--- description: The Sabrent Rocket 2230 does everything it can to be an excellent performer in such a small package with fair pricing and generous warranty. title: Sabrent Rocket 2230 NVMe SSD Review image: https://www.storagereview.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/StorageReview-Sabrent-Rocket-2230-3.jpg --- [![Storage Review]()](https://storagereview.com/) --- [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/@storagereview) [X (Twitter)](https://twitter.twitter.com/storagereview) [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/storagereview/) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/storagereview-com) [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/user/storagereview?sub_confirmation=1) [Email](mailto:info@storagereview.com) [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/1y6VnznABhHeOSMOmbDTz0) [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/StorageReview/) [Discord](https://discord.gg/TwMHb4azdC) [RSS Feed](https://www.storagereview.com/rss.xml) [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@storagereview) [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/@storagereview) [X (Twitter)](https://twitter.com/storagereview) [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/storagereview/) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/storagereview-com) [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/user/storagereview?sub_confirmation=1) [Email](mailto:info@storagereview.com) [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/1y6VnznABhHeOSMOmbDTz0) [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/StorageReview/) [Discord](https://discord.gg/TwMHb4azdC) [RSS Feed](https://www.storagereview.com/rss.xml) [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@storagereview) [![StorageReview.com](https://www.storagereview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Storage-Review-2x.png)](https://www.storagereview.com) ≡ Menu - [Home](https://www.storagereview.com/) - [Storage Reviews](https://www.storagereview.com/review) - [Consumer Reviews](https://www.storagereview.com/consumer) - [Enterprise Reviews](https://www.storagereview.com/enterprise) - [Ubiquiti Reviews](https://www.storagereview.com/best/ubiquiti-reviews) - [SR Merch](https://store.storagereview.com) - [Leaderboards](https://www.storagereview.com/best) - [Best Storage Arrays](https://www.storagereview.com/best/storage-arrays) - [Best Enterprise SSDs](https://www.storagereview.com/best/enterprise-ssds) - [Best Servers](https://www.storagereview.com/best/servers) - [Best Desktops for Local AI](https://www.storagereview.com/best/desktops-local-ai) - [Best Laptops for Local AI](https://www.storagereview.com/best/laptops-local-ai) - [Best Local LLM Tools](https://www.storagereview.com/best/local-llm-tools) - [Agentic AI Hardware](https://www.storagereview.com/best/agentic-ai-hardware) - [Best SSDs & Hard Drives](https://www.storagereview.com/best_drives) - [Best Portable SSDs](https://www.storagereview.com/best/portable-ssds) - [Best Business Laptops](https://www.storagereview.com/best/business-laptops) - [Best Mobile Workstations](https://www.storagereview.com/best/mobile-workstations) - [Best Desktop Workstations](https://www.storagereview.com/best/desktop-workstations) - [Best Laptop Battery Life](https://www.storagereview.com/best/laptop-battery-life) - [Storage Reference Guide](https://www.storagereview.com/storage-reference-guide) - [About SR](https://www.storagereview.com/about-storagereview) - [StorageReview.com Sweepstakes Rules and Regulations](https://www.storagereview.com/storagereview-com-sweepstakes-rules-and-regulations) Search [Home](https://www.storagereview.com/) » [Review](https://www.storagereview.com/review) » Sabrent Rocket 2230 NVMe SSD Review # Sabrent Rocket 2230 NVMe SSD Review by Charles P. Jefferies on January 11, 2023 [Client SSD](https://www.storagereview.com/consumer/client-ssd)  ◇  [Consumer](https://www.storagereview.com/consumer) The Sabrent Rocket 2230 is an M.2 SSD designed for laptops and devices like the Steam Deck that use M.2 2230 (30mm) length drives. It has a Gen4 interface, 176-layer TLC NAND, and surprisingly high capacities up to 1TB. We put it through its paces in our test system and the Steam Deck. ![Sabrent Rocket 2230](https://www.storagereview.