The SSD Review The Worlds Dedicated SSD Education and Review Resource | 
It’s been just over a month since we posted the latest in NAND flash technology with our Micron 2550 DRAM-less Gen 4 SSD Review where we saw a Gen 4 SSD run cooler and faster than we ever had before. It was (and still is) an ideal candidate for ‘PS5 Gaming SSD of the Year’ (if you can get your hands on one as it is a client SSD) and we used those ever so dangerous words of it being a ‘game changer’. That SSD was a single chip 232-Layer Micron 3D TLC design that could run as fast as 2400MT/s (2.4GB/s IO speed). We should have known. The Acer Predator GM7 we have on the bench right now is a YMTC (Yangtze Memory Technologies) 232-layer 3D TLC design running at 2400MT/s and wait until you see what this DRAM-less 4-channel SSD can do!
This SSD is actually a massive accomplishment to achieve North American sales as this NAND is 100% Chinese and political backlash has cut such imports significantly. Not so long ago if you remember, Apple jumped into YMTC flash as they saw something real special in YMTC’s Xtacking 3.0 architecture running at 2400MT/s. Not long after that, chip toolmakers refused to work with YMTC and Apple had to jump right back out again. The beauty here is YMTC’s creation of Xtacking 3.0 NAND architecture and this video explains in in plain language:
The great thing about the Acer Predator GM7, unlike the Micron 2550, is that you can buy it! Before getting into the specs, we can tell you right off that it is definitely one of, if not the coolest 7GB/s SSD on the market right now as it is a single-sided design . There is absolutely no requirement whatsoever for a heatsink and the highest we could get this SSD in temps was 49°C.
The Acer Predator GM7 is available in 512GB and 1TB capacities with a 2TB model to be available in the future. Hopefully we might see a 4TB capacity close behind. This SSD is actually a BIWIN manufactured Acer product and is a 2280 form factor (22mm wide x 80mm long) PCIe 4.0 x4 (4-channel) SSD that uses the NVMe 1.4 operating protocol.
It contains a brand new Maxiotek MAP 1602-A NVMe 4-channel SSD controller which is a first having any Maxiotek product on the bench, although we had seen many promises throughout the years. This is a single controller dual NAND chip design and single-sided, and the controller is capable of a 4TB SSD manufacture.
This NAND is YMTC’s latest 3D 232-layer Xtacking 3.0 architecture NAND and we have validated that through software found here, along with a bit of investigating. It has to be running at 2400MT/s to provide these performance numbers.
If you look at the software NAND identification below, you will see that this memory is identified as ‘3DV4-232L’ memory which is version four of their latest 3D memory. 3DV4 is YMTC 232-layer Xtacking 3.0 3D NAND memory. Checking other literature, ‘X3’-9060 would logically be Xtacking 3.0 and 3DV3 pertains to the 128-layer design and 3DV2 refers to the 64-layer design. Thanks to Jon of Tweaktown for sending the updated software that properly ID’s this NAND as being 232-layer. Check out his report here.
MSRP pricing for the Acer Predator is $49.99 (512GB), $89.99 (1TB) and $159.99 for the 2TB when made available. This SSD comes with a 5-year limited warranty and free Acronis True Image backup and cloning software available here.
I don’t care how cheap or allegedly fast they are, I will never use another Biwin/HP collab SSD again.
Had 3 of the EX900’s burn up in less than 1-2 weeks each in a NUC sitting on desk in a climate controlled office doing… not much.
Replaced it with an Samsung and never had an issue with that NUC again.