ADATA Premier Pro SP900 M.2 SATA (256GB) Preview

The 256GB ADATA Premier Pro SP900 M.2 SATA ($115.99) is a compact solid-state drive (SSD) built into the M.2 SATA form factor. It uses the same circuitry as a 2.5-inch SSD version of the Premier Pro SP900; the main difference is that the newer drive is more compact, and made for upgrades on desktop or laptop systems that have the M.2 SATA interface on their motherboards.

The M.2 SATA interface lets PC manufacturers shrink laptop chasses, by using a 22mm-/0.86-inch wide SSD stick instead of the 2.5-inch wide enclosure common to traditional hard drives. The Premier Pro SP 90 M.2 SATA ( at Amazon) is notable because it is available in lengths of 80mm/3.15 inches and 42mm/1.65 inches. This gives you extra flexibility when upgrading a laptop or desktop that may not have the space for the longer drive.

The Premier Pro SP900 has a traditional SATA interface, and the same LSI SandForce SF-2281 controller chip as older SSDs. While this helps compatibility and keeps costs down, it also means that newer SSDs are faster. The drive is limited to the slower 6Gbps SATA interface, rather than the 8-16Gbps throughput potential of the PCIe interface. When our colleagues at Computer Shopper tested it, the drive was at or near the bottom of the comparison charts on most performance metrics. That said, the SSD is still likely to be faster than most spinning hard drives by virtue of its technology. For more details, check out the ADATA Premier Pro SP900 M.2 SATA (256GB) review on our sister site, Computer Shopper.

ADATA Premier Pro SP900 M.2 SATA (256GB)

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at Amazon

MSRP $115.99

Pros

• Affordable.
• Speedy SSD for everyday tasks.
• Two stick lengths available.

Cons

• Aging core technology.
• Lagging throughput benchmarks when compared with rivals.

The Bottom Line

The affordable, compact, and versatile ADATA Premiere Pro SP900 M.2 SATA solid-state drive (SSD) is built around aging technology, but it's still faster than a spinning hard drive.