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/StorageReview-Sabrent-Rocket-2230-3.jpg) ## Sabrent Rocket 2230 Specifications The Sabrent Rocket 2230 is essentially the little brother of the [Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus](https://www.storagereview.com/review/sabrent-rocket-4-plus-ssd-review-update). Like that drive, the Rocket 2230 uses 176-layer Micron B47R 3D NAND TLC flash memory and a PCIe Gen4 interface, though it uses a different controller, the Phison E21T. ![Sabrent Rocket 2230 back]() The Rocket 2230 offers capacities of 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB, the latter impressive since this drive is just 30mm long. Sabrent has also confirmed plans to release a 2TB version of the drive as well. Performance claims are also impressive; Sabrent claims sequential speeds up to 5,000MB/s read and 3,700MB/s write for the 512GB model and 4,750MB/s read and 4,300MB/s write for the 1TB model. MTBF is rated at 1.5 million hours for all models, with up to 600TBW for the 1TB drive. Sabrent offers a commendable 5-year standard warranty with registration. Amazon pricing is $49.99 for the 256GB model ([link](https://amzn.to/3QOpKyo)), $89.99 for 512GB ([link](https://amzn.to/3XIcE8f)), and $159.99 for 1TB ([link](https://amzn.to/3XDCcmL)). The Rocket 2230’s specifications are as follows. | **Model** | **SB-2130-256** | **SB-2130-512** | **SB-2130-1TB** | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | **Capacity** | 256GB | 512GB | 1TB | | **NAND** | B47R | | | | **Controller** | Phison E21 | | | | **Interface** | PCIe Gen4x4 | | | | **Max Sequential Read** | 4,650MB/s | 5,000MB/s | 4,750MB/s | | **Max Sequential Write** | 1,900MB/s | 3,700MB/s | 4,300MB/s | | **Random 4KQD32 Read IOPS** | 220K | 440K | 450K | | **Random 4KQD32 Write IOPS** | 470K | 520K | 545K | | **Power Consumption R/W** | R 3550/W 2800 (mW) | R 4000/W 4000 (mW) | R 4150/W 4300 (mW) | | **Power Supply** | 3.3V | | | | **Form Factor** | M.2 2230 | | | | **Operating Temperature** | 0-70C | | | | **MTBF** | 1.5 million hours | | | | **Shock Resistant** | 1500G | | | | **Data Correction** | LDPC | | | | **Warranty** | 5 years with registration | | | | **TBW** | 200 | 300 | 600 | ## Sabrent Rocket 2230 Steam Deck Installation Installation of the Sabrent drive into the Steam Deck was very easy. Taking less than 15 minutes from start to finish excluding cloning time, this upgrade is something in reach to anyone with the proper tools – a #0 Philips screwdriver, a non-marring pry tool, and a guitar pick. Since Sabrent is clearly targeting Steam Deck owners looking for an upgrade, it would be nice to see them offer these three simple tools as a selectable option for a couple of dollars more for those who may not have them on hand. ![Sabrent Rocket 2230 steam deck]() Prior to installing the new drive, you can make the choice of either cloning your existing installation or start fresh from a flash drive. We had a pair of Sabrent M.2 USB Type-C enclosures and used balenaEtcher to clone the drives using a laptop since it was the quickest way to get up and running. It copies over everything; all the games, cache files, and boots are ready to play after the swap. If you don’t have a pair of enclosures or a machine with a spare M.2 slots, you can just drop the drive in and do a clean install which [Valve has outlined here](https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/1b71-edf2-eb6d-2bb3). ![]() After the clone, it only took another few minutes to pop in the new Sabrent drive, put the screws back in, and boot the deck. Take care to make sure all of the case clips around the edges are fully engaged prior to installing the screws, and this will make sure everything goes back together as intended structurally and will reduce the risk of stripping out the case screws that go into the plastic. ![]() ## Sabrent Rocket 2230 Steam Deck Benchmarks Drive benching on the deck was straightforward as the built-in package manager in Desktop mode has KDiskMark, which is a port of CrystalDiskMark. We were able to test 4 drives in the deck for the comparison to show just how well this new drive from Sabrent performs. Note that the Stock 64GB drive is a SATA interface, so if you have this model, you will really notice the increased performance from the PCIe NVMe upgrade. | Drive | Read MB/s | Write MB/s | | --- | --- | --- | | Sabrent Rocket 1TB | 3,542.49 | 3,221.80 | | OEM Drive 1TB | 2,881.31 | 2,846.70 | | Stock 256GB | 2,296.99 | 746.63 | | Stock 64GB SATA | 281.59 | 193.92 | ![]() Performance of the new Sabrent