ADATA Swordfish
Expert rating6 / 10
- Model:
- ADATA Swordfish
- Interface:
- PCIe 3.0
- Sequential Read:
- Up to 1
- Heatsink Option:
- Not Included
Consumercarts is reader-supported. Learn more
Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.
Manufacturer: ADATA Last updated: September 12, 2026
ADATA Swordfish (PCIe 3.0 NVMe/1,800 MB/s Read/Bare-Bones Budget NVMe) Review
The ADATA Swordfish is one of the cheapest NVMe SSDs ADATA sells, using a PCIe 3.0 x2 link rather than the more common x4, which caps its speed well below most other NVMe drives.
It's still meaningfully faster than SATA and priced close to a SATA drive, making it a reasonable choice specifically for buyers who want the NVMe form factor and protocol without paying for bandwidth they can't use anyway on an older system.
Performance and Speed
1,800 MB/s read and 1,200 MB/s write are the lowest numbers on this list, a direct result of the drive's PCIe 3.0 x2 interface rather than the x4 lanes most NVMe drives use, though still a real improvement over SATA's roughly 560 MB/s ceiling.
Why the Interface Is Smaller Than Usual
Using half the PCIe lanes of a typical NVMe drive lets ADATA hit an aggressive price, and for buyers whose priority is simply beating SATA speeds on a budget rather than chasing high-end throughput, the trade-off is a reasonable one.
Comparison to Sibling Products
Against the ADATA Legend 710, also covered on this site, that drive's full x4 interface delivers meaningfully higher throughput for a modest price difference, generally the better buy unless this drive is on a specific discount. Against a SATA SSD like the SK hynix Gold S31, also covered on this site, this drive is still faster despite its reduced lane count.
Who This SSD Is Actually For
Absolute-budget builds wanting the cheapest possible NVMe drive. This is the lowest-cost NVMe option realistically available.
Buyers upgrading a system with a free M.2 slot but a tight budget who still want to beat SATA speeds.
Not for anyone who can spend a little more for a full x4 NVMe drive. ADATA's own Legend 710, covered elsewhere on this site, is a meaningfully faster upgrade for modest extra cost.
Specifications
Identity
| Brand | ADATA |
|---|---|
| Model Number | Swordfish |
| Series | Swordfish |
Interface and form
| Bus Interface | PCIe 3.0 x2, NVMe |
|---|
Sequential performance
| Sequential Read | 1800 MB/s |
|---|---|
| Sequential Write | 1200 MB/s |
NAND
| NAND Type | TLC |
|---|
Power and thermals
| Heatsink | Not Included |
|---|
Physical and commercial
| Warranty | 3 Years |
|---|
| Capacity Options | 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB |
|---|
Expert Review
Reviewed by Burooj Alam. Rated by us, not by users.
Expert rating6 / 10
The cheapest way into NVMe, and it performs like it. Fine for a light-use budget system, nothing more.
Best for
- Absolute-budget builds wanting the cheapest possible NVMe drive.
- Buyers upgrading a system with a free M.2 slot but a tight budget who still want to beat SATA speeds.
- Basic office PCs and light-use systems where boot time is the only real concern.
Not for
- Not for anyone who can spend a little more for a full x4 NVMe drive. ADATA's own Legend 710, covered elsewhere on this site, is a meaningfully faster upgrade for modest extra cost.
- Not for gaming builds or any workload with large sustained file transfers.
- Not for buyers who want their NVMe drive to meaningfully outperform SATA by a wide margin.
FAQs
What are the key specifications of the ADATA Swordfish (PCIe 3.0 NVMe/1,800 MB/s Read/Bare-Bones Budget NVMe)?
The ADATA Swordfish (PCIe 3.0 NVMe/1,800 MB/s Read/Bare-Bones Budget NVMe) is a component from ADATA. Key specs: Interface PCIe 3.0 x2, NVMe, Sequential Read 1800, Sequential Write 1200, NAND Type TLC, Capacity Options 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB.
Who is the ADATA Swordfish (PCIe 3.0 NVMe/1,800 MB/s Read/Bare-Bones Budget NVMe) best suited to?
It suits absolute-budget builds wanting the cheapest possible nvme drive., buyers upgrading a system with a free m.2 slot but a tight budget who still want to beat sata speeds., basic office pcs and light-use systems where boot time is the only real concern..
What are the drawbacks of the ADATA Swordfish (PCIe 3.0 NVMe/1,800 MB/s Read/Bare-Bones Budget NVMe)?
It is a poor fit for not for anyone who can spend a little more for a full x4 nvme drive. adata's own legend 710, covered elsewhere on this site, is a meaningfully faster upgrade for modest extra cost., not for gaming builds or any workload with large sustained file transfers., not for buyers who want their nvme drive to meaningfully outperform sata by a wide margin..
Compare and read more
- Acer FA100 (Micron B27B) vs ADATA Swordfish (PCIe 3.0 NVMe/1,800 MB/s Read/Bare-Bones Budget NVMe)
- Acer FA100 (Micron B47R) vs ADATA Swordfish (PCIe 3.0 NVMe/1,800 MB/s Read/Bare-Bones Budget NVMe)
- Acer FA200 vs ADATA Swordfish (PCIe 3.0 NVMe/1,800 MB/s Read/Bare-Bones Budget NVMe)
- Acer FA300 vs ADATA Swordfish (PCIe 3.0 NVMe/1,800 MB/s Read/Bare-Bones Budget NVMe)
- Acer Predator GM7000 (PCIe 4.0 NVMe/7,400 MB/s Read/6,700 MB/s Write/Gaming-Branded Midrange Drive) vs ADATA Swordfish (PCIe 3.0 NVMe/1,800 MB/s Read/Bare-Bones Budget NVMe)