The Ultimate Sandisk X400 M.2 2280 Review

by Paul | Last Updated: July 5, 2022

Sandisk is a popular brand and they have a record of delivering top notch SSD cards. Today we are taking a look at the Sandisk X400 M.2 2280 and we also have the 2.5-inch form factor also available. It comes with four storage options that include 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1TB. Both form factors have all the available storage options in total we have eight variants of the SSD card.

 the 2.5-inch form factor has an encryption option which is not present on the Sandisk X400 M.2. we have the Marvel 88SS1074 as the controller of the SSD card. the SSD card offers a decent performance even by 2021 standard it has a great write speed that we will talk more about in a bit.

In this comprehensive review, we will provide you with all the information you need to evaluate the Sandisk X400 M.2 2280 as the best SSD card for you. read on for its key features as well as pointers for selecting the best SSD card for your laptop.

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Why you need the Sandisk X400 M.2 2280 for your laptop

An SSD card otherwise known as a solid-state drive is a computer data storage device that uses flash memory chips and it doesn’t have moving parts. It keeps data safe and performs faster than HDD cards (hard disk drives).

If your laptop doesn’t have an SSD card then you are missing out on fast performance and a number of other features that will save your time.

An SSD card doesn’t have any moving parts so data stored inside will be safe even when it falls to the ground. Because there are no moving parts inside an SSD it won’t come up with any mechanical problems. Laptops that rely on HDD cards have to supply energy to the card before it works.

A laptop that uses an SSD card wouldn’t sacrifice any power to in order to service the SSD card because it doesn’t come with a motor like we find inside an HDD card. A laptop that uses SSD card has faster read and write speeds than a laptop that uses HDD card. there is the need for an HDD card to spin before it works and it slows down the read and write speed.

An SSD card uses flash memory chip and data read and write speeds happen instantly and that’s why it is fast. Maybe you have heard some weird noises when carrying out a graphic demanding task on your laptop well sometimes it’s the HDD card inside.

Using an SSD card like the Sandisk X400 M.2 2280 guarantees almost zero noise because we don’t have any parts moving. It also generates less heat an SSD card is better if you want your workflow to be faster.

Selecting the Best SSD card for your laptop 

The SSD card comes wrapped in a plastic case for once I wished it was metal to make it a little more durable. It has a full length single sided PCB inside.

There is a thermal pad that rests between the components and case exterior. It comes in black with a rectangular shape like all the other SSDs. The design inside the SSD is outstanding Sandisk stuffed all the components on the circuit board on one side.

This design allows the SSD card to spread out heat rather than having two components on the opposite side of the PCB. The Controller and the DRAM generate more heat than the NAND flash. Both the 2.5 inches and the M.2 2280 1 TB variant share the same speed but there are times when the M.2 variant might be slow during heavy workloads.

The SSD drives were not created for enterprise-level workloads but rather for steady and moderate workloads. We have a much better and secure encryption on the SSD card with independent or third-party software.

It offers five years warranty which is really great and we have SanDisk’s own nCache 2.0 technologies that normally boost performance. it has a read speed of around 332MBps and a write speed of 476MBps which is great. 4K read and write is also between 261MBps and 332MBps. The SSD card has a lot of features that separate it from some of its competition.

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Here are 6 key points for selecting the Sandisk X400 M.2 2280 for your laptop

Good Performance

The Sandisk X400 M.2 has a very good performance rating it uses a NAND flash memory type. They also added some components to keep the write and read speeds high. Sandisk has a record of building super-fast and durable storage cards.

You can use the SSD to run games and other graphic demanding tasks. Performance is almost the same across all the four storage versions with slight difference on the much higher storage models.

Low Power Consumption

The SSD card doesn’t have any moving parts so it doesn’t consume much power from your laptop or desktop. it works on its own and won’t require too much power. If you are using a laptop that uses an HDD card then you will hear some noise when you are running graphic demanding task. The motors inside the HDD card spin when working. Power consumption is around 2.8W when in use and it falls down to 0.5W when idle.

TLC NAND Flash

The Sandisk X400 M.2 uses a one-sided TLC NAND flash memory that is really fast. The memory type can store three and four bits per cell, it is otherwise known as two level cells (TLC). The level count typically increases performance, speed, and reliability.

 It also brings the consumer cost down, Sandisk used this technology to keep the speed of the X400 consistent. Flash memory has kept getting better over the years and it is one of the reasons why SSD cards have become faster.

Warranty

The SSD card comes with five-year warranty and during the course of five years if there is any technical issue with the SSD card you might get a replacement. One important thing you need to know is that there are some things that you need to keep intact before you qualify for warranty. The box of the SSD card need to kept intact and you need to be careful with taking off stickers on the SSD card. a single dent somewhere on the carton might disqualify you from warranty.

