PNY · SSD · PCIe 4.0
PNY CS2241 500GB
Works well for: System Drive
Trade-offs: you want strong value with Balanced priorities specifically
- Capacity
- 500 GB
- Interface
- M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4
- Sequential read
- 4700 MB/s
- Sequential write
- 1700 MB/s
- Endurance
- 300 TBW
- Form factor
- M.2-2280
Move a slider and the page re-scores this product against the same market frame.
Is this a good buy today?
Market confidence: LowAt $154 the PNY CS2241 500GB is priced in line with its $154 representative market level. Only one retailer currently backs that price, so the level is a single data point rather than a market.
Limited market: only one retailer currently has a verified offer, so treat this price as a single data point.
Prices & availability
Where to buy the PNY CS2241 500GB
Compare the offers we track for this model, across variants and retailers.
1 tracked offers · 1 retailers
| Variant | Store | Condition | Price (snapshot) | Value · Balanced | Checked | Offer link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PNY CS2241 500GB | Newegg | New | $154 | 29 | 2026-09-27 | View offer → |
| PNY CS2241 500GBMultiple variants available | Amazon Affiliate | Varies | Find on Amazon | Not tracked | No price snapshot | Find on Amazon → |
Prices are dated snapshots, not live quotes — confirm the final price at the store. New, refurbished and used offers are listed separately; used offers carry warranty and seller risk.
Where it stands in the field
Two different questions, side by side. Performance compares what the hardware can do; Value compares what that capability costs at today’s price. A product can rank high on one and low on the other — that gap is the point.
Performance Balanced
How much it can do. Price plays no part in this ranking.
#176 of 388 graded solid state drives
- #173 CorsairCorsair MP600 MINI 1TB 32
- #174 PNYPNY CS2241 2TB 32
- #175 PNYPNY CS2241 1TB 32
- #176 PNYPNY CS2241 500GB 32
- #177 CorsairCorsair MP600 CORE 4TB 30
- #178 Silicon PowerSilicon Power US75 2TB 30
- #179 CorsairCorsair MP600 MICRO 2TB 30
Value Balanced
How much of that you get for today’s price.
#239 of 388 currently priced solid state drives
- #236 Silicon PowerSilicon Power XS70 1TB 30
- #237 Silicon PowerSilicon Power XS70 2TB 30
- #238 SamsungSamsung 970 Evo Plus 2TB 30
- #239 PNYPNY CS2241 500GB 29
- #240 SeagateSeagate BarraCuda Q5 1TB 29
- #241 GigabyteGigabyte GP 256GB 29
- #242 SeagateSeagate BarraCuda 510 1TB 29
Performance System Drive
How much it can do. Price plays no part in this ranking.
#176 of 388 graded solid state drives
- #173 CorsairCorsair MP600 MINI 1TB 32
- #174 PNYPNY CS2241 2TB 32
- #175 PNYPNY CS2241 1TB 32
- #176 PNYPNY CS2241 500GB 32
- #177 CorsairCorsair MP600 CORE 4TB 30
- #178 Silicon PowerSilicon Power US75 2TB 30
- #179 CorsairCorsair MP600 MICRO 2TB 30
Value System Drive
How much of that you get for today’s price.
#208 of 334 currently priced solid state drives
- #205 MSIMSI SPATIUM M450 500GB 9
- #206 TranscendTranscend MTE240S 1TB 9
- #207 Western DigitalWestern Digital Blue SN580 2TB 9
- #208 PNYPNY CS2241 500GB 9
- #209 TranscendTranscend MTE240S 500GB 9
- #210 Western DigitalWestern Digital Black SN770 250GB 9
- #211 Western DigitalWestern Digital Blue SN580 500GB 9
Performance Game
How much it can do. Price plays no part in this ranking.
#322 of 388 graded solid state drives
- #319 Western DigitalWestern Digital Blue SN5000 500GB 6
- #320 CrucialCrucial P3 Plus 500GB 6
- #321 SeagateSeagate FireCuda 520 500GB 6
- #322 PNYPNY CS2241 500GB 6
- #323 Western DigitalWestern Digital Blue SN580 500GB 6
- #324 TranscendTranscend MTE240S 500GB 6
- #325 MSIMSI SPATIUM M450 500GB 6
Value Game
How much of that you get for today’s price.
