Patriot Viper VP4300 M.2 NVMe SSD Review: Killer Looks, Fast Performance

Patriot’s Viper VP4300 is a premium PCIe 4.0 SSD powered by InnoGrit’s new controller

Patriot Viper VP4300
(Image: © Tom's Hardware)

Tom's Hardware Verdict

Patriot’s Viper VP4300 is a high-end PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD with all the features and performance you could want from an enthusiast-grade SSD, but you'll pay a premium for the privilege.

Pros

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    + Included heatsink and graphene label

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    + Appealing aesthetics

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    + AES 256-bit hardware encryption

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    + Large hybrid SLC cache

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    + High endurance

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    + 5-year warranty

Cons

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    Pricing

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    Lacks software package

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    High idle power consumption

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Patriot’s Viper VP4300 pumps out fast sequential speeds of up to 7.4 / 6.8 GBps read/write and features wicked good looks, making it a top contender for our best SSDs list. Whether you're loading up the latest Call of Duty update or scrubbing 4K or 8K content, Patriot’s Viper VP4300 delivers responsive performance. And with two optional cooling solutions included, it will keep cool and look cool during the most strenuous tasks you can throw its way. 

When PCIe 4.0 SSDs first hit the market, they all had one formula in common — they came powered by a Phison E16 SSD controller that was merely a repurposed PCIe 3.0 design modified to work with the PCIe 4.0 interface, and then paired with BiCS4 flash. This pairing improved the end-user experience, but it lacked the oomph we now see from new clean-sheet controller designs that leverage the speedy PCIe 4.0 interface, like the Phison E18 and the controllers with the latest Samsung and WD SSDs.

Patriot’s Viper VP4300 now joins the list of new drives with completely new controllers. This SSD slithers its way onto our test bench with a new Rainer controller designed by InnoGrit. This new PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD controller comes paired with a healthy helping of Micron’s 96-Layer TLC flash to serve up fast performance.

The Viper VP4300 also comes with many of the features we expect from a high-end NVMe SSD, and even some we don't. Patriot even throws in two cooling solutions - a sleek-looking 4mm thick aluminum heatsink and an ultra-thin graphene label for tighter-tolerance installations, like in notebooks. Add in the VP4300's high endurance ratings, which even outstrip the Samsung 980 Pro and WD Black SN850, and it appears to be a very competitive drive. Let's put it to the test. 

Specifications 

Swipe to scroll horizontally
ProductViper VP4300 1TBViper VP4300 2TB
Pricing$                           254.99$                           499.99
Capacity (User / Raw)1024GB / 1024GB2048GB / 2048GB
Form FactorM.2 2280M.2 2280
Interface / ProtocolPCIe 4.0 x4 / NVMe 1.4PCIe 4.0 x4 / NVMe 1.4
ControllerInnoGrit IG5236InnoGrit IG5236
DRAMDDR4DDR4
MemoryMicron 96L TLCMicron 96L TLC
Sequential Read7,400 MBps7,400 MBps
Sequential Write6,800 MBps6,800 MBps
Random Read800,000 IOPS800,000 IOPS
Random Write800,000 IOPS800,000 IOPS
SecurityAES 256-bit encryptionAES 256-bit encryption
Endurance (TBW)1,000 TB2,000 TB
Part NumberVP4300-1TBM28HVP4300-2TBM28H
Warranty5-Years5-Years

Patriot’s Viper VP4300 comes in just two capacities of 1TB and 2TB. Each is rated to deliver speeds of up to 7.4 / 6.8 GBps of sequential read/write throughput and sustain up to 800,000 random read/write IOPS. Priced at $255 for the 1TB model and $500 for the 2TB, the Viper VP4300 launches with high pricing that exceeds both the WD Black SN850 and Samsung 980 Pro. 

The Viper VP4300 carries very robust endurance ratings, though. The 1TB model is rated to endure up to 1,000 TB of writes within its five-year warranty period, while the 2TB is rated for up to 2,000 TB. The VP4300 has very little factory overprovisioning, roughly 7% of the SSD's capacity is dedicated to the task, and it uses InnoGrit’s Proprietary 4K LDPC ECC along with end-to-end data path protection to ensure reliable performance within the lifespan of the product. 

A Closer Look 

Patriot’s Viper VP4300 comes in an M.2 2280 double-sided form factor and includes two optional thermal solutions (“heatshield options,” as they refer to them) to choose from. You can either install the slim yet aggressive-looking aluminum heatsink that measures roughly 72 x 22 x 4 mm, or you can use the very thin graphene sticker for installation into tighter spaces, like notebooks.

Like the Samsung 980 Pro and WD Black SN850, the Viper VP4300 leverages a high-end PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD controller and NAND flash to match. Codenamed Rainer, InnoGrit’s IG5236 is a multi-core NVMe 1.4-compliant SSD controller with a DRAM-based architecture. 

Two 8Gb SK hynix DDR4 DRAM chips are present on the PCB, one on each side, that accelerate FTL accesses to ensure responsive performance. The controller is fabbed on TSMC's 12nm FinFET process and uses multiple consumer-oriented power management techniques to maintain its cool and perform efficiently, too.

Patriot paired the controller with Crucial’s fast 512Gb 96-Layer TLC flash. The controller interfaces with this flash over eight NAND channels at speeds of up to 1,200 MTps, and there are 32 NAND dies spread among the four NAND packages. The flash has a quad-plane architecture for a high level of parallelism per die, and it's also quite robust and efficient thanks to the unique application of CuA (circuitry under array) design and tile groups.

Sean Webster
Storage Reviewer

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

  • escksu
    My complain is the killer price......500 for 2TB version is way too expensive. Thats 100 more expensive than brands like Sabrent and Adata and 50 more than WesternDigital black.
    Reply
  • Drazen
    In all tests, eg Samsung 980 Pro is faster and cca 50 Eur cheaper. Similar for WD SN850.
    Why should I buy Viper?
    Yeah, it has bigger SLC cache but final result is nothing special but too expensive.
    Reply
  • escksu
    Drazen said:
    In all tests, eg Samsung 980 Pro is faster and cca 50 Eur cheaper. Similar for WD SN850.
    Why should I buy Viper?
    Yeah, it has bigger SLC cache but final result is nothing special but too expensive.

    The speed is only visible in sequential read/write benchmarks. You wont find your games/apps load any faster.
    Reply
  • ceomrman2
    I agree with the reviewer and with other posters that it's launch price is oddly optimistic. Surely they looked at the price of their better-known competitors? The extra cost sinks this option for buyers looking to get an SSD this week. Nonetheless, prices change with the wind. If Patriot gets the message and hands out $100 coupons next month, voila, they've got a winner. I will say Tom's is pretty good about staying on top of those changes in their currently recommended lists, but anyone searching later when the review is a little older will probably only see the original conclusions.
    Reply
  • macgeek
    Going by Western Digital's pricing, I'd say at least $50 of Patriot's price is from the heatsink. At least Western Digital lets you save $50 by going without the heatsink, which makes sense if you have a motherboard that comes with its own SSD heatsink setup, like the relatively inexpensive ($150) MSI B550 Gaming Plus.
    Reply