The perfect SSDs in 2025

Relating to boosting your system’s efficiency, upgrading to one of many quickest SSDs is a no brainer. Whether or not you’re constructing a gaming PC, rushing up an older laptop computer or just craving lightning-fast load instances, an SSD is the best way to go. In contrast to conventional arduous drives, SSDs depend on NAND flash storage, which means you get sooner information switch speeds, improved reliability and a extra responsive expertise general.

Fashionable SSDs are fairly versatile, catering to everybody from players chasing the very best efficiency to these trying to find the very best funds choices that also ship stable velocity. Pair a high quality SSD with a robust GPU, and also you’re set for seamless gaming and multitasking. Plus, with superior firmware bettering effectivity and sturdiness, SSDs at the moment are higher than ever at dealing with high-intensity workloads. On this shopping for information, we’ll discover the very best SSDs in the marketplace, whether or not you’re after uncooked velocity, affordability or a mixture of the 2.

Finest SSDs in 2025

Essential

Capability: 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | Connection: M.2 | Learn velocity: 11,700MB/s | Write velocity: 9,500MB/s

I don’t advocate shopping for a Gen5 NVMe, even if in case you have the {hardware} wanted to run one. The learn speeds may look spectacular on paper, however the actuality is that few video games and apps can benefit from these capabilities proper now.

Nonetheless, in case you’re set on outfitting your laptop with the quickest potential storage, I believe the Crucial T700 presents a compelling mixture of value and efficiency. The T700 is among the quickest NVMe drives in the marketplace proper now, and after launching at $180, it’s potential to search out it on sale for about $143. Word that in case your motherboard didn’t include a heatsink to your NVMe drives, you will want to purchase the T700 mannequin that features one, which additional will increase the fee.

Professionals

• Very quick
• Helps DirectStorage
• 5-year guarantee

$135 at Amazon

WD_BLACK

Capability: 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 8TB | Connection: M.2 | Learn velocity: 7,300MB/s | Write velocity: 6,300MB/s

Supplied you personal the required {hardware}, Gen4 NVMe drives supply fairly good worth proper now. After testing a number of completely different fashions, I ended up shopping for the Western Digital WD_Black SN850X for my very own system. It’s very quick, delivering learn speeds of as much as 7,300MB/s, and I used to be capable of pay lower than $100 for the 1TB mannequin throughout a sale.

Should you’re set on shopping for a Gen4 mannequin, however wish to avoid wasting cash, Western Digital presents the extra inexpensive SN770. It’s not as quick because the SN850X, but when your system has one Gen4 NVMe slot, it’s nice for storing Home windows and your most necessary apps.

Professionals

• Quick
• DirectStorage assist
• 5-year guarantee

$80 at Amazon

Essential

Capability: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | Connection: M.2 | Learn velocity: 3,500MB/s | Write speeds: 3,000MB/s

A earlier model of this information really useful the Essential P2 as an incredible funds Gen 3 NVMe choose, however as Gen4 and now Gen5 NVMe drives have entered the market, producers like Micron have discontinued a few of their entry-level Gen4 fashions. The excellent news is that their previous high-end Gen3 drives at the moment are extra inexpensive than ever. Take the Crucial P3, for example. Micron initially priced the 1TB mannequin at $90, however in latest months, it’s been on sale for as little as $40. That’s nice worth for a drive that gives 3,500MB/s learn speeds.

Professionals

• Reasonably priced and continuously on sale
• 5-year guarantee

Cons

• May very well be sooner
• Endurance stats should not the very best

$62 at Adorama

SABRENT

Capability: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | Connection: M.2 | Learn velocity: 5,000MB/s | Write velocity: 4,300MB/s

Should you’re assured sufficient to open your Steam Deck to put in a brand new, larger capability NVMe, the Sabrent Rocket 2230 is a superb small-sized NVME. It’ll slot into the Steam Deck’s M.2 slot with out concern, and also you don’t want to fret about it overheating. With latest reductions on this mannequin, it’s dropped sufficient in value the place you may lower your expenses by shopping for the 512GB Steam Deck OLED mannequin and putting in extra storage later.

