Acer Predator GM9000 SSD Review: Fast Sequential Speeds, Mixed Performance

Unleash Potential or Encounter Limitations? The GM9000's Dual Nature.

Acer's Foray into SSDs: A Closer Look at the Predator GM9000

Acer, a brand primarily recognized for its laptops and pre-built PCs, might not be the first name that comes to mind in the solid-state drive sector. Yet, the company has established an SSD line, including the Predator GM9000. It is crucial to note that these drives are not entirely Acer's creation but rather rebadged Biwin models, specifically manufactured for Acer's Predator gaming division. This collaboration leverages Biwin's expertise, allowing Acer to enter the storage market without the massive investment required for independent silicon and chip development, a challenging endeavor given the tight profit margins in this industry.

Technical Specifications and Performance Metrics of the GM9000

The GM9000 shares many core specifications with Biwin's Black Opal X570 Pro SSD. It features an M.2-2280 single-sided design and utilizes the cutting-edge PCIe 5.0 interface. Powering this drive is the highly regarded Silicon Motion SM2508 8-channel controller, coupled with Micron's 232-layer TLC NAND flash memory and a 2GB LPDDR4 DRAM cache. Officially, it boasts sequential read speeds of 14,000 MB/s and write speeds of 13,000 MB/s. Priced competitively at around $215 for the 2 TB variant, or £220 in the UK, it attempts to carve out a niche in the market.

Benchmarking the Predator GM9000: A Tale of Two Speeds

Laboratory tests reveal interesting performance characteristics for the GM9000. In CrystalDiskMark, its sequential speeds marginally surpass the Opal X570 Pro, achieving 14,278 MB/s for reads and 13,469 MB/s for writes. This represents an approximately 2.5% improvement, with the write speed notably faster by 400 MB/s. However, when it comes to random 4K performance, the drive struggles, with read speeds topping out at 86 MB/s and write speeds at 286 MB/s, falling short of its Biwin counterpart. These figures highlight a disparity between peak theoretical performance and more practical, everyday usage scenarios.

Real-World Performance and Thermal Considerations

Beyond synthetic benchmarks, the GM9000's real-world application performance, particularly in game loading, is somewhat underwhelming. For instance, loading Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers took approximately 8.025 seconds, a noticeable 18% slower than the Western Digital WD Black SN8100. Furthermore, the drive exhibits elevated operating temperatures, reaching up to 72°C under heavy load, making it one of the hotter drives in its class. This thermal characteristic necessitates adequate cooling, especially when considering its use in compact systems like laptops or game consoles, where a heatsink is not inherently included.

Overall Assessment and Market Position of the GM9000

The Acer Predator GM9000 emerges as a solid-state drive with a mixed performance profile. While it showcases impressive sequential speeds and is built around a reputable controller, its inconsistent random 4K performance, slower game load times, and higher operating temperatures prevent it from achieving flagship status. Despite its slightly more attractive pricing and technical warranty advantages over the X570 Pro, its limited market availability and the presence of superior alternatives at a similar or marginally higher cost make it a challenging recommendation for users seeking a comprehensive, high-performance storage solution for gaming and demanding applications.