GIGABYTE AORUS 7300

If you're building a high-end gaming PC or upgrading your PlayStation 5, the GIGABYTE AORUS 7300 deserves your attention. This PCIe Gen 4.0 NVMe drive delivers blazing sequential speeds that rival Samsung's 990 Pro while typically costing less. It's positioned as a premium-tier drive that punches above its weight class—ideal for enthusiasts who want cutting-edge performance without paying the early adopter tax.

Product Overview

The AORUS 7300 is an M.2 2280 form factor drive, meaning it fits standard motherboard M.2 slots found in most modern desktops and laptops. Under the hood, it uses the Phison E18 controller—a battle-tested chip known for delivering consistent high-speed performance—paired with 3D TLC NAND flash memory. This combination offers an excellent balance: TLC provides durability and speed at a reasonable cost, while the E18 controller has proven itself reliable across multiple drive families from various manufacturers.

Available in capacities ranging from 1TB to 4TB, this drive targets users who need both space and speed. The larger capacities also benefit from higher endurance ratings, making them suitable for content creators who frequently write large video files or gamers who constantly install and delete massive game libraries.

Performance & "Real World" Speed

GIGABYTE advertises up to 7,300 MB/s sequential read speeds and approximately 6,850 MB/s writes (exact specs vary by capacity). To put this in perspective: that's roughly 14 times faster than a SATA SSD and 50 times faster than a traditional hard drive.

What does this mean for you? Game load times shrink dramatically—think loading into Cyberpunk 2077 or Call of Duty in 10-15 seconds instead of 30-40. Windows boots almost instantly. Transferring a 50GB game file from this drive to another fast drive takes under a minute instead of several. If you work with 4K video editing or 3D rendering, project file loads become near-instantaneous.

Compared to older PCIe Gen 3 drives (which max out around 3,500 MB/s), the difference is noticeable but not night-and-day for most gaming scenarios. Where the AORUS 7300 truly shines is in sustained workloads—copying massive files, decompressing game assets, or loading open-world games with streaming textures. The drive also includes a DRAM cache (a dedicated memory chip that speeds up file indexing), which prevents slowdowns when handling thousands of small files.

Thermal Management

Here's the catch with Gen 4 drives: speed generates heat. The Phison E18 controller can get hot under heavy sustained loads, and when temperatures exceed safe thresholds (typically around 70-80°C), the drive will thermal throttle—intentionally slowing down to prevent damage.

The AORUS 7300 is available in two versions: with or without a factory-installed heatsink. If your motherboard already has M.2 heatsink covers (most gaming boards from 2020 onward do), the bare drive works fine. If you're installing this in a laptop or an older motherboard without cooling, opt for the heatsink version or add an aftermarket heatsink. Without proper cooling, you'll lose 20-30% performance during long file transfers or demanding games.

For most desktop users with modern motherboards, the included motherboard heatsink is sufficient. Just ensure there's adequate airflow in your case—a single case fan moving air across the motherboard helps tremendously.

Compatibility: PC, PS5 & Consoles

PC Compatibility: The AORUS 7300 works with any motherboard that has an M.2 slot supporting PCIe 4.0 or 3.0 (it's backward compatible with Gen 3, just at reduced speeds). This includes Intel systems from 11th Gen onward and AMD Ryzen 3000 series and newer.

PlayStation 5: This drive IS fully compatible with the PS5's internal expansion slot. Sony requires Gen 4 drives with at least 5,500 MB/s read speeds, and the AORUS 7300 exceeds this requirement. Critical note: You must install a heatsink before using it in the PS5. Sony's slot requires a heatsink due to tight clearances and heat buildup. Buy the heatsink version or purchase a slim third-party PS5-compatible heatsink separately.

Xbox Series X/S: This drive is NOT compatible with Xbox internal storage expansion. Microsoft uses proprietary Seagate expansion cards that plug into a dedicated port on the back of the console. The AORUS 7300 can work as external USB storage for backwards-compatible Xbox One games, but not for native Series X/S titles.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Pros:

• Excellent sequential speeds that rival drives costing $30-50 more

• Strong endurance ratings: The 2TB model offers 1,400 TBW (terabytes written), meaning you could write 190GB daily for 20 years

• PS5-ready with a heatsink installed

• Proven Phison E18 controller with stable firmware

• Competitive 5-year warranty

Cons:

• Price fluctuates significantly—wait for sales to maximize value

• Requires active cooling to maintain peak performance

• High power consumption (7-8W under load) compared to more efficient Gen 4 drives like the WD SN850X

• Intense competition: Samsung 990 Pro often goes on sale for similar prices with better brand recognition

• Not the absolute fastest Gen 4 option anymore (Gen 5 drives now exist, though they're overkill for gaming)

Verdict: Should You Buy It?

Buy this if:

• You're building or upgrading a gaming PC and want Gen 4 speeds without spending $150+ on a 1TB drive

• You need PS5 expansion storage and can find this drive on sale with a heatsink

• You value high endurance and plan to use this as your primary OS/applications drive

• Your motherboard has good M.2 cooling already in place

Skip this if:

• You can find the Samsung 990 Pro or WD SN850X for within $10 of the same price (Samsung's reputation and firmware updates provide extra peace of mind)

• You're on a tight budget—a good Gen 3 drive like the WD Blue SN570 costs half as much and performs nearly as well for everyday gaming

• You're building a compact ITX system with poor airflow (consider a more efficient drive like the SK hynix P41)

• You need Xbox Series X/S internal storage (you have no choice but to buy Microsoft's expansion card)

The AORUS 7300 occupies a smart position in the market: it's not the flashiest or most expensive option, but it delivers flagship-tier performance for midrange-flagship pricing. For most gamers and power users, the speed difference between this and drives costing 30% more is academic. If you catch it on sale and your system can keep it cool, it's one of the best value propositions in the Gen 4 space.