Adata XPG Gammix S11 960GB NVMe SSD Review: Top Dollar Performance At Bottom Dollar Prices

By Sean Webster
published
Editor's Choice

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Conclusion

Although the 960GB XPG Gammix S11 didn't win in every test, it delivered high-end performance. The S11 even outpaced the Samsung 970 PRO and came close to matching the Intel Optane SSD 905p in some of our tests.

The XPG Gammix S11 performed admirably in our synthetic tests. But, most notably, it flaunted its superior 4K QD1 read speed, which is a key measurement that relates directly to drive agility. The S11's 66MB/s of QD1 read throughput propelled it ahead of the Samsung 970 PRO in some of our real-world software-based tests.

SYSmark’s responsiveness test is also one of the most important benchmarks in our suite because it measures snappiness in common applications. The Gammix S11 was second only to the Intel Optane SSD 905P, and the gap between the drives was slim. The Gammix S11 also outpaced the Samsung 970 EVO and PRO in our game-loading benchmark, proving it lives up to the XPG brand’s core mission. 

The Gammix S11 is average in terms of power efficiency, but it consumes very little power at idle. The S11's power efficiency is similar to SATA SSDs but slightly lower than the Samsung 970 family. The drive would be a good choice for a laptop, but the heatsink might restrict compatibility with some models. Some laptops only accept single-sided M.2 sticks or have tight clearances for double-sided drives. That means you might not be able to use the S11 with its additional heatsink.

The S11 is a perfect fit for desktop motherboards, though. Its two-toned red and black heatsink is both functional and stylish. It kept the S11’s controller temperatures within a safe operating range even when there was little to no airflow. The heatsink lowered temperatures by 9C when the SSD was under load, nearly matching Adata's claim of 10C.

Our outlook on the XPG Gammix S11 has changed. Just a few months ago you were better off purchasing a competing drive or choosing the XPG SX8200 and pocketing the difference. Prices have dropped to roughly $0.29-per-GB. That's significantly cheaper than the Samsung 970 EVO and PRO, but the XPG Gammix S11 offers similar performance. The readjusted pricing makes the XPG Gammix S11 one of the best bang-for-your-buck SSDs on the market.

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Sean Webster
Sean Webster
Storage Reviewer

Sean is a Contributing Editor at Tom’s Hardware US, covering storage hardware.

10 Comments Comment from the forums
  • lorfa
    Nice!
    Reply
  • Erik_37
    What you mean by not fully supporting ssd toolbox?
    Reply
  • USAFRet
    21263515 said:
    What you mean by not fully supporting ssd toolbox?

    It just means that the ADATA management tool (SSD Toolbox) does not yet recognize this drive.
    Reply
  • mamasan2000
    There are free options to migrate your OS etc.
    I used this: https://www.aomeitech.com/aomei-partition-assistant.html
    Works like a charm
    Reply
  • USAFRet
    21263983 said:
    There are free options to migrate your OS etc.
    I used this: https://www.aomeitech.com/aomei-partition-assistant.html
    Works like a charm

    There are multiple tools that can do that. I prefer Macrium Reflect.

    But this has nothing to do with this review.
    Reply
  • bburko01
    I was just thinking of upgrading to a M.2 with the 1 TB Sasmsung 970 Pro. I do a fair amount of hobby stuff with the Adobe suite (photoshop, after effects and premier pro). The only game I really play is World of Warships. I'll have to compare specs but the XPG has the same amount of space pretty much. Do you guys think I would do just as well and saving some cash by getting the XPG? Only difference I see here is the TBW. Not sure if I need to be seriously concerned with that. Thanks for your thoughts,
    Reply
  • USAFRet
    21266739 said:
    I was just thinking of upgrading to a M.2 with the 1 TB Sasmsung 970 Pro. I do a fair amount of hobby stuff with the Adobe suite (photoshop, after effects and premier pro). The only game I really play is World of Warships. I'll have to compare specs but the XPG has the same amount of space pretty much. Do you guys think I would do just as well and saving some cash by getting the XPG? Only difference I see here is the TBW. Not sure if I need to be seriously concerned with that. Thanks for your thoughts,

    For your use, the 970 EVO is zero performance difference from the 970 Pro.

    But that ADATA would probably serve just as well.
    Reply
  • AgentLozen
    I appreciate that you included a mechanical hard drive in some of these benchmarks. It helps put SSD performance in perspective when you see that mechanical drive lagging behind with 1/10 of the performance.
    Reply
  • Erik_37
    21263549 said:
    21263515 said:
    What you mean by not fully supporting ssd toolbox?

    It just means that the ADATA management tool (SSD Toolbox) does not yet recognize this drive.

    Will it be supported eventually and is good enough to use without the ssd toolbox?
    Reply
  • USAFRet
    21273788 said:
    21263549 said:
    21263515 said:
    What you mean by not fully supporting ssd toolbox?

    It just means that the ADATA management tool (SSD Toolbox) does not yet recognize this drive.

    Will it be supported eventually and is good enough to use without the ssd toolbox?

    "eventually"...only ADATA knows.

    Good enough? Maybe. I wouldn't discount that drive simply because that toolkit doesn't know about it.
    For similar performance to a 970 Pro, and significant price reduction....I might go for it if I was in the market for a M.2 NVMe.
    Reply