CONCLUSION

   DRAM-less M.2 NVMe SSDs may not offer the same performance levels under heavy workloads as models with DRAM on them but since they were developed to be more affordable, they never really had to. As a matter of fact, lately we’ve seen some DRAM-less models that perform extremely well in many scenarios ranging from regular daily use to gaming. MaXio (or Maxiotek) may not be the among the popular NAND controller manufacturer out there but still I have no complaints from them and their solutions, at least so far. Yes, they are not targeting the high-end segment of the market but they do extremely well in the mid-tier (their MAP1602 controller is also one of a very few that actually support the latest NVMe v2.0 specification) both in terms of performance and durability/endurance (also good in the case of the GM7, always compared to other DRAM-less models). Also, worth pointing out is that according to some early CES rumours the Predator GM7 was believed to have the latest 232-layer 3D TLC NAND flash by YMTC which is not the case, at least not according to BIWIN (using 232-layer 3D TLC would obviously boost popularity and sales so I have no reason to doubt them).

   At the time of my review the Predator GM7 line of PCIe 4.0 Gen4 M.2 NVMe SSDs by Acer is still not widely available to comment on price. Still the MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price) for the 1TB model is set at USD89.99/89.99Euros so really no complaints here either (as long as this price makes it to stores). At the end of the day, I really have nothing bad to say about the Predator GM7. Yes, it can’t compete with most of its DRAM equipped PCIe 4.0 Gen4 brothers when it comes to heavy workloads and sometimes even durability/endurance but for everyday use it actually delivers everywhere it counts and for that it gets the Golden Award.

PROS

- Very Good Overall Performance (For a DRAMless Model)
- Up To 4TB Capacity
- Cloning Software Included
- 600TBW Endurance (DRAMless Model)
- 5 Year Limited Warranty
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Thermal Throttling (During SNIA Tests)
- Current Availability