So, the files are properly gone? Ostensibly yes, the average or even intermediate computer user won’t be able to recover these files. However, the world of cybersecurity and indeed cybercrime is pretty mad, meaning it’s very tricky to actually make sure your data is gone for good. Almost impossible actually.

Of course, if the computer with the files is literally expendable, you could opt to physically destroy the drives. Luckily hard disk drives and SSDs can both be baptized in fire, so to speak. This is pretty much your only solution physically speaking, as some talented data recovery people can literally reconstruct cracked and snapped hard drive platters.

So, in the quite likely event that you don’t feel like setting fire to your PC, what are your options? In the advanced technological period in which we live, it’s worth being absolutely sure that your files are gone, especially confidential, personal stuff.

Luckily, PC-Doctor has a solution that passes muster both in terms of cyber security and user-friendliness, the PC-Doctor Service Center Drive Erase USB flash drive.

The drive allows you to skip the costly step of taking your drives to a technician for a professional erasure, allowing you to do it yourself, from the comfort of your own home, without sacrificing security or efficacy.

How does PC-Doctor securely erase your drives?

As mentioned earlier, PC-Doctor has passed some very stringent certifications for secure drive erasure. Most importantly, PC-Doctor is NIST 800-88r1 compliant, which is the current gold standard for media sanitation.

This certification from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) means that PC-Doctor has been verified as capable of erasing drives to the highest standards of cyber security. The official guidelines are extremely long and very comprehensive, so if you really want to know, you can read them here.

Anyway, what you need to know is that the PC-Doctor drive erasure USB stick will totally clean any type of drive, be it an HDD, SSD, SAS, or NVMe m.2. This means that the drives are returned to the same state they were when they left the factory - totally empty.

It might sound odd, but fully erasing drives is very tricky. This means that it's hard to be sure, as you can’t necessarily see everything via the file explorer.

OK then, but how can you be sure that PC-Doctor Drive Erase has completed its operation successfully? Well, a certificate verifying the erasure is created after the fact.

This certificate, provided in convenient PDF form, proves the extent of the drive erasure, even including a cryptographic fingerprint. Furthermore, it provides additional information too, for example:

The report also functions as a signable form for those using the PC-Doctor Drive Erase in a professional, enterprise scenario, allowing for proper accountability too.

How to use PC-Doctor Service Center Drive Erase

You may initially be apprehensive about inserting such a powerful data removal tool into your precious PC. However, the drive won’t brick your PC as soon as you plug it in, as there is a specific process.

That’s about it, for how to use PC-Doctor Drive Erase. For an easier breakdown and additional information, see our Q&A section below.

PC-Doctor FAQS

Here you’ll find some of the more common questions about drive erasure, and PC-Doctor specifically.

Will the PC-Doctor USB stick start as soon as I plug it in?

No. You have to go through a few menus first, so there’s no chance of accidentally erasing anything before you mean to.

What systems does PC-Doctor work on?

PC-Doctor runs on any x86-64 PC, including Windows or Linux PCs, and Intel-based Macs. 

What languages does PC-Doctor work in?

At time of writing, PC-Doctor runs in English, but can save report certificates in English, Danish, Finnish, French, Norwegian, Portuguese and Swedish.

What type of drives can be erased by PC Doctor?

PC-Doctor currently works on HDDs, SSDs, ATA, NVMe, eMMC, and SAS drives.

What methods does PC-Doctor use for drive erasure?

Depending on the type of drive in question, different methods are more effective than others. PC-Doctor uses whichever method will result in the most complete erasure. A full list of methods can be found here.

How much does PC-Doctor cost? 

You can purchase a PC-Doctor Drive Erase USB stick from their website here for $59.99, or for rapid simultaneous deployment on multiple systems, you can also buy Drive Erase in packs of 3 for $149.99.

Additionally, there are no license fees or maximum uses. Once you buy the drive erasure stick from PC-Doctor you can use it an unlimited amount of times. This provides a preferable alternative to erasure software subscriptions, as once you invest in PC-Doctor, it’s yours to keep.

It’s this insatiable desire for efficiency that births faster and faster storage drives. But what is an NVMe SSD - the latest standard, of SSD technology? Read on to decode this esoteric jumble of letters!

What Is An SSD?

Before we delve into the NVMe side of the puzzle, let’s first establish what an SSD is. Used for long-term data storage, SSDs (Solid State Drive) are essentially an evolution of the hard drive (HD).

These drives are referred to as “solid” because - unlike mechanical hard drives - they don’t use any moving components, amounting to improved thermals, improved energy efficiency, a more robust build, and quieter performance.

SSDs are also much quicker, as signals can travel faster through stationary electrical circuitry than they can when a moving component is involved.

What Does NVMe Mean?

NVMe stands for Non-Volatile Memory Express, and it’s an upgraded SSD technology that speeds up data transfer to an even further degree. It supersedes the SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) SDD standard that maxed out at 500–600 Mbps, establishing 2000 Mbps as the new normal, but how does it pull this remarkable feat off?

Well, hard drives and older SSDs utilize what’s known as point-to-point serial protocols to transfer data between the storage unit and the motherboard of a computer. In plain English, this means cables are used to link the drive to the motherboard.

Next came an SSD protocol that combined cables and ports to link up the two components, but the magic of the NVMe standard is that it cuts out these connections altogether in favor of a direct input on the motherboard.

Reducing the material signals have to travel through and the physical distance the data must traverse reduces latency significantly, making NVMe the speed demon that it is!

This port in the motherboard is known as the PCIe bus, which is where that little “e” comes from on the end of NVMe. PCIe slots are designed to accommodate hardware expansions, i.e. beefy discrete GPUs. However, now that storage technology has caught up with transfer tech, the PCIe slot and the NVMe SSD are perfect partners in crime.

What’s The Downside Of The NVMe SSD?

It’s faster, more energy efficient cuts down on some excess cabling… What's not to like? Well, the only real drawback of the NVMe SSD blueprint is the price tag, but as it marks such an improvement on the next best thing (SATA), it’s not a bad investment, especially considering it’s going to be the standard for the foreseeable future.

NVMe might not be the most budget-friendly storage solution but think of the productivity gains individuals and businesses would make with such a fast data transfer protocol.

Besides, one NVMe SSD today will be prime for use indefinitely, whereas older SSD variants will fall behind related technologies comparatively quickly, necessitating multiple replacements.

When it was released, NVMe was a nice-to-have, but these days, despite the cost, NVMe SSD storage is the smart choice if you’re thinking of picking up a new computer/laptop or starting a new build.

Final Thoughts

Our advice is to jump on the NVMe bandwagon as soon as possible, as, simply put, this upgrade is going to have the largest real-life impact on your computing, especially if you're a consummate gamer or busy videographer.

That said, bear in mind that although any NVMe SSD will surely give your system the kick in the pants you’ve been dreaming of, they’re not made equal. Some are better than others, so don’t skimp on the research side of shopping around!

SSDs add extra storage to your hard drive so you can store and process more data, more quickly.But before you can start using your SSD, you first need to initialize it. This process formats the SSD to your computer so it will be detected and function properly.

This process might sound like a lot of techy jargon, but that’s why we’re here to help! In this handy guide, we’ll take you through the steps to initializing an SSD, so you can start taking advantage of your new storage in no time!

Final Thoughts

Initializing an SSD might seem daunting at first, but it’s simple once you know what you’re doing. Simply follow the steps in this guide and you’ll be able to get your SSD ready to use in no time!

So if you have a new SSD that you want to put to good use, now you know everything you need to do to initialize it and take advantage of your new storage!

Why? The reason is this: Most people, including the PC Guide team, opt for a mix of performance and affordability in a new set-up; building for current needs with headroom too.

Micron’s newest Crucial P3 SSDs deliver exactly this, with a level of consistency to benefit gaming, home office, productivity, and other builds and use-cases too.

