We've done a lot of testing to find the best solid state drive. In this article, we'll review products for every budget and need.
Contents:
- Introduction
- Choosing the best SSD for you
- Buying tips
- The best SSDs you can buy today
- M.2 PCIe NVMe drives
- SATA disks
- Where can I buy the best SSDs of 2023?
Introduction
If you look at the main components of a personal computer, the slowest functioning component is the storage drive. Information is transferred in the smallest fraction of a second that the graphics card and processor spend on downloading or transferring it to memory. If a PC uses a low-performance drive, serious problems arise, causing even the best CPUs for computer games to spend clock cycles processing information.
Nowadays, finding the best solid-state drive or SSD has become a key consideration when building a computer. If you want to get the best PC or laptop for gaming, then the best drive option will allow you to create a fairly productive machine. To find the best SSD that delivers excellent performance in computer games, we have tested a large number of products. In this article, we offer only the best products that allow you to store information reliably.
Choosing the best SSD for you
All of the following drives have been tested by our experts. They compared the results and were able to make a rating. Let's take a closer look at how we conduct our testing.
Nowadays, new solid-state drives are based on the NVMe standard. They are significantly ahead of SATA based drives. This interface is slower and was originally used to connect hard disks. We believe that SATA drives will remain relevant in the near future. They will become more affordable in order to win the market competition in terms of cost. This is because they cannot compete with the new NVMe in terms of performance.
Solid-state drives that operate on the lightning-fast PCIe 4.0 M.2 interface are widely used on platforms from AMD and Intel. Their transfer speed is twice that of the outdated PCIe 3.0 connector. New generations of CPUs from AMD and Intel can already work with the PCIe 5.0 interface, but SSDs for this connector will appear at the end of this year.
This means that the PCIe 4.0 interface is currently the most powerful option available. If your PC supports PCIe 4.0, you can work with the best drives for PC gaming. For example, the SK hynix P41 is notable for its 7000/6,500MB/s transfer rate and 1.4/1.3 million sequential read/write operations per 1 second. Such indicators indicate that the time for encoding videos or downloading games is significantly reduced. If you want to buy an SSD for a laptop, the PCIe 3.0 interface is the best option for them to save energy.
What many users don't know is that pure write and read speeds are not the main parameter that should be used to choose a drive. When it comes to performing simple tasks, such as various desktop activities and browsing the Internet, there is virtually no difference between PCIe 3.0 and 4.0 interfaces. As a result, we can say that the best drive for a user is one that has the right capacity at an affordable price. Don't forget that Windows 11 requires 60 GB of space, and modern games require more than 100 GB of data.
Buying tips
When you buy a solid-state drive, pay attention to the following points:
- The slowest interface is SATA. It lags behind M.2 PCIe or just the PCIe connector. At the same time, most PCs and many laptops can work with a 2.5-inch SATA interface. Most users will not notice the difference between the speeds for typical actions.
- SSD with a capacity in the range of 500 GB - 2 TB. Today, 1 TB is the minimum storage capacity for any computer that costs more than $500. 2 TB is now the best SSD storage size for users who are willing to spend $200 or more on such a product. At the same time, 500 GB drives have become the absolute minimum, and they should be used in a build of any price. Drives larger than 4 TB are considered expensive models.
- Before purchasing a drive, make sure that it has a compatible interface. To do this, you can study special manuals from the manufacturer, such as the Crucial Memory Finder. This comprehensive approach ensures that you will be able to choose the best drive for your computer.
The best solid state drives you can buy today
Samsung 990 Pro
Samsung was able to stay ahead of its competitors by offering an upgrade to the previous 980 Pro product. The new drive offers interesting features, such as RGB backlighting and a heat sink. A 4TB version is expected to be released in 2023.
The device under review has excellent performance across the board. The 990 Pro has set some records, especially when it comes to randomly reading 4K video. We got a stable result, and the disk remained cold. Samsung also updated the software for the drive, providing users with many important tools.
Despite this efficiency, there is serious competition in the market. The price of the 990 Pro is high, and it's also increased by the RGB and heatsink. We believe that the manufacturer will soon stop producing this product, as it will focus on the PCIe 5.0 interface. This drive has fully realized its potential and can handle almost any task.
Kingston KC3000
For the fastest drive on the market, you can choose the KS3000. Our tests have shown that this is a very capable drive. It is designed with PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe interface in mind. Thanks to these technologies, the product has a maximum write and read speed of up to 7 Gbps. The functionality of the product allows you to perform up to 1 million operations per 1 second.
The drive is powered by a Phison PS5018-E18 processor. The drive comes with Micron TLC flash memory. All this allows the SSD to operate at a speed of 1699 MT/s, which gives it a great advantage.
The device's capacity is 2 TB, and in terms of endurance and power, it is better than the Samsung 980 Pro. All these advantages have been achieved due to its efficiency. The disadvantage of this approach is that the battery life of laptops has decreased. If this is not the best option for laptops, then for PCs, this SSD will be the best option, demonstrating high-end performance in games and applications.
WD Black SN850X
The manufacturer offers a high-quality product with a new flash memory and controller. This approach allows you to unlock all the benefits of the PCIe 5.0 interface. WD managed to improve the power in almost every direction, which allowed it to outperform the Platinum P41. Compared to the competitor, WD provides an RGB heatsink for 1-2 TB models.
