Lexar Play 2230 PCI Express NVMe 1TB SSD

We all love our game consoles and some of the hottest devices out there are the ROG Ally from ASUS and the Steam Deck.  These are super powered handhelds that gamers can take on the go and while internet speeds are increasing the biggest concern that many gamers have is making sure their game library is available.  As we all have experienced, it takes time to download a game and make sure everything is updated.  This isn’t a problem for a home PC or living room game console however, when you are gaming on the go it is in your best interest to have everything installed well in advance.

In this article we will be looking at a very practical solution to getting the most from the ASUS ROG Ally, Steam Deck and a select few compatible laptops, a bigger SSD.

The Lexar Play M.2 NVMe SSD is not your typical 1TB SSD.  This drive is built on the M.2 2230 form factor which makes it extremely small and difficult to install on anything except supported systems.  To put this in perspective, the smallest M.2 drive supported on most motherboards is the 2242 which is 22mm wide by 42mm long.  Most M.2 NVMe SSDs that you will buy for your gaming PC will be the 2280 dimension.

Smaller drives such as the 2230 are only 30mm long making them a nice option for devices where space is at a premium.

• Capacities: 1TB
• Form Factor: M.2 2230
• Interface: PCIe Gen4x4
• Speed: 1TB—Sequential Read up to 5200MB/s, Sequential Write Speed up to 4700MB/s
• Operating Temperature: 0°C to 70°C (32°F to 158°F)
• Storage Temperature: -40°C to 85°C (-40°F to 185°F)
• Dimensions (L x W x H): 30 x 22 x 2.45 mm / 1.18" x 0.87" x 0.10"
• Weight: 3.21g
• Warranty: Five-year limited warranty
• Shock-resistant: 1500G, duration 0.5ms, Half Sine Wave
• Vibration-resistant: 10~2000Hz, 1.5mm, 20G, 1 Oct/min, 30min/axis (X,Y,Z)
• TBW: 600TB
• MTBF: 1,500,000 Hours

For more information check out the product page on the Lexar website.

In terms of specifications the Lexar PLAY 2230 SSD is rather robust offering Sequential Reads up to 5200MB/s and Sequential Writes up to 4700MB/s.  While this is not the fastest drive on the market the speeds are similar to the factory 512GB drive found in the ROG Ally allowing the Lexar PLAY to be a seamless upgrade with no impact on compatibility.

To help reduce latency and improve responsiveness the Lexar PLAY 2230 does comes with an SLC dynamic cache.  The drive will also automatically adjust power consumption based on activity and loading conditions.  These minor changes in power are designed to allow connected devices to run longer and is something mobile device makers have been focused on for many years.

While the impact is small when the device is running it has a profound impact on battery life during idle and sleep states.  Ultimately, giving you more playtime and faster response during games or when simply reading from the disk.

The Lexar PLAY 2230 PCI Express 4.0 NVMe SSD comes in capacities of 1TB and will take full advantage of PCI Express 4.0 enabled systems.  The limited 5 year warranty ensures that the SSD may very well outlive your device regardless if it is a portable gaming device or ultra-portable laptop.