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Best SSDs (Solid-State Drives): Get Your PC, Server, or Console One Today!

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This post includes the best internal solid-state drives (SSDs) I've reviewed that are relevant and available to purchase.

Migrating your computer from a hard drive (if you still have one) to a solid-state drive (SSD) or a SATA SSD to an NVMe is the most gratifying upgrade.

So, getting the correct drive is naturally an important task, and you will be able to pick one today!

Dong's note: I first published this post on May 1, 2020, and last updated it on July 11, 2023.

Best SSDs : Internal SSDs come in different shapes and sizes.
Best SSDs: Solid-state drives generally come in 2.5-inch (SATA) and M.2 (NVMe) designs

Best SSDs: The lists

You'll find standard SATA and NVMe drives here, divided into two lists in reviewed order, with the latest on top.

NVMe and SATA are two different internal storage types -- more about them in this post on SSD basics.

Top five best NVMe SSDs (and alternatives): A must for a top-performing computer, server, or game console

Fast NVMe SSDs require a host with an M.2 slot. Most computers released in the past five years have at least one of these slots built-in, but you can upgrade to one on almost all desktop computers via a PCIe adapter.

The currently fastest NVMe drives use PCIe 5.0, available in the latest hardware. Alternatively, PCIe 4.0 and PCIe 3.0 counterparts are also viable in most cases.

With that, below are the top five drives among those I've tested and their worthy alternatives.

WD Blue SN580 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD Micron Crucial T700 PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSDs Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus vs Rocket 4 Plus G NVMe SSDs 1 7 Samsung 990 PRO SSD front Seagate IronWolf 525 SSD 3
NameWD Blue SN580's RatingCrucial T700 PCIe 5.0 SSD's RatingSabrent Rocket 4 Plus-G and Rocket 4 Plus' RatingSamsung 990 PRO SSD's RatingSeagate IronWolf 525's Rating
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5. WD Blue SN580

This is the latest drive on this list. The number is not the rating.

WD Blue SN580 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
Best SSDs: The WD Blue SN580

The SN580 is the PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD in the WD Blue family and continues the tradition of affordability. The frill-free drive has an excellent combo of performance and cost.

Similar alternatives from WD:

WD Blue SN580's Rating

8 out of 10
WD Blue SN580 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD Box
Performance
8 out of 10
Features
7 out of 10
Value
9 out of 10

Pros

Excellent sequential performance

Affordable

Helpful Dashboard software

5-year warranty; run cool

Cons

Random access performance could be better

No security or user-accessible features


4. Crucial T700

Micron Crucial T700 PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD Two Versions
Best SSDs: The Micron Crucial T700 PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD is available in naked and heatsink versions.

The Crucial T700 is the first PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD, which screams speed. In return, the drive is not cheap and requires the latest and most expensive hardware to deliver top performance. It runs hot, too.

Alternatives from Micron:

Crucial T700 PCIe 5.0 SSD's Rating

8.2 out of 10
Micron Crucial T700 PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSDs
Performance
9.5 out of 10
Features
8 out of 10
Value
7 out of 10

Pros

Screaming performance with PCIe 5.0 or 4.0

Helpful Storage Executive software with useful settings and features

5-year warranty

Cons

Expensive

Runs hot


3. Sabrent Rocket 4 series

Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus vs Rocket 4 Plus G Underside
Best SSDs: The Rocket 4 series includes two SSD.

Sabrent's Rocket 4 series includes:

Both are excellent SSDs.

Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus-G and Rocket 4 Plus' Rating

8.8 out of 10
Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus vs Rocket 4 Plus G NVMe SSDs 1 7
Performance
9.5 out of 10
Features
8 out of 10
Value
9 out of 10

Pros

Excellent NVMe performance, Plus model available in up to 8TB, high endurance

Useful Dashboard software; valuable bundle backup software

Microsoft DirectStorage API support (Rocket 4 Plus-G model)

5-year warranty

Cons

Only a 2-year warranty without registration

No hardware encryption or user-accessible feature


2. Samsung 990 PRO

Samsung 990 PRO SSDs front on hand
Best SSDs: The PRO is the latest in Samsung 990's internal SSDs.

The Samsung 990 is Samsung's latest in its flagship NVMe SSDs with an incremental improvement to previous models, which remain to be excellent.

Similar alternatives:

Samsung 990 PRO SSD's Rating

9 out of 10
Samsung 990 PRO SSD front
Performance
9 out of 10
Features
9 out of 10
Value
9 out of 10

Pros

Excellent PCIe 4.0 performance

Reasonably priced

Helpful Samsung Magician software with lots of useful settings and features

5-year warranty

Cons

No PCIe 5.0 support

No new or break-through features


1. Seagate IronWolf 525

This is the oldest drive on this list. The number is not the rating.

Seagate IronWolf 525 SSD
Best SSDs: The Seagate IronWolf 525

The IronWolf 525 is an excellent PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD for PCs and NAS servers with the best endurance rating.

Alternative:

Seagate IronWolf 525's Rating

8.2 out of 10
Seagate IronWolf 525 SSD 3
Performance
8 out of 10
Features
8.5 out of 10
Value
8 out of 10

Pros

High endurance

Excellent real-world performance and RAID support

Three years of data rescue services included

5-year warranty

Cons

Slower than PCIe 4.0 rivals

Limited NAS use


Three best SATA SSDs (and alternatives): Slow but still plenty fast and relevant

The SATA standard is much slower than the NVMe above but still significantly faster than any traditional hard drive.