Rocket 2230 NVMe SSD ![]() Performance representation of 1tb drive that can be get from other OEM solutions ![]() Stock 256GB SteamDeck Drive ![]() Stock 64GB SATA SteamDeck Drive After upgrading from the stock NVMe drive, the Steam Deck had a faster feel when installing games and cache files. However, due to the limitation of the interface to PCIe Gen3, overall load and boot times seemed to be about the same. Battery life and thermals were either completely unaffected or the difference was so negligible it was undetectable. The biggest difference was in the usability between the SATA SSD and the NVMe, and the Sabrent Rocket 2230 is a highly recommended upgrade if you still have that base drive. Also, if you are considering purchasing a Steam Deck, getting the 64GB model and immediately doing this upgrade is a highly cost-effective way to get more storage in the handheld at a lower price point if you don’t care about the case, anti-glare etched glass, and profile themes that come with the 512GB model. ## Sabrent Rocket 2230 Performance Now onto our standard SSD testing. We are reviewing the 1TB Rocket 2230. For performance comparison, we’re using the [Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus](https://www.storagereview.com/review/sabrent-rocket-4-plus-ssd-review) 4TB, a Gen4 M.2 2280 drive that uses TLC memory and a [Phison PS5018-E18](https://www.storagereview.com/news/phison-showcases-new-controllers-at-ces) controller. **VDBench Workload Analysis** When it comes to benchmarking storage devices, application testing is best, and synthetic testing comes in second place. While not a perfect representation of actual workloads, synthetic tests do help to baseline storage devices with a repeatability factor that makes it easy to do apples-to-apples comparison between competing solutions. These workloads offer a range of different testing profiles ranging from “four corners” tests, common database transfer size tests, to trace captures from different VDI environments. All of these tests leverage the common vdBench workload generator, with a scripting engine to automate and capture results over a large compute testing cluster. This allows us to repeat the same workloads across a wide range of storage devices, including flash arrays and individual storage devices. Our testing process for these benchmarks fills the entire drive surface with data, then partitions a drive section equal to 5% of the drive capacity to simulate how the drive might respond to application workloads. This is different than full entropy tests which use 100% of the drive and take them into a steady state. As a result, these figures will reflect higher-sustained write speeds. Profiles: - 4K Random Read: 100% Read, 128 threads, 0-120% iorate - 4K Random Write: 100% Write, 64 threads, 0-120% iorate - 64K Sequential Read: 100% Read, 16 threads, 0-120% iorate - 64K Sequential Write: 100% Write, 8 threads, 0-120% iorate - Synthetic Database: SQL and Oracle - VDI Full Clone and Linked Clone Traces We start with Random Read 4K, where the Rocket 2230 topped out at 308,093 IOPS. The Rocket 4 Plus was a naturally superior performer, hitting 548,745 IOPS. Both drives showed smooth, predictable lines. The Rocket 2230’s high latency is a sign of things to come. ![Sabrent Rocket 2230 Random Read 4K]() Random Write 4K is next, where the Rocket 2230 showed serious instability with lots of latency, so something didn’t sit right. Its “best” showing was 100,343 IOPS at 1,129µs latency. ![Sabrent Rocket 2230 Random Write 4K]() Things appear back to normal for the Rocket 2230 in 64K Sequential Read; it finished the test at 61,258 IOPS at 521.3µs. ![Sabrent Rocket 2230 64K Sequential Read]() Moving on, the Rocket 2230 showed instability in 64K Sequential Write like it did in 4K Random Write, suggesting consistent write performance isn’t this drive’s strong suit. The Rocket 2230 ended at 12,260 IOPS at 1,295µs. Its latency continues to be high. ![Sabrent Rocket 2230 64K Sequential Write]() Our last tests are VDI full clone. The boot profile saw the Rocket 2230 exhaust itself rather quickly, with minor unpredictability and a final number of 59,038 IOPS at 580µs. ![Sabrent Rocket 2230 VDI Boot]() The Rocket 2230’s instability continues in VDI Initial Login, though in fairness our VDI tests usually bring that out of consumer SSDs. Its best showing was 16,817 IOPS at 1,779µs. ![Sabrent Rocket 2230 VDI Initial Login]() Last is VDI