The perfect SSDs in 2025

In case your laptop is beginning to really feel somewhat sluggish, otherwise you’re bored with ready for video games and apps to load, upgrading to among the finest SSD choices on the market generally is a game-changer. Strong-state drives (SSDs) are a lot sooner than conventional exhausting 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 additional storage for work or inventive tasks, the precise SSD can significantly 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 the very best SSD choices that can assist you discover the precise stability of velocity, capability and value, so you will get the improve you want with out overpaying for options you received’t use.

Desk of contents

Greatest 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 would possibly look spectacular on paper, however the actuality is that few video games and apps can make the most of these capabilities proper now.

Nonetheless, for those who’re set on outfitting your laptop with the quickest doable storage, I feel the Crucial T700 affords a compelling mixture of value and efficiency. The T700 is among the quickest NVMe drives available on the market proper now, and after launching at $180, it’s doable to search out it on sale for about $143. Be aware 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 associated fee.

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 mandatory {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.

When you’re set on shopping for a Gen4 mannequin, however need to avoid wasting cash, Western Digital affords 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.

Execs

• Quick
• DirectStorage assist
• 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 an ideal funds Gen 3 NVMe decide, 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 provides 3,500MB/s learn speeds.

Execs

• Inexpensive and often on sale
• 5-year guarantee

Cons

• Might be sooner
• Endurance stats will not be the very best

$60 at Adorama

SABRENT

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

When you’re assured sufficient to open your Steam Deck to put in a brand new, greater 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 difficulty, 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 possibly can 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 for those who got here to this web page searching for 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, which means all you must do is set up it into your PS5 and also you’re good to go.

Execs

• Excellent 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 value. There are technically sooner choices on the market, however its 10 Gbps speeds must 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 high of that, with an IP55-rated case comprised of aluminum and rubber. A five-year guarantee helps as effectively. Simply word 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

$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 possibly can 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 helpful slot for attaching it to your keychain. The one draw back of Samsung’s USB drive is that it’s on the dear aspect.

Execs

• USB 3.1
• Modern design
• 5-year guarantee

Cons

• Is perhaps too small
• No indicator mild

$23 at Adorama

How we take a look at SSDs

I’ve both examined or personally use each day each storage drive beneficial on this record. Out of our high 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 approach 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 for those who don’t need 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 selection if you wish to lengthen the lifetime of an older PC construct. Set up is simple, too. When you’ve secured the inner SSD in a drive cage, all you must 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 a superb bulk-storage choice.

In case your PC is newer, there’s a superb probability it consists of house for a number of M.2 SSDs. The shape issue represents your ticket to the quickest SSDs available on the market, 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 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 will get twice the efficiency with a Gen4 SSD, however you’ll want a motherboard and processor that helps the usual.

When you’re working an AMD system, meaning no less than a Ryzen 3000 or 5000 CPU and an X570 or B550 motherboard. With Intel, in the meantime, you’ll want no less than an eleventh or twelfth Gen processor and a Z490, Z590 or Z690 motherboard. Understand that Gen4 SSDs sometimes price greater than their Gen3 counterparts as effectively.

Costlier nonetheless are the newest Gen5 fashions, which supply 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 functions can make the most of Gen3 NVMe speeds, not to mention Gen4 and Gen5 speeds. What’s extra, Gen5 NVMe drives can run sizzling, 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 all the way down to ease of set up. You add M.2 storage to your laptop by putting in the SSD instantly onto the motherboard. Which 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.

Be aware you can 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 purpose to make the most of that characteristic. Talking of backward compatibility, it’s additionally doable 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 final thing 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 multiple measurement of NVMe SSD due to a number of standoffs. That stated, test your laptop’s documentation or firmware earlier than shopping for a drive to make sure you’re selecting up a suitable measurement.

When you’re shopping for a substitute SSD for the Steam Deck or Steam Deck OLED, issues are easier. For Valve’s handheld, you will have a 2230 measurement NVMe. Easy. When you don’t need to open your Steam Deck, it’s additionally doable 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 differ lower than you assume.

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 kind of SSD that’s too small for wants. Drives can sluggish dramatically as they strategy capability, and you’ll in all probability find yourself buying one with the next gigabyte 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 no USB 3.2 Gen 2 x 2 connection. Even amongst newer PCs, that’s one thing of a premium characteristic. For that purpose, most individuals are greatest off shopping for a transportable drive with a USB 3.2 Gen 2 or Thunderbolt connection. The previous affords switch speeds of as much as 10Gbps. The perfect exterior exhausting drives additionally help you switch information out of your Home windows PC to a Mac, or different machine, if suitable. You should definitely think about this beforehand for those who plan to make use of your transportable drive throughout a number of units.

Moreover, for those who plan to take your drive on journeys and commutes, it’s worthwhile to purchase a mannequin with IP-certified water and dirt proofing. Some firms like Samsung supply rugged variations of their hottest drives, together with the Samsung SSD T7 Defend, with a excessive endurance score. For added peace of thoughts, 256-bit AES {hardware} encryption will assist forestall somebody from accessing your information for those who ever lose or misplace your exterior SSD.

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

A word 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 doable 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 affords 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 often on sale. Your greatest wager 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 inner storage is barely extra concerned. As an alternative 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 greatest wager 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, 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 received’t run into any clearance points with the heatsink. Corsair affords 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 taking part in on a earlier technology console, you will get barely sooner sport load instances from a PlayStation 4 by swapping the included exhausting drive to a 2.5-inch SSD, however going out of your approach to take action in all probability isn’t price 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 an alternative.

SSD FAQs

What measurement SSD is greatest?

There isn’t any one measurement matches all rule for SSDs, however we usually advocate getting no less than a 1TB SSD for those who’re seeking to improve PC or sport console storage, or trying so as to add an exterior drive to your toolkit. A 1TB drive might be lots for most individuals who want additional space for storing for pictures, paperwork and packages. When 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 exhausting drive?

The brief reply is that it is dependent upon what you want your drive for. Typically, 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 pictures and paperwork, storing video games long run, and so forth. However for those who’re targeted on getting probably the most quantity of additional house doable (and sticking to a funds), an HDD might be a superb choice for you.

Does larger SSD imply sooner?

Getting an even bigger SSD doesn’t all the time translate right into a sooner drive general. An even bigger SSD will present the next storage capability, which implies extra space for storing digital information and packages. To grasp how briskly an SSD might be, you’ll need to take 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 make sure to take a look at these numbers earlier than you make a purchase order.