The perfect SSDs in 2025

In case your pc is beginning to really feel a little bit sluggish, otherwise you’re uninterested in ready for video games and apps to load, upgrading to probably the greatest SSD choices on the market could be a game-changer. Strong-state drives (SSDs) are a lot sooner than conventional laborious drives, serving to your system boot up in seconds, load giant information immediately and make on a regular basis duties really feel snappier. Whether or not you’re upgrading a laptop computer, constructing a gaming PC or simply need further storage for work or artistic initiatives, the appropriate SSD can severely enhance efficiency.

However with so many specs to think about — PCIe Gen 4, Gen 5, SATA, NVMe — it’s simple to get misplaced within the jargon. That’s the place we are available in! We’ve rounded up one of the best SSD choices that can assist you discover the appropriate stability of velocity, capability and value, so you will get the improve you want with out overpaying for options you gained’t use.

Desk of contents

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 you probably 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 reap the benefits of these capabilities proper now.

Nonetheless, should you’re set on outfitting your pc with the quickest potential storage, I feel the Crucial T700 provides a compelling mixture of value and efficiency. The T700 is without doubt one of 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 on your NVMe drives, you will have to purchase the T700 mannequin that features one, which additional will increase the price.

Execs

• Very quick
• Helps DirectStorage
• 5-year guarantee

$140 at Adorama

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 provide fairly good worth proper now. After testing just a few 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.

For those who’re set on shopping for a Gen4 mannequin, however need to avoid wasting cash, Western Digital provides 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 vital apps.

Execs

• Quick
• DirectStorage help
• 5-year guarantee

$94 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 beneficial the Essential P2 as a fantastic price range 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 are actually extra inexpensive than ever. Take the Crucial P3, as an illustration. Micron initially priced the 1TB mannequin at $90, however in current 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.

Execs

• Inexpensive and incessantly on sale
• 5-year guarantee

Cons

• Could possibly be sooner
• Endurance stats should not one of the best

$60 at Adorama

SABRENT

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

For those who’re assured sufficient to open your Steam Deck to put in a brand new, greater capability NVMe, the Sabrent Rocket 2230 is a good small-sized NVME. It should slot into the Steam Deck’s M.2 slot with out difficulty, and also you don’t want to fret about it overheating. With current reductions on this mannequin, it’s dropped sufficient in value the place you could possibly get monetary savings 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 should you got here to this web page in search of a advice on what NVMe to purchase on 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, that means all you’ll want to do is set up it into your PS5 and also you’re good to go.

Execs

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

Cons

• Cheaper so as to add your individual heatsink

$170 at Amazon

Essential

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

For carrying information on the go, the Crucial X9 Pro is a transportable 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 checks. It’s tremendous tiny and sufficiently rugged on prime of that, with an IP55-rated case comprised of aluminum and rubber. A five-year guarantee helps as properly. Simply observe 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

Execs

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

Cons

• No USB-A cable included
• Not the quickest

$89 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 could possibly need on a USB drive. It connects to your pc over USB 3.1 and helps file switch speeds of as much as 300MB/s. The Match Plus can also be compact and has a helpful slot for attaching it to your keychain. The one draw back of Samsung’s USB drive is that it’s on the expensive facet.

Execs

• USB 3.1
• Glossy design
• 5-year guarantee

Cons

• May be too small
• No indicator gentle

$23 at Adorama

How we check SSDs

I’ve both examined or personally use day by day each storage drive beneficial on this listing. Out of our prime picks, I purchased 4 with my very own cash after doing a couple of 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

Probably the most inexpensive manner 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 should you don’t need to fear about compatibility since virtually each pc made within the final 20 years will embrace a motherboard with Serial ATA connections. For that motive, one of the best SATA SSDs are a superb selection 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 you’ll want to do is to attach it to your motherboard and energy provide.

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

In case your PC is newer, there’s a great probability 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 characteristic both a SATA or PCIe connection. SSDs with the latter are often known as Non-Unstable 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 expertise 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.

For those who’re operating an AMD system, meaning not less than a Ryzen 3000 or 5000 CPU and an X570 or B550 motherboard. With Intel, in the meantime, you’ll want not less than an eleventh or twelfth Gen processor and a Z490, Z590 or Z690 motherboard. Take into account that Gen4 SSDs usually value greater than their Gen3 counterparts as properly.

Costlier nonetheless are the newest Gen5 fashions, which supply sequential learn speeds of as much as 16,000MB/s. Nevertheless, even when your pc helps the usual, you’re higher off shopping for a extra inexpensive Gen4 or Gen3 drive. In the mean time, only a few video games and functions can reap the benefits of Gen3 NVMe speeds, not to mention Gen4 and Gen5 speeds. What’s extra, Gen5 NVMe drives can run sizzling, which may result in efficiency and longevity points. Your cash is healthier 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 pc by putting in the SSD immediately onto the motherboard. That will sound intimidating, however in observe the method entails a single screw that you simply first take away to attach the drive to your pc after which retighten to safe the SSD in place. As an added bonus, there aren’t any wires concerned, making cable administration simpler.

