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Green rectangular M.2 2280 circuit board with black controller and gold edge connector

Seagate

Seagate FireCuda 520 500GB internal SSD ZP500GM3A002

SKU CH-0FZB-EQMCV MPN ZP500GM3A002

M.2 2280 500 GB drive delivers 5000 MB/s reads and 2500 MB/s writes for fast game loads

  • Total capacity500 GB
  • Sequential read speedUp to 5,000 MB/s
  • Sequential write speedUp to 2,500 MB/s
  • Interface typePCIe Gen4 x4, NVMe 1.3
  • Form factorM.2 2280
  • Product typeInternal Solid State Drive (SSD)

Capacity 500GB

  • Sequential reads hit 5000 MBps for snappy game loads
  • Sequential writes reach 2500 MBps to speed large-file saves
  • Random reads up to 430000 IOPS for responsive multitasking
  • Random writes up to 630000 IOPS for smooth content creation
  • MTBF of 1800000 hours signals long-term reliability

Capacity and Form Factor

The Seagate FireCuda 520 ZP500GM3A002 is a 500GB internal solid state drive built in the M.2 2280 form factor. It uses 3D TLC NAND and targets consumer desktops and laptops that need fast primary storage for games and creative workloads.

Build Integration

The drive connects through a PCIe Gen4 x4 interface with NVMe 1.3 protocol and is fully backwards compatible with PCIe 3.0 platforms. Its E16 controller is validated for AMD X570 chipset motherboards, and the low 12 mW idle power draw helps preserve laptop battery life while the 4.6W active rating fits standard thermal envelopes.

Ideal Use Cases

This model suits builders who want up to 5000 MBps sequential read and 2500 MBps sequential write speeds for a responsive OS drive or game library. Users needing higher endurance than the 850 TBW rating or capacities beyond 500GB should consider the 1TB or 2TB variants in the same series.

How it compares

Measured against everything we stock in Internal NVMe & SATA SSDs, at today’s prices. Recalculated every night.

Price $84.99
Cheaper than about 77% of the 1,994 comparable items (median $180.49).
Total capacity 500 GB
Lower than about 70% of the 1,368 comparable items (median 1 TB).
Sequential read speed Up to 5,000 MB/s
Higher than about 70% of the 1,180 comparable items (median 2,400 MB/s).
Price per TB $169.98 per TB
Typical for this category: the median of 1,362 items is $165.50 per TB.

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Specifications

Product
Brand nameSeagate
Product lineFireCuda 520
Model nameZP500GM3A002
Total capacity500 GB
Product typeInternal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Intended useConsumer
Performance
Sequential read speedUp to 5,000 MB/s
Sequential write speedUp to 2,500 MB/s
Random read (4K)Up to 430,000 IOPS
Random write (4K)Up to 630,000 IOPS
Storage
NAND flash type3D TLC
Ports & slots
Interface typePCIe Gen4 x4, NVMe 1.3
Power
Idle power draw12 mW
Active power draw4.6 W
Size & build
Form factorM.2 2280
Overall height3.58 mm
Overall width22.15 mm
Product depth80.15 mm
Product weight8g
Shipping weight0.06 kg
Package size140 × 109 × 28 mm
Environment & compliance
Operating temperature range0 °C to 70 °C
Storage temperature range-40 °C to 85 °C
Max shock tolerance1500G
More details
Mean time between failures1,800,000 h

Other versions of this model

2 more in the same range

Questions about this item

At what temperature does the drive throttle under sustained heavy workloads?

The controller operates within a 0 °C to 70 °C range; sustained loads that push the drive toward the upper end will trigger thermal throttling to protect the NAND and controller.

How much power does the SSD draw and how hot does it get during all-day operation?

Active power is rated at 4.6 W and idle at 12 mW; the drive is specified to run continuously up to 70 °C, so case airflow should keep it below that ceiling.

Which motherboard slot and chipset are required for this M.2 2280 drive to function?

It needs an M.2 2280 slot wired for PCIe 3.0 x4 or 4.0 x4; the E16 controller is validated for AMD X570 chipsets and works on any PCIe 3.0 platform.

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