A SATA SSD will fit in the place of any regular hard drive and, therefore, will make an easy and satisfying upgrade in any computer that still runs on a hard drive -- if you still have one today. On a fast, up-to-date computer, a SATA SSD makes an excellent secondary drive that holds data or backups.

Samsung 870 EVO SSD in Hand WD Red SA500 Hand Crucial BX500 960GB SSD
NameSamsung 870 EVO's RatingWD Red SA500's RatingCrucial BX500's Rating
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3. Samsung SSD 870 EVO: Arguably the best SATA drive to date

This is the latest drive on this list. The number is not the rating.

Samsung 870 EVO SSD on Box
Best SSDs: The Samsung 870 EVO

The 870 EVO is the latest SATA SSD from Samsung and might be the company's last drive of the standard.

Similar alternatives from Samsung:

Samsung 870 EVO's Rating

9 out of 10
Samsung 870 EVO SSD in Hand
Performance
9 out of 10
Features
8.5 out of 10
Value
9.5 out of 10

Pros

Top-notch SATA performance

Useful software with an excellent feature set

Relatively affordable

5-year warranty

High endurance

Cons

No 8TB capacity

No M.2 version


2. WD Red SA500: A versatile SATA NAS SSD that’s also great for PCs

WD Red SA500 Hand
Best SSDs: The WD Red SA500

The WD RED SA500 is unique since it's available in M.2 and SATA form factors. It's an excellent choice for a NAS server or a budget PC.

WD Red SA500's Rating

8.8 out of 10
WD Red SA500 Hand
Performance
9 out of 10
Features
8.5 out of 10
Value
9 out of 10

Pros

Affordable with extended warranty

Excellent performance

2.5-inch and M.2 form factors

High capacity

Cons

Relatively low endurance when compared to competing drive

No NVMe version, 2.5-inch to 3.5-inch mounting bracket not included


1. Micron Crucial BX500: The low-cost replacement SSD for a budget computer

This is the oldest drive on this list. The number is not the rating.

The new Crucial BX500 SSD from Micron.
Best SSDs: The Crucial BX500

The Crucial BX500 is an excellent alternative to any hard drive.

Crucial BX500's Rating

8 out of 10
Crucial BX500 960GB SSD
Performance
7.5 out of 10
Features
7.5 out of 10
Value
9 out of 10

Pros

Inexpensive

Good performance and endurance

Useful software and features

Cons

No encryption, bare-bone specs

Short 3-year warranty

No higher capacities than 960GB


Best SSDs: The takeaway

The solid-state drive has become the norm in computer storage. It's not impossible to buy a new computer that doesn't use one as the main storage unit.

Still, not all SSDs are created equal. Picking the right one will ring in the performance you need and the right bang for your buck.

Once you've got the one you need, these posts on how to migrate a hard drive to an SSD or do an MVMe upgrade on your Windows machine will come in handy.

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16 thoughts on “Best SSDs (Solid-State Drives): Get Your PC, Server, or Console One Today!”

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  1. I am surprised there was no mention or inclusion of a single Sabrent-branded SSDs. I’ve been using a couple 2TBs for well over a year and no problems. I have an unopened 2TB NVMe v4.0 ready to deploy when I get my Lenovo X1 Extreme Gen 4. You might want to check them out. Here’s one link to a Black Friday special at Amazon.

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TLYWMY

    Reply
  2. Hi Dong,
    My daughter has a ThinkPad X1 Carbon laptop. About a year ago, I upgraded its SSD from Intel Pro 6000p 256GB (SSDPEKKF256G7) to Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB (MZ-V7S1T0B/AM).

    We found out that the 970 EVO Plus runs quite a bit hotter than the Intel Pro 6000p.

    I think it might be useful to your readers, if you could include some temperature measurements, especially in ultra-portable laptops.

    Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving!

    Reply
  3. When you need larger capacity drives, there is no competition for old mechanical hard drives. I would rather pay $200 for a 10TB mechanical drive than $1000+ for a SSD. Put 8 of them into a Synology DS1819+ and you really have a lot of $ put out in drives.

    Reply
    • That’s true, Steve. These mostly are for the boot drive of a computer. You can use SSDs with a NAS though, you’ll be amazed how much faster your system is especially when you want to run VMs. More in this review of the DS1621+.

      Reply
      • I know. I have an Alienware m17 r3 with 2x 2tb m.2 NVMe SSDs, and 1x 512GB m.2 NVMe SSD. On the 1819+. I have 8x 10tb HD (shucked WD EasyShares) and 2 Seagate Iron Wolf drives for caching

        Reply
  4. Maybe this is insensitive (or plain ole back woods ignorance), but are spindle/platter drives still common in everyday computing? I purchase computers semi-regularly (I work in IT) and don’t think you can configure devices with anything but SSD for the primary (the Dell models we buy anyway).

    I can’t even begin to fathom how long it must take for Windows 10 to do anything on a 7200RPM (or even 5400RPM, ouch!) drive.

    Reply
    • There are still a lot of new (cheap) computers that use HDD on the inside, Lance. Not to mention existing old computers. But SSDs are taking over for sure. And you can also upgrade to a larger one.

      Reply
  5. consider ADATA XPG SX8100 512GB 3D NAND NVMe Gen3x4 PCIe M.2 2280 Solid State Drive R/W 3500/3000MB/s SSD (ASX8100NP-512GT-C)

    Reply
  6. Why no SanDisk SSD? Great budget SSD and good performance options. I have two 960GB Ultra IIs that are going strong 4-5 years now.

    Reply

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