Best SSD for gaming 2023: The best performing drives for your PC
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The best SSDs for gaming are continuing to drop in price. 2022 was a great year for bringing these top-performing storage drives into an affordable price range, and if costs since Black Friday are anything to go by, that isn’t going to change any time soon. Speedy SSDs have fully asserted their dominance over the market in the last few years, and it’s easy to see why. Gone are the days when finishing a level meant you had time to check your phone. No matter which platform you play on now, solid state drives are king.
What puts the best SSDs for gaming way ahead of HDDs though? Without getting too technical, SSDs offer much faster read and write speeds — with some offering over 7,000 MB/s — as they don’t rely on the traditional spinning discs of HDDs. Thanks to the extremely efficient motherboard interface of Gen 4.0 NVMe SSDs, a higher rate of input/output operations per second (IOPS) is possible. These SSDs are also smaller than SATAs, which means they fit neatly into place — and now act as some of the best PS5 SSDs too. SATAs and Gen 3.0 NVMes are still good-value options to go for in 2023, especially if you’re looking for larger capacities. For reference, even some of the HDDs on our best external hard drive list would be lucky to clock 200 MB/s.
We are getting ever closer to PCle Gen 5.0 drives, which will surely shake up the best SSD for gaming market. These might be the catalyst for SSD prices levelling out or, heaven forbid, increasing again. At least for now, though, these amazing forms of storage are a lot more affordable than they were this time last year. We’d recommend making the most of it with one of our top picks on the list below.
The best SSD for gaming in 2023
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1. WD Black SN850
The best SSD for gaming overall
Specifications
Capacities: up to 4TB
Interface: AIC PCIe 4.0 x4
Read/write speed: 7000 / 5300 MB/s
Random read/write speed: 1M / 720K IOPS
DRAM cache: 1GB DDR4
SLC cache: 300GB dynamic
Write endurance: 600TB
Warranty: 5 years
Today’s Best Deals
Reasons to buy
+
Excellent all-round performance
+
Exceptional 4K QD1 write speed
+
Large SLC cache
Reasons to avoid
—
Can get hot under sustained loads
—
Lacks the Phison E18 controller
Right now, the WD Black SN850 is our favourite SSD for gaming.
Tested here in 1TB form and also available in 500GB and 2TB capacities, the SN850 is an absolute screamer thanks to its quad-lane PCIe Gen 4 interface, shiny new controller chipset, and a large 300GB chunk of its SanDisk 96L 3D TLC flash memory running in super-fast SLC cache mode.
WD claimed that the SN850 can push 7,000 MB/s and 5,000 MB/s read and write respectively; our testing found that the WD Black SN850 lived up to the claimed figures with 6,996 MB/s read and 5,205 MB/s write — actually surpassing the quoted figures!
Where it really scores, however, is in 4K random performance, which is arguably more important in terms of how responsive your PC feels. At 250MB/s, it’s the fastest flash drive we’ve seen for 4K random writes at queue depth one. Impressive.
As you’d expect given the SLC cache provisioning, sustained performance is excellent, too, maintaining peak performance right up to that 300GB marker, which should be plenty for most people. WD’s confidence in the SN850’s broader longevity is likewise indicated by the five-year warranty and 6TB write rating. All of which means our only reservations with this excellent SSD involve cooling and pricing. For the former, there is none as standard, which is a slight concern given this SSD can run hot.
- Read more: WD Black SN850 review
(Image credit: Silicon Power)
2. Silicon Power US70
The best budget Gen 4.0 NVMe SSD
Specifications
Capacities: 1TB — 2TB
Interface: AIC PCIe 4.0 x4
Read/write speed: 5,000 / 4,400 MB/s
Random read/write speed: 750,000 / 750,000 IOPS
Warranty : 5 years
Today’s Best Deals
Reasons to buy
+
Great price-to-performance ratio
+
Affordable for its capacity
+
Easy to install and setup
Reasons to avoid
—
Gets hot under stress
The great thing about SSD technology is that you don’t have to go to the biggest brands and most expensive manufacturers for great read and write speeds. The Silicon Power US70 is one of the more affordable Gen 4.
0 NVMe drives that you can get your hands on in 2022, and this is due to the more modest targeted figures of 5,000 MB/s read and 4,400 MB/s write. In our testing, we found that the drive yielded respectable figures of around 3 GB/s read and 3.3 GB/s write respectively which is solid considering the quoted numbers, but a little away from what was possible.
AnvilPro gave us the score of 16,591.33 which positions the Silicon Power US70 in league with some of the humbler Gen 4.0 SSDs on the market right now. Thermal performance was particularly impressive, as the hottest the US70 got when being benched and enduring lengthy file transfers hovered between the 40 and 44-degree mark. This means that the drive ran nice and cool, which is something we cannot say for every Gen 4.0 SSD that passes by our test rigs.
The Silicon Power US70 is unlikely to set the world of gaming PCs ablaze with its lightning fast rates, however, if you’re after a strong performer at prices starting from around the $100 / £100 mark then there’s little more you could ask for.
That price-to-performance ratio is the all important factor here.
(Image credit: Future/Jeremy Laird)
3. Seagate FireCuda 530
The best SSD for PS5
Specifications
Capacities: up to 4TB
Interface: AIC PCIe 4.0 x4
Read/write speed: 7,300 / 6,900 MB/s
Random read/write speed: 1M / 1M IOPS
DRAM cache: 2GB DDR4
SLC cache: up to 450GB (model dependent)
Write endurance: 2550TB
Warranty: 5 years
Today’s Best Deals
Reasons to buy
+
Super all-round performance
+
Epic endurance
+
PS5 compatible
Reasons to avoid
—
Good rather than great 4K throughput
—
One of the most expensive on the market
Seagate is one of the biggest names in storage and the Seagate Firecuda 530 2TB is absolutely up there with the big boys.
This is partly due to the use of its excellent Phison E18 controller.
We found in our testing that the Firecuda 530 2TB lived up to the claimed figures of 7,300 MB/s and 6,900 MB/s read, making this drive one of the faster Phison E18-based SSDs around. We clocked just over 7GB/s and just shy of the 6.9GB/s read figures.
The random performance of the Firecuda 530 2TB isn’t quite as strong as its sequential offerings, though. Simply put, this drive offers good rates but doesn’t quite excel in the same fashion as other Phison E18 units. We clocked 83 MB/s 4K reads and 251 MB/s writes, which still offers a great experience, however, doesn’t quite hit that 300 MB/s figure that the WD Black SN850 can.
