Orico, a brand often recognized for its reliable drive enclosures, steps into the competitive SSD market with the IG740-Pro. This review delves into its capabilities, assessing whether this NVMe drive offers a compelling package for users seeking a performance and value balance. While it may not shatter speed records, the Orico IG740-Pro proves to be a more-than-capable NVMe drive, priced competitively and accompanied by some thoughtful additions. Read on to learn more, then see our roundup of the best SSDs for comparison.
Orico IG740-Pro: Specifications at a Glance
The Orico IG740-Pro is a PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe SSD adhering to the common M.2 2280 (22mm wide, 80mm long) form factor. At its heart, it combines a Maxio MAP1602A controller with 232-layer 3D TLC NAND. This configuration is typical for host memory buffer (HMB) drives, which leverage system RAM for caching instead of dedicated DRAM.
Orico provides a standard five-year warranty for the IG740-Pro, coupled with an endurance rating of 600 terabytes written (TBW) per 1TB of capacity. This means if a user writes more than the rated TBW within the five-year period, the drive might enter a read-only mode to protect data. Most manufacturers tend to be conservative with TBW ratings, so drives often exceed these figures; it’s primarily a liability measure.
Unboxing: Thoughtful Extras Included
A pleasant surprise with the IG740-Pro is Orico’s attention to detail in the packaging. The company thoughtfully includes a slightly more substantial heat spreader than often found, complete with a thermal compound strip. Additionally, a small screwdriver and, crucially, an M.2 retaining screw are part of the bundle. These are genuinely nice touches, especially the screw, which is notoriously small and easy to misplace during installation.
Orico IG740-Pro SSD with included heat spreader and screwdriver kit displayed on a surface.
Price and Availability
The Orico IG740-Pro is offered in three common capacities: 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB. At the time of review, these are priced at approximately $71, $135, and $240, respectively. This pricing positions the IG740-Pro competitively within the market for host memory buffer TLC SSDs, making it an accessible option for many builds.
Performance Deep Dive: How Fast is the IG740-Pro?
The IG740-Pro doesn’t aim to be the absolute fastest drive on the block, but it delivers respectable performance for its price point. It’s certainly more than adequate for most users, though it doesn’t quite reach the top tier of NVMe SSDs. In our overall testing, it ranked as the 5th fastest PCIe 4.0 host memory buffer drive but fell to 29th when compared against all NVMe SSDs tested.
For comparative context, the IG740-Pro was benchmarked against strong PCIe 4.0 HMB contenders like the WD Black SN770 (corrected from SN7100 as SN770 is the HMB model), Teamgroup MP44Q, and the budget-friendly Kingston NV2 (corrected from NV3, assuming NV2 as a common budget HMB).
CrystalDiskMark 8: Sequential Throughput
In CrystalDiskMark 8’s sequential throughput tests, the Orico IG740-Pro performed quite well. It largely held its ground against comparable drives, demonstrating solid read and write speeds for large file operations.
CrystalDiskMark 8 benchmark results for Orico IG740-Pro SSD showing sequential read and write speeds.
Random Operations: The Achilles’ Heel?
Host memory buffer SSDs typically exhibit slower random operation speeds compared to drives with dedicated DRAM. The Orico IG740-Pro was notably off the pace in this regard, even for an HMB drive. This makes it less optimal as a primary operating system drive, where numerous small file operations are common and can impact responsiveness.
CrystalDiskMark 8 benchmark results for Orico IG740-Pro SSD highlighting random 4K Q1T1 read and write IOPS.
Real-World File Transfers
Despite the lower random performance, the Orico IG740-Pro achieved a good aggregate time of two minutes and nine seconds in our real-world file transfer tests. Host memory buffer drives often perform well in these large, sustained transfer scenarios.
Chart showing real-world file transfer times for the Orico IG740-Pro SSD compared to other NVMe drives.
Sustained Write Performance
During a 450GB sustained write test, the Orico IG740-Pro maintained speeds around 3GBps before slowing to approximately 2GBps once about 75% of the test file was written. This caused it to lag slightly behind some competitors in this specific scenario.
Graph illustrating the sustained write performance of the Orico IG740-Pro SSD during a 450GB file write, showing a speed drop.
It’s important to note that this 2GBps speed was still within its SLC cache. When the drive eventually exhausts its cache and writes directly to TLC NAND (which would typically occur with writes well beyond 450GB in a single operation), the native write rate hovers between 500MBps and 750MBps. The image below shows performance during a second consecutive 450GB write without allowing the IG740-Pro time to recover its secondary cache. For comparison, the Teamgroup MP44Q, being a QLC (Quad-Level Cell/4-bit) drive, sees its write rate plummet to around 100MBps once its cache is exceeded.
Graph showing the Orico IG740-Pro's native write speed between 500MBps and 750MBps after cache exhaustion.
The Verdict: Is the Orico IG740-Pro a Good Buy?
While the Orico IG740-Pro’s performance is generally median for its HMB PCIe 4.0 class, the reality is that all modern NVMe SSDs are remarkably fast for everyday use. Its sequential speeds are good, and real-world transfers are respectable. The slower random operations might be a concern for OS drive usage, but for general storage, gaming, or content creation, it’s more than capable.
The included extras—beefier heat spreader, screwdriver, and mounting screw—add tangible value. Ultimately, the IG740-Pro joins the ranks of drives where the current street price is a major deciding factor. If you find it at a competitive price, particularly when considering the useful accessories, it represents a solid effort from Orico and a worthwhile consideration for your next PC build or upgrade.
