Lexar Play NVMe 4TB 2280 SSD Review

It is no secret that most PC hardware can be used in devices that aren’t traditional PCs.  For instance, the very first Xbox was largely made from PC parts from the Pentium 3 processor to DVD drive and the USB interface for the controller.  Granted the Xbox didn’t look like a PC but under the covers there was virtually no difference.

In this review we will be looking at the new Lexar PLAY 2280 M.2 SSD.  This drive is designed to be high-capacity drive replacement for the popular PlayStation 5 and any PC that lacks an onboard heatsink.  Typically, a PC M.2 will be a bare drive and works well with high end motherboards with fancy integrated heatsink solutions.  However, on game consoles and low-end motherboards these heatsinks don’t exist and is where drives like the Lexar PLAY 2280 come in handy.

M.2 devices require a dedicated 4 Lane PCI Express interface which allows them direct access to the subsystem, processor and memory.  When combined with the speed benefits of PCI Express 4.0 the Lexar PLAY 2280 features read speeds up to 7400MB/s and writes up to 6500MB/s.  Drive capacities range between 2TB up to 8TB.  The 4TB drive featured in this review occupies a sweet spot between price and storage capacity. 

The integrated heatsink is one of the most striking features of the Lexar PLAY 2280, not only does it completely enclose the M.2 drive but has a decent amount of mass to ensure that the drive will remain at a predictable temperature, even under heavy loads.

• Capacity: 8TB | 4TB | 2TB
• Form Factor: M.2 2280
• Interface: PCle Gen 4x4
• Performance: Sequential read 7400MB/s, sequential write 6500MB/s¹
• Operating Temperature: 0°C ~ 70°C (32°F to 158°F)
• Storage Temperature: -40°C ~ 85°C (-40°F to 185°F)
• Shock: 1500 G, duration 0.5ms, Half Sine Wave
• Weight: 0.13lbs
• Vibration: 10-2000Hz, 1.5mm, 20G, 1 Oct/min, 30min/axis(X, Y, Z)
• Dimension (L x W x H): 80 x 24 x 10mm
• TBW: 4TB: 3200TBW
• MTBF: 1,500,000 Hours
• Warranty: Five-year limited warranty

Be sure to consult the product page on the Lexar website for more info