If you can say all that of most drives based on the Phison E18 controller, the Firecuda’s epic 2,550TB write endurance rating is something really exceptional. It’s also worth noting that this drive is fully compatible with the Sony PS5 and is optionally available with a PS5-optimised heatsink.
All told, it’s one heck of an SSD that also happens to be one of our favourite PS5 SSDs.
- Read more: Seagate FireCuda 530 review
(Image credit: Kingston)
4. Kingston Fury Renegade 2TB
The best SSD for seriously fast sequential performance
Specifications
Capacities: up to 4TB
Interface: PCIe 4.0 NVMe
Read/write speed: 7,300 / 7,000 MB/s
Random read/write speed: 1,000,000 / 1,000,000 IOPS
Warranty: 5 years
Today’s Best Deals
Reasons to buy
+
Stellar built-in heat spreader
+
Amazing sequential read speeds
+
Double-sided
Reasons to avoid
—
Pricey in higher configurations
The Kingston Fury Renegade impresses across the board as one of the best SSDs for gaming on the market right now.
With its stated speeds reaching upwards of 7,000 MBS, we’re happy to report that this drive really is the real deal when it comes to blazing-fast performance perfect for DirectStorage.
Our benchmarks don’t lie, and neither did Kingston. The Fury Renegade achieved read and write speeds of 7,344.99MB/s and 6,873.21MB/s respectively through CrystalDiskMark, and a stellar Anvil score of 21,649.35 for some seriously impressive performance. Of course, raw numbers mean nothing if the in-game performance can’t back it up. Fortunately, loading and transfer times were as close to instant as you would hope for from a drive of this caliber.
Briefing touching on transfer times, we noted that CyberPunk2077, a 64.88GB game, took only 22.66 seconds being written from one NVMe drive to the Kingston. It’s a similar story with Destiny 2, and its 73.5GB of content, which made the jump between drives in just 28 seconds. Loading times were all but non-existent as well, as we were able to jump into Halo Infinite’s main campaign in a mere 18 seconds — straight into gameplay.
- Read more: Kingston Fury Renegade SSD review
(Image credit: Crucial)
5. Crucial MX500
A top-performing SATA type SSD
Specifications
Capacities: 250GB — 2TB
Interface: SATA 6Gbps
Seq. read (1MB): 561 MB/s (1TB)
Seq. write (1MB): 468 MB/s (1TB)
Seq. read (4MB): 524 MB/s (1TB)
Seq. write (4MB): 482 MB/s (1TB)
Today’s Best Deals
Reasons to buy
+
The best SATA SSD available
+
Cheap compared to M2 SSDs
Reasons to avoid
—
SATA is much slower than other formats
SATA-type drives are the oldest form of SSDs on the market. And while they can’t quite compare against the M.2 form storage devices, they are still worthy of their place in the best SSD for gaming conversation — almost purely on value alone.
Simply put, nowadays, they are remarkably cheap.
And you can have multiple SATA drives in your PC, provided you have the cables and setup, and for a bargain price. These drives can really shine as great backup drives for games and storing files on and the Crucial MX500 is the best of the lot, so you can’t go far wrong. Especially since it costs considerably less than other SATA SSD models at just $50 or £40 for 250GB, or around $225/£200 for a 2TB bad boy.
On the benchmarking front, the Crucial MX500 doesn’t ‘impress’ much compared to the other SSDs in this guide, but as explained above, that’s due to the SATA connection — everything is relative, after all. In the sequential 1MB test, it provides 561 MB/s read and 468 MB/s write – almost identical to the 4MB test with 524 MB/s and 482 MB/s respectively.
If you’re looking for a main SSD, then, budget-dependent, one of the above SSDs are likely your best bet, but if you’re looking for a secondary drive, or are building a budget rig, then the Crucial MX500 is certainly one of the best of the rest.
I currently use it for all the games I can’t fit on my other drives and while the loading speeds aren’t quite the same, it’s still far better and faster than any HDD would be (and most other SATA SSDs, for that matter).
(Image credit: Western Digital)
6. WD Black SN770 1TB
The best affordable Gen 4.0 NVMe SSD
Specifications
Capacities: up to 2TB
Interface: PCIe 4.0 NVMe
Read/write speed: 5,150 / 4,900 MB/s
Random write / read speed: 740K / 800K IOPS
Warranty: 5 years
Today’s Best Deals
Reasons to buy
+
Achieves targeted read and write speeds
+
Decent sequential performance
+
Competitively priced for a 1TB drive
Reasons to avoid
—
Random read speeds are average
The WD Black SN770 is the successor to the hugely popular mid-tier WD Black SN750 SE model.
It features a vastly improved sequential and random performance but at a similar price point. While you’re unlikely to be blown away by the raw numbers that the WD Black SN770 outputs, it is one of the best SSDs for gaming for those after an affordable, and consistent, Gen 4.0 drive in 2022.
In our testing, we found that the WD Black SN770 achieved its respectable claimed sequential speeds, with CrystalDiskMark read and write benchmarks of 5,227.53 and 4,980.83 respectively. What’s more, the Anvil Pro score was equally solid at 20,024.98, which is a figure normally reserved for more upmarket NVMe drives.
With its aggressive asking price MSRP of $129.99 / £142.99 for a 1TB model, the WD Black SN770 certainly positions itself as one of the more competitive offerings from the storage brand. If you’re after a drive with a terrific price-to-performance ratio that’ll do everything from quick OS boot times to lightning-fast in-game loading, then the WD Black SN770 is a hard proposition to beat for the money.
(Image credit: Western Digital)
7. WD Black SN750
A familiar name and model is a go-to NVMe SSD
Specifications
Capacities: 250GB — 4TB
Interface: M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4
Seq. read (1MB): 3,108 MB/s (250GB)
Seq. write (1MB): 1,575 MB/s (250GB)
Seq. read (4MB): 2,474 MB/s (250GB)
Seq. write (4MB): 1,488 MB/s (250GB)
Today’s Best Deals
Reasons to buy
+
Fairly priced
+
One of the best performing M.2 SSDs on the market
+
Range of capacities available
Reasons to avoid
—
More expensive than SATA
One of the best performing M.2 SSDs on the market is the WD Black SN750. It doesn’t innovate much over its predecessor – it’s still on the same hardware, after all – but the performance tests prove that you don’t need to fix what ain’t broke.
It’s worth noting that we’ve only tested the 250GB variant of the SN750 – the increased sizes seem to offer better performance, peaking at 1TB, before the 2TB option starts to decrease again. However, at just £45/$55 for the 250GB model, you’re not breaking the bank for an SSD that can hold a good few games.
