Description
Speed :-
- Sequential Read: 3000 MB/s
- Sequential Write: 2800MB/s
(512GB)
NVMe Gen3 (Non-Volatile Memory Express Generation 3) SSDs represent a premium category of electronic waste. Unlike older mechanical hard disk drives (HDDs) that contain heavy aluminum casings, magnets, and spinning glass platters, NVMe SSDs are entirely solid-state. They consist of high-density printed circuit boards (PCBs) loaded with valuable microchips and surface-mount components, making them one of the highest-yielding items in the modern e-waste recycling market.
Material Composition & Precious Metal Yield
Because NVMe Gen3 drives are built for high-speed enterprise and gaming performance, they are manufactured with high-quality conductive materials. Recyclers and smelters target these drives for their excellent precious metal recovery rates:
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Gold (Au): High concentrations are found on the edge connectors (the “gold fingers” that slot into the motherboard) and in the microscopic bonding wires inside the NAND flash and controller chips.
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Palladium (Pd) & Silver (Ag): Extracted from the tiny Monolithic Ceramic Capacitors (MLCCs) and other surface-mount devices (SMDs) densely packed onto the PCB.
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Copper (Cu): Recovered from the multilayered printed circuit board traces and vias.
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High-Grade Silicon: Yielded from the large NAND flash memory modules, DRAM cache chips, and the primary NVMe controller.
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Aluminum (Al) & Copper Heatsinks: Many enterprise and gaming Gen3 drives include attached thermal guards or heat spreaders, which can be sheared and recycled into clean non-ferrous metal streams.
Visual Identification & Form Factors
For sorting and grading purposes, NVMe Gen3 drives typically come in a few distinct form factors. They can be identified by the following characteristics:
| Form Factor | Identification Cues | Scrap Sorting Notes |
| M.2 (2280 is most common) | Looks like a stick of gum. Measures 22mm wide and typically 80mm long. Features an “M-Key” notch on the gold connector edge. | Extremely lightweight but high value by the pound. Graded as high-grade RAM/SSD board. |
| U.2 (2.5-inch) | Looks exactly like a standard 2.5-inch SATA SSD or laptop hard drive, but utilizes a heavier PCIe interface connector. | Often contains a larger internal PCB. Enclosures are usually aluminum or high-grade steel. |
| PCIe Add-in Card (AIC) | Looks similar to a small graphics card or network card. Plugs directly into a desktop motherboard PCIe slot. | Features a larger PCB surface area, often with a large aluminum heatsink and steel mounting bracket. |
