FanXiang S660

Introduction

If you've been shopping for affordable PCIe 4.0 NVMe storage, you've probably already bumped into the paradox of modern SSD pricing—mainstream brands charge premium rates for what's become commodity technology, while unfamiliar names from Chinese manufacturers offer similar specifications at prices that make you wonder what's wrong with them. The FanXiang S660 lands squarely in the latter category, arriving as this relatively unknown brand's answer to anyone seeking multi-terabyte Gen 4 storage without depleting their savings account. Available in capacities from 500GB all the way up to 4TB, the S660 targets budget-conscious PC builders, PS5 owners looking to expand their console storage, and anyone who refuses to pay the Samsung tax for everyday file storage needs. With claimed speeds reaching up to 5000MB/s read and 4500MB/s write—paired with a heatsink in the box and a five-year warranty promise—this drive positions itself as the storage market's equivalent of a no-name smartphone that somehow checks all the spec sheet boxes.

Product Overview

The FanXiang S660 is built around a MaxioTech MAP1608A-F3C controller paired with 128-layer TLC NAND from YMTC, which is the Chinese memory manufacturer that Western tech enthusiasts have been watching with a mixture of curiosity and skepticism. This isn't just any budget controller slapped onto generic flash chips—it's a DRAM-less architecture that relies on Host Memory Buffer technology and a dynamic SLC cache to maintain performance, the same approach you'll find in the Crucial P3 Plus and dozens of other value-oriented drives. The drive measures a standard 80mm in the M.2 2280 form factor, roughly the length of a stick of gum but considerably thinner, and FanXiang wraps this hardware in a single-sided design that keeps all components on one face of the PCB. Unlike flashier competitors, there's no elaborate branding or RGB nonsense here—just a simple product label on the back and exposed components on the front that reveal exactly what you're getting.

What sets this package apart from most budget drives is the inclusion of a full aluminum heatsink with thermal pads, a tiny screwdriver, and even the M.2 mounting screw in the box. This isn't pre-installed—you'll need to attach it yourself—but the fact that FanXiang bothers to include genuine cooling hardware rather than forcing you to either run the drive bare or source your own heatsink demonstrates a level of thoughtfulness you don't always see at this price point. The heatsink itself sports the FanXiang logo and adds noticeable bulk to the drive once installed, transforming it from a slim bare board into something that actually looks like it belongs in a gaming rig. Available capacities span from 500GB through 1TB, 2TB, and up to 4TB, with the larger capacities offering progressively better endurance ratings—the 1TB model is rated for 700TBW, the 2TB for 1400TBW, and the massive 4TB variant claims 2800TBW. FanXiang backs the S660 with a five-year warranty, at least according to the packaging, though the company's spotty web presence and lack of clear warranty claim procedures means you're taking this promise largely on faith.

Performance & Real World Speed

FanXiang claims the S660 delivers up to 5000MB/s sequential read speeds and up to 4500MB/s sequential write speeds when connected to a PCIe 4.0 x4 interface, with the caveat that performance drops to around 3500MB/s if you plug this into an older PCIe 3.0 slot. These are respectable if unspectacular numbers for a Gen 4 drive, putting the S660 roughly in the middle of the pack for budget-tier storage—faster than SATA and PCIe 3.0 drives by a comfortable margin, but nowhere near the 7000MB/s+ territory occupied by flagship Gen 4 drives with DRAM caches. In real-world testing conducted by independent reviewers, the S660 generally delivers on these promises during burst operations, hitting close to rated speeds when copying files that fit within its SLC cache. The 1TB model features a generous 168GB cache according to technical specifications, which means you can hammer it with moderately sized file transfers without immediately seeing performance collapse.

Once that cache fills up, however, the S660 reveals its budget-tier nature in dramatic fashion. Post-cache write speeds plummet to around 1400MB/s according to benchmark data, which is still faster than a SATA SSD but represents less than a third of the drive's peak performance. The cache folding process—moving data from the fast SLC cache to the slower underlying TLC storage—completes at a glacial 530MB/s, suggesting this drive would struggle if you frequently hammer it with sustained large file transfers that exceed the cache capacity. For typical consumer workloads involving game installs, occasional video file transfers, and general operating system duties, these limitations rarely surface in a way that's perceptible. A 100GB game installation completes in minutes rather than seconds, boot times remain snappy, and application loading feels indistinguishable from more expensive drives. Where you'll notice the S660's compromises is during extended video editing sessions with 4K footage, massive bulk file transfers exceeding 200GB, or any scenario where you're continuously writing data that overwhelms the cache buffer.

The DRAM-less design also means random performance takes a hit compared to drives sporting dedicated cache memory. Small file operations and database-style workloads show this limitation more clearly than sequential transfers, though again, the Host Memory Buffer technology helps mitigate the worst of it by borrowing system RAM. If you're running this as a boot drive in a system with adequate RAM, the performance delta between the S660 and a DRAM-equipped drive shrinks considerably. But if you're planning to use this in a laptop with 8GB of memory or a server environment with heavy random I/O, you're better off spending more on a drive with its own DRAM cache.

Build Quality & Durability

FanXiang may not have the brand recognition of Samsung or Western Digital, but the S660's physical construction suggests this isn't a fly-by-night operation churning out garbage. The included heatsink features proper aluminum construction with visible fins for heat dissipation, and the thermal pads feel appropriately thick rather than being paper-thin afterthoughts. The M.2 PCB itself appears cleanly manufactured with components that sit flush and solder joints that look professional under close inspection—nothing about the hardware screams "bargain basement" once you get past the unfamiliar brand name. That said, the single-sided design means all the NAND chips sit on one face of the board, which can concentrate heat in a smaller area compared to double-sided drives, making that included heatsink more necessity than luxury if you're planning any sustained workloads.

The real durability question mark hangs over the warranty and long-term support rather than the physical hardware. FanXiang's warranty claims sound generous on paper—five years or the rated TBW, whichever comes first—but actually exercising that warranty requires dealing with a company that barely maintains an online presence and has virtually no established customer service infrastructure in Western markets. The S660 isn't even listed on FanXiang's own website according to some reviews, which raises uncomfortable questions about what happens if you need warranty support three years from now. The endurance ratings themselves appear reasonable for TLC NAND at these capacities, neither suspiciously high nor worryingly low, and the YMTC flash has shown decent reliability in other budget drives despite being a relatively new player in the NAND manufacturing game. For a secondary storage drive holding game libraries or media files—content you can easily replace if disaster strikes—the S660's durability profile seems acceptable. As a boot drive holding irreplaceable data, you'd be wise to maintain aggressive backup procedures regardless of any warranty promises.

Compatibility

The FanXiang S660 is a standard M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 NVMe drive, which means it works with virtually any modern desktop motherboard, laptop, or PlayStation 5 that includes an M.2 slot—no proprietary nonsense or platform exclusivity to worry about here. Installation follows the typical M.2 procedure of sliding the drive into the slot at a thirty-degree angle, pressing down, and securing it with the included mounting screw, though you'll want to attach the heatsink first if your motherboard doesn't already have built-in M.2 cooling. For PS5 owners specifically, the S660 meets Sony's minimum speed requirements of 5500MB/s once you account for the PS5's decompression architecture, and the included heatsink keeps temperatures in check within the console's confined M.2 bay. You'll need to format the drive through the PS5's storage management interface upon first installation, after which it functions identically to the console's internal storage for PS5 games.

The drive works equally well in Windows, Linux, and macOS systems—assuming your Mac has user-accessible M.2 slots, which rules out most Apple Silicon machines but includes older Intel models and Mac Pros. On PCs, you'll get the full PCIe 4.0 performance if your motherboard and CPU support Gen 4 speeds, typically anything from AMD Ryzen 3000 series or Intel 11th generation and newer. Plug this into an older PCIe 3.0 system and performance drops to around 3500MB/s, which is still respectable but undermines the value proposition of buying a Gen 4 drive in the first place. The DRAM-less design with Host Memory Buffer means performance scales somewhat with your system's available RAM, so this drive performs noticeably better in a system with 16GB or 32GB compared to a memory-starved laptop with 8GB.

One critical compatibility note for PS5 users—while the S660 technically works with the heatsink installed, the combined height pushes right up against Sony's dimensional limits for the expansion bay. Most users report no issues, but if you have an especially tight-fitting PS5 chassis or slightly warped heatsink, you might find yourself needing to apply extra pressure to get the expansion bay cover to close properly. The alternative is running the drive without the heatsink in the PS5's bay, which isn't recommended given how hot these drives can get under sustained use. For PC builders, the heatsink height is a non-issue unless you're working in an extremely low-profile chassis where even standard M.2 heatsinks cause clearance problems.

Strengths & Weaknesses

The FanXiang S660's greatest strength lies in delivering genuinely adequate PCIe 4.0 performance at a price point that undercuts mainstream brands by thirty to fifty percent. At typical street prices—hovering around fifty to seventy dollars for 1TB depending on sales—this drive offers twice the storage capacity per dollar compared to Samsung's 980 Pro or WD's Black SN850X. For users building budget gaming PCs or expanding PS5 storage on a tight budget, that value proposition is genuinely compelling, particularly when you factor in the included heatsink that would cost another fifteen to twenty dollars if purchased separately. The drive's performance during typical gaming and productivity workloads proves entirely satisfactory, with game load times, application launches, and file transfers feeling indistinguishable from premium drives in everyday use. The five-year warranty—assuming it can actually be exercised—provides at least theoretical long-term coverage that matches what you'd get from tier-one brands.

The generous capacity options deserve specific praise, with the 4TB variant offering massive storage at prices that historically would have gotten you maybe 1TB from a name-brand manufacturer. For media hoarders, game collectors with hundreds of Steam titles, and content creators working with large video files, having four terabytes of reasonably fast NVMe storage without spending four hundred dollars represents genuine progress in storage accessibility. The fact that FanXiang bothers to include quality-of-life extras like the installation screwdriver and thermal pads suggests someone at the company actually thought about the user experience rather than just shipping bare drives in antistatic bags.

However, the S660 isn't without notable limitations that keep it firmly in budget-tier territory. The lack of DRAM cache means random performance trails behind more expensive drives in workloads involving small files and database operations, even if sequential speeds look competitive on spec sheets. That dramatic post-cache write speed collapse to 1400MB/s becomes a genuine annoyance if you regularly transfer files exceeding 150GB, turning what should be quick operations into patience tests. The YMTC NAND, while apparently reliable so far, lacks the decades-long track record of Micron, Samsung, or Kioxia flash, introducing an element of uncertainty about long-term reliability that may or may not prove warranted. The Phison PS5021-E21T controller used in the 4TB model and the MaxioTech MAP1608A-F3C in smaller capacities are both competent budget chips, but neither offers the advanced power management or endurance features found in premium controllers.

FanXiang's virtually nonexistent brand presence and customer support infrastructure represents the biggest practical concern. The five-year warranty sounds reassuring until you try to figure out how to actually submit a warranty claim and realize the company barely maintains a functioning website, let alone a proper RMA process. For a drive holding replaceable data this might not matter much, but using the S660 as your primary boot drive with important files means accepting you're essentially on your own if the hardware fails. The competition at this price point includes drives from TeamGroup, Silicon Power, and Crucial's P3 Plus—brands with somewhat better established support channels and more transparent warranty processes, even if their hardware specifications look nearly identical to the S660's.

Verdict: Should You Buy It?

Buy this if: you're building a budget gaming PC or expanding your PlayStation 5 storage and need multiple terabytes of reasonably fast NVMe storage without spending premium prices, particularly if you primarily use the drive for game libraries and media files that can be easily replaced if disaster strikes, you appreciate getting a functional heatsink included in the box rather than buying one separately, you understand the performance limitations of DRAM-less drives and don't regularly perform sustained large file transfers that exceed the SLC cache capacity, or you're willing to trade brand recognition and established customer support for significantly lower cost per gigabyte.

Skip this if: you need absolutely maximum sustained write performance for professional video editing or constant large file transfers that will overwhelm the SLC cache, you want the peace of mind that comes with tier-one brand support and established warranty claim processes, you're looking for a boot drive to hold critical irreplaceable data and prefer the reliability track record of established NAND manufacturers over cost savings, you already own a PCIe 3.0 system where the Gen 4 capabilities provide no benefit over cheaper Gen 3 drives, or you prefer spending more to ensure you're getting proven controller and NAND combinations with years of reliability data behind them.