In AnvilPro, the 250GB SN750 came back with 2,474 MB/s and 1,488 MB/s read and write scores in the sequential 4MB category, but improved upon them slightly – as expected – in CrystalDiskMark’s 1MB test, with 3108 MB/s and 1575 MB/s. These are incredibly hearty numbers and show that the drive has the chops to handle whatever you throw at it.
I’ve been mainly using the SN750 for my single-player games – Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Cyberpunk 2077, etc. – and the loading is impressively quick, to the point where this SSD – especially at this price – would easily take the number one spot in this buying guide were it not for the incredible speeds of the AN1500.
Best SSD for gaming: Frequently asked questions
Is SSD recommended for gaming?
With PC games continuing to become more demanding in terms of bandwidth and file sizes, SSDs are the way to go to minimize loading times and have faster boot-up speeds.
A Gen 4.0 SSD especially is fast enough to load in HD textures and the larger game worlds that modern titles utilize in a flash. Like we mentioned earlier, when compared to HDDs, the read and write speeds aren’t even close or remotely comparable.
What is a good SSD speed for gaming?
While there’s no hard and fast rule as to the quickness of an SSD, we would strongly recommend a minimum of a Gen 3.0 drive in your gaming PC as it has rates of up to 3,500 MB/s read and write respectively. However, should you want the best of the best, then we’re seeing sequential performance exceeding 7,000 MB/s from flagship Gen 4.0 drives at the moment. Our advice is to go with the fastest drive that your budget allows, but ideally, you’ll want to go NVMe over the slower SATA and HDD models online.
What is a good size for a gaming SSD?
As games continue to get larger, we generally recommend either a 1TB or 2TB model over anything smaller in the NVMe form factor. This is to give you enough headroom to load up titles from your virtual game libraries (such as Steam, Epic, or Origin) without having to constantly make room for new releases.
Also, 1TB / 2TB drives tend to run slightly faster than their smaller siblings in the same product line.
What brand of SSD is best for gaming?
From the list above, two brands stand out to us as the go-to SSD manufacturers. Seagate and Western Digital.
WD (which owns SanDisk, if you didn’t know), was founded back in 1986 and is now one of the most trusted names in all of storage. Their WD Black products in both SSD and HDD are stellar, and their popularity speaks for them.
Seagate, which is perhaps more of a household name than WD, has always been at the peak of the storage mountain. Their FireCuda 530 was the first SSD confirmed for the PS5, and it’s easy to see why.
With that in mind, we stand by what we said earlier on in our list. You don’t have to go to big brand names to find exceptional read and write speeds. When it comes to SSD, you can trust the technology.
Upgrade your full setup with the best gaming chairs, best gaming desks, best computer speakers, and best gaming monitors that money can buy.
Round up of today’s best deals
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WD BLACK SN850 1TB
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Silicon Power US70 SSD
£129.77
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Seagate FireCuda 530 500GB
£94.90
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Kingston Fury Renegade 2TB
£314.
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Crucial MX500 SSD
£59.33
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Ever since playing Journey at the age of 15, I’ve been desperate to cover video games for a living.
After graduating from Edinburgh Napier University with a degree in Journalism, I contributed to the Scottish Games Network and completed an Editorial Internship over at Expert Reviews. Besides that, I’ve been managing my own YouTube channel and Podcast for the last 7 years. It’s been a long road, but all that experience somehow landed me a dream job covering gaming hardware. I’m a self-confessing PlayStation fanboy, but my experience covering the larger business and developer side of the whole industry has given me a strong knowledge of all platforms. When I’m not testing out every peripheral I can get my hands on, I’m probably either playing tennis or dissecting game design for an upcoming video essay. Now, I better stop myself here before I get talking about my favourite games like HUNT: Showdown, Dishonored, and Towerfall Ascension.
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Best SSD for gaming in 2022
The search for the best SSD for gaming to replace your hard drive comes with a degree of confusion, given how quickly solid state drives have evolved over the past several years. The familiar 2.5-inch SATA drive is still a viable option in today’s gaming PC market, but you’ll want to opt for newer, faster NVMe storage solutions for the best possible performance.
Keeping up with the latest consoles, more developers recommend you install their games on a PC gaming SSD. In fact, as Microsoft’s DirectStorage API becomes more widely used in the latest PC games, we may see solid state drives become an outright requirement.
However, before you rush to add the best SSD for gaming on this list to your shopping basket, it’s important to understand what your system supports in terms of slots and technology.
Make sure to check what your motherboard is capable of before splashing out on an expensive PCIe 4.0 drive that your rig may not be able to make the most out of.
Here are your options for the best SSD for gaming:
- WD Black SN850X – our favourite gaming SSD
- Samsung 980 – best for PCIe 3.0
- Samsung 870 EVO – top SATA storage
- Crucial P5 Plus – a cheap PCIe 4.0 SSD
- WD Blue SN570 – a cheap PCIe 3.0 SSD
- Crucial MX500 – a cheap SATA SSD
- Gigabyte Aorus RGB M.2 NVMe SSD – a dash of NVMe RGB
- SK Hynix Platnium P41 – ready for laptops
- Corsair EX100U – our favourite external SSD
1. Best SSD for gaming
The best SSD for gaming is the WD Black SN850X.
Expect to pay $159.99-$699.99 USD / £153.
99-£701.99 GBP.
The WD Black SN850X is the fastest SSD you can buy, making full use of its PCIe 4.0 interface with lightning-fast sequential read and write speeds of 7,300MB/s and 6,600MB/s, respectively.
This level of performance not only improves loading times in games, but you should notice your gaming PC boots faster and more quickly handles general tasks. You’ll always get the most out of the drive while playing games too, thanks to its Game Mode 2.0 toggle in the included software.
If you’re worried about potential thermal throttling impacting the WD Black SN850X, you can pick it up with an optional heatsink for peace of mind. Better still, the heatsink comes with a splash of RGB too, so it can look cool while staying cool.
Pros
- The fastest PCIe 4.0 gaming SSD
- Optional RGB heatsink
- Software ensures maximum performance with Game Mode 2.0
Cons
- Great performance comes at a great cost
- Can run a touch hot without a heatsink
| WD Black SN850X specs | |
| Capacity | 1TB, 2TB, 4TB |
|---|---|
| Flash memory | TLC |
| Interface | PCIe 4. 0 x4 |
| Sequential read | Up to 7,300MB/s |
| Sequential write | Up to 6,600MB/s |
| Form factor | M.2 Type-2280 |
2. Best PCIe 3.0 SSD
The best PCIe 3.0 SSD is the Samsung 980.
Expect to pay $52.99-$139.99 USD / £44.99-£93.99 GBP.
The Samsung 980 is the perfect fit for anyone looking to upgrade their ageing SATA hard drives or SSDs with something a bit nippier. The South Korean tech giant’s storage components have remained among the most desireable in the market for years now, and it’s not hard to see why.
Using a PCIe 3.0 interface, the Samsung 980 delivers sequential read and write speeds that will transform any sluggish gaming PC into a nippy machine. The SSD can be further enhanced through the use of Samsung Magician software, making it easy to get the most out of your new drive.
Pros
- Fast PCIe 3.
0 speeds - Robust Samsung Magician software
Cons
- Outperformed by PCIe 4.0 drives
- No DRAM
| Samsung 980 specs | |
| Capacity | 250GB, 500GB, 1TB |
|---|---|
| Flash memory | TLC |
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x4 |
| Sequential read | Up to 3,500MB/s |
| Sequential write | Up to 3,000MB/s |
| Form factor | M.2 Type-2280 |
3. Best SATA SSD
The best SATA SSD is the Samsung 870 EVO.
Expect to pay $59.99-$499.99 USD / £37.99-£428.99 GBP.
NVMe SSDs will undoubtedly replace their SATA bretheren, but there’s still plenty of value to be had in drives that use the ageing interface like the Samsung 870 EVO. While its sequential read and write speeds may seem paltry in the face of PCIe storage, it’s still plenty fast for most games and is undeniably faster than any hard drive.
If you prioritise capacity over speed, then opting for the Samsung 870 EVO could be a smart play. You can pick it up in sizes that go all the way up to 4TB, meaning you won’t have to worry about rehoming your Steam library and it costs much less than any M.2 SSD with the same amount of space.
Pros
- Still plenty fast for PC games
- High capacity options
Cons
- Slightly lofty price tag
- Much slower compared to NVMe drives
| Samsung 870 Evo specs | |
| Capacity | 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB |
|---|---|
| Flash memory | TLC |
| Interface | SATA |
| Sequential read | Up to 560MB/s |
| Sequential write | Up to 530MB/s |
| Form factor | 2.5-inch |
4. Best cheap PCIe 4.0 SSD
The best cheap PCIe 4.
0 SSD is the Crucial P5 Plus.
Expect to pay $84.99-$249.99 USD / £87.99-£257.99 GBP.
PCIe 4.0 SSDs don’t have to cost a fortune, and Crucial’s P5 Plus proves you can pick up a drive with respectable performance without having to stretch your budget.
Not only does the Crucial P5 Plus boast read speeds up to 6,600MB/s but its two million hour mean time to failure (MTTF) rating means it’s reliable to boot. Of course, it also comes with a five-year warranty, just in case its impressive endurance rating isn’t enough to incite confidence.
Pros
- Super snappy read/write speeds
- Great endurance rating
- Five-year warranty
Cons
- Not the fastest drive in its class
- Could be more power efficient
| Crucial P5 Plus specs | |
| Capacity | 500GB, 1TB, 2TB |
|---|---|
| Flash memory | TLC |
| Interface | PCIe 4. 0 x4 |
| Sequential read | Up to 6,600MB/s |
| Sequential write | Up to 5,000MB/s |
| Form factor | M.2 Type-2280 |
5. Best cheap PCIe 3.0 SSD
The best cheap PCIe 3.0 SSD is the WD Blue SN570.
Expect to pay $53.99-$239.99 USD / £37.99-£170.99 GBP.
WD is here to show that you can, in fact, have it all, as the Blue SN570 NVMe SSD boasts up to 2TB of storage, a solid 900TBW endurance, and respectable read and write speeds for one the lowest prices you’ll find.
Of course, it’s not the fastest drive out there, but it’s hands down the best you can get under $100 without sacrificing capacity, speed, or both. That makes it the perfect option for the best gaming PC on a budget.
Pros
- Full x4 PCIe 3 interface
- Stunning price to performance value
- 900TBW endurance
Cons
- No DRAM
- Plain looking
| WD Blue SN570 specs | |
| Capacity | 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB |
|---|---|
| Flash memory | TLC |
| Interface | PCIe 3. 0 x4 |
| Sequential read | Up to 3,500MB/s |
| Sequential write | Up to 3,500MB/s |
| Form factor | M.2 Type-2280 |
6. Best cheap SATA SSD
The best cheap SATA SSD is the Crucial MX500.
Expect to pay $49.99-$349.99 USD / £89.99 -£578.99 GBP.
The MX500 should be your go-to if you’re wanting the cheapest SSD possible, without compromising too much on quality. Because of its Micron parent company, Crucial is able to offer SSDs using its own high-quality memory for a great price.
The MX500 seriously undercuts its competition and while it’s not strictly the cheapest SSD on the market, it’s the most budget-friendly we can recommend as a worthwhile, quality purchase.
Read the PCGamesN Crucial MX500 review for our full verdict and score.
Pros
- Competitive price
- Top read/write performance for SATA
- Good endurance
Cons
- Lower capacities are slower
| Crucial MX500 specs | |
| Capacity | 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB |
|---|---|
| Flash memory | TLC |
| Interface | SATA |
| Sequential read | Up to 560MB/s |
| Sequential write | Up to 510MB/s |
| Form factor | 2. 5-inch |
7. Best RGB SSD
The best RGB SSD is the Gigabyte Aorus RGB M.2 NVMe SSD.
Expect to pay $74.99-$119.99 USD / £51.99-£87.99 GBP.
SSDs usually aren’t the flashiest of components, often taking a back seat to RGB-clad items like graphics cards, the best CPU coolers, and the gaming RAM. But not today, says the Gigabyte Aorus RGB M.2 NVMe SSD.
If you don’t want to hide your M.2 drive under a shroud, the Gigabyte Aorus RGB M.2 NVMe SSD is the latest PC component to be RGB’d, with its strikingly bright and customisable heatsink. It’s not too overbearing and can add a bit of flare to your setup.
Pros
- Best looking SSD with RGB
- Five-year warranty
Cons
- Not as fast as it is pretty
- Tops out at 512GB
| Gigabyte Aorus RGB M.2 NVMe SSD specs | |
| Capacity | 256GB, 512GB |
|---|---|
| Flash memory | TLC |
| Interface | PCIe 3. 0 x4 |
| Sequential read | Up to 3,480MB/s |
| Sequential write | Up to 2,000MB/s |
| Form factor | M.2 Type-2280 |
8. Best M.2 SSD for laptops
The best M.2 SSD for laptops is the SK Hynix Platinum P41.
Expect to pay $83.99-$169.99 USD / £424.99 GBP.
Even the best gaming laptop benefits from more storage, and the SK Hynix Platinum P41 SSD is perfect for increasing your on-the-go storage without compromising on spec. Featuring an in-house Aries controller, this drive is capable of read speeds up to 7,000MB/s, meaning it’ll run rings around SATA SSDs and many NVMe options.
In spite of its impressive speeds, the Platnium P41 features an equally impressive power efficiency rating, something that helps maintain peak performance within a toasty laptop environment. Naturally, this also means it’ll be kinder to your portable powerhouse’s battery, which could help you spend less time gaming next to a power outlet.
Pros
- Compact form factor
- Five-year warranty
- Extraordinary 1,200TBW rating
Cons
- No heatsink
| SK Hynix Platinum P41 specs | |
| Capacity | 500GB, 1TB, 2TB |
|---|---|
| Flash memory | TLC |
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x4 |
| Sequential read | 7,000MB/s |
| Sequential write | 6,500MB/s |
| Form factor | M.2 Type-2280 |
9. Best external SSD for gaming
The best external SSD for gaming is the Corsair EX100U.
Expect to pay from $102.99-$464.99 USD / £114.99-£514.99 GBP.
The other SSDs on this list will live inside your rig, but if you’re wise, you’ll also keep backup external storage on standby. The Corsair EX100U is both small and speedy, making the perfect storage solution for when you’re on the go.
It’s worth noting that the Corasir EX100U uses a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface, which allows it to offer read and write speeds faster lightyears ahead of SATA. However, don’t worry if you don’t have a built-in USB-C port in your machine as it comes with a USB-A adapter.
Pros
- Three times faster than SATA SSDs
- Compact design
- USB Type-C connection
Cons
- No dust or water resistance
- No USB-A adaptor
- Included cable is a bit short
| Corsair EX100U specs | |
| Capacity | 1TB, 2TB, 4TB |
|---|---|
| Interface | USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 |
| Sequential read | Up to 1,600MB/s |
| Sequential write | Up to 1,500MB/s |
| Form factor | Portable |
Best Gaming SSD 2022 — Top 5
Make your games go faster with the best SSDs for every taste and budget.
When building a new gaming PC or upgrading an existing one,
you shouldn’t neglect SSD drives.
You’ve probably spent hours researching and monitoring graphics card prices,
processors, RAM and, of course, did not forget to pick up a cooler with RGB lighting, so do not
be stingy when it comes to physical memory, potentially the bottleneck
place of each game assembly, because games constantly write and read information
from disk. nine0008
Having a capable gaming SSD will affect your everyday gaming experience in the same way as a graphics card, since the SSD is responsible for saving and unloading game data, which can mean the difference between just waiting a few seconds and waiting a minute or more. Thankfully, modern drives no longer require a monthly salary from their users. You can easily find plenty of gaming SSDs with decent capacities at a reasonable price. Frankly, this is one of the most affordable and effective upgrades, so you should choose the best SSD available.
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But here one precaution comes into play — choosing a brand new
gaming SSD you are limited by the capabilities of the motherboard. M.2 SSDs are recommended first,
they are particularly effective in data-intensive tasks, whether
video editing, their ability to connect directly to
motherboard.
With that said, while SATA drives are somewhat outdated, many
users simply do not have enough modern motherboards
M.2 compatible boards.
Considering how long SATA-SSDs have been around, even the cheapest of
they increased the data transfer rate to the limit. This means that if you are
limited to only gaming SATA drives over M.2, they will still offer you high performance over
reasonable price. nine0008
Whether you’re bundling one of the best motherboards with a selection of M.2 slots or relying on classic SATA, do yourself and the best gaming PC you’ve invested so much time and money into by choosing the best gaming SSD. which allows your budget and computer configuration.
- Check out the best external SSDs available today
- SSD vs HDD: which is better for your needs?
Best gaming SSDs of 2022 ranked
- Adata XPG SX8200 Pro (M.
2) - WD Black SN750 (M.2)
- Samsung 970 EVO Plus (M.2)
- Corsair Force MP600 (M.2)
- Samsung 860 Pro (SATA 860 Pro) III)
- WD Blue 3D NAND (SATA III)
1. Adata
XPG SX8200 Pro
The best gaming SSD in the future.
Capacity : 256 GB — 2 TB | Memory type : 3D TLC NAND | Interface : M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 | nine0005 Read speed : up to 3.5 Gb/s | Write speed : up to 3Gb/s | Radiator : Yes | Runtime to failure : 2 million hours | Terabytes written (256 GB / 2 TB): 160 / 1280.
Pros:
- High sequential read speed;
- Significant promised durability;
- Best price-performance ratio for capacious M.2;
Cons :
- Random access speed below competitors; nine0021
If you are looking for a favorable price-performance ratio by configuring
gaming system, Adata XPG SX8200 Pro SSD is the best gaming
SSD available today.
It features high serial speeds
reads and writes that easily compete with the WD Black SN750 and
Samsung 970 EVO Plus. Another feature of the drive is the stated timing
2,000,000 hours of uptime, TBW reaches
1280 for a capacity of 2TB (the highest among PCIe 3.0 M.2 drives in this rating) and 160 for
capacity of 265 GB. And the manufacturer is confident in the declared numbers, because
comes with a five year warranty. Regardless of the chosen capacity,
it will keep running even if it’s a little slower than the rest. nine0008
How is the drive really inferior to the SN750 and 970 Evo Plus (in fact,
significantly), so it is in terms of random access, which is slightly less
half speed though XPG SX8200
Pro remains extremely
fast for all but the most meticulous configurators.
It should not be forgotten that the Adata gaming SSD is extremely
available when you move up to larger capacities, it comes out $100 off the SN750 and $160 off the 970 EVO Plus in 2TB capacities — good value
an offer for those players who have extensive game libraries that
can be migrated to an NVMe SSD.
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Read more : Review Adata XPG SX8200 M.2
2. WD Black
SN750
When performance meets durability.
Capacity : 250 GB to 2 TB | Drive type: 3D TLC NAND | Interface : M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 | Read speed: up to 3.4 Gb/s | Write speed: up to 2.9 Gb/s | Radiator : Yes | Run time to failure: 1.75 million hours | Terabytes written (256 GB / 2 TB): 200 / 1200.
Cons :
- Sequential write speed could be higher;
Looking for the best gaming SSD for the new
gaming build, don’t miss the WD Black SN750 NVMe. The drive has a high
performance, its read and write sequence stand out against the background
competitors, and the random access speed is significantly higher than that
offers XPG SX8200.
nine70 EVO Plus a bit
faster, but not much.
In terms of durability, MTBF
is 1750000 hours, the amount of rewriting will be 1200 for the 2 TB model,
5 year manufacturer’s warranty so you can be sure that
The game drive will serve you for many years. Can you afford more?
Look for a model with an integrated heatsink for heat dissipation, which will increase the duration
even more SSD services. Unfortunately, if your choice fell on an SSD with
integrated heatsink, you will have to choose a drive with a capacity of 500 GB and
more. nine0008
While we are talking about WD Black SN750 NVMe models without a heatsink,
the price-performance ratio of the drives is excellent, cost per gigabyte they
second only to XPG in capacities over 1TB, until then Black is
the best choice on the market. Gaming SSD performance marginally
inferior to Samsung 970 EVO Plus, regardless of capacity and
radiator, so the WD Black SN750 is a great compromise between
the speed of the 970 EVO Plus and the reliability of the XPG SX8200.
Read the WD Black SN750 NVMe 9 review for details0008
3. Samsung
970 EVO Plus
Fastest PCIe 3.0 M.2 SSD.
Capacity : 250 GB to 2 TB | Memory type: 3D MLC NAND | Interface : M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 | Read speed : up to 3.5 Gb/s | Write speed : up to 3.3 Gb/s | Radiator : No | Runtime to failure : 1.5 million hours | Written terabytes (256 GB / 2 TB): 150 / 1200.
Pros :
- Fastest PCIe 3.0 M.2 on this list;
- Own memory and hardware controller;
Cons :
- Slightly more expensive than competitors;
- Durability is lower than competitors in this rating;
Samsung
970 EVO Plus,
like other SSDs from this lineup before it, has the highest
sequential read and write performance among PCIe 3.
0 M.2 SSDs, making it quite obvious
contender for the title of best gaming SSD in the M.2 category. Its productive speed
access is also one of the highest among PCIe 3.0 in our rating, that is, we
we have a high performance monster here. nine0008
Longevity is the other side of the coin
drive. Even though we can’t comment on its unreliability,
1,500,000 hours behind competing XPG SX8200 and WD Black SN750
by 25% and 12.5% respectively. Its TBW rating for the 2TB model is 1200,
which corresponds to SN750,
but in the 256 GB version, the drive has a low 150 points, the lowest
indicator in the top three PCIe drives
3.0 M.2 of this list.
However, the manufacturer is confident in his product and accompanies 970 EVO Plus 5 year old
a guarantee that puts it on a par with competitors.
The game drive does not receive models with built-in
radiator, so excess heat will have to be removed by internal fans
your gaming PC, or you may need to find another cooling solution. However
However, Samsung boasts Dynamic Thermal Guard technology,
designed to regulate the temperature of the SSD core, there is also a hardware heat spreader and a controller with
Nickel plated for heat dissipation.
Radiator Efficiency
would be higher, but it’s better than nothing. nine0008
Among others M.2 SSDs from
of our list, Samsung EVO Plus is not only the fastest, but also the most expensive, noticeably more expensive,
say XPG SX8200.
If you have additional funds to purchase the fastest SSD for
your gaming build, and you don’t have a PCIe 4.0 compatible motherboard, then the Samsung EVO Plus will serve as
an excellent choice.
* For motherboards that support PCIe 4.0, we would recommend Samsung’s 980 series models. nine0007
Read the full review of the Samsung 970 EVO Plus.
4. Corsair Force MP600
The best gaming SSD in terms of speed and durability, if the motherboard supports it.
Capacity : 500 GB to 2 TB | Memory type : 3D TLC NAND | Interface : M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4 | Read speed : up to 4.95 Gb/s | Write speed : up to 4.
25 Gb/s | Radiator : Yes | Runtime to failure : 1.7 million hours | Terabytes written (500 GB / 2 TB) : 850 / 3600.
Pros :
- Extreme read / write speed;
- Aluminum radiator as standard;
- The durability of this SSD will outlive our world;
Cons :
- Requires PCIe 4.0 compatible motherboard;
If we discard the restrictions on the motherboard of the last
generation, the Corsair Force MP600 is the fastest gaming SSD in our
list. But not at a single speed, as they say, because this is the most durable
a drive that several times exceeds the life cycle of other
M.2 drives listed
above and its aluminum radiator is not an option, it accompanies every
set. However, I would like to point out a few caveats regarding
Corsair Force MP600. nine0008
The fact is that not every consumer has an M.2 slot on the motherboard, which
already there to talk about the number of users with cards that support PCIe 4.
0, as well as
processors, so at this stage the Corsair drive is
as a niche product.
The high speeds of SSDs are directly due to the PCIe 4.0 interface (whose bandwidth
capacity is about twice that of PCIe 3.0), frankly, the Corsair Force MP600 doesn’t come close to
PCIe potential limit
4.0. More manufacturers are joining the new generation of PCIe 4.0 M.2 products, soon enough Samsung and Western Digital will reveal
the potential of PCIe 4.0, pushing back
speed records are far beyond the ceiling of the MP600. nine0008
However, we understand that the phrase “component coming soon
faster» will never stop an enthusiast building a new gaming system
generations, so having a motherboard with a new standard, you can not
waiting for a new line of PCIe 4.0 based SSDs, the Corsair Force MP600 will definitely be the SSD you need
today.
5. Samsung 860
Pro SATA III
The reigning SATA III SSD champion.
Capacity : 256 GB to 4 TB | Memory type: 3D MLC NAND | Interface : SATA III | Read speed : up to 560 Mb/s | Write speed : up to 530 Mbps | Radiator : No | Runtime to failure : 1.
5 million hours | Terabytes written (500 GB / 2 TB / 4 TB): 300 / 2400 / 4800.
Cons :
- Relatively expensive drive;
If we are considering SATA III gaming SSDs (an older format that
installed in place of an HDD with a similar form factor) in search of the best and most
fast, there is nothing better than Samsung
860 pro. His
sequential read and write speeds reach the peaks available
within the SATA III standard,
there are no other drives of this format capable of handling data faster. nine0008
However, SSD’s potential is unlocked when it comes to random speed.
access and total capacity. Other SATA III drives can reach speeds
sequential read and write 860 Pro, but the random read and write speeds available to the drive
Samsung, outside
competition. It is random access to data that makes up the majority
operations in games.
And while the 860 Pro is dejectedly on the sidelines with the lowest MTBF rating, the TBW rating of
860 Pro is phenomenal: 4TB SSD demonstrates
an amazing score of 4800. The manufacturer adds a 5-year warranty to its SSD
warranty, offering you a SATA III SSD,
capable of lasting long enough for you to replace the motherboard
board (or even the entire computer) to switch to M.2. nine0008
Unfortunately, despite the aging drive format,
phenomenal longevity will come at a price. 860 Pro bypasses
almost twice as expensive per gigabyte as competitors, while in
the maximum capacity of a 4 TB SSD, it will cost you $ 1,000 (75,000 rubles + VAT), which
almost twice as expensive as a comparable WD Blue 3D NAND SSD,
which you will find below.
Read more in the Samsung 860 Pro review.
6.WD Blue
3D NAND SATA III
Amazing capacity to price ratio for really big game libraries.
Capacity : 256 GB to 4 TB | Memory type : 3D TLC NAND | Interface : SATA III | Read speed: up to 560 Mb/s | Write speed : up to 530 Mbps | : 1.
75 million hours | Terabytes written (250 GB / 2 TB / 4 TB) : 100 / 500 / 600.
Pros :
- Capacity up to 4 TB;
- Excellent price/capacity ratio;
Cons :
- Random access speed below 860 Pro;
- Lowest TBW rating of any gaming SSD rating;
M.2 becomes its potential
capacity. While most M.2 SSDs are limited to a capacity limit of 2
TB, WD
Blue 3D NAND can
boast 4TB on a single drive, like the predecessor Samsung 860 Pro, making them the most massive
rating accumulators. nine0008
Why is it the best gaming SSD? WD stands out with a value calculated in relation to capacity to
price, especially compared to the 860 Pro. In terms of price per terabyte, WD Blue 3D NAND gets by
about $90 cheaper (6750r + VAT) than the Samsung 860 Pro.
If you are the proud owner of a huge gaming
libraries that can’t be crammed into a «small» M.2 SSD or it just doesn’t fit
for your motherboard, the brand new WD Blue 3D NAND can solve your problems with lack of solid state memory,
but only if you really need a high capacity drive and the Samsung 860 Pro is not
pocket.
nine0008
And while you’re happy with the significant price difference between WD Blue 3D NAND and
Samsung 860 Pro, remember the difference in
speed, as long as sequential read and write rates are very similar, random
Samsung data access
head up.
And if WD’s overall uptime is higher, its TBW rating is
Surprisingly small compared to a competitor from Samsung. The 256 GB model shows only 100 points, and the
for 2 TB, a very mediocre 500 points, for 4 TB the figure is 600 points and
completely absurd, nine times lower than the 860 Pro 4 Tb,
only 120 times the capacity of an SSD. nine0008
Despite the fact that the manufacturer does not skimp on a 5-year
warranty, this WD Blue gaming drive may be the only one in this
a list capable of hitting the write limit before the lifetime approaches.
Components
Best SSD for gaming in 2021? SATA 3 or M2. SSD?
Choosing the best SSD can be difficult, but with this detailed guide, you’ll have the knowledge to make the most informed decision for your next SSD purchase.
nine0006
If you’re trying to find the best SSD for gaming in 2021 that maximizes your overall experience, look no further. We’ve rounded up six amazing choices of great SSDs to speed up your gaming experience.
Finding the best SSD for gaming wasn’t just a walk in the park, it took a bit of looking around to make sure what we recommended was the best option. We have found top rated, high performance SSDs in various price ranges and have included them in this list for your convenience. nine0008
No matter which SSD you choose, the loading time in the game will skyrocket, as will the loading time and program launch time.
Without further ado, let’s jump right into our six contenders for the best SSD for gaming and choose which one is right for you.
Contents
- Best SSD for gaming at a glance
- Best SSD for gaming
- Next best SSD for gaming
- Best high performance SSD for gaming
- Best SSD for Gaming
- Best Budget SSD for Gaming
- How We Choose
- How We Test
- Things to Consider
- Storage Capacity
- Interface Why Buy a
- Best Gaming SSD in 2021
- Best Gaming SSD
- Next Best Gaming SSD
- Best High Performance Gaming SSD
- Best Gaming SSD
- Best Budget Gaming SSD
- Conclusion
SSD for Gaming?
Best SSD for games: First glance
The best SSD for games
Samsung 970 EVO PLUS 500 GB
Editor rating — 4.
8/5
970 EVO PLUS is really one of the best products on the market right now, and for good reason, it has lightning-fast read/write speeds that wipe out most competitor offerings currently available, and hits the shelves at a very competitive price. nine0008
We couldn’t think of a better model to take first place, the Samsung 970 Evo Plus is a great piece of equipment.
The 970 EVO plus line is without a doubt the most powerful SSD on our list, the test results we found were in the 100th percentile. Samsung has always been known for offering quality and reliable SSDs, and once again has taken a huge step in the right direction with the launch of the EVO plus line.
The Next Best SSD for Gaming
WD Black SN750 NVMe PCIe
Editor’s Rating 4.7/5
Western Digital is rapidly closing the gap between itself and the leading SSD vendors. The SN750 boasts almost the same speed as the 970 EVO and guarantees the build quality you get when you buy WD products.
Overall a great SSD and it just doesn’t take the top spot.
You are literally buying peace of mind when you choose Western Digital as they are considered one of the best hard drive manufacturers. With their new line of SSDs, they not only moved away from SATA speeds, but also took another step closer to the Samsung 9 line70.
Best High Performance SSD for Gaming
Sabrent 2TB Rocket
Editor’s Rating — 4.7/5
Sabrent 2TB Rocket is the fastest SSD in our review. This is one of the best M.2 NVMe you can find right now and is the perfect companion for any high end build. For guys who want the best of the best, look no further, however, if you’re on a budget, you can choose something else! nine0008
If you don’t have the money, you’ll love the Sabrents 2TB M.2 missile. Everyone is singing, everyone is dancing SSD, knocking everything else on this list out of the park. However, it comes at a price… a price we consider too high to justify giving her a place at the top.
Best SSD for Gaming
Adata SX8200 NAND NVMe M.2
Editor Rating — 4.6/5 hazy past, we decided to just mention them here. For the price of this SSD, you get incredible value for money. nine0008
ADATA is a relatively new brand that was founded in 2001 and mainly provides memory and storage solutions at relatively low prices. However, over the past couple of years, consumers have not been overly impressed with their products due to poor build quality and premature life. With that in mind, we were very impressed with the SX8200 SSD released at the end of 2018 and feel that ADATA may be starting to move into the top tier of storage solutions. nine0008
Best Budget SSD for Gaming
Intel 660p NVME M.2 1TB
Editor’s Rating — 4.5/5
Intel is widely known as the best processor manufacturer, but they also try other areas of hardware. With their 660p SSD, they have provided consumers with a fantastic budget choice for their storage solution.
This is by far the cheapest NVME PCIe 3.0 SSD on this list.
Intel’s sole purpose in developing the M.2 660p SSD seems to undermine the competition. In essence, this gives consumers on a budget another option to consider. If their SSDs are anywhere near as good as their CPUs, then we have a great piece of hardware at our disposal. nine0008
How we choose
All SSDs in this list have been manually selected for a reason. First of all, we did a search to find out which SSDs gamers prefer, trying to balance the ones with the highest reviews and those with the lowest prices.
We took into account reviews from various manufacturers, as well as reviews from other manufacturers of computer games.
We then get as many of our recommendations as we can so we can get a closer look at build quality and test how they work. nine0008
How we test
We love trying out all the recommended hardware, from GPUs to SSDs. Product testing is a huge part of our overall selection process and is a way to make sure a particular option is the best fit for the job.
Products must pass our testing, which is mostly related to games, some other boring stuff, but most if not all recommendations go through a rigorous testing process. nine0008
With SSDs, especially those we consider the best for gaming, we need to evaluate build quality, performance, and finally value.
This process allows us to give you an accurate picture of how well individual SSDs perform and, in the end, are they worth your hard-earned money.
Things to consider
PC components are considered an investment, so no matter what the equipment is, there are always a few key points to consider before making a final purchase. In this section, we will look at why you should buy an SSD, talk about storage capacity, and briefly explain the various interfaces to make sure you choose the product that suits your individual needs. nine0008
Drive capacity
Due to faster speeds and more expensive manufacturing methods, SSDs are much more expensive per gigabyte than HDDs.
Because of this, most enthusiasts prefer to have an SSD in their system along with a hard drive so as not to lose any performance or storage space.
When choosing an SSD, you’ll want to figure out exactly how much you’re going to use. If you already have a hard drive to use with it, use the hard drive to store most of your media and games. nine0008
Your operating system and most popular games must be stored on a solid state drive. Modern games range in size from 10GB to 50GB, so keep that in mind when comparing the SSDs we’ve provided.
If you’re not going to complement your SSD with a hard drive, you’ll need to spend more on storage to make up for it. You should also get used to managing your existing storage space more carefully.
Interface
There are three main interfaces for SSDs: SATA 3, M.2, and PCI-E.
SATA 3 is an interface used by standard hard drives and is speed limited compared to M.2 or PCIe. However, even with the speed loss of SATA, SSDS goes far beyond the speed capabilities of a hard drive.
M.2 The is both an interface and a form factor designed for tiny SSDs and tiny slots to connect them. These slots can carry either SATA or PCIe signal to provide the same or better performance while greatly saving installation space. nine0008
PCI-E SSD installs in the same way as a desktop GPU: in a PCI-E slot. PCI-E SSDs offer world-class performance and are most commonly used in enterprise environments due to the memory bandwidth and speed offered by a PCI-E slot compared to other alternatives.
Why buy an SSD for gaming?
Beyond the review, some of you may be wondering why use an SSD for gaming or what performance benefits it actually offers. We are going to do this now. nine0008
If you buy an SSD expecting it to boost your gaming FPS, it won’t. Unless your game is experiencing resource loading issues while playing that will degrade its FPS, your performance will not benefit from investing in an SSD.
As for the SSD, this is the boot time.
Load times, especially for loading screens between maps, will be significantly reduced on an SSD compared to any hard drive.
SSD drives will also enhance your experience outside of games. Transferring large games or large files to an SSD will be much faster than to an HDD. nine0008
Also, if you install your OS and your programs on an SSD, everything will run much faster. Even in systems with a weak processor, the drive is the main bottleneck, limiting the boot time of the operating system and the launch time of programs.
That’s why many people buy solid state drives to revive old computers. This is one of the best user experience enhancements a user can buy for their system.
SSDs in general have one key drawback: the price per GB. Because of this, people usually supplement SSDs with larger, cheaper hard drives. nine0008
Best SSD for games in 2021
The best SSD for games
Samsung 970 EVO Plus 500 GB
- Reading/Record — 3500/3 300 MB/s
- — 500 GB
- — NVME 1.
3
PLASS
- One of the fastest available
- increased durability
Lessions
- does not have a large capacity
- quite expensive0021
The Samsung 970 EVO plus was released earlier this year and is likely to be the last PCIe 3.0 release before we move to higher performance PCIe 4.0 which will coincide with AMD Ryzen 3rd Gen chips due later this year. in summer. The new 970 Evo Plus hit the shelves for almost half the price of the 970 EVO release, which arrived just under a year ago, making this SSD exceptionally good value for money. You can thank the sharp drop in memory prices for this. nine0008
So, we have an extremely efficient SSD that, from the consumer’s point of view, is much more powerful than most SSDs in its price range. For this reason, we awarded Evo plus the crown for best NVME performance in 2019, and it’s hard to argue with that. If you have room for that in your budget, we definitely recommend spending more on the 860 EVO currently in our $1,000 build.
Next Best SSD for Gaming
WD Black SN750 NVMe PCIe
- Reading/Record — up to 3430/2900 MB/s
- capacity — 1 TB
- Interface — NVME PCIe 3.0
PLASS
- Excellent representation
- 6 times more than them quickly than them quickly than them quickly than them. fastest SATA
- Established brand
CONS
- Can be considered expensive
Western Digital is rapidly closing the gap between itself and the leading SSD market, giving consumers today even more to think about. Their most recent addition is the SN750, which boasts speeds similar to the 970 Evo Plus. Western Digital says the SN750 has the fastest NVME interface, making it 6 times faster than their top SATA SSD, delivering similar performance stats to Samsung’s 970 line. Very impressive considering its price. The
WD Black SN750 secures our second spot in our best gaming SSDs this time around, however if they continue to make huge strides forward we may soon see them surpass Samsung.
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The best high -performance SSD for games
Sabrent 2TB Rocket
- Reading/Record — 5000/4400 MB/s
- — 2 TB
- — NVME M.2 PCIE GEN4 × 4
pluses
- significantly higher speeds than PCIe 3.0
- 5000 MB/ s (Reading)/ 4400 MB/ s (record)
- TB 2 TB
BES 9000 9000
- Very expensive
In theory, the Sabrent Rocket 4.0 is one of the best M.2 SSDs we’ve ever used, and this 2TB version is a great option for those who want to round out their high-end build with some premium storage. This thing is fast, efficient and really inexