Introduction

Today, we are reviewing the ADATA Gaming S10 SSD in its 512 GB variant. ADATA was one of the first players to join the SSD market and has an even longer history in DRAM and general flash memory, like USB storage.

Their Gammix S10 SSD is built on the SX7000 and is positioned as an entry-level NVMe M.2 SSD that uses 3D TLC flash with a PCI-Express x4 Gen 3.0 interface. Unlike the SX8000 we reviewed not too long ago, the S10 uses TLC flash, which enables a lower price point. As the controller, ADATA has chosen a Silicon Motion SM2260 with eight flash channels. In addition to a DRAM buffer, the drive also features pSLC (pseudo-SLC), which runs a portion of the MLC flash in SLC mode for increased write performance.

The Gammix S10 SSD is available in capacities of 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB (this review), and 1 TB. Warranty is set to five years for all these models.

Packaging and Contents

Inside the package, you will find just the SSD; no other accessories or documentation is included.

The Drive

The drive uses the M.2 2280 form factor, which means it is 22 mm wide and 80 mm long. On top of the SSD, you will find a metal heatspreader.


Like most M.2 NVMe SSDs, the Gammix S10 uses a PCIe x4 3.0 interface.


I ripped off the heatspreader, which is a fairly simple piece of metal with two strips of thermal pad running along the sides. The heatspreader is attached to the drive using a thin double-sided sticky tape. I'm slightly surprised the thermal pads don't cover the full width of the drive, which is probably due to the geometry of the heatsink.


You will find the SSD controller and three flash chips on the PCB. Two DRAM chips are also present to provide the SSD controller with RAM and soak up write bursts.


The Silicon Motion SMI 2260 controller is a fairly recent model that adds TLC support.


The three TLC flash chips are rebranded to show ADATA markings only. My best guess is that these are Micron 3D TLC.

Test Setup