HIKSEMI FUTURE Lite 2TB SSD Review – First QLC that impresses
Today we will focus on the detailed review of the unit HIKSEMI FUTURE Small de 2TB, acquired during the event 11.11 en AliExpress. It stands out from the beginning for its highly competitive price, marking a surprising cost of 59 USD (American dollars) thanks to the discounts applied during that special date. This aggressive value positions it as the unit PCIe January 4.0 most affordable evaluated so far.
During this review, we will explore whether the investment was right when subjected to tests of benchmarking and detailed analysis of its components. In addition, we will compare its characteristics with those of the standard version, the FUTURE, to identify possible differences between both units.
Today's unit has not been sampled by HIKSEMI and has been purchased with our funds.
Table of Contents
HIKSEMI FUTURE Lite 2TB SSD – Specifications
One of the unexpected surprises when physically reviewing and searching for information about the components of this unit of SSD was discovering that it uses memory NAND Flash QLC. Now, let's get into the technical part of the elements that make up this storage device.
El FUTURE Lite, same as him FUTURE y FUTURE ECO, They are SSDs without DRAM cache. This means that they use technology HMB (Host Memory Buffer) to accelerate various types of loading in terms of speed. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as technology has improved considerably over time, offering good performance without breaking the bank.
This unit has a lower TBW compared to FUTURE, de 1500TBW o 5 year warranty for the version of 2TB. The quantity offered by the manufacturer although it is QLC, it's quite high.
The controller used is HIKSEMI HKP10304, which, in reality, is a rebranding of the Maxio MAP1602A, a component that we have already identified in several SSDs HIKSEMI and other brands. The part number of the NAND Flash es YMC8G004Tb74CA1C1, with brand logo HIKSEMI. When searching for information about this component, we were surprised to discover that it is QLC memory. Now, what is the difference between TPA y QLC?
Differences between QLC and TLC NAND Flash?
QLC (Four Level Cell) y TPA (Three Level Cell) are types of NAND flash memory used in SSDs and other storage devices. The key difference lies in how many bits of data they can store per memory cell.
TPA stores three bits of data in each memory cell, allowing eight different voltage levels to represent different combinations of 0s and 1s. On the other hand, QLC stores four data bits in each cell, meaning it has 16 different voltage levels to represent all possible combinations.
While QLC offers higher storage density, allowing more data to be stored in the same physical space, usually comes with a commitment in terms of performance and resistance. QLC tends to have lower write resistance and slower write speeds compared to TLC. TPA is often considered a good balance between storage density and performance.
In short, QLC offers greater storage capacity at the expense of performance and endurance, while TLC strikes a balance between storage density and overall reliability.
Photos - HIKSEMI FUTURE Lite 2TB SSD
Benchmarks - Storage
Contrary to popular belief, most storage benchmarks are mostly synthetic and do not accurately reflect performance in real-world usage situations, due to variability in individual user usage patterns.
Does not exist a single test that can replicate actual usage in a comprehensive manner; however, these benchmarks are used to provide a reference to the potential performance of the product during testing.
Out of all the tests, PCMark 10 (Storage Benchmark) is considered the most representative, on which we will base our evaluation of the actual performance of a storage device for daily use, although it does not cover all possible scenarios.
For the average gaming-focused user, this test best simulates everyday use.
We have incorporated and updated several benchmarks in our SSD test suite, including the load time of the demo of FFXIV and the latest version of CDM 8, among others.