The disadvantage of the product is its expensive retail price. The Game Mode 2.0 option turned out to be incomplete in the tests. The developer informs that the problem will be solved after the firmware update. This drive is perfect for modern computer games and PS5.
Crucial P3
Compared to the P3 Plus version, there is no particular difference between them. The main feature of the P3 is that this drive is limited to PCIe 3.0 capabilities. This allows for a cheaper price. Users can use the device even in older systems. The downside is that the maximum throughput is reduced. It also cannot be used in PS5.
We were pleasantly surprised to see a new drive for the PCIe 3.0 interface with a capacity of up to 4 TB. The company offers a 5-year warranty and provides software support. The P3 has no DRAM, and the device is based on QLC. This approach can lead to performance issues. As a result, it is a great option for users who want to get a large amount of NVMe storage and upgrade their system.
Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus M.2 NVMe Heatsink
This is a flagship drive from a reliable manufacturer with a PCIe 4.0 interface. This model is distinguished by the presence of an improved package, for example, the device has a PS5 heatsink and special thermal tape. The radiator used is designed for PS5 to fully utilize the natural airflow. A sufficiently tight connection in the thermal tape is responsible for effective heat dissipation. This design is able to protect the device from overheating.
The entire kit is highly efficient right out of the box. It has TLC flash memory using 176 layers, which provides increased peak performance. This is quite enough to use the PS5's 4TB capacity limits. The downside is the price, and users can find cheaper options with similar features.
Silicon Power XPower XS70
After our tests, we liked this drive. It has a number of advantages, such as a reasonable price, a nice heat sink, and increased performance. A powerful controller and new flash memory are available for use in PS5. A special radiator for PS5 is also used. The 1TB and 2TB models are reasonably priced, which is more favorable than many competitors.
Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus G SSD
The manufacturer has significantly updated the 4 Plus version, which was originally a high-quality product. Subsequently, Sabrent upgraded the memory to 176-layer memory from Micron. Then the DirectStorage firmware was released, which allowed users to work with fast memory. This is the first SSD for this firmware, so new versions of the software will be released in the future.
The drives discussed above are faster than this product, but almost all of them do not support capacities up to 4 TB. The retail price of this device is too high. Under high loads, performance is on par.
Накопичувачі M.2 PCIe NVMe
Such drives are distinguished by their small appearance. They look similar to RAM, but are slightly smaller. The average width of the product is 22 mm and the length is 80 mm, which is why the number 2280 appears in their name. Sometimes longer or shorter devices are available.
When choosing such a drive, you need to be sure that it has the right interface. In this case, you will be able to work with M.2 products that support SATA. Nowadays, the M.2 slot with the PCIe NVMe standard is found in most laptops and PCs.
Crucial P5 Plus
This SSD is a new version of the P5, in which the developer has worked to improve performance. The new drive is aimed at gamers and people who work with content. The product provides more time to effectively handle many work situations on the PCIe 4.0 x4 interface. It is an excellent value for the options offered to users.
P5 Plus is able to work well with many programs. It uses 256-bit encryption and special algorithms to protect information. It is a reliable alternative to the devices discussed above.
Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus
A special feature of this drive is the Phison SSD controller. It also uses Micron 97L TLC flash memory. The product's advantages include powerful hardware that allows it to achieve record speeds during testing. The device is built on a black board and has a dark-colored radiator, which creates an attractive appearance. The price of the drive is lower than that of competitors from Samsung and WD.
If you want to save money, you can use this product to build a computer. Increased performance is provided by the PCIe 4.0 interface. An additional plus is the 4 TB capacity and 256-bit data encryption.
SK hynix Gold P31
The manufacturer has launched the first SSD with 128-layer flash memory. In this product, it has reached a high density, and the Gold P31 has a very reasonable price. Competitors from Samsung cost 25-50 dollars more.
Such a drive is perfect if you need to upgrade the memory in your laptop and increase its battery life. In our tests, the SK Hynix demonstrated good energy efficiency. It is also a good choice for PCs, as it delivers improved performance.
SATA disks
At the moment, SATA drives are widely used and are produced in the M.2 form factor. Keep in mind that most SATA drives are 2.5 inches in size. This feature allows them to be used in hard disk bays.
Samsung 870 EVO
Samsung continues to lead the market in storage devices. This also applies to devices with a SATA interface. This SSD is not as durable as the PRO series models, but it still effectively solves almost all tasks. If you need a SATA drive, gamers and other users will be able to easily find a high-quality device with a capacity of up to 4 TB.
Crucial MX500
Some users don't want to spend the money on NVMe drives, but still want a high-performance SATA device. In this situation, they can choose the MX500. Unlike its main competitor, the Samsung 860 EVO, it offers a higher level of reliability and the same level of performance. At the same time, the MX500 is much cheaper and comes in a variety of capacities.
Samsung 860 Pro
If your computer or laptop only has a SATA connector for storage, you can use the Samsung 860 Pro for maximum performance. This drive has reached the pinnacle of performance in this interface.
The device uses 64-bit Samsung MLC V-NAND memory. This allowed the drive to achieve increased endurance in our tests. There are products with capacities up to 4 TB on sale. The downside is the higher price, unlike competitors' products.
Where to buy the best SSDs of 2023
If you've found the right drive for you in this article, you can order it from the Artline online store. The catalog of this company contains all these models at the market price. For each lot, a detailed description of all parameters is offered.