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Best SSDs (Internal Solid-State Drives): Top Storage Options for PCs, Servers, or Game Consoles

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This post includes the best internal solid-state drives (SSDs) among those I've reviewed that you can safely bring home today.

Inside your computer (or game console), the main internal drive is one of the three most important components, besides RAM and CPU, that decides performance. That said, an SSD upgrade can be the most gratifying one—it never hurts to have more storage space, either. The lists below make the important task of picking the correct drive less daunting.

Dong's note: I first published this post on May 1, 2020, and last updated it on July 10, 2024, with the latest options.

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

There are two lists: one for NVMe SSDs and the other for SATA drives. Nowadays, the former is more relevant to performance, while the latter is great for cases where you need a large amount of fast internal storage at an affordable cost.

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

These lists are sorted in the recommendation order with the best on top—the numbers are the ranking.

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 fastest NVMe drives currently use PCIe 5.0, which also requires the latest motherboard, CPU, and RAM to show their true potential. Alternatively, PCIe 4.0 and PCIe 3.0 counterparts are also viable in all cases. All PCIe NVMe SSDs can work with all PCIe motherboards, regardless of the revision, at the speed of the slower party.



1. Micron Crucial T705

Crucial T705
Best SSDs: The Crucial T705 is the second PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD from Micron.

The Crucial T705 is Micron's second PCIe SSD and is currently the fastest consumer-grade drive on the market. It's an excellent option for those with the latest hardware who want the absolute best performance.

Similar alternatives from Micron:

Crucial T705 PCIe 5.0 SSD's Rating

8.3 out of 10
Crucial T705 SSD
Performance
10 out of 10
Features
8 out of 10
Value
7 out of 10

Pros

Stellar performance with PCIe 5.0 or 4.0, especially in raw data transfer

Helpful Storage Executive desktop dashboard software

5-year warranty

Cons

Expensive

Runs hot


2. Samsung SSD 990 EVO

Samsung SSD 990 Evo top side
Best SSDs: The 990 EVO is the first PCIe 5.0 SSD from Samsung.

The 990 EVO is Samsung's first PCIe 5.0 drive, and it's an interesting one. Unlike others, such as the Crucial counterparts above, it features only the 2-lane specs—it has half the bandwidth. As a result, it delivers the same performance as when using a 4-lane PCIe 4.0 drive. In return, it's more affordable and produces significantly less heat. And PCIe 4.0 performance is plenty fast.

Similar alternatives from Samsung:

Samsung 990 EVO SSD's Rating

8.3 out of 10
The Samsung SSD 990 Evo
Performance
8 out of 10
Features
9 out of 10
Value
8 out of 10

Pros

Excellent PCIe 4.0 performance with native PCIe 5.0 support

Produce little or no heat

Helpful Samsung Magician software with lots of useful settings and features

5-year warranty

Cons

Only two-lane bandwidth with PCIe 5.0

Comparatively slow copy speed when performing both writing and reading simultaneously


3. WD Blue SN5000

WD Blue SN5000 front
Best SSDs: The WD Blue SN5000

The WD SN5000 is Western Digital's latest PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD in the WD Blue family, continuing the tradition of affordability. This frill-free drive offers an excellent combination of performance and cost.

Similar alternatives from WD:

WD Blue SN5000's Rating

8.2 out of 10
WD Blue SN5000 and retail box
Performance
8 out of 10
Features
7.7 out of 10
Value
9 out of 10

Pros

Excellent sequential performance

Up to 4TB of storage, affordable; helpful Dashboard software

5-year warranty; run cool

Cons

Random access performance and the 4TB version's endurance rating could be better

No hardware encryption or user-accessible features


4. Sabrent Rocket 4 series

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

Sabrent's Rocket 4 series includes the Rocket 4 Plus and Rocket 4 Plus-G. Both are excellent SSDs.

Similar alternatives:

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

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


5. Micron Crucial P310

The Micron Crucial P310 NVMe SSD
Best SSDs: The Micron Crucial P310 NVMe SSD is tiny.

The Crucial P310 represents a compact 2230 NVMe SSD. These drives can fit even the most portable devices—as well as any standard application with the help of a length extender—yet pack a powerful punch in both performance and capacity.

Micron Crucial P310 M.2 SSD's Ratings

8.2 out of 10
Crucial P310 SSDs
Performance
9 out of 10
Features
7.5 out of 10
Value
8 out of 10

Pros

Compact and standard designs with excellent PCIe 4.0 performance

Helpful Storage Executive software

5-year warranty; runs cool

Cons

Modest endurance; no hardware encryption

Capacities cap at 2TB


Top five 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.

1. Samsung SSD 870 EVO

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

The 870 EVO is Samsung's latest SATA SSD 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

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


3. Western Digital WD Blue

WD Blue Internal SSD
Best SSDs: The WD Blue

First available in 2016, the WD Blue has gone through a few hardware revisions. The latest model, WD Blue SA510, is available for 250GB and up to 4TB. Over the years, the drive has proven itself to be an excellent SSD.

WD Blue's Rating

8.3 out of 10
WD Blue SATA SSD
Performance
9 out of 10
Features
8 out of 10
Value
8 out of 10

Pros

Excellent performance

Up to 4TB of storage, affordable; helpful bundled software

High endurance, reliable

Cons

A bit pricy


4. Micron Crucial BX500

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

The Crucial BX500 is a barebone SSD with relatively modest performance, but thanks to the friendly cost, it's still 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

The performance could use some improvement


5. SanDisk SSD Plus

SanDisk SSD Plus
Best SSDs: The SanDisk SSD Plus

First available one year after the WD Blue above, the SanDisk SSD Plus has been an excellent drive for those needing a good combo of fast SATA performance, reasonable cost, and excellent reliability.

SanDisk SSD Plus' Rating

8 out of 10
SanDisk SSD Plus Internal Drive
Performance
8 out of 10
Features
8 out of 10
Value
8 out of 10

Pros

Good performance

Up to 2TB of storage; excellent dashboard software

High endurance and reliable

Cons

Inconsistent performance between hardware versions


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 perform an MVMe upgrade on your Windows machine will be helpful.

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18 thoughts on “Best SSDs (Internal Solid-State Drives): Top Storage Options for PCs, Servers, or Game Consoles”

  1. FWIW, Amazon sells a Crucial BX500 2TB 3D NAND SATA 2.5-Inch Internal SSD, up to 540MB/s – CT2000BX500SSD1, Solid State Hard Drive for $115. So there is a larger Crucial SSD.

    Reply
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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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