256-bit Encryption

The Sandisk X400 M.2 has a data or file encryption technique that uses a 256-bit key to encrypt and decrypt files or data. It uses modern encryption techniques and algorithm including AES and SSL. It is one of the most secure methods after 128 and 192-bit encryption. 256 bits encryption refers to the length of the encryption key used to encrypt a data stream or file.

Decent Price

The SSD card has a starting price of $50 up to $250 depending on the online shopping platform you are buying from. It is a little bit difficult to buy brand new you have to search across different online shopping platforms. If you consider the performance you are getting for the price then you will find out its fair even though there are a number of other SSD cards priced the same way.

A closer Look at the Sandisk X400 M.2 2280

The SSD card was designed for entry level enterprise servers it can be used to store different types of data and files. If your laptop or system has a SATA III 6 GBps interface it connects through the M.2 drive bay. It has a sequential write speed of up to 520 MBps and read speed of 540 MBps.

The SSD card is durable since It has no moving parts and it has better protection against accidental falls as against an HDD card. the design of the SSD card is simple and at the front we have the SanDisk logo slapped on a sticker while at the back we have another sticker that carries out the specifications of the SSD card. the SSD card works with SanDisk’s Dashboard.

The software can be used to monitor and manage features. However, some of the functions doesn’t work on windows 10, you need a thumb drive available. The software would partition and format the thumb drive with code needed to enable performance boost. It can securely erase the SSD card outside the operating system. there are a number of other SSD cards that share similar features with the X400 M.2 2280 like the Samsung 850 EVO, or the Crucial BX200.

About Sandisk X400 M.2 2280 Manufacturers

SanDisk is a Western Digital brand for flash memory products that include memory cards and readers, USB flash drivers and solid-state drives. The company was acquired by Western Digital in 2016. SanDisk has been in existence since 1988 and they have been one of the top innovative brands in terms of flash memory production.

Product Specifications and Features

Form Factor – M.2 2280

Controller – Marvell 88SS9189

Storage Options – 128 GB, 256 GB, 500 GB, 1 TB

NAND – Triple Level Cell

Interface – SATA 3 6 GB per seconds M.2 card

Warranty – Up to 5 years

Dimension – 0.5 x 0.8 x 3.14 inches

Weight – 7 grams

Description of the Sandisk X400 M.2 2280

The SanDisk X400 M.2 2280 is a SATA driver for notebooks, desktops, and boot drive applications, the X400 SSD delivers high levels of reliability, responsiveness and endurance. Sandisk technologies combined Ncache 2.0, data guard and LPDC error connection inside the X400 for superior experience and high endurance levels.

Pros of the Sandisk X400 M.2 2280

Durable – the X400 comes with DataGuard client and LDPC error correction technology which simply means the SSD card delivers high reliability. The endurance rating is 80 TB and there is a dedicated on the fly hardware that helps perform progressive error correction.

It also helps minimize latency and boost performance at the same time. It also doesn’t consume too much power. Even if the SSD card it will survive since we don’t have any moving parts that may get destroyed if it reaches the ground.  

Software Support – there is a software called Sandisk Dashboard that can be used to modify the SSD card and determine how you want it to work. It also has 256-bit encryption that will protect your data files and information. You can also pair the X400 with other third-party software which is great. there are a number of software that can also be used to modify the SSD card easily which is great.

Form Factor – the SSD card comes with in two form factors they include the M.2 and the 2.5-inch models. The sizes will fit in different types of laptops and systems including ultrathin tablet PC laptops. you have four storage options to choose from and performance is consistently the same across both form factors. Sandisk is known for building quality storage devices and the X400 is not different.

High Performance – the SSD card is one of the fastest consumers SSD card out there for the price it is coming for it has a lot of competition. it comes with some additional specs that differentiates it from other SSD cards. It has very high and decent sequential write and read speed the 4K speed is not the best but when you think about the price then you will know its okay. It is somewhat close to the Samsung EVO 850 in terms of performance.

Cons of the Sandisk X400 M.2

Average Endurance Rating – the Endurance rating that is capped at 80W is average other SSD card offer more than that. The rating is actually one of the things that doesn’t go down well with me. I honestly wish it was higher. It comes with a five-year warranty however and that should be important.

F.A.Q

Does it come with a screw?

The package does not come with a screw most laptops and system should come with a screw already. Some motherboards should also come with a screw.

Will this SSD card work with a MacBook?

Any laptop that has a SATA interface it should work with some older models of MacBook’s.

Is this suitable for gaming?

Yes, the read and write speed of the X400 is amazing and it will run a lot of games comfortably.

Rounding Up

The SanDisk X400 M.2 is a decent SSD card that will handle entry level task superbly. It has a very good encryption that will keep your files and data safe. we have a software that can be used to modify the SSD card it can also be used to manage features.

It comes in at a competitive price point that matches the performance you are getting. If you want an SSD card that will perform consistently without too much compromises then the Sandisk X400 M.2 2280 is surely for you.