SK hynix BC501 256GB
A compact 256GB NVMe drive for budget and OEM builds.
Observed price range$41 – $50
Launch date2019-01-01
Full Specification Sheet
| Type | Internal SSD |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 256 GB |
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe |
| Form Factor | M.2 2280 |
SK hynix's BC501 is a PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD in the compact M.2 2280 form factor, originally aimed at OEM laptop and small-form-factor builds where a 256GB boot/OS drive is paired with separate bulk storage. It trades flagship-tier sequential speeds for a smaller footprint and lower price than premium NVMe drives.
For a secondary NVMe slot on a motherboard, or a boot drive in a budget-focused build, the jump from SATA to even entry-level NVMe like the BC501 is still a meaningful responsiveness improvement over a traditional 2.5-inch SSD.
It's not the drive to buy for a video-editing scratch disk, but as an affordable, real NVMe boot drive, it does its job well.
