Best SSD: Buying Guide
If you are looking for the best SSD currently available on the market, you are in the right place. In this purchase guide, we will show you the characteristics that a quality SSD must have to choose the product that best suits your needs.
Table of Contents
Before starting a few hints on the various types of SSD available :
- SATA is the type of format most commonly used, with dimensions equal to 2.5″, suitable for both laptops and desktop PCs. The current standard is SATA III, capable of delivering read and write performance up to 6 Gb/s. The available interfaces are mSATA and M.2, which vary depending on the PC model.
- PCle: is a type of SSD faster than the SATA interface with a bus bandwidth that reaches 15 GB/s (PCle 3.0).
- M.2: it is a type of physical connector for SSD. It is smaller than the SATA one and is present in most high-level new-generation laptops.
- NVMe: is a new interface protocol for PCIe units, replaces the previous AHCI protocol used with SATA SSD and hard disks. Designed from the ground up to work with SSD and other flash memories, it allows greater read and writes speeds. Most PCIe SSD now use NVMe.
Why buy SSD?
The most immediate answer is one: high performance. They are also lighter and smaller, and also resistant to vibrations and shocks.
Which SSD to buy?
Below you will find a constantly updated list with the top 10 of the most sold on Amazon.
Below is an accurate selection of the best SSD models in circulation. The criteria used for the list are reliability, speed, durability, and value for money.
WD BLACK SN750 250GB NVMe SSD
- Capacity: from 250 GB up to 2 TB
- Interface: PCIe Gen 3.0 x4, M.2 2280
- Read speed: up to 3,470 MB/s.
- Writing speed: up to 3,000 MB/s.
- Dimensions and weight: 80x22x2.38 (mm)
- NAND technology: 64-layer 3D
- Duration: 600 TBW
The fastest, particularly suitable for Gaming PCs, is the possibility of adding a heat sink to improve performance during the most extreme and long gaming sessions or prolonged periods of video rendering work. In addition, the WD BLACK SSD dashboard management software is also available with the Gaming mode to further increase speed and ensure unparalleled game fluidity.
CORSAIR FORCE Series MP510 480GB SSD
- Capacity : from 240 GB up to 1920 GB.
- Interface : PCIe Gen 3.0 x4, M.2 2280
- Read speed : up to 3,480 MB/s.
- Writing speed: up to 2,000 MB/s.
- Dimensions and weight : 80x22x3 (mm)
- NAND technology: 3D TLC
- Duration: 800 TBW
- Encryption : AES 256-bit Encryption
The product embodies excellent performance, excellent durability, and a competitive price.
Samsung 970 EVO Plus SSD
- Capacity : from 250 GB up to 1 TB
- Interface : PCIe Gen 3.0 x4, M.2 2280, NVMe 1.3
- Reading speed : up to 3,500 MB/s
- Write speed : up to 3,300 MB/s
- Dimensions and weight : 80x22x2.38 (mm)
- NAND technology : Samsung V-NAND 3-bit MLC
- Duration: up to 600 TBW
- Warranty : 5 years
- Encryption: AES 256-bit Encryption; TCG / Opal, IEEE1667
Among the best and most reliable SSD M.2.
ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro
- Capacity: from 256 GB up to 2 TB
- Interface: PCIe Gen 3.0 x4, M.2 2280, NVMe 1.3
- Reading speed: up to 3,500 MB/s.
- Writing speed: up to 3,000 MB/s.
- Dimensions: 80x22x3.5 (mm)
- NAND technology: 3D TLC NAND
- Warranty: 5 years
Amazing value for money. The heat sink is also included in the package—a great product for both gamers and professionals.
WD Blue 3D NAND 250GB PC SSD
- Capacity: from 250 GB up to 2 TB
- Interface: SATA III 2.5″
- Read speed: up to 560 MB/s.
- Write speed: up to 530 MB/s.
- Dimensions and weight: 100.2 × 69.85 × 7.00 (mm)
- NAND technology: 3D SATA
- Duration: up to 500 TBW
- Warranty: 5 years
Good value for money, for a versatile product and available in different memory cuts.
Samsung 860 PRO 256GB
- Capacity : from 250 GB up to 4 TB
- Interface : SATA III 2.5″; M.2; mSATA
- Read speed : up to 550 MB/s.
- Write speed: up to 520 MB/s.
- NAND technology: Samsung V-NAND 3bit MLC
- Duration: up to 2400 TBW
- Warranty: 5 years
The best SSD with SATA III interface, excellent value for money.
Silicon Power 512GB SSD
- Capacity: from 64 GB up to 2 TB
- Interface: SATA III 2.5″
- Read speed: up to 560 MB/s.
- Write speed: up to 530 MB/s.
- Dimensions: 100x 69.9 × 7 (mm)
- NAND technology: 3D SLC
- Warranty: 3 years
Just faster than the Samsung 860 Evo but with lower durability.
Crucial MX500 250GB 3D NAND
- Capacity: from 250 GB up to 2 TB
- Interface: SATA III 2.5″
- Read speed: up to 560 MB/s.
- Write speed: up to 510 MB/s.
- Dimensions: 103x 70 × 7 (mm)
- NAND technology: 3D SLC
- Warranty: 5 years
A product with good performance but with an estimated duration of less than the products analyzed so far, and we are talking about 180 TBW for the 500 GB disk, 100 TBW for the 250 GB one, 360 TBW for the 1 TB one, and 700 TBW for that one from 2 TB. The cheapest.
Kingston UV500
- Capacity: from 120 GB up to 1920GB
- Interface: SATA III 2.5″
- Read speed: up to 520 MB/s.
- Write speed: up to 500 MB/s
- Dimensions: 100.1 × 69.85 × 7 (mm)
- NAND technology: 3D TLC
- Duration: up to 800 TBW
- Warranty: 5 years
- Encryption: AES 256-bit Encryption
Good-quality product, although with slightly lower performance than other SSDs on the list.
Product prices and availability are subject to change. Any price and availablility information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of any products.