Word you could set up a SATA M.2 SSD into an M.2 slot with a PCIe connection, however you may’t insert an NVMe M.2 SSD right into a M.2 slot with a SATA connection. Except you need to proceed utilizing an previous M.2 drive, there’s little motive to reap the benefits of that characteristic. Talking of backward compatibility, it’s additionally potential to make use of a Gen4 drive by means of a PCIe 3 connection, however you gained’t get any of the velocity advantages of the sooner NVMe.

One very last thing to think about 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 symbolize 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 a couple of dimension of NVMe SSD due to a number of standoffs. That mentioned, verify your pc’s documentation or firmware earlier than shopping for a drive to make sure you’re choosing up a appropriate dimension.

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

I alluded to this earlier, however one of the best shopping for recommendation I can provide 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 listing on their drives are theoretical and real-world efficiency benchmark checks range lower than you suppose.

In case your price range 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 gradual dramatically as they strategy capability, and you’ll most likely find yourself buying one with a better gigabyte capability sooner or later.

What to search for in transportable and USB flash drives

Moveable SSDs are a considerably completely different beast to their inside siblings. Whereas learn and write speeds are vital, they’re virtually secondary to how an exterior drive connects to your PC. You gained’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 characteristic. For that motive, most individuals are finest off shopping for a transportable drive with a USB 3.2 Gen 2 or Thunderbolt connection. The previous provides switch speeds of as much as 10Gbps. The perfect exterior laborious drives additionally mean you can switch knowledge out of your Home windows PC to a Mac, or different gadget, if appropriate. Be sure you think about this beforehand should you plan to make use of your transportable drive throughout a number of units.

Moreover, should 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 provide rugged variations of their hottest drives, together with the Samsung SSD T7 Defend, with a excessive endurance ranking. For added peace of thoughts, 256-bit AES {hardware} encryption will assist stop somebody from accessing your knowledge should you ever lose or misplace your exterior SSD.

A number of the similar options contribute to a fantastic thumbstick drive. Our favourite picks for finest price range exterior SSD fashions characteristic USB 3.0 connections and a few type of {hardware} encryption.

A observe on console storage

If PC gaming isn’t your factor and also you personal an Xbox Sequence 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 Sequence X or Sequence S, your choices are restricted to choices from Seagate and Western Digital. The previous provides 512GB, 1TB and 2TB fashions, with probably the most inexpensive beginning at a not-so-trivial $90. Western Digital’s Growth Playing cards are cheaper, with pricing beginning at $80 for the 512GB mannequin. The excellent news is that each choices are incessantly on sale. Your finest guess is to set an alert for the mannequin you need through the use of a value tracker like CamelCamelCamel.

With Sony’s PlayStation 5, upgrading the console’s inside 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; briefly, your finest guess is a high-capacity Gen4 drive with a built-in heatsink. Try that information for a full listing of gaming SSD suggestions, however for a fast go-to, think about 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 gained’t run into any clearance points with the heatsink. Corsair provides 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 will get barely sooner recreation load occasions from a PlayStation 4 by swapping the included laborious drive to a 2.5-inch SSD, however going out of your manner 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 and updating your working system as a substitute.

SSD FAQs

What dimension SSD is finest?

There is no such thing as a one dimension matches all rule for SSDs, however we usually advocate getting not less than a 1TB SSD should you’re seeking to improve PC or recreation console storage, or trying so as to add an exterior drive to your toolkit. A 1TB drive will probably be lots for most individuals who want further space for storing for photographs, paperwork and applications. For those who’re a hardcore gamer, it’s possible you’ll need to spend money on much more storage contemplating many high-profile titles right this moment can take up a ton of house.

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

The brief reply is that it is dependent upon 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 instances right this moment — upgrading a PC, saving vital photographs and paperwork, storing video games long run, and many others. However should you’re centered on getting probably the most quantity of additional house potential (and sticking to a price range), an HDD could possibly be a great choice for you.

Does greater SSD imply sooner?

Getting an even bigger SSD doesn’t at all times translate right into a sooner drive total. A much bigger SSD will present a better storage capability, which suggests extra space for storing digital information and applications. To know how briskly an SSD will probably be, you’ll need to take a look at its learn/write speeds: learn speeds measure how briskly a drive can entry info, whereas write speeds measure how briskly the drive can save info. Most SSDs listing their approximate learn/write speeds of their specs, so make sure to take a look at these numbers earlier than you make a purchase order.