Best SSDs: From SATA to PCIe 5.0, from budget to premium

Who should buy the Crucial P3?

Bargain hunters will delight in the Crucial P3’s very good daily performance for minimal outlay. It did well in our testing and is available for just $45 in the 500GB capacity and $60 at 1TB.

Crucial P3: Further considerations

It’s only PCIe 3.0 (3Gbps), but many users still use that older spec and won’t benefit much from the faster, but generally pricier PCIe 4.0/5.0 SSDs. The P3’s TBW (terabytes that may be written) rating is also quite low at 220 per terabyte of capacity (the unfortunate norm for QLC NAND), but we’ll forgive that in light of the price.

Though the P3 is cheap, prices have dropped on faster PCIe 4.0 models (5.0 still carries a premium) since this review, so newer technology might make sense in terms of future-proofing for you next machine. Regardless, all NVMe SSDs are subjectively lightning-fast, so the P3 can save you money without any sacrifice in satisfaction.

Who should buy the WD Black SN7100?

Users who want the fastest 1TB to 4TB PCIe 4.0 SSD that won’t break the bank will want the WD Black SN7100. We were wowed by the 2TB version’s first-place finish among host memory buffer (HMB/DRAM-less) SSDs in our benchmarks. It also beat out a number of DRAM designs.

WD Black SN7100: Further considerations

The fact that it’s an HMB design, i.e. it uses your system’s memory for primary caching duties, as opposed to featuring DRAM onboard, means the SN7100 is very competitively priced. We’re talking close to $50 less than our previous pick, the Solidigm P44 Pro, for both the 1TB and 2TB capacities.

Combine that with an industry-standard five-year warranty / 600TBW rating (terabytes that can be written) per TB, and you’re looking at the best PCIe 4.0 SSD for average users and gamers.

Who should buy the WD Blue SN5000?

Gamers and non-gamers alike who are on a strict budget will save money without sacrificing top-flight performance with this PCIe 4.0 HMB (Host Memory Buffer/DRAM-less) SSD. At just $75 for a 1TB model at the time of writing, the Blue SN5000 is almost a steal.

WD Blue SN5000: Further considerations

In our testing, the SN5000 ranked among the fastest Host Memory Buffer (HMB) SSDs we’ve tested. And unlike the SN580 before it, the SN5000 didn’t falter during the 450GB transfer test, placing fourth among all SSDs. Yes, you lose nothing in sequential performance these days with HMB.

Who should buy the Teamgroup Z540?

Users looking for every last ounce of performance should be looking at this PCIe 5.0 SSD from Teamgroup. In all fairness, the Z540 traded benchmark wins and finished a hair behind our previous top pick the Crucial T705. But the Teamgroup Z540 beats that competitor when it comes to price, making it the new top pick for this category.

Teamgroup Z540: Further considerations

As with any PCIe 5.0 SSD, there are important caveats. For starters, you’re paying a hefty premium over extremely fast, and in some ways faster (real-world sequential performance) Host Memory Buffer NVMe PCIe 4.0 drives.

Only if you use multi-threaded software and your system sports a late-gen Intel CPU (which the Phison PS5026-E26-52 controller inside this drive is optimized for), can you be assured of benchmarking-busting performance.

As to he price advantage: the Z540 is $143, $247, and $470 for 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB, respectively, compared to the T705’s $155, $280, and $515, That’s the kind of savings that pushes a micro-close second place finish into the overall lead.

Who should buy the PNY CS2150?

Anyone who enjoys more for less will like this drive — serious coin can be saved on a PCIe 5.0 SSD by opting for a Host Memory Buffer (HNB) design such as PNY’s CS2150. Using the host system’s memory as the SSD’s primary cache instead of dedicated DRAM on the drive means significantly lower manufacturing costs.

PNY CS2150: Further considerations

HMB doesn’t stop the CS2150 from competing with more expensive SSDs. Indeed, the 2TB version that we tested placed 9th overall among all types of NVMe SSDs and it ran neck-in-neck with the Corsair MP700 — another HMB SSD whose performance impressed us.

PNY’s CS2150 trumps its Corsair peer by costing from $10 to $40 less than the latter in the 1TB and 2TB versions, respectively. You still get the industry standard standard five-year warranty and 600TBW (terabytes that can be written) guarantee.

