Despite the allure of impressive specifications, many users are questioning the value of PCIe Gen 5 NVMe SSDs. With advertised sequential speeds reaching up to 15,000 MB/s, marketing efforts have intensified over the past two years to promote these drives as essential upgrades. However, for casual users, the advantages may not justify the high prices associated with them.
In early 2026, users with lighter workloads, such as web browsing and office applications, may find that their existing Gen 4 drives perform adequately, handling tasks with minimal latency. The difference in performance is often only a few milliseconds, which is not significant for everyday use. Additionally, the transition to Gen 5 technology is hindered by the slow adoption of DirectStorage, meaning that the benefits may not be fully realized until more software is optimized for this advancement.
Economically, opting for a higher capacity Gen 4 drive can provide better value. Users can expand storage for AAA game installations without the clutter of SATA SSDs, all while maintaining competitive performance. Given the current landscape, it appears that for many, sticking with Gen 4 offers more practical benefits than investing in Gen 5.