A diverse set of SOT materials with vastly different values of spin efficiency, conductivity, and thickness are being explored to achieve the lowest write energy. Research on SOT-assisted STT-MRAM and novel materials for the switching of magnets with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) is also ongoing. This paper presents a comprehensive study on the impact of material parameters on array-level read and write operations for both in-plane and PMA MRAM cells. The results offer important guidelines for material development for this technology. © 2020 IEEE.