INTRODUCTION

    Solid State Drives, or SSDs, have become the backbone of modern computing. Unlike traditional hard drives, they rely on flash memory rather than spinning platters, delivering faster boot times, quicker file transfers, and a more responsive overall system. For enthusiasts and everyday users alike, SSDs are no longer a luxury, they’re a necessity. Earlier this year BIWIN introduced their latest Gen4 M.2 NVMe SSD, the Black Opal NV7400 and today with me I have the 2TB variant.

    For decades, BIWIN Storage Technology has made the critical storage and memory in many of the leading digital devices that have defined our digital world. The Biwin consumer brand offers the best of BIWIN’s experience, a range of SSDs, DRAM, memory cards and related accessories that will help you get the most out of your devices. Biwin, Built to Win. For more about Biwin, please visit www.biwintech.com

    The Black Opal NV7400 Gen4 M.2 NVMe SSD line is currently available in 512GB/1TB/2TB/4TB capacities and is based on the DRAM-less MAP1602A 12nm quad-channel (R5) NVMe 2.0 NAND flash controller by MaXio which this time over is paired with 232-Layer 3D TLC NAND flash by Micron (B58R). The MAP1602 12nm quad-channel NAND controller by MaXio also packs quite a few features including advanced wear leveling algorithms, Host Memory Buffer (HMB) architecture (uses a fraction of your PC's system memory to cache mapping tables), pseudo SLC cache, bad block management strategy, hardware error-correction, L1.2 ultra-low power state and sudden power-loss protection, TRIM, NCQ, hardware support for AES256/SM4 encryption (this feature however is not always enabled) and support for TCG OPAL2.0. As for warranty BIWIN covers the entire Black Opal NV7400 Gen4 M.2 NVMe SSD line with a 5-year limited one and regarding durability they report an MTBF (mean time between failures) of 1.5 million hours and TBW (terra bytes written) of 500/1000/2000/4000 for the 512GB/1TB/2TB/4TB models respectively.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

As usual at the front of the box we find the manufacturer logo, product picture, capacity and model name.

At the rear we find a cutout from where you can take a look at the sticker located at the rear of the drive and of course company information and the serial number and barcode of the product.

Inside the box you'll find the Black Opal NV7400 SSD, secure tool, screw and the quick start guide.

THE BLACK OPAL NV7400 2TB

The Black Opal NV7400 follows the typical 2280 form factor and has a graphene sticker on top with the company and product names.

Under the sticker are the MaXio MAP1602A 12nm quad-channel (R5) NVMe 2.0 NAND flash controller and four 232-Layer 3D TLC NAND flash modules by Micron.

On the other side we find a sticker on which BIWIN has printed the model name, capacity, serial number and barcode and several certifications.

BIWIN INTELLIGENCE

We’ve seen the Intelligence software by BIWIN in the past and is among the most complete ones available around.

Drive health, temperature, information and history are the things displayed on the main tab.

You can also access smart information from the main tab.

From the other tabs you can perform an error scan, run a performance test,  enable/disable several features, erase the drive, migrate data, clone the drive, and perform a firmware update.

TEST BED

TESTING METHODOLOGY

   Not long after I first started testing SSDs back in 2008, I concluded that it's almost impossible for any single benchmark suite to accurately measure their performance and that's why in certain benchmark suites we see amazing read/write performance numbers with some drives while in other things are quite different. The reason behind this is that some benchmarking suites are configured to read and write random chunks of data while others read and write constant (sequential) ones. So that's why i always use a very wide selection of benchmarking suites including AIDA64, HD Tach RW, HD Tune Pro, Crystal Disk Mark, Sisoftware Sandra Pro, AS SSD, IOmeter and ATTO. To get the most accurate results each test gets repeated a total of 6 times with the average performance numbers recorded into the charts. Also, as of February 25^th, 2015, our results will also include the Storage Networking Industry Association’s (SNIA) IOMeter tests. These tests include a 12 Hour write test used to “simulate” performance degradation over time and a mixed workload test which basically shows what you can expect when using an SSD continuously for roughly two hours. Unfortunately, due to the time required for these tests they get repeated a total of 3 times and not 6 as the above.

   Many people have made inquiries about our charts in the past so once again please do keep in mind that the Charts have the average performance numbers of each drive recorded and not the peak (highest) ones. Also, although every single one of these programs can help potential buyers choose the right drive for their needs you should also remember that from any kind of benchmark up to real world usage the gap is not small (and usually most differences will go unnoticed by most people). All tests were performed in a fresh Windows 10 Pro x64 installation complete with every update up to the date of this review.

* As of January 2025, Gen4 SSDs will be tested on the 13900K/Z790 system while Gen5 SSDs will be tested on the 285K/Z890 system.

TEST RESULTS - AIDA64 / ATTO

TEST RESULTS - HD TACH RW / HD TUNE PRO

TEST RESULTS - SISOFTWARE SANDRA PRO / CRYSTAL DISK MARK

TEST RESULTS - AS SSD / IOMETER

TEST RESULTS - IOMETER SNIA

CONCLUSION

    When released the Black Opal NV7400 line of Gen4 M.2 NVMe SSDs was one of many aiming to win over casual users and gamers with its performance, endurance and cost. Almost a year later the NV7400 is still a valid choice, it performs very well, and endurance levels are set high so it should cover the needs of most people looking for a Gen4 SSD. There was also no throttling during my tests so that’s another positive about this drive. The same issue once again applies here and so the NV7400 isn’t currently available with a capacity of 8TB but at least unlike many others it’s available with 4TB.

    With a current price set at USD141.71 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and at 172.99Euros in the EU (Amazon.de) the Black Opal NV7400 2TB Gen4 SSD costs a tad higher than expected (with current global shortages chances are prices will climb even higher – or there will be no stock left, whichever comes first). Overall, the Black Opal NV7400 2TB Gen4 M.2 NVMe SSD by BIWIN delivers as advertised and that’s plenty for the Golden Award.

PROS

- Good Overall Performance (For a DRAM-Less Drive)
- Endurance (1.5 Million Hours MTFB / 2000TBW)
- Up To 4TB Capacity
- Intelligence Software

CONS

- Price (For Some)