Crucial T705 Gen5 NVMe SSD - Prices and Deals 2026

The fastest consumer SSD available. 14,500 MB/s speeds at surprisingly competitive pricing.

Quick Answer+

The Crucial T705 is the fastest consumer SSD in 2026, pushing PCIe 5.0 to its limits with 14,500 MB/s read speeds. At $240 for 2TB, it's surprisingly competitive - actually cheaper than the older T700 while being 17% faster. Uses Micron's 232-layer TLC NAND with an optimized Phison E26 controller. Critical: Requires excellent cooling (heatsink not included). Best for: content creators, video editors, and professionals who need maximum sequential bandwidth.

Key Takeaways:
  • Fastest consumer SSD - 14,500 MB/s read
  • Cheaper than T700 despite being faster
  • Heatsink NOT included - must add cooling
  • 2TB sweet spot at $240 ($120/TB)
  • Best for video editing and large file transfers

The Crucial T705 is the fastest consumer SSD money can buy in 2026. With sequential read speeds up to 14,500 MB/s, it pushes PCIe 5.0 to within 3% of its theoretical maximum.

What makes the T705 remarkable is value. Aggressive pricing has made it cheaper than the older T700 while delivering 17% higher performance. At $240 for 2TB, the T705 undercuts many slower Gen5 drives and even some Gen4 flagships.

Critical requirement: The T705 does NOT include a heatsink and generates significant heat under load. Quality cooling is mandatory. Ensure your motherboard has robust M.2 cooling or add an aftermarket heatsink. For drives that include heatsinks, see our NVMe SSD comparison.

Crucial T705 Specifications

Specification1TB2TB4TB
Sequential Read14,100 MB/s14,500 MB/s14,100 MB/s
Sequential Write10,200 MB/s12,700 MB/s12,600 MB/s
Random Read1,400K IOPS1,550K IOPS1,550K IOPS
Random Write1,750K IOPS1,800K IOPS1,800K IOPS
Endurance (TBW)600 TBW1,200 TBW2,400 TBW
NAND TypeMicron 232-Layer 3D TLC
DRAM CacheYes (DDR4)
ControllerPhison E26 (Optimized)
InterfacePCIe Gen 5 x4, NVMe 2.0
Form FactorM.2 2280
Power (Active)10W11W12W
Heatsink IncludedNo - Required separately
Warranty5 Years

T705 Key Features

14,500 MB/s - Fastest Consumer SSD

Pushes PCIe 5.0 to its limits. Within 3% of theoretical maximum bandwidth.

Speed King

Exceptional Value

Faster than T700 yet cheaper. Best price-to-performance in the Gen5 category.

Smart Buy

Micron 232-Layer NAND

Cutting-edge flash memory from Crucial parent company with excellent endurance.

Quality Components

Optimized Phison E26

Same platform as T700 with firmware optimizations for more performance.

Peak Performance

Up to 4TB Capacity

Massive fast storage for professionals. Best dollar per TB at 4TB ($115/TB).

High Capacity

Content Creator Ideal

Video editing, 3D rendering, and large file operations see genuine improvements.

Professional Grade

Warning: Cooling is Mandatory - No Heatsink Included

The T705 generates more heat than the T700 due to higher performance. Without proper cooling, expect thermal throttling within 1-2 minutes of sustained load.

Temperature comparison:

  • Idle: 48C (bare) vs 38C (with heatsink)
  • Light load: 72C (bare) vs 50C (with heatsink)
  • Sustained write: 100C+ throttling (bare) vs 68C stable (with heatsink)

Solutions: Use your motherboard M.2 heatsink (most Z790/X670E boards include quality options), or add an aftermarket heatsink from Thermalright, be quiet!, or similar brands.

T705 vs Competition

DrivePrice (2TB)Seq. ReadGeneration
Crucial T705$24014,500 MB/sGen5
Crucial T700$35412,400 MB/sGen5
SK Hynix P51$38914,700 MB/sGen5
Samsung 990 Pro$3087,450 MB/sGen4

Key insight: The T705 is faster than drives costing $100+ more. Compare with our full NVMe SSD rankings.