Essentially, if you’re upgrading then well-performing parts that extend the life of your current PC and offer great value are logical investments. For that, there are the P3 products. 

Or, if you’re building a new, more modern PC making use of PCIe Gen 4, the P3 Plus products are strong options.

Crucial P3 SSD Release

Micron is clearly one of the big three in the SSD market, and any new releases come with extensive consideration and product development.

This extends to the P3 and P3 Plus range, released in July 2022, at a point where the PC market started ramping up for some pretty big changes. CPUs, motherboards, and GPU releases are great, but the humble SSD is critical too.

Crucial’s release brought a slew of new SKUs to support users building new setups or upgrading and optimizing older ones.

Lineup and specs

The P3 SSD lineup consists of eight NVMe M.2 SKUs: the P3 500GB, 1TB, 2TB and 4TB SSDs (supporting PCIe Gen 3 4x), and the P3 Plus 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB (supporting PCIe Gen 4 4x).

Plenty of options then, and it means that whether you want to upgrade your OS drive, or opt for some boosted storage capacity, you can.

There’s more to the recent arrivals though, and this is where things get a little bit jargony – but we’ll cut through this and tell you the key info below.

Crucial P3 and P3 Plus tech explained

The P3 range makes use of QLC NAND memory. QLC stands for quad-level cell and is generally the preferred technology for larger SSD storage over the most common alternative - TLC (triple-level cell).

It’s not quite as good in performance versus TLC, but QLC can store four bits per cell (vs three bits for TLC) so it offers better density and so more options in terms of capacities.

And of course, if you don’t have the budget for lightning-quick TLC - based SSD drives, thunder-quick QLC does a very good job.

Micron has opted for a 176-layer 3D NAND production process in the QLC-based P3 and P3 Plus SSDs. This surpasses the previous 128-layer process and adds a silicon nitride layer to combat an issue known as cell-to-cell capacity coupling.

What is that? Cell-to-cell capacity coupling impacts programming times due to the presence of electrical charges in NAND cells. Micron’s silicon nitride layer is nonconductive, batting away the charges and so negating what is ultimately a hit to SSD reliability and performance.

Crucial P3 SSD performance

What does all this mean? Well, a clear upside of Crucial’s P3 SSD range, thanks to its fabrication process, is an approximate 25% performance boost (read AND write) over SSDs using a 128-layer fabrication process.

The benefits are present for both P3 and P3 Plus products and put the range in a favorable position against the main competition.

For example, comparing the P3 2TB SSD against, say, Samsung’s highly regarded 970 Evo Plus 2TB, shows a clear winner.

Sequential read and write are fairly even here: read for both is 3,500MB/s, while Samsung nicks the write award with 3,300MB/s versus the P3’s 3,000MB/s.

It’s a different story in 4K IOPS read and write though, with the P3 taking first in both with 650000 and 700000 respectively. That’s 100000 above the scores of the £200+ Samsung Evo Plus...in both.

Crucial P3 SSD Pricing

So, what about the price? Strong performance, reliability, and a range of capacities mean Micron could honestly price the P3 and P3 Plus SSDs above where they’ve landed.

It could do that, but it hasn’t. And to prove it, the P3 2TB SSD is actually £80 cheaper than the Samsung Evo Plus 970. The rest of the P3 and P3 Plus range is proportionately priced too, currently at under 8 pence per MB.

Final thoughts

So where does that leave us? Back at the beginning of this article, with a sustained sentiment. If you’re looking to upgrade an older system or build a budget PC – or you’re a certain tech writer with a Z270 motherboard still in use – the P3 range would be a great choice.

Alternatively, if you’re looking to build a newer system for gaming, a home office set up or other use-case scenarios, Micron’s Crucial P3 Plus SSDs are there for PCIe Gen 4.

In fact, if you wanted to, and felt comfortable doing so, Crucial P3 Plus SSDs would even be great for upgrading the storage in a PS5.