Below is the list of benchmarks that we will use:
-CrystalDiskMark8
-ATTO Disk Benchmark
-AS SSD Benchmark
-Anvil Storage Utilities
-HAHA VIDEO
-Black Magic Disk Tester
-FFXIV Demo- Loading Time
-PCMark10 (Storage Benchmark)
-3DMark Storage Benchmark
Benchmark (for storage reviews)
CPU: Intel Core i9-13900K (Power Limiters Disabled) (https://amzn.to/3X53WQS)
Board: Z790 AORUS ELITE AX (BIOS F9) (https://amzn.to/3ClPWde)
RAM: G.Skill Flare X5 Series (AMD Expo) 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR5 6000 CL36-36-96 (https://amzn.to/3Z8g45y)
T.video: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition (Link: https://amzn.to/3Pe4Vx6)
Operating system: Windows 11 Home Edition 22H2 – VBS OFF
Liquid refrigeration: Lian Li Galahad 360 (https://amzn.to/3jMvNXO)
SSD: Addlink S70 1TB + TeamGroup MP34 4TB SSD (https://amzn.to/3PuIAvX)
SSD test: HIKSEMI Future Lite 2TB (https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_mtbouaM)
Driver: NVIDIA Driver
Power supply: Seasonic Prime Gold 1300W (https://amzn.to/3Qd102w)
CrystalDisk Mark 8
CrystalDiskMark has undergone a major update and we are currently on version 8 of this tool. As is customary with every new iteration of CrystalDiskMark, making comparisons with previous versions might be inappropriate in most cases. In CrystalDiskMark version 8, in addition to the standardized tests, new test profiles have been added specifically for NVMe solid-state drives. Precisely, we are using one of these profiles to carry out our benchmark tests on this occasion.
ACT Disk Benchmark
AS SSD benchmark
Anvil Storage Utilities
AHA VIDEO
Black Magic Disk Tester
FFXIV Demo - Loading Time
PCMark10 (Storage Benchmark)
PCMark10 it is the closest test to what an average user can do in real life. PCMark 10 Full Storage has several traces of different types of usage, such as OS loads, Adobe loads, games, file copying, and more. We will be looking at each of these results in more detail.
It also offers a final score, bandwidth (MB/s) y latency (µs). This quiz takes about an hour and I will do three strokes per activity (23 categories, 69 quizzes total).
3DMark Storage Benchmark
Temperatures
The stress test we use to measure temperatures is a torture test using CrystalDisk Mark 8 for an extended period of time. We then take the highest temperature during the test and check the ambient temperature as well.
HIKSEMI FUTURE Lite 2TB | |
| (Maximum temperature) Degrees Celsius | |
| With motherboard M.2 heatsink | 50 50 57 (I assume it's the controller) |
Final Analysis: The First QLC Storage Recommended for Gaming
It is understandable to be prejudiced against storage using QLC NAND Flash memory, as it has historically been considered not to be at the same level as TLC NAND Flash memory. However, it seems that this remains in the past, since the benchmark performance of this unit, although it does not match the FUTURE (TLC), is very close. The combination of YTMC NAND Flash and Maxio controller performs a remarkable task as secondary storage, especially for applications like gaming.
The performance of this unit significantly exceeds the NV2 and Future Eco, all at a very affordable price and with greater storage capacity. Even though the TBW (Total Bytes Written) offered by the brand is slightly lower than that of TLC drives, it is still quite high for the 2TB drive. With a 5-year warranty and, above all, considering the attractive price at which I purchased this unit on sale (US$59), it becomes an easy recommendation for the end user looking for an excellent price/performance ratio to store various games. on your SSD.
We have not identified any significant criticism, and we hope that HIKSEMI Peru can carry these units locally, maintaining a price equally competitive to that found in the HIKSEMI Global Store on AliExpress.
Final Score – HIKSEMI Future Lite 2TB SSD
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Economical performance
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Temperatures
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Warranty
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Price
Overall
Summary
I have tried the HIKSEMI FUTURE Lite 2TB SSD, a solid state drive PCIe 4.0 y NVMe. Its read and write speeds are impressive, despite using QLC NAND Flash, surpassing those of other SSDs on the market within its segment. It also highlights its durability and graphene heat sink. It is an excellent option for gamers looking for maximum performance at low cost.
Pros
-Good performance despite not having a cache design (DRAMless) and being QLC.
-Comes with graphene heatsink included.
-5-year, high TBW warranty for QLC (1500 TBW).
-Low temperatures.
-Quite competitive price (on sale it was US$59).
Cons
-It does not have the brand's own software.
-QLC may not convince everyone.
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