T705 vs T700: The Crucial Comparison

Surprisingly, the newer T705 is both faster AND cheaper than the T700:

T705 Advantages:

  • 17% faster sequential reads (14,500 vs 12,400 MB/s)
  • Lower price ($240 vs $354 for 2TB)
  • Better overall value proposition

T700 Advantages:

  • Heatsink included (HS version)
  • 2+ years proven reliability track record
  • Slightly lower thermal output

Our Recommendation: If you have quality cooling already, get the T705. If you want the heatsink included, the T700 remains solid.

Best Use Cases for T705

Ideal Users

Video Editors: Timeline scrubbing with 4K/8K footage, faster exports, and near-instant media ingest. The 14,500 MB/s bandwidth dramatically accelerates these workflows.

3D Artists: Scene loading, texture streaming, and reduced iteration time. Large project files benefit enormously from maximum bandwidth.

Data Professionals: Database operations, data transformation pipelines, and model training data loading see meaningful improvements.

Overkill For

Gaming: The T705 saves 0.5-1.5 seconds per game load versus Gen4. Nice, but rarely justifies the premium. The Samsung 990 Pro delivers nearly identical gaming performance.

General Computing: Web browsing, office work, and typical apps do not need 14,500 MB/s.

PS5: The console caps at Gen4 speeds. Buy a Gen4 drive from our PS5 SSD guide instead.

Platform Requirements

The T705 requires a PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot for full performance:

  • Intel 12th Gen (Z690): Check motherboard for Gen5 M.2 slot
  • Intel 13th/14th Gen (Z790): Full support
  • AMD Ryzen 7000 (X670E/B650E): Full support
  • AMD Ryzen 7000 (X670/B650): Often Gen4 only - verify specs
  • Older platforms: Runs at Gen4/Gen3 speeds - buy Gen4 instead

Important: If your system lacks Gen5 support, the T705 becomes an expensive Gen4 drive. Verify compatibility before purchasing.

Which Capacity Should You Buy?

1TB ($173): Entry into top-tier Gen5. Good for boot drive with secondary storage. Lower write speeds than 2TB/4TB models. See 1TB options.

2TB ($240) - Recommended: The sweet spot. Full 14,500 MB/s performance, best balance of capacity and price. Ideal for most professionals. Compare with 2TB drives.

4TB ($460): Maximum capacity with best dollar per TB ($115/TB vs $120/TB for 2TB). Perfect for video editors with large project files.

All Crucial T705 Prices - Sorted by $/TB

Compare all T705 capacity options. Prices updated hourly from Amazon.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Crucial T705 the fastest SSD?

For consumers, yes. The T705 14,500 MB/s sequential read is the highest available in a consumer M.2 drive. Only enterprise SSDs in U.2/U.3 form factors exceed it.

Does the T705 need a heatsink?

Absolutely mandatory. The T705 does NOT include a heatsink and reaches 100C+ within 1-2 minutes under sustained load without cooling. Use your motherboard M.2 heatsink or add an aftermarket solution.

Why is the T705 cheaper than the T700?

Aggressive pricing and manufacturing maturity. The T705 launched later with optimized production. Crucial positioned it competitively to capture market share. This pricing may not last.

Can I use the T705 in my PS5?

Yes, but wasteful. PS5 only supports Gen4 speeds (~7,000 MB/s), so you lose half the T705 capability. Buy a Samsung 990 Pro or WD SN850X for PS5 instead.

T705 vs Samsung 990 Pro?

Depends on use case. For gaming, the 990 Pro (Gen4) delivers nearly identical load times at lower cost with less heat. For video editing and large file transfers, the T705 doubled bandwidth provides real workflow improvements.

Is 14,500 MB/s overkill?

For most users, yes. Sequential bandwidth matters primarily for large file transfers and content creation. However, the T705 competitive pricing means you are not paying much premium for overkill.

What size T705 should I buy?

2TB ($240) is the sweet spot with full performance, great value, and enough capacity for most needs. 4TB ($460) offers best dollar per TB for professionals with large files.

How hot does the T705 run?

Very hot without cooling. Bare drive reaches 100C+ under sustained load (throttles). With quality heatsink: 55-68C under load (stable). Adequate cooling is essential.