Cons

• Costly relative to full-sized NVMe drives

$100 at Amazon

Corsair

Capability: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 8TB | Connection: M.2 | Learn velocity: 7,100 MB/s | Write velocity: 6,800MB/sec

Engadget has a separate information devoted to the best PlayStation 5 SSDs, however in case you got here to this web page in search of a advice on what NVMe to purchase to your PS5, look no additional than the Corsair MP600 Pro LPX. It meets all of Sony’s compatibility necessities and comes with a pre-installed heatsink, which means all it’s worthwhile to do is set up it into your PS5 and also you’re good to go.

Professionals

• Good PS5 compatibility
• Pre-installed heatsink
• Simple to put in

Cons

• Cheaper so as to add your individual heatsink

$155 at Amazon

Essential

Capability: 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | Connection: USB-C | Learn velocity: 1,050MB/s | Write velocity: 975MB/s

For carrying recordsdata on the go, the Crucial X9 Pro is a conveyable SSD with the correct mix of efficiency, options and price. There are technically sooner choices on the market, however its 10 Gbps speeds ought to be fast sufficient for the backups and file transfers most individuals do with an exterior drive, and it outpaced most different fashions inside its efficiency class in our benchmark exams. It’s tremendous tiny and sufficiently rugged on prime of that, with an IP55-rated case created from aluminum and rubber. A five-year guarantee helps as effectively. Simply notice that the included USB-C cable is pretty brief, and there’s no adapter for USB-A ports within the field. — Jeff Dunn, Senior Reporter, Shopping for Recommendation

Professionals

• IP55-certified water and mud safety
• 5-year guarantee

Cons

• No USB-A cable included
• Not the quickest

$138 at Amazon

SAMSUNG

Capability: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB | Connection: USB 3.1 | Learn velocity: As much as 400MB/s relying on the mannequin | Write velocity: As much as 400MB/s

The Samsung Fit Plus has about all of the options you may need on a USB drive. It connects to your laptop over USB 3.1 and helps file switch speeds of as much as 300MB/s. The Match Plus can be compact and has a useful slot for attaching it to your keychain. The one draw back of Samsung’s USB drive is that it’s on the dear facet.

Professionals

• USB 3.1
• Modern design
• 5-year guarantee

Cons

• Could be too small
• No indicator mild

$22 at Adorama

How we take a look at SSDs

I’ve both examined or personally use every day each SSD really useful on this record. Out of our prime picks, I purchased 4 with my very own cash after doing a few dozen hours of analysis. Individually, Engadget Senior Reporter Jeff Dunn has additionally examined a handful of our suggestions, together with the Essential X9 Professional listed above.

What to search for in a PC SSD

Essentially the most inexpensive means so as to add quick space for storing to a pc is with a 2.5-inch SATA drive. It’s additionally one of many best in case you don’t wish to fear about compatibility since virtually each laptop made within the final twenty years will embody a motherboard with Serial ATA connections. For that purpose, the very best SATA SSDs are a superb alternative if you wish to prolong the lifetime of an older PC construct. Set up is easy, too. When you’ve secured the inner SSD in a drive cage, all it’s worthwhile to do is to attach it to your motherboard and energy provide.

The one draw back of SATA drives is that, by way of responsiveness, they’re slower than their high-performance NVMe counterparts, with SATA III limiting information transfers to 600MB/s. However even the slowest SSD shall be considerably sooner than the very best mechanical drives. And with high-capacity, 1TB SATA SSDs costing about $100, they’re a very good bulk-storage choice.

In case your PC is newer, there’s a very good likelihood it consists of house for a number of M.2 SSDs. The shape issue represents your ticket to the quickest SSDs in the marketplace, however the difficult half is navigating all of the completely different requirements and specs concerned.

