When you're building a gaming PC, it might feel logical to buy "gaming" components. However, just like there's no such thing as a "gaming" motherboard or "gaming" RAM, you don't need to fall into the trap of "gaming" SSDs. What determines the suitability of a PC component for gaming workloads is the underlying specs, not what the manufacturer decides to call it. So, just like a CPU or GPU can be used in both gaming and non-gaming PCs, regular SSDs lacking any "gaming" branding work just like any other drive in a gaming PC. You don't even need the fastest SSDs with fancy features; you just need to get the basics right.

The "gaming" branding is just that

Manufacturers will always oversell products

You really can't blame manufacturers for coming up with creative ways to sell you hardware that seems better than it is. It's how marketing works, and customers are expected to be aware of what's really going on. However, some unsuspecting consumers new to PC building can succumb to the hype, and overspend on SSDs that advertise impressive-sounding features. The "gaming" SSD you're eyeing might boast things like "Intelligent Turbowrite" or "Predictive loading." However, the former is simply another word for HMB (Host Memory Buffer), a common workaround used by DRAM-less SSDs. The latter claims to preload game textures to reduce the loading time, but that's highly game-dependent, and the SSD is rarely the bottleneck during gaming.

SSDs with "gaming" branding are simply regular SSDs dressed up to convince you to pay more. They're not worse than alternatives, but they're not magically better either. If a manufacturer claims their drive is incredibly faster than the competition, they're probably comparing a Gen5 drive with a Gen3 drive. In that case, they're not technically wrong, but the claim doesn't hold water in the real world either, something I'll expand on in the next section.

Blazing-fast sequential speeds do almost nothing for gaming

Not all speeds are made equal

Marketing read/write speed is one of the simplest and most eye-catching ways to generate hype about a new SSD. It's a simple number that everyone can grasp, but what most people fail to understand is that these record-breaking sequential speeds don't matter when it comes to gaming. Sure, a Gen5 SSD with nearly 15,000MB/s read/write speeds will transfer tons of files in a few seconds, but gaming depends on random, and not sequential read/write speeds. The massive difference between a cutting-edge Gen5 and a Gen3 NVMe SSD means nothing for your PC's gaming performance, except in a handful of titles with procedural generation and base building. Even DirectStorage, which was supposed to utilize faster SSD speeds to boost gaming performance, hasn't picked up in years.

Often, manufacturers will falsely claim that a blazing-fast Gen5 SSD is somehow "optimized" for gaming, since it boasts the maximum read/write speeds on the market. This is where they blur the line between marketing and false advertising. An average consumer will believe the "high speeds equal more performance" claim since it sounds logical on the surface. Many gamers might buy expensive Gen5 drives, and go on believing their PC's storage is somehow performing better than cheaper Gen4 or Gen3 options. The ones who know better buy the latter, end up enjoying the same experience, and save money at the same time.

Extras like overkill coolers or "Game modes" rarely help

Cooling and SSD power states are not the bottlenecks

Insane read/write speeds aren't the only thing that could sway unsuspecting consumers into overspending on SSDs. Since Gen5 SSDs tend to run hotter than previous-gen drives, many of them require coolers of their own, sometimes comically large ones. These coolers are critical for preventing thermal throttling on these drives, even during idle workloads. Some gamers might see these beefy coolers and conclude that a drive requiring such overkill cooling might be harnessing the "Speed Force" itself. They shell out the big bucks for the privilege of owning one of these high-end drives, never considering that the SSD temperature isn't really the bottleneck during gaming. Gen4 and Gen3 drives deliver virtually the same gaming performance without reaching such high temps as Gen5 SSDs, or requiring massive coolers.

The other feature that SSD manufacturers try to sell to consumers is "Game Mode." It might be known by different names on different SSDs, but essentially, it claims to unlock a faster mode for the drive that improves gaming performance. Most manufacturers say their game mode doesn't allow the drive to drop to a low-power state, which is supposed to reduce latency in gaming. Testing done with the "Game Mode" on and off on WD Black SSDs hasn't revealed any conclusive evidence for the claim. Hence, it simply comes down to this: as long as you have a decent Gen4 or Gen3 drive, ideally one with DRAM, you'll not lose out on any gaming performance.

Gaming doesn't need gaming SSDs

Every SSD is a gaming SSD, as long as it's relatively modern. If you're building a new PC and looking for a decent SSD, a Gen4 NVMe SSD is typically the best option. Even if it doesn't have a DRAM cache, it can utilize HMB to access system memory and provide consistent performance in games. You don't need to waste money on Gen5 drives or those that advertise "Game modes" or other extras. Even gamers with older PCs having Gen3 drives don't need to upgrade yet.