Monday Login, where the Rocket 2230’s stair-stepping line ended at 11,204 IOPS at 1,422µs. ![Sabrent Rocket 2230 VDI Monday Login]() ## Conclusion The Sabrent Rocket 2230 does everything it can to be an excellent performer in such a small package. Our standard testing suite revealed the drive is no match for Sabrent’s performance-oriented M.2 2280 SSDs, but that’s hardly a concern when you’re dealing with systems like the Steam Deck or the [Dell Latitude 9430 2-in-1](https://www.storagereview.com/review/dell-latitude-9430-2-in-1-review) that only accept M.2 2230 drives. We compared the drives just to show scale between the two. Our Steam Deck KDiskMark benchmarks showed outstanding performance improvements from installing the 1TB Rocket 2230. Next to the stock 64GB SATA drive, which saw just 282MB/s read and 194MB/s write, the Rocket 2230 achieved 3,542MB/s read and 3,222MB/s write. Much of that comes from the Rocket 2230’s PCIe interface. The Rocket 2230 also handily outperformed an OEM 1TB drive, from which we saw 2,88MB/s read and 2,847MB/s write. ![Sabrent Rocket 2230 feature]() Sealing the deal for the Sabrent Rocket 2230 is its reasonable pricing and generous five-year warranty with registration. The warranty is crucial as most grey-market OEM drives end users are upgrading to, will carry no warranty at all. They may also be somewhere between hard and impossible to get firmware updates for. For upgrading space-limited devices like the Steam Deck and laptops, the Sabrent Rocket 2230 gets our recommendation. [Sabrent Product Page](https://sabrent.com/pages/rocket-2230) **Engage with StorageReview** [Newsletter](https://www.storagereview.com/storage_newsletter) |  [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/user/StorageReview "Opens in a new window") | Podcast  [iTunes](https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/storagereview-com-storage-reviews/id1060681115 "Opens in a new window")/ [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/1y6VnznABhHeOSMOmbDTz0 "Opens in a new window") |  [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/storagereview/ "Opens in a new window") |  [Twitter](https://twitter.com/storagereview "Opens in a new window") |  [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@storagereview? "Opens in a new window") |  [RSS Feed](https://www.storagereview.com/rss.xml) ![]() ### Charles P. Jefferies I'm a lifelong technology enthusiast and have been reviewing consumer and enterprise technology since 2005. I specialize in laptops, tablets, and enterprise hardware. I'm a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology. Outside of work, I love the gym, reading, and photography. Previous post: [ScaleFlux CSD 3000 SSD Review](https://www.storagereview.com/review/scaleflux-csd-3000-ssd-review) Next post: [Micron 9400 Pro SSD Review](https://www.storagereview.com/review/micron-9400-pro-ssd-review) Trusted Vendors Products and solutions from our affiliate partners: - [ ![Ubiquiti Logo](https://www.storagereview.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/2-1.webp) Ubiquiti](https://store.ui.com/us/en?a_aid=StorageReview "Opens in a new window") - [ ![Newegg Logo](https://www.storagereview.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/newegg.webp) Newegg](https://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=g5terNMDhz0&offerid=1207190.18&subid=0&type=4 "Opens in a new window") - [ ![Amazon Logo](https://www.storagereview.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/amazon.webp) Amazon](https://amzn.to/4fLJUEW "Opens in a new window") Newsletter Subscribe to the StorageReview newsletter to stay up to date on the latest news and reviews. We promise no spam! 1 Leave this field empty if you’re human: ## Advertisement Content Categories [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/@storagereview) [X](https://twitter.com/storagereview) [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/storagereview/) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/storagereview-com) [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/user/storagereview?sub_confirmation=1) [Email](mailto:info@storagereview.com) [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/1y6VnznABhHeOSMOmbDTz0) [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/StorageReview/) [Discord](https://discord.gg/TwMHb4azdC) [RSS](https://www.storagereview.com/rss.xml) [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@storagereview) Copyright © 1998-2025 Flying Pig Ventures, LLC Cincinnati, Ohio. All rights reserved. Manage your privacy To provide the best experiences, we and our partners use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us and our partners to process personal data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site and show (non-) personalized ads. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. Click below to consent to the above or make granular choices. Your choices will be applied to this site only. You can change your settings at any time, including withdrawing your consent, by using the toggles on the Cookie Policy, or by clicking on the manage consent button at the bottom of the screen. Functional Functional Always active The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. Preferences Preferences The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. Statistics Statistics The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you. Marketing Marketing The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. Statistics Marketing Features Always active Always active - Manage options - Manage services - Manage {vendor\_count} vendors - [Read more about these purposes](https://cookiedatabase.org/tcf/purposes/) Accept Deny Manage options Save preferences Manage options - {title} - {title} - {title} Manage your privacy To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. Functional Functional Always active The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. Preferences Preferences The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. Statistics Statistics The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you. Marketing Marketing The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. Statistics Marketing Features Always active Always active - Manage options - Manage services - Manage {vendor\_count} vendors - [Read more about these purposes](https://cookiedatabase.org/tcf/purposes/) Accept Deny Manage options Save preferences Manage options - {title} - {title} - {title} Manage consent Manage consent ```json {"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/review\/sabrent-rocket-2230-nvme-ssd-review","url":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/review\/sabrent-rocket-2230-nvme-ssd-review","name":"Sabrent Rocket 2230 NVMe SSD Review - StorageReview.com","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/review\/sabrent-rocket-2230-nvme-ssd-review#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/review\/sabrent-rocket-2230-nvme-ssd-review#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/StorageReview-Sabrent-Rocket-2230-3.jpg","datePublished":"2023-01-11T20:54:43+00:00","dateModified":"2023-01-18T17:25:04+00:00","description":"The Sabrent Rocket 2230 does everything it can to be an excellent performer in such a small package with fair pricing and generous warranty.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/review\/sabrent-rocket-2230-nvme-ssd-review#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/review\/sabrent-rocket-2230-nvme-ssd-review"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/review\/sabrent-rocket-2230-nvme-ssd-review#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/StorageReview-Sabrent-Rocket-2230-3.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/StorageReview-Sabrent-Rocket-2230-3.jpg","width":1200,"height":930},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/review\/sabrent-rocket-2230-nvme-ssd-review#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Review","item":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/review"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Sabrent Rocket 2230 NVMe SSD Review"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/","name":"StorageReview.com","description":"StorageReview.com is a leading provider of news and reviews throughout the entire IT stack - from the datacenter to the edge, and all points in between.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/#organization","name":"StorageReview.com","url":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Storage-Reviews-2-2.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Storage-Reviews-2-2.png","width":344,"height":61,"caption":"StorageReview.com"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.storagereview.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/storagereview","http:\/\/youtube.com\/user\/storagereview"]}]} ```