M.2 drives can function both a SATA or PCIe connection. SSDs with the latter are generally known as Non-Risky Reminiscence or NVMe drives and are considerably sooner than their SATA counterparts, with Gen3 fashions providing sequential write speeds of as much as 3,000MB/s. These drives depend on NVMe NAND know-how for his or her superior efficiency and sturdiness. You may get twice the efficiency with a Gen4 SSD, however you’ll want a motherboard and processor that helps the usual.

Should you’re operating an AMD system, which means a minimum of a Ryzen 3000 or 5000 CPU and an X570 or B550 motherboard. With Intel, in the meantime, you’ll want a minimum of an eleventh or twelfth Gen processor and a Z490, Z590 or Z690 motherboard. Take into account that Gen4 SSDs sometimes value greater than their Gen3 counterparts as effectively.

Costlier nonetheless are the most recent Gen5 fashions, which provide sequential learn speeds of as much as 16,000MB/s. Nonetheless, even when your laptop helps the usual, you’re higher off shopping for a extra inexpensive Gen4 or Gen3 drive. For the time being, only a few video games and purposes can benefit from Gen3 NVMe speeds, not to mention Gen4 and Gen5 speeds. What’s extra, Gen5 NVMe drives can run scorching, which might result in efficiency and longevity points. Your cash is best spent on different elements, like upgrading your GPU, for now.

As for why you’d purchase an M.2 SATA drive over a equally specced 2.5-inch drive, it comes right down to ease of set up. You add M.2 storage to your laptop by putting in the SSD straight onto the motherboard. That will sound intimidating, however in follow the method includes a single screw that you simply first take away to attach the drive to your laptop after which retighten to safe the SSD in place. As an added bonus, there aren’t any wires concerned, making cable administration simpler.

Word which you could set up a SATA M.2 SSD into an M.2 slot with a PCIe connection, however you possibly can’t insert an NVMe M.2 SSD right into a M.2 slot with a SATA connection. Until you wish to proceed utilizing an previous M.2 drive, there’s little purpose to benefit from that function. Talking of backward compatibility, it’s additionally potential to make use of a Gen4 drive by a PCIe 3 connection, however you received’t get any of the velocity advantages of the sooner NVMe.

One last item to contemplate is that M.2 drives come in several bodily sizes. From shortest to longest, the widespread choices are 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280 and 22110. (The primary two numbers characterize width in millimeters and the latter denote the size.) For probably the most half, you don’t have to fret about that since 2280 is the default for a lot of motherboards and producers. Some boards can accommodate multiple dimension of NVMe SSD due to a number of standoffs. That stated, test your laptop’s documentation earlier than shopping for a drive to make sure you’re choosing up a suitable dimension.

Should you’re shopping for a substitute SSD for the Steam Deck or Steam Deck OLED, issues are simpler. For Valve’s handheld, you will want a 2230 dimension NVMe. Easy. Should you don’t wish to open your Steam Deck, it’s additionally potential to increase its storage by putting in a microSD card. Engadget has a separate guide dedicated to SD card storage, so test that out for extra shopping for recommendation.

I alluded to this earlier, however the very best shopping for recommendation I can supply is don’t get too caught up about being on the bleeding fringe of storage tech. The sequential learn and write speeds you see producers record on their drives are theoretical and real-world efficiency benchmark exams fluctuate lower than you suppose.

In case your funds forces you to decide on between a 1TB Gen3 NVMe and a 512GB Gen4 mannequin, go for the higher-capacity one. From a sensible standpoint, the worst factor you are able to do is purchase a sort of SSD that’s too small for wants. Drives can sluggish dramatically as they strategy capability, and you’ll most likely find yourself buying one with a bigger storage capability sooner or later.

What to search for in transportable and USB flash drives

Transportable SSDs are a considerably completely different beast to their inner siblings. Whereas learn and write speeds are necessary, they’re virtually secondary to how an exterior drive connects to your PC. You received’t get probably the most out of a mannequin just like the SanDisk Excessive Professional V2 with out a USB 3.2 Gen 2 x 2 connection. Even amongst newer PCs, that’s one thing of a premium function. For that purpose, most individuals are greatest off shopping for a conveyable drive with a USB 3.2 Gen 2 or Thunderbolt connection. The previous presents switch speeds of as much as 10Gbps. The perfect exterior arduous drives additionally help you switch information out of your Home windows PC to a Mac, or different gadget, if suitable. Make sure you take into account this beforehand in case you plan to make use of your transportable drive throughout a number of units.

