features, such as firmware updates or overprovisioning. In most cases, though, you can use most SSDs as is with their default settings.
ORICO IG740-PRO: Typical PCIe Gen 4×4 performance, runs cool
I tested and used the ORICO IG740-PRO for a couple of days before publishing this review, and it proved to be a typical PCIe Gen 4×4 SSD. The drive delivers the speedy data rates in copy performance, similar to that of an average NVMe SSD. It wasn’t the fastest, nor wasn’t close to the slowest.
The drive performed similarly in random access tests, with its read performance ending right in the middle of the pack. However, its write performance was clearly behind the Crucial P310.
Still, in real-world usage, the ORICO IG740-PRO proved to be as fast as any NVMe SSD of the same PCIe standard. The host computer booted fast and launched most applications almost instantly.
What was likely more significant was that the drive ran cool, even without the included heat-dissipating accessories. I used it as is (naked) for days on end without any issue, and the drive remained relatively cool to the touch on my open testbed.
Pros
Excellent PCIe Gen 4×4 performance at comparatively low cost
Included accessories for thermal management and easy installation
5-year warranty; runs cool
Cons
No dashboard software or user-accessible features
Conclusion
The ORICO IG740-PRO has an excellent performance-to-cost ratio. If you’re in the market for a good PCIe Gen 4×4 NVMe SSD, consider it today. The drive is available in 1TB and 2TB capacities, with the 4TB on the way. While the ORICO brand is relatively new, and only time will tell how lasting it is, this internal drive has enough potential to deserve a chance.
