Which SSD provides the fastest boot times for Intel Core i9?

Question

Hey everyone! I recently finished putting together a high-end build centered around an Intel Core i9-14900K and a Z790 motherboard. The performance in-game and during video rendering is absolutely incredible, but I’m a bit underwhelmed by my current boot times. I’m still using an older PCIe Gen3 NVMe drive from my previous setup, and it feels like a bottleneck for such a powerful CPU.

I’ve been diving into the specs of the latest Gen4 and Gen5 drives, but I’m getting conflicting info. I’m looking at options like the Samsung 990 Pro or the Crucial T705, but I’m not sure if the massive sequential speed jump in Gen5 actually translates to faster Windows startup times, or if it’s more about the 4K random read speeds. I really want to squeeze every bit of potential out of this i9 and get that 'instant-on' feeling when I hit the power button.

Since I’m building this specifically for speed, should I prioritize a drive with a dedicated DRAM cache, or is there a specific controller that plays better with Intel's latest architecture? For those of you running an i9, which specific SSD has given you the absolute fastest, snappiest boot performance?

SynergySasquatch · Accepted Answer

In my experience, moving from Gen3 to Gen5 sounds like it would be a massive jump, but for actual boot times? The difference is honestly pretty marginal. I built a similar rig with an i9 recently and tried out both Gen4 and Gen5. The thing is, Windows startup is way more dependent on those 4K random read speeds rather than the crazy 14,000 MB/s sequential numbers advertised on the box.

Basically, Gen5 drives like the Crucial T705 2TB PCIe Gen5 NVMe SSD are awesome for moving huge video files, but for booting? It's barely faster than a top-tier Gen4 drive and they run hot as hell. If you want that snappy, instant-on feel without overspending on tech that's still maturing, here's what I recommend:

* Samsung 990 Pro 2TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD: This is the gold standard tbh. It has a great DRAM cache and the random read performance is insane. It's usually around $170 and definately worth it for the reliability.
* SK hynix Platinum P41 2TB PCIe NVMe Gen4 SSD: I use this in my own i9 build. It's incredibly power efficient and feels way snappier than most Gen5 drives in real-world usage.
* WD_BLACK 2TB SN850X NVMe Internal Gaming SSD: Another solid pick with a dedicated cache that plays realy well with Intel chips.

Honestly, if youre already on a Z790, make sure you enable 'Fast Boot' in the BIOS too... that often makes more of a difference than the SSD itself lol. But yeah, sticking with a high-end Gen4 with DRAM is the smartest move for your wallet and your temps. gl!

IvyIllusionist · Answer

> I really want to squeeze every bit of potential out of this i9

Seconding the recommendation above! honestly Gen5 is overkill for booting. grab the Crucial T500 2TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 SSD instead—its way cheaper and feels just as snappy tbh

PineconePaladin · Answer

omg i have the exact same frustration right now... literally spent all weekend trying to optimize my bios settings because my i9 build is taking way longer to hit the desktop than i expected. ive been looking for a definitive answer on this for about three weeks and honestly it feels like everyone just says something different. its super annoying when you drop that much cash on a 14900k and it still feels like my old laptop boots faster lol. i still havent found anything that actually makes a noticeable difference and it is driving me crazy.