Moreover, in case you plan to take your drive on journeys and commutes, it’s worthwhile to purchase a mannequin with IP-certified water and mud proofing. Some corporations like Samsung supply rugged variations of their hottest drives with a excessive endurance ranking. For added peace of thoughts, 256-bit AES {hardware} encryption will assist stop somebody from accessing your information in case you ever lose or misplace your exterior SSD.

A number of the identical options contribute to an incredible thumbstick drive. Our favourite picks for greatest funds exterior SSD fashions function USB 3.0 connections and a few type of {hardware} encryption.

A notice on console storage

If PC gaming isn’t your factor and also you personal an Xbox Collection X|S or PS5, outfitting your fancy new console with the quickest potential storage is much extra simple than doing the identical on PC. With a Collection X or Collection S, your choices are restricted to choices from Seagate and Western Digital. The previous presents 512GB, 1TB and 2TB fashions, with probably the most inexpensive beginning at a not-so-trivial $90. Western Digital’s Enlargement Playing cards are cheaper, with pricing beginning at $80 for the 512GB mannequin. The excellent news is that each choices are continuously on sale. Your greatest guess is to set an alert for the mannequin you need by utilizing a value tracker like CamelCamelCamel.

With Sony’s PlayStation 5, upgrading the console’s inner storage is barely extra concerned. As a substitute of using a proprietary resolution, the PS5 makes use of NVMe storage. Fortunately, there aren’t as many potential configurations as you’d discover on a PC. Engadget maintains a comprehensive guide to the best SSDs for PS5; in brief, your greatest guess is a high-capacity Gen4 drive with a built-in heatsink. Take a look at that information for a full record of gaming SSD suggestions, however for a fast go-to, take into account the Corsair MP600 Professional LPX I like to recommend above. It meets all of the reminiscence specs for Sony’s newest console and also you received’t run into any clearance points with the heatsink. Corsair presents 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB and 8TB variations of the drive. Anticipate to pay about $110 for the 1TB variant and about $200 for 2TB.

For these nonetheless taking part in on a earlier technology console, you may get barely sooner recreation load instances from a PlayStation 4 by swapping the included arduous drive to a 2.5-inch SSD, however going out of your means to take action most likely isn’t value it at this level and also you’re higher off saving your cash for one of many new consoles.

SSD FAQs

What dimension SSD is greatest?

There is no such thing as a one dimension matches all rule for SSDs, however we typically advocate getting a minimum of a 1TB SSD in case you’re trying to improve PC or recreation console storage, or trying so as to add an exterior drive to your toolkit. A 1TB drive shall be loads for most individuals who want additional space for storing for pictures, paperwork and packages. Should you’re a hardcore gamer, chances are you’ll wish to put money into much more storage contemplating many high-profile titles right now can take up a ton of house.

Is a 256GB SSD higher than a 1TB arduous drive?

The brief reply is that it relies on what you want your drive for. Usually, SSDs are sooner and extra environment friendly than HDDs, however HDDs are often cheaper. We advocate springing for an SSD for many use circumstances right now — upgrading a PC, saving necessary pictures and paperwork, storing video games long run, and so forth. However in case you’re targeted on getting probably the most quantity of additional house potential (and sticking to a funds), an HDD could possibly be a very good choice for you.

Does larger SSD imply sooner?

Getting a much bigger SSD doesn’t all the time translate right into a sooner drive general. A much bigger SSD will present the next storage capability, which suggests more room for storing digital recordsdata and packages. To grasp how briskly an SSD shall be, you’ll wish to have a look at its learn/write speeds: learn speeds measure how briskly a drive can entry data, whereas write speeds measure how briskly the drive can save data. Most SSDs record their approximate learn/write speeds of their specs, so you’ll want to take a look at these numbers earlier than you make a purchase order.