For reliable performance (and we mean performance), at a great price and overall value, don’t overlook the Crucial P3 SSD range from Micron. They may not be flashy, and they may not be a headline component. But we reckon you’ll be glad you got one.

Remember, there are some amazing 4.0 SSDs on sale right now as part of Black Friday. You can see all the latest SSD Black Friday deals right here - or, to save time, we've cherry-picked some of our favorites below.

LATEST SSD deals:

Now that the compatible AM5 socket and Z790 motherboards have hit shelves both real and virtual, it shouldn't be long for PCIe Gen 5.0 SSDs to begin shipping. Fortunately, we've seen a little more action on the storage front from some of the biggest names in the industry, so there's a lot to look forward to.

We’re bringing you all the information on where to buy PCIe Gen 5 SSDs where you are. If you want to be up to speed on the emerging standard for gaming and data transfer then keep reading down below.

This includes Asus, Crucial, MSI, Sabrent, Gigabyte, Seagate, and PNY, among others that we’ll detail below. We’ve rounded up all the best retailers to get yourself one of the first Gen 5 SSDs when the next chipset generation is upon us.

We’re going to be seeing unparalleled sequential performance compared to what’s been possible with Gen 4x4. PCIe 5.0 will offer exceptional rates of up to 13,000 MB/s read and 12,000 MB/s write, which is 60% faster than some of the best NVMe SSDs out right now. 

Now, the first PCIe 5.0 Gen 5 SSDs will work with current-gen Intel processors, and the upcoming Raptor Lake, too. So things aren't limited to Zen 4. If you're at a crossroads of which processor gen to buy, our Ryzen 7000 vs Raptor Lake feature will bring you up to speed.

PCIe Gen 5.0 SSDs release date

The first PCIe Gen 5.0 SSDs should begin to roll out soon now that the Ryzen 7000 series and Raptor Lake have dropped. It's currently unknown exactly which models will roll out towards the end of the year, but we're bringing you all that you know so far. We're frequently updating the page, too, so when we know more, you will as well.

A few Gen 5.0 SSDs have been unveiled ahead of the event and these are the models we're going to be focusing on. These include the Apacer AS2280F5, Corsair MP700, and Zadak TWSG5. All of these models are pushing the boundaries of the new tech straight out of the gate. We've also now got the confirmed existence of the Gigabyte AORUS Gen5 10000 SSD, too.

We'll be bringing you more confirmed models as they roll out ahead of the release. More established brand storage names are on the way. For example, the Samsung 990 Pro is truly on the bleeding edge of Gen 4.0. That's a pretty good indication that a successor ready for the latest is on the horizon, too, if the jump between the 970 and 980 years ago is anything to go by.

PCIe Gen 5.0 SSDs potential prices

No official pricing has been stated for the PCIe Gen 5.0 SSDs we're featuring, however, it's likely to remain largely in line with top-end Gen 4.0. For instance, the Corsair MP600 Pro LPX, the brand's current flagship, carried an MSRP of $370 at release. Based on this, we can estimate that many high-performing models will hover around the $350 - $400 mark depending on the manufacturer. We'll be bringing you more as we learn.

Where to buy PCIe Gen 5.0 SSDs

Apacer AS2280F5 expected retailers

US

UK

Canada

Corsair MP700 expected retailers

US

UK

Canada

Gigabyte Aorus Gen5 10000 SSD

US

UK

Canada

Zadak TWSG5 expected retailers

US

UK

Canada

How fast will PCIe Gen 5.0 SSDs be?

PCIe Gen 5.0 SSDs will have read and write speeds of up to 13,000 / 12,000 MB/s respectively. As a frame of reference, the current standard for NVMe drives, Gen 4.0, maxes out at around 8,000 MB/s. This is an increase of around 60% and consistent with the jump we saw between the previous generations. This is achieved through NVMe 2.0, significantly faster than NVMe 1.4.

We've actually gotten some industry-standard figures from upcoming drives from the announcement of the MSI SPATIUM M460. The manufacturer has been transparent enough to showcase genuine CrystalDiskMark figures to demonstrate actual performance.

Here's what the reported numbers are from the company's own website:

As you can see from the product shot above, the heatsink affixed to MSI's new Gen 5.0 SSD is significantly chunkier than what we typically see from Gen 4.0 drives. Although some companies do put thicker heat shields on their SSDs, you can get away with a low-profile graphene alternative that does the job. That isn't the case with Gen 5.0, though, as we've touched on below.

Will PCIe Gen 5.0 SSDs require thicker heatsinks?

It's been confirmed by a representative from Phison that PCIe 5.0 SSDs could run significantly hotter than previous models. Because of this, thicker heatsinks could be needed than what we typically see accompanying motherboards or aftermarket solutions at the moment. Active cooling could be in question, as suggested by the ElecGear M.2 2280 SSD Cooler.

It's worth noting that Gen 4.0 NVMe SSDs ran hotter than their older Gen 3.0 equivalents. In a report published by WCCFTech, the company claimed that while it heavily recommended a heatsink for Gen 4.0 drives, a heatsink for the upcoming generation is essential to avoid thermal throttling or damage.

What controllers will Gen 5.0 SSDs use?

Arguably the biggest name in upcoming Gen 5.0 SSDs is the Phison E26. This company is responsible for some of the fastest NVMe drives on the market with its existing E18 controller, so the anticipation for 5x4 compatibility shouldn't be overlooked. Also of note are the Silicon Motion MonTitan, Microchip Flashtec NVMe 4016 PM8667, and Marvell Bravera SC5 MV-SS1333.

These are just a few controllers that we know about, with more sure to come powering the newest line of storage drives. We're confident that manufacturers such as Western Digital and SK Hynix will have their own developed in-house controller, too. 

Are NVMe SSDs better than SATA?

You can expect your average SATA SSD to deliver around 600 MB/s of sequential reads and writes. In contrast to this, the upcoming PCIe Gen 5 SSDs, which are built upon NVMe 2.0, can deliver up to 20x the performance. What's more, NVMe SSDs are significantly smaller and can be installed directly onto your motherboard. 

The major advantage that SATA models have is price-per-gigabyte. Gen 5.0 SSDs will be expensive, especially in higher configurations such as 2TB and 4TB. 

If you are looking to upgrade your system and install an m2 SSD, we have all of the information you need to proceed.

What Is An M2 SSD?

An m2 SSD is a small form factor SSD that can be used as a replacement for the hard disk drive in your computer.

SSDs are designed to fit into existing slots on motherboards or add-on cards, and offer much better performance than traditional hard drives, with greater speed and power available.

Why Use An M2 SSD Instead Of A Regular HDD?

An m2 SSD offers a number of benefits over a standard HDD, including:

Faster Boot Time

One of the main advantages of SSDs in general, and m2 SSDs in particular, is that they have a much faster boot up time compared to traditional HDDs.

Increased Reliability

Another advantage of SSDs is that they are far more reliable than traditional HDDs. The key reason behind this is that SSDs do not rely on mechanical parts like platters and moving parts to store data.

Instead, they use flash memory chips that are non-volatile, meaning that they retain data even when the power supply is turned off.

Improved Multitasking

Because SSDs don't have mechanical components, they also make multitasking easier. You can easily switch between applications without waiting for programs to finish loading.

Noise Reduction

Because SSDs are quieter than traditional HDDs, they reduce noise levels in your computer. This makes it easier to work while others around you aren't aware of what you're doing.

Final Thoughts

Adding an m2 SSD to your computer or laptop can be a great way to improve user experience, boost speed and power, and allow you to make the most of your devices.

They have become increasingly popular over the last few years, largely due to their power, speed, and reliability.

In addition, SSDs offer faster access time and better performance compared to HDDs.

SSD is a great choice for those who want to upgrade their system because they offer higher speed and reliability - but just how do you go about completing the upgrade?

We have put together everything you need to know in just a few short steps.

What Is an SSD?

SSD stands for a solid-state drive. It is a type of storage media that has no moving parts and it stores data on chips rather than magnetic platters.

The advantage of this type of storage is that there are no moving parts to wear out, making them more reliable than traditional hard drives.

The downside to SSDs however is that they are much slower than HDDs. This means that an SSD will take longer to boot up your computer, load programs, and open files.

However, once the operating system is loaded, applications start running almost instantly.

The Benefits Of Upgrading To An SSD

There are several reasons why you should consider upgrading to an SSD. Here are some of the most common:

Faster Boot-Time

If you are looking to improve the speed at which your PC boots up then an SSD is a good option.

Because SSDs do not use any mechanical components such as hard disk drives (HDDs), they can be accessed very quickly.

Better Performance

An SSD can perform many times faster than a standard hard disk drive. This means that when you launch your favorite program, it will start up quicker and run smoother.

Improved Reliability

SSDs tend to be more reliable than the alternatives, so if you’re worried about damaging your old drive, then an SSD is a safer bet.

More Space

If you are looking to increase the amount of space available on your computer, then an SSD is definitely worth considering.

With an SSD, you can store all of your important documents, photos, and music without worrying about filling up your hard disk.

Final Thoughts

Upgrading to an SSD can have a hugely positive impact on your laptop or computer, but does require a little technical prowess and know-how. By following our steps above, you can enjoy faster speeds and more efficient working.

How Is An SSD Different From An HDD?

An SSD is like a hard disk drive (HDD) in that it provides a similar function, but it uses different operations in order to store memory and data.

A hard drive has a physical platter like a large CD and an actuator arm like you'd find on vinyl players. Together these can read data that is not stored sequentially but is often fragmented around the disk.

A solid state drive, so-called because it doesn't move and has memory fixed in a solid state works similarly to how USB memory works - using flash recall to store memory.

This means that you can recall data almost instantly as, unlike a hard drive, SSDs do not require mechanical boot-up in order to physically find the data on the platter.

What Does An SSD Do?

An SSD, just like an HDD, works with your system’s memory to access and recall data when you need it. Simple as that.

Some modern computers will have an SSD as well as an HDD, which allows you to recall data in two succinct ways. However, for space-saving and performance reasons, laptops, Chromebooks, and Macbooks all use SSD drives.

HDDs are still useful for desktop systems though because they can hold the more important data that doesn’t require quick recall. Meanwhile, your SSD can deal with the stuff that needs to be recalled quickly.

While you may decide what data is stored where on your system, system builders will place the operating system on an SSD for speed - and you may want games stored on an SSD too for this very reason.

Different Forms Of SSD

Let's run through different forms of SSD and what they offer, without getting into the details.

Most SSD forms are defined by their size, type of connection, and where they live in your physical computer. This is often dependent depending on the size of device they go into.

2.5-inch SSD

This is the most common form of SSD you will find inside both laptops and computers, connected via a SATA cable.

They work in conjunction with the HDD in order to have both quick and easy quick recall. They also make upgrades much easier if you choose to scrap your HDD altogether.

mSATA SSD

You don’t really need to know what all the letters mean, simply that an mSATA SSD is physically around an eighth of the size of the 2.5 inch SSD.

These SSDs plug straight into your motherboard, meaning they are ideal for your smaller devices such as a laptop or netbook, etc. Some systems even use them as a secondary SSD in a larger computer.

M.2 SSD

This is the smallest form of an SSD and is most common in tablets and other space-constrained devices, like small laptops. They are around the size of a stick of gum.

Final Thoughts

What is essential to know is that a solid state drive (SSD) is used to access memory quickly, and a hard disk drive (HDD) is much slower but generally more affordable. In conjunction, they can store different types of data that require different speeds of recall.

An SSD, as it doesn't require the physical finding of data, can be a lot smaller than an HDD, causing them to be used in laptops and other smaller devices. That's why they're in so many devices, and why a good SSD is so important.