The Orico IG740-Pro delivers solid performance and exceptional power efficiency with its YMTC TLC flash and Maxio controller, though its dated hardware and uncertain availability make it a situational budget pick.
The Orico IG740-Pro represents an interesting entry in the budget SSD market, combining decent performance with excellent power efficiency in a single-sided M.2 2280 form factor. While the hardware isn't cutting-edge, it delivers reliable results that make it worth considering for budget-conscious buyers.
Hardware and Specifications
The drive features YMTC's 232-layer TLC NAND flash paired with Maxio's MAP1602 controller, a four-channel DRAM-less solution that can saturate PCIe 4.0 x4 bandwidth. This combination has appeared in several drives recently, including the Lexar NM790, and delivers solid baseline performance.
Available in 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB capacities, the IG740-Pro offers sequential read speeds up to 7,450 MB/s and write speeds up to 6,500 MB/s. Random performance reaches 1,000K/800K IOPS for read/write operations. The 1TB model we tested comes with a five-year warranty covering 600TBW, which is standard for TLC-based drives.
Performance Analysis
In real-world testing, the IG740-Pro delivers performance that's competitive with other budget drives but doesn't quite match newer offerings like the Crucial P310 or SanDisk WD Blue SN5100. Where it excels is power efficiency - the drive runs remarkably cool and draws minimal power, making it ideal for laptops and small form factor builds.
The single-sided design adds versatility, ensuring compatibility with systems that have clearance issues around the M.2 slot. This design choice, combined with the drive's thermal characteristics, means you won't need elaborate cooling solutions even in compact builds.
Market Context and Availability
Orico's approach here mirrors trends we've seen from other budget manufacturers like Kingston's NV3 series - using variable hardware configurations to optimize costs. There have been reports of QLC variants of this drive, though our 1TB sample used TLC flash. The 512GB model would almost certainly use TLC given current flash density economics.
Pricing remains the biggest question mark. While not officially listed in the US market, the 1TB should target around $150, competing with drives like the Biwin Black Opal NV7400 and Lexar NQ780. The challenge is catching it in stock at that price point.
Final Thoughts
The IG740-Pro won't win any speed records, but it offers a compelling package for budget builds where power efficiency and thermal performance matter. The five-year warranty provides peace of mind, and the single-sided design adds practical value. However, the dated hardware and uncertain availability mean it's best viewed as a situational pick rather than a go-to recommendation.
For users prioritizing absolute performance or those wanting the latest controller technology, newer drives with BiCS8 QLC or updated controller designs might be worth the premium. But for budget builds where efficiency and reliability matter more than cutting-edge speeds, the IG740-Pro deserves consideration - if you can find it at the right price.
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