SK hynix Gold S31
Expert rating7.4 / 10
- Model:
- SK hynix Gold S31
- Interface:
- SATA III
- Sequential Read:
- Up to 560 MB/s
- Form Factor:
- 2.5-inch
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Manufacturer: SK Hynix Last updated: September 12, 2026
SK hynix Gold S31 (SATA III/560 MB/s Read/Reliable Mainstream SATA Upgrade) Review
The SK hynix Gold S31 is a mainstream SATA III SSD aimed squarely at people replacing a hard drive or an aging first-generation SATA SSD in an older desktop or laptop.
It won't touch NVMe speeds, SATA's interface caps every drive on this list around 560 MB/s, but SK hynix's in-house NAND and controller pairing makes it one of the more dependable SATA drives on the market, and for hardware that doesn't even have an M.2 slot, this is still the right category to shop in.
Performance and Speed
560 MB/s read and 525 MB/s write sit right at the practical ceiling of the SATA III interface, essentially the same real-world speed as every other well-built SATA SSD on the market, since the bottleneck is the interface itself, not any individual drive's engineering.
Why Buy SATA in an NVMe World
Plenty of older desktops and laptops simply don't have an M.2 NVMe slot, only a 2.5-inch SATA bay or an mSATA header, making a drive like this the only realistic SSD upgrade path for that hardware, and still a massive improvement over a spinning hard drive.
Comparison to Sibling Products
Against the SanDisk SSD Plus, covered elsewhere on this site, both target the same replace-your-hard-drive use case; the SK hynix drive's in-house NAND generally tests slightly more consistently on sustained writes. Against the SK hynix Gold P31, also covered on this site, that PCIe 3.0 NVMe drive is the better buy for any system with a free M.2 slot, since it's dramatically faster for a similar price.
Who This SSD Is Actually For
Anyone upgrading an older laptop or desktop that only has a SATA bay. This is the drive category for that hardware, not a compromise.
Budget builds where a 2.5-inch bay is free and cost per gigabyte matters most. SATA SSD pricing remains lower than NVMe at equivalent capacities.
Not for any system with a free M.2 NVMe slot. The SK hynix Gold P31, covered elsewhere on this site, costs little more and is several times faster.
Specifications
Identity
| Brand | SK Hynix |
|---|---|
| Model Number | Gold S31 |
| Series | Gold S31 |
Interface and form
| Bus Interface | SATA III |
|---|
Sequential performance
| Sequential Read | 560 MB/s |
|---|---|
| Sequential Write | 525 MB/s |
NAND
| NAND Type | TLC with DRAM Cache |
|---|
Physical and commercial
| Warranty | 5 Years |
|---|
| Capacity Options | 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB |
|---|
Expert Review
Reviewed by Burooj Alam. Rated by us, not by users.
Expert rating7.4 / 10
A dependable, unremarkable SATA drive that does exactly what it needs to for hardware stuck without an M.2 slot.
Best for
- Anyone upgrading an older laptop or desktop that only has a SATA bay. This is the drive category for that hardware, not a compromise.
- Budget builds where a 2.5-inch bay is free and cost per gigabyte matters most. SATA SSD pricing remains lower than NVMe at equivalent capacities.
- Buyers replacing a failing hard drive who want a straightforward, reliable drop-in upgrade.
Not for
- Not for any system with a free M.2 NVMe slot. The SK hynix Gold P31, covered elsewhere on this site, costs little more and is several times faster.
- Not for gaming rigs or content creation machines where speed materially affects the workflow.
- Not for anyone who already owns a NVMe-capable motherboard and is choosing storage from scratch.
FAQs
What are the key specifications of the SK hynix Gold S31 (SATA III/560 MB/s Read/Reliable Mainstream SATA Upgrade)?
The SK hynix Gold S31 (SATA III/560 MB/s Read/Reliable Mainstream SATA Upgrade) is a component from SK Hynix. Key specs: Interface SATA III, Sequential Read 560, Sequential Write 525, NAND Type TLC with DRAM Cache, Capacity Options 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB.
Who is the SK hynix Gold S31 (SATA III/560 MB/s Read/Reliable Mainstream SATA Upgrade) best suited to?
It suits anyone upgrading an older laptop or desktop that only has a sata bay. this is the drive category for that hardware, not a compromise., budget builds where a 2.5-inch bay is free and cost per gigabyte matters most. sata ssd pricing remains lower than nvme at equivalent capacities., buyers replacing a failing hard drive who want a straightforward, reliable drop-in upgrade..
What are the drawbacks of the SK hynix Gold S31 (SATA III/560 MB/s Read/Reliable Mainstream SATA Upgrade)?
It is a poor fit for not for any system with a free m.2 nvme slot. the sk hynix gold p31, covered elsewhere on this site, costs little more and is several times faster., not for gaming rigs or content creation machines where speed materially affects the workflow., not for anyone who already owns a nvme-capable motherboard and is choosing storage from scratch..
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