TechRadar Verdict
Though the price tag for the 2TB SKU is a bit expensive, the Patriot Viper VP4300 respectfully matches performance and versatility alongside being long-lasting. PC gamers who also own a PlayStation 5 will be happy to know that the SSD storage works with Sony’s latest gaming console.
Great writing speed
Compatible with PS5
Fantastic endurance rating
Reading speed isn’t as fast as competitors
Expensive
Why you can trust TechRadarWe spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best.Find out more about how we test.
Patriot Viper VP4300: Two-minute review
WithSony’s PlayStation 5 offering support for a handful of SSD drive types, PC and console gamers alike have more choices when it comes to expandable storage and the Patriot Viper VP4300 comes with a lot to recommend it.
The Viper VP4300 SSD utilizes PCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe technology and includes a DDR4 DRAM cache. It offers two heat shield design options: an aluminum heat shield & graphene heatshield, both available on the 1TB and 2TB variants. Patriot promises sequential read speeds up to 7,400MB/s and sequential write speeds up to 6,800MB/s, and this is born out in my testing.
The 2TB SKU we got in for review has a US MSRP of $189.99 (about £155/AU$270), which isn’t cheap, but few, if any, of thebest SSDmodels that offer this kind of performance will be any cheaper right now. The 1TB SKU comes in much cheaper at $119.99 (about £100/AU$168), so if you’re on something of a budget, you do have some options here.
Plus, there’s so much to appreciate with the Viper VP4300 SSD that it’s easily thebest M.2 SSDfor gamers who might want to use it in their PC or PS5, making it a worthwhile investment.
Whatever gaming machine you’re buying it for, it’ll work, and the graphene heatshield will help keep things cool inside your PS5 while the aluminum heatshield will do the same in your PC.
When it comes to PC Gaming, the SSD drive’s performance is respectable though there were some weak spots, like its lower PassMark Disk benchmark score. Its CrystalDiskMark 8 scores were excellent and in line with the promised speed and expectations for a drive such as this.
This means that it’s speedy when it comes to tasks like installations or copying, saving, and transferring files, and my lived experience with it indicates that some anomalous scores we got during benchmarking were indeed outliers (but not all).
However, PC gamers should know that there are definitely faster SSD choices out there, especially if you have a PCIe 5.0-capable system.
VR games, for example, are notorious for long load times on PC and so the observed lower read speed on the Viper VP4300 could impact wait times with these kinds of cases. Even playing more visually low-impactful games like SuperHot VR and Cooking Simulator VR took nearly a full minute to get from SteamVR launching to the main menu screen.
More traditional non-VR games were affected by lower reading times as well. Alan Wake 2 and Cyberpunk 2077 took a bit longer than usual to load from start up to main menu but weren’t annoyingly slow. Even the initial load from the main menu to the most recent checkpoint took a little bit more time.
On the other hand, the Viper VP4300 may be great for gamers who are also creatives since export times to the drive inAdobePremiere Pro were very zippy.
One huge positive in the Viper VP4300’s column is its 2000TBW endurance rating, in addition to its standard five-year warranty. This means that theoretically, PC gamers who blow through their 2TB SSD drive storage can get a bigger storage replacement and use the Viper VP4300 on their PS5. Adding to those longer-lasting capabilities are the two heatsink options.
Here’s how thePatriot Viper VP4300performed in our benchmark tests:CrystalDiskMark Sequential:7,389 read / 6,799 writeCrystalDiskMark Random Q32:4,459 read / 3,805 writeSecond 25GB file copy:16 seconds25GB file transferrate :1,677 MB/sPCMark10 SSD Overall:2,660PCMark10 SSD Memory Bandwidth:323.93 MB/s
Our review unit came with the aluminum and graphene heat shields, though these definitely aren’t hot-swappable. During testing, the Viper VP4300 got as hot as 57 degrees C when gaming but poked out a bit.
The other graphene headshield does look a bit better and leaves a smaller profile, especially useful for devices like laptops or the PS5. More so than gaming performance, it’s clear that the Patriot Viper VP4300’s real niche is in its endurance.
While its read speeds don’t top the charts, the Viper VP4300’s respectable performance, especially in write-intensive tasks, and compatibility with PS5 make it a versatile option that any gamer should consider. Additionally, its robust 2000TBW endurance and five-year warranty underscore its longevity, making the Viper VP4300 a valuable investment for gamers and creatives seeking reliable, high-performance storage.
Should you buy the Patriot Viper VP4300?
Buy the Patriot Viper VP4300 if…
You want an SSD compatible with Sony’s PS5PC gamers and PlayStation 5 owners in need of additional storage may have a viable option
You require an SSD that’ll last a whileHaving a 2000TBW endurance and five-year warranty means this SSD is going to last a long time.
You lean more toward creative tasks than high performance gamingLower reading benchmarks does lag behind rivals but writing means that creative tasks and moving around files happen faster.
Don’t buy it if…
You want the absolute best in gaming performanceAgain, having lower reading benchmarks means gaming performance for loading may not be up to snuff compared to rival SSDs available around the same price.
You need an SSD that’s affordableThe 2TB version of the Patriot Viper VP4300 is around $150 which many may find expensive compared to others that offer similar or better performance.
Patriot Viper VP4300: Also consider
If my Patriot Viper VP4300 review has you looking for other options, here are two more SSDs to consider…
Samsung 990 ProThe Samsung 990 Pro M.2 SSD offers unmatched PCIe 4.0 read/write speeds, excellent capacities at a reasonable price, making it an ideal choice for both professional users and gamers planning to upgrade or build a new PC.
Read the fullSamsung 990 Pro review
PNY XLR8 CS3140In 2023, the PNY CS3140 XLR8 SSD Gaming Kit stands out as a high-value PS5 drive, offering a balance of competitive pricing, a well-designed heatsink, and reliable performance, despite not leading in raw specifications.
Read the fullPNY XLR8 CS3140 review
First reviewed January 2024
We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained - regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it’s on our radar.
Read more about how we test
Ural Garrett is an Inglewood, CA-based journalist and content curator. His byline has been featured in outlets including CNN, MTVNews, Complex, TechRadar, BET, The Hollywood Reporter and more.
Looking at buying an SSD? Hold fire for now – prices are predicted to drop (and on top of that, Black Friday is on the horizon)
How to fix an external hard drive that’s not showing up
Your next smartwatch could be battery-free – and powered by your skin
