When it comes to boosting your system’s performance, upgrading to one of the fastest SSDs is easy. Whether you’re building a gaming PC, want to speed up an old laptop, or just want to load at lightning speed, SSDs are the best choice. Unlike traditional hard drives, SSDs rely on NAND flash storage, which means you get faster data transfer speeds, better reliability, and an overall more responsive experience.
Modern SSDs are quite versatile, suitable for everyone from gamers looking for the best performance to those looking for great budget options that still offer solid speed.
Pair a great SSD with a powerful GPU, and you’re set for seamless gaming and multitasking. Plus, with advanced firmware that improves efficiency and durability, SSDs are now better than ever at handling high-intensity workloads. In this buying guide, we’ll go over the best SSDs available on the market, whether you’re looking for raw speed, affordability, or a combination of both.
You don’t have to look far to find the best SATA SSD: it’s the Crucial MX500. With a sequential read speed of 560MB/s and a $100 MSRP for the 1TB model, this internal SSD offers a great combination of great performance and value.
It also comes with a five-year warranty for added peace of mind. But, the best part is that it’s often on sale for less than $45. I’ve been using a 1TB MX500 drive for years to store my music, photos, and games, and it hasn’t given me any problems yet.
Best SSD (Gen5 NVMe)
I don’t recommend buying Gen5 NVMe, even if you have the hardware needed to run it. The read speeds may look impressive on paper, but the reality is that very few games and apps can take advantage of those capabilities right now.
Still, if you’re set on equipping your computer with the fastest possible storage, I think the Crucial T700 offers an attractive blend of price and performance. The T700 is one of the fastest NVMe drives on the market right now, and after launching at $180, it’s possible to find it on sale for around $143. Note that if your motherboard doesn’t have a heatsink for your NVMe drive, you’ll need to buy the T700 model that includes a heatsink, which further increases the cost.
Best SSD (Gen4 NVMe)
Provided you have the necessary hardware, Gen4 NVMe drives offer great value right now. After testing a few different models, I purchased the Western Digital WD_Black SN850X for my system. It’s very fast, delivering read speeds of up to 7,300MB/s, and I was able to pay less than $100 for the 1TB model during the sale.
If you’re ready to buy a Gen4 model but want to save some money, Western Digital offers the more affordable SN770. It’s not as fast as the SN850X, but if your system has a Gen4 NVMe slot, it’s great for storing Windows and your most important apps.
A previous version of this guide recommended the Crucial P2 as a great budget Gen 3 NVMe pick, but as Gen4 and now Gen5 NVMe drives have come to market, manufacturers like Micron have discontinued some of their entry-level Gen4 models. The good news is that their older high-end Gen3 drives are now more affordable than ever.
Take the Crucial P3, for example. Micron originally priced the 1TB model at $90, but in recent months, it’s been selling for just $40. That’s great value for a drive that offers 3,500MB/s read speeds.