Quick Answer
PCIe generation matters less than capacity for most premium buyers buying NVMe SSDs: a Gen4 drive at ~5,000MB/s already loads games and apps in seconds, and Gen5 (12,000MB/s+) only shows a measurable edge in heavy file work. Pick a 1TB or 2TB Gen4 drive (about R1,100 to R2,900 currently stocked at Evetech) and spend the saved rands on more capacity, not raw Gen5 speed.
What PCIe Gen Actually Changes
Your motherboard and CPU set the ceiling: an AM5 or recent Intel board with a Gen5 M.2 slot can run a Gen5 drive, but a Gen5 SSD in a Gen4 slot simply runs at Gen4 speed with no harm done. In real use, game load times differ by a second or two between Gen4 and Gen5, while large-file copies and scratch-disk work do see Gen5's higher sustained writes. A Gen4 drive at 5,000MB/s already beats SATA's 550MB/s ceiling by roughly 9x, so the upgrade most people feel is SATA-to-NVMe, not Gen4-to-Gen5.
Matching The Drive To Your Workload
For premium buyers buying NVMe SSDs, decide between speed and capacity. If you mostly load games and apps, a 2TB Gen4 at ~5,000MB/s reads is the sweet spot at roughly R1,900 to R2,900 currently stocked at Evetech. If you move very large files daily, pay for sustained write speed and a higher TBW endurance rating rather than chasing the highest peak number on the box.
FAQ
Is Gen5 NVMe worth it over Gen4 for gaming?
Not really. Games load only a second or two faster on Gen5, and the drives run hotter and cost more. A 2TB Gen4 at ~5,000MB/s is the smart pick for gaming; save Gen5 (12,000MB/s+) for heavy file work.
How big is the jump from SATA to NVMe?
Large. NVMe Gen4 reads at ~5,000MB/s versus SATA's 550MB/s ceiling, roughly 9x faster on paper and very noticeable in boot, load and copy times. That single move matters far more than Gen4-versus-Gen5 for most buyers.
Do I need a heatsink on my NVMe drive?
For Gen4 a heatsink is nice-to-have; for Gen5 it is essential. M.2 drives throttle past roughly 70C, so a heatsink or a motherboard M.2 cover keeps speeds steady during long transfers.
Compare Gen4 and Gen5 NVMe drives at Evetech by capacity, sustained write speed and TBW endurance to match your real workload.