The Short Answer
No, you do not need a DRAM cache on secondary storage, unless your secondary drive is regularly subjected to massive, continuous write operations, such as rendering raw 4K or 8K video files, managing giant local databases, or transferring hundreds of gigabytes of data on a daily basis.
For standard secondary storage tasks—such as storing your steam library, keeping archives of family photos, housing media collections, or running basic productivity software—a DRAM-less solid-state drive (SSD) is more than sufficient. Modern storage controllers and system memory sharing features have bridged the performance gap, making expensive DRAM-equipped drives an unnecessary luxury for secondary storage setups.
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What You Actually Get
To understand why DRAM (Dynamic Random-Access Memory) is optional for a secondary drive, it helps to understand what it actually does. An SSD stores your data on NAND flash memory chips. Because data is constantly being moved, written, and erased, the drive needs a map—called the Flash Translation Layer (FTL)—to keep track of exactly where every file resides.
On a high-end SSD, this map is stored in a dedicated, ultra-fast DRAM chip soldered directly onto the drive’s circuit board. When you want to open a file, the drive looks at the map in the DRAM first, which takes a fraction of a millisecond, and then retrieves the file from the NAND flash.
On a DRAM-less SSD, the drive has to find another way to access this map. It can keep the map on the slower NAND flash itself, or it can use a feature called Host Memory Buffer (HMB). HMB allows the SSD to borrow a tiny sliver of your computer’s system RAM (usually around 64MB) to store the map. For secondary storage, this borrowed memory is incredibly efficient.
If you are setting up a new PC or upgrading your home office workstation, you might find yourself asking: do i need a dram cache on secondary storage? To answer this, look at how the physical hardware operates under load. High-performance NVMe drives with DRAM, such as the Inland 1TB Gaming NVMe SSD ($194.99) or the larger Inland 2TB Gaming NVMe SSD ($319.99), are optimized for intense, sustained read and write speeds. These drives feature physical dimensions of roughly 80mm x 22mm x 3.8mm (the standard M.2 2280 form factor) and weigh about 7 to 10 grams without a heatsink. When equipped with a heavy aluminum heatsink to handle the heat generated by the DRAM chip and high-end controller, the weight can jump to 45 grams, and the thickness can expand to 15mm or more.
In terms of electrical draw, a drive with a dedicated DRAM chip operates at higher wattages. Under active load, a premium DRAM drive can draw between 6.5 and 9.0 watts of power, generating substantial heat that requires passive cooling. A DRAM-less NVMe drive, by comparison, typically sips only 3.0 to 5.0 watts under load and runs significantly cooler, making it easier to install in tight spaces without bulky thermal pads or metal shields.
Pros
- Uncompromised Sustained Write Speeds: When transferring exceptionally large files (like a 150GB folder of raw video footage), a drive with DRAM will maintain its peak write speeds. DRAM-less drives will eventually exhaust their temporary SLC cache and drop to much slower speeds once the transfer exceeds a certain size.
- Superior Multi-Tasking Performance: If your secondary drive is running multiple background tasks simultaneously—such as downloading a game update while seeding torrents and running a local media server—a DRAM cache keeps the drive responsive.
- Long-Term Endurance: Because the FTL map is updated in the fast volatile DRAM rather than constantly being written back to the physical NAND cells, drives with DRAM cache often boast higher Terabytes Written (TBW) ratings, meaning they can survive more write cycles over their lifespan.
Cons
- Premium Pricing: Drives featuring onboard DRAM command a significant price premium. While a standard DRAM-less 2TB drive might cost between $100 and $140, a high-performance option like the Inland 2TB Gaming NVMe SSD sits at $319.99.
- Higher Heat Output: The inclusion of a DRAM chip means the drive runs hotter. If your motherboard does not have built-in M.2 heatsinks, you may need to purchase an aftermarket cooler to prevent thermal throttling.
- Increased Power Consumption: Because they draw up to 9.0 watts under load, DRAM-equipped drives can slightly reduce laptop battery life if used as secondary storage in a portable workstation.
Who Should Buy It
You should opt for a secondary drive with a DRAM cache if you are a creative professional, media producer, or power user. If your daily workflow involves transferring files larger than 50GB, rendering high-resolution 3D assets, or editing video directly from your secondary drive, the time saved by avoiding write-speed drops is well worth the investment.
Additionally, if you are looking to expand your PlayStation 5 storage and demand the absolute fastest possible load times with zero micro-stutters during asset streaming, premium drives like the Inland 1TB Gaming NVMe SSD ($194.99) are engineered specifically to meet these demanding console specifications.
Who Should Skip It
You should skip the DRAM cache if your secondary drive is primarily used as a landing pad for steam games, movie files, document backups, or cold storage. Once a game is installed, playing it is a read-heavy operation. DRAM cache has virtually zero impact on game load times or in-game framerates.
Heading into 2026, storage controller technology is so advanced that a DRAM-less NVMe drive utilizing Host Memory Buffer will feel identical to a premium DRAM drive for 95% of daily consumer tasks, while saving you hundreds of dollars that could be better spent on a faster graphics card, more system RAM, or a larger capacity drive.
Cheaper Alternatives
If you decide that a premium DRAM-equipped drive is overkill for your secondary storage needs, there are several cost-effective routes you can take. Below is a breakdown of the most common alternatives, their price ranges, and what you sacrifice by choosing them.
| Option | Estimated Cost (1TB / 2TB) | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| DRAM-less PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD (with HMB) | $65 – $130 | Write speeds will drop during massive, sustained file transfers exceeding 50GB; relies slightly on system RAM. |
| SATA III 2.5-Inch SSD | $50 – $110 | Capped at SATA speeds (approx. 550 MB/s compared to NVMe’s 5,000+ MB/s); requires physical data and power cables. |
| 3.5-Inch Mechanical Hard Drive (HDD) | $35 – $75 | Extremely slow read/write speeds (150 MB/s); loud mechanical noise; vulnerable to physical shock; poor boot and load times. |
FAQ
Does a secondary SSD without DRAM slow down gaming?
No. Gaming is almost entirely a read-heavy operation. Once a game is installed on your drive, loading screens and asset streaming rely on sequential read speeds. A DRAM-less NVMe SSD will load games just as quickly as a high-end drive with DRAM, with differences usually measuring under half a second.
Can I use a DRAM-less SSD in a PlayStation 5?
Yes, you can, but it is not recommended for the best experience. While the PS5 supports many PCIe 4.0 NVMe drives, Sony recommends read speeds of at least 5,500 MB/s. Many DRAM-less drives struggle to maintain these speeds consistently under the console’s custom storage architecture, which is why optimized drives with DRAM are preferred for console expansion.
How much system RAM does a DRAM-less drive use via HMB?
Very little. Host Memory Buffer technology typically requests only 16MB to 64MB of your system’s RAM to store the allocation map. This is a negligible amount on modern systems equipped with 16GB or 32GB of system memory, and it will not impact your system’s overall performance or gaming frame rates.
Will a DRAM-less secondary drive wear out faster?
Technically, yes, but practically, no. Because a DRAM-less drive must write its lookup tables directly to the NAND flash more frequently, it undergoes slightly more wear. However, modern consumer DRAM-less drives still feature endurance ratings of 300 to 600 Terabytes Written (TBW). For a secondary drive, it would take over a decade of heavy daily use to reach these limits.
