The best SSDs in 2025

With regards 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, dashing up an older laptop computer or just craving lightning-fast load instances, an SSD is the best way to go. In contrast to conventional laborious 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 attempting to find the very best price range choices that also ship strong velocity. Pair a top quality SSD with a robust GPU, and also you’re set for seamless gaming and multitasking. Plus, with superior firmware enhancing effectivity and sturdiness, SSDs are actually 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.

Greatest SSDs in 2025

Essential

Capability: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB and 4TB | Connection: SATA | Learn velocity: 560 MB/s | Write velocity: 510 MB/s

You don’t need to look far to search out the very best SATA SSD: it is the Crucial MX500. With sequential learn speeds of 560MB/s and a $100 MSRP for the 1TB mannequin, this inside SSD provides a hard-to-beat mixture of fantastic efficiency and worth. It additionally comes with a five-year guarantee for extra peace of thoughts. However, better of all, it continuously goes on sale for as little as $45. I’ve been utilizing a 1TB MX500 drive to retailer my music, images and video games for years, and it has but to present me any issues.

Execs

• Reasonably priced
• SATA compatibility
• 5-year guarantee

$78 at Amazon

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 reap the benefits of these capabilities proper now.

Nonetheless, if you happen to’re set on outfitting your pc with the quickest attainable storage, I feel the Crucial T700 provides a compelling mixture of value and efficiency. The T700 is likely one of the quickest NVMe drives in the marketplace proper now, and after launching at $180, it’s attainable to search out it on sale for about $143. Notice that in case your motherboard didn’t include a heatsink to your NVMe drives, you’ll need to purchase the T700 mannequin that features one, which additional will increase the price.

Execs

• 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

Offered you personal the mandatory {hardware}, Gen4 NVMe drives supply 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 in a position to pay lower than $100 for the 1TB mannequin throughout a sale.

In the event you’re set on shopping for a Gen4 mannequin, however need to avoid wasting cash, Western Digital provides the extra reasonably priced 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.

Execs

• 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 beneficial the Essential P2 as an important 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 reasonably priced than ever. Take the Crucial P3, as an 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.

Execs

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

Cons

• Could possibly be sooner
• Endurance stats usually are 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

In the event you’re assured sufficient to open your Steam Deck to put in a brand new, increased capability NVMe, the Sabrent Rocket 2230 is a good small-sized NVME. It can slot into the Steam Deck’s M.2 slot with out problem, 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 might 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 if you happen to got here to this web page searching for a suggestion 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 is advisable 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

$155 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 right combination 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 assessments. It’s tremendous tiny and sufficiently rugged on high 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

Execs

• IP55-certified water and dirt 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 might 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

• Is perhaps too small
• No indicator gentle

$22 at Adorama

How we check SSDs

I’ve both examined or personally use day by day each SSD beneficial on this checklist. Out of our high 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 reasonably priced method so as to add quick cupboard space to a pc is with a 2.5-inch SATA drive. It’s additionally one of many best if you happen to don’t need to fear about compatibility since virtually each pc made within the final 20 years will embody a motherboard with Serial ATA connections. For that motive, the very best SATA SSDs are a superb selection if you wish to lengthen the lifetime of an older PC construct. Set up is simple, too. When you’ve secured the interior SSD in a drive cage, all it is advisable 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 information transfers to 600MB/s. However even the slowest SSD might be considerably sooner than the very best mechanical drives. And with high-capacity, 1TB SATA SSDs costing about $100, they’re bulk-storage choice.

In case your PC is newer, there’s likelihood it contains house for a number of M.2 SSDs. The shape issue represents your ticket to the quickest SSDs in the marketplace, however the tough 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-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.

In the event you’re working an AMD system, meaning at the very least a Ryzen 3000 or 5000 CPU and an X570 or B550 motherboard. With Intel, in the meantime, you’ll want at the very least an eleventh or twelfth Gen processor and a Z490, Z590 or Z690 motherboard. Needless to say Gen4 SSDs sometimes price greater than their Gen3 counterparts as effectively.

Costlier nonetheless are the most recent 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 reasonably priced Gen4 or Gen3 drive. In the intervening time, only a few video games and purposes 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 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 pc by putting in the SSD straight onto the motherboard. That will sound intimidating, however in follow the method includes a single screw that you just 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.

Notice which you can set up a SATA M.2 SSD into an M.2 slot with a PCIe connection, however you’ll be able to’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 function. Talking of backward compatibility, it’s additionally attainable to make use of a Gen4 drive via a PCIe 3 connection, however you received’t get any of the velocity advantages of the sooner NVMe.

One last item to think about is that M.2 drives come in numerous bodily sizes. From shortest to longest, the frequent choices are 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280 and 22110. (The primary two numbers signify 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 earlier than shopping for a drive to make sure you’re choosing up a suitable dimension.

In the event you’re shopping for a substitute SSD for the Steam Deck or Steam Deck OLED, issues are easier. For Valve’s handheld, you’ll need a 2230 dimension NVMe. Easy. In the event you don’t need to open your Steam Deck, it’s additionally attainable to develop 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 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 checklist on their drives are theoretical and real-world efficiency benchmark assessments fluctuate lower than you assume.

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 in all probability find yourself buying one with a bigger storage capability sooner or later.

What to search for in moveable and USB flash drives

Transportable SSDs are a considerably completely different beast to their inside 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 no USB 3.2 Gen 2 x 2 connection. Even amongst newer PCs, that’s one thing of a premium function. 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 permit you to switch information out of your Home windows PC to a Mac, or different machine, if suitable. You’ll want to contemplate this beforehand if you happen to plan to make use of your moveable drive throughout a number of gadgets.

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

A number of the identical options contribute to an important thumbstick drive. Our favourite picks for finest price range 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 Sequence X|S or PS5, outfitting your fancy new console with the quickest attainable storage is much extra easy 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 reasonably priced beginning at a not-so-trivial $90. Western Digital’s Enlargement Playing cards are inexpensive, with pricing beginning at $80 for the 512GB mannequin. The excellent news is that each choices are continuously on sale. Your finest 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 inside storage is barely extra concerned. As a substitute of using a proprietary answer, 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 finest guess is a high-capacity Gen4 drive with a built-in heatsink. Try that information for a full checklist of gaming SSD suggestions, however for a fast go-to, contemplate 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 provides 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB and 8TB variations of the drive. Count on to pay about $110 for the 1TB variant and about $200 for 2TB.

For these nonetheless enjoying on a earlier era console, you may get barely sooner recreation load instances from a PlayStation 4 by swapping the included laborious drive to a 2.5-inch SSD, however going out of your method to take action in all probability 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 finest?

There isn’t any one dimension matches all rule for SSDs, however we typically advocate getting at the very least a 1TB SSD if you happen to’re seeking to improve PC or recreation console storage, or wanting so as to add an exterior drive to your toolkit. A 1TB drive might be lots for most individuals who want further cupboard space for images, paperwork and packages. In the event you’re a hardcore gamer, chances are you’ll need to put money into much more storage contemplating many high-profile titles in the present day can take up a ton of house.

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

The brief reply is that it relies on what you want your drive for. Generally, SSDs are sooner and extra environment friendly than HDDs, however HDDs are often cheaper. We advocate springing for an SSD for many use instances in the present day — upgrading a PC, saving necessary images and paperwork, storing video games long run, and many others. However if you happen to’re centered on getting probably the most quantity of additional house attainable (and sticking to a price range), an HDD might be choice for you.

Does larger SSD imply sooner?

Getting an even bigger SSD doesn’t at all times translate right into a sooner drive general. A much bigger SSD will present a better storage capability, which implies more room for storing digital information and packages. To know how briskly an SSD might be, you’ll need 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 checklist their approximate learn/write speeds of their specs, so be sure you try these numbers earlier than you make a purchase order.