If you have the PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot to support it, this SSD is an affordable way to performance future-proof your storage.

Who should buy the Crucial P310?

Anyone looking to upgrade the capacity or speed of their Steam Deck storage should seriously consider the P310 — it’s the fastest (by a rather large margin) 2230 short-form-factor SSD that we’ve tested.

For a Steam Deck and many other small devices, you can’t use a commonplace 2280 (22mm wide, 80mm long) PCIe NVMe SSD — you need a 2230 type, meaning one that measures 22mm wide, by only 30mm long. Some will also accept the slightly larger 2242 SSDs.

Crucial P310: Further considerations

There are a few very close competitors, such as the the WD Black SN770M, the Corsair MP600 Core Mini — but the P310 is our top choice because, as previously mentioned, it proved the fastest 2230 type we’ve tested in every benchmark save for the 450GB write. It’s a little pricier than the SN770M, but by a mere $10 at both the 1TB and 2TB capacities at the time of this writing.

If optimum speed is what you’re after, and you don’t foresee regularly writing huge 450GB files, the P310 is the ticket.

Who should buy the Seagate Game Drive SSD?

Those who want a great-performing SSD that will outlast the useful life of a PS5, should seriously consider the Seagate Game Drive SSD. It’s a PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD with a superb TBW rating that’s fully endowed with DRAM for primary caching duties. DRAM maximizes small-file performance in Sony’s console system, which doesn’t support the Host Memory Buffer technology (using system memory for primary caching) that many bargain SSDs employ.

Seagate Game Drive SSD: Further considerations

As to outlasting the console, Seagate provides a generous five-year warranty with the drive and spectacularly — a double-the-industry-norm 1,275TBW rating. TBW (terabytes that may be written) is the mitigating factor in SSD warranties, like the miles in an auto warranty. Exceed them and the SSD may become read-only.

The 1TB and 2TB Game Drive SSDs are a bit pricey, but the extra bucks bring you that TBW peace of mind. Note also, that while Seagate claims the Game Drive is optimized for a PS5, it’s no slouch as a regular SSD either. In our performance tests it was the second-fastest PCIe 4.0 SSD with random (small file) operations that we’ve ever tested.

Who should buy the Samsung 870 EVO?

Users who are looking to add some fast storage via an old-school, but still effective 2.5-inch SATA SSD will want Samsung’s spectacular (for SATA) 870 EVO. It’s the fastest SATA SSD we’ve tested, is available with up to 4TB of capacity, and is exceedingly affordable given the speed.

Samsung 870 EVO: Further considerations

While not as fast as NVMe, 550MBps/fast seeking SATA still blows the doors off of hard drives. The 870 EVO’s price: $100 for 1TB, $150 for 2TB, and $250 for 4TB and speed speak for themselves — though Samsung’s excellent Magician SSD management software also deserves a shout-out.

Who should buy the Crucial BX500?

Those looking to add uber-affordable storage via SATA, should consider the exceedingly cost-effective Crucial BX500. You can get its 1TB model for $70.50, almost $40 less than the equivalent Samsung 870 EVO, while a 2TB version costs just $125.

Crucial BX500: Further considerations

The drive also comes in nearly dirt cheap 240GB and 480GB capacities. But be wary of smaller capacity QLC NAND SSDs. If you regularly write large amounts of data as they can slow drastically during such operations.

Who should buy the Crucial X9 Pro?

The Crucial X9 Pro is a sure bet for anyone who wants the fastest 10Gbps performance at a still affordable price. A svelte beauty that delivers 1GBps transfer rates, the X9 Pro is sold in 1TB ($70), 2TB ($120), or 4TB ($210) capacities.

Crucial X9: Further considerations

In our testing, the X9 Pro performed admirably against the 10Gbps competition. Excelling especially in the real-world 48GB transfer tests and the 450GB write test — where it smoked the other 10Gbps drives we’ve tested.

Crucial also sells the 20Gbps X10 Pro, but you’ll pay quite a bit more for the doubled speed, and said speed is also dependent upon a USB 3.2×2 port. We think that the X9 Pro will serve the average user perfectly fine with excellent all-around performance at a significantly cheaper price point.

For many more external SSD recommendations, see our roundup of the best external drives.