#313 of 388 currently priced solid state drives
- #310 GigabyteGigabyte 2500E 500GB 33
- #311 Western DigitalWestern Digital SN730 512GB 33
- #312 Western DigitalWestern Digital Black SN750 SE 500GB 33
- #313 PNYPNY CS2241 500GB 33
- #314 CrucialCrucial P3 Plus 500GB 32
- #315 SeagateSeagate FireCuda 520 500GB 31
- #316 CrucialCrucial P2 500GB 31
Performance Heavy Creative Work
How much it can do. Price plays no part in this ranking.
#268 of 388 graded solid state drives
- #265 GigabyteGigabyte 2500E 1TB 13
- #266 KingstonKingston NV1 2TB 12
- #267 TeamGroupTeamGroup MP33 PRO 512GB 12
- #268 PNYPNY CS2241 500GB 12
- #269 PatriotPatriot P300 2TB 12
- #270 PatriotPatriot P300 1TB 12
- #271 PatriotPatriot P300 512GB 12
Value Heavy Creative Work
How much of that you get for today’s price.
#231 of 293 currently priced solid state drives
- #228 Western DigitalWestern Digital Blue SN580 500GB 3
- #229 CrucialCrucial P2 2TB 3
- #230 Western DigitalWestern Digital Blue SN570 2TB 3
- #231 PNYPNY CS2241 500GB 3
- #232 SamsungSamsung 970 Evo 1TB 3
- #233 ADATAADATA Legend 710 1TB 3
- #234 KingstonKingston NV2 2TB 3
These ladders follow the preset scenario shown above. Your own weights re-score this product, not the whole field.
What it is good for
| Scenario | this productCapability grade · Value at current price | Higher capability | Higher Value with current priorities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balanced (all-round)Weighted all-round view | GradeNo grade Value29 | Higher capability Crucial P510 1TB 86 +134% capability · +17% price | Higher Value with current priorities Western Digital SN7100 500GB 62 +45% capability · -25% price |
| System DriveScenario capability | GradeA Value9 | Higher capability Crucial P510 1TB S 66 +134% capability · +17% price | Higher Value with current priorities Western Digital SN7100 500GB S 35 +45% capability · -25% price |
| Game & File StorageScenario capability | GradeC Value33 | Higher capability TeamGroup Force Vulcan 1TB B 49 +100% capability · -16% price | Higher Value with current priorities TeamGroup NV5000 1TB B 60 +100% capability · +5% price |
| Heavy Creative WorkScenario capability | GradeC Value3 | Higher capability Crucial P510 1TB S 47 +459% capability · +17% price | Higher Value with current priorities Western Digital SN7100 500GB B 24 +241% capability · -25% price |
Balanced has no letter: it is a weighting preset, not a capability rubric. A grade answers “how well does this handle that job?” — price is never part of it. Relative Value puts the current market price back in.
Trade-offs
Works well if
- System Drive is your main prioritygraded A for System Drive on the same rubric as the tier list
Consider other options if
- You want strong value with Balanced priorities specificallycompeting products deliver so much more per dollar that no price this model realistically trades at reaches the strong-value mark for this job
- Value for money matters more to you than this exact modelWestern Digital SN7100 500GB holds Relative Value 62 against its 29 with Balanced priorities, at $116
- Game & File Storage is what you actually need it forit grades only C there
Works well if
- System Drive is your main prioritygraded A for System Drive on the same rubric as the tier list
Consider other options if
- You want strong value for System Drive specificallycompeting products deliver so much more for System Drive per dollar that no price this model realistically trades at reaches the strong-value mark for this job
- Value for money matters more to you than this exact modelWestern Digital SN7100 500GB holds Relative Value 35 against its 9 for System Drive, at $116
- Game & File Storage is what you actually need it forit grades only C there
For the selected scenario this is not a strong fit — the grade above is the reason, and the models below suit it better.
Works well if
- Game is not actually your main job — System Drive isit grades C for Game, but A for System Drive
Consider other options if
- Game is what you actually need it forit grades C there; TeamGroup Force Vulcan 1TB grades B at $130
- You want strong value for Game specificallyat today's market no realistic price for this model reaches strong value for Game — the calculation only gets there near $39, against a cheapest tracked $154
For the selected scenario this is not a strong fit — the grade above is the reason, and the models below suit it better.
Works well if
- Heavy Creative Work is not actually your main job — System Drive isit grades C for Heavy Creative Work, but A for System Drive
Consider other options if
- Heavy Creative Work is what you actually need it forit grades C there; Crucial P510 1TB grades S at $180
- You want strong value for Heavy Creative Work specificallycompeting products deliver so much more for Heavy Creative Work per dollar that no price this model realistically trades at reaches the strong-value mark for this job
- Value for money matters more to you than this exact modelWestern Digital SN7100 500GB holds Relative Value 24 against its 3 for Heavy Creative Work, at $116
Every line states the fact it was derived from, for the scenario selected above. Thresholds are calculated points on our value curve — information about where the maths turns, not instructions about what to pay.
Similar options to the PNY CS2241 500GB
Chosen for Balanced
Chosen for System Drive
Chosen for Game
Chosen for Heavy Creative Work
Alternatives stay near this product’s price range. Step-up options may exceed the standard budget envelope when the capability gain is meaningful.
Upgrade planner
Judge the change in the active scenario, then make the cash gap explicit.
Using page scenarioWhat are you upgrading from? These are the axes we compare on, and where this product stands in the current market.
Capability differences are expressed as tiers and index points, not as benchmark percentages we did not measure.
Specifications & compatibility
What this product is, and what to check before it goes into your build.
Performance
- Sequential read
- 4700 MB/s
- Sequential write
- 1700 MB/s
- Random read
- 0 IOPS
- Random write
- 0 IOPS
Media
- Capacity
- 500 GB
Power / Interface
- Interface
- M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4
- Form factor
- M.2-2280
Physical / Outputs
- Heatsink included
- No
Show all specifications
Endurance & warranty
- Endurance
- 300 TBW
- Warranty
- 3 years
- Manufacturer part number
- M280CS2241500RB
Hover any value to see where it came from: a manufacturer specification, or a figure The Comparator calculated.
Sources: Comparator offer frame 2026-09-27
What to check in your build
M.2-2280
The slot must take M.2-2280
M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4
PCIe 4.0 M.2 slot for full speed
PCIe 4.0 — runs in older slots at their speed
Fits under an M.2 shroud
Bare drive — it fits under a motherboard M.2 shroud
Below Sony's PS5 speed guidance
Sony asks for PCIe 4.0 and 5500 MB/s read; this drive reads 4700 MB/s over M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4
Found an error? Report this specification Email the field, corrected value and an optional source.
Compatibility guidance is practical help, not a score. Missing data is shown as unknown, never invented.
Summary
PNY CS2241 500GB offers a balanced view across an all-round mix of priorities. It ranks #176 by capability in the current modelled field. Its clearest measured strength is drive capability 4700. Western Digital SN7100 500GB currently clears the same practical bar with stronger Relative Value.
PNY CS2241 500GB offers A-grade capability for System Drive. It ranks #176 by capability in the current modelled field. Its clearest measured strength is drive capability 4700. Western Digital SN7100 500GB currently clears the same practical bar with stronger Relative Value.
PNY CS2241 500GB offers C-grade capability for Game. It ranks #322 by capability in the current modelled field. Its clearest measured strength is drive capability 4700. The C grade is the decisive limitation for this workload.
PNY CS2241 500GB offers C-grade capability for Heavy Creative Work. It ranks #268 by capability in the current modelled field. Its clearest measured strength is drive capability 4700. The C grade is the decisive limitation for this workload.
FAQ
Why does Relative Value change when I choose another scenario?
Each scenario changes the weights applied to capability, price and the other published factors. The hardware facts stay fixed, but the value question changes, so its score and rank can change too.
Why can Amazon appear without a tracked price?
Amazon is shown as a discovery link when we do not have a permitted verified price snapshot. It is excluded from price comparisons, rankings and Relative Value until a compliant tracked price exists.
Useful links & sources
offer frame 2026-09-27 · formula ssd-value-v1.5 · facts facts-2026-09-27 · Relative Value is an estimate from our current dataset, the selected weights and dated market prices — not an official product rating and not a price forecast. Target prices are calculation thresholds, not predictions. Methodology We are not a shop. Affiliate links may earn us a commission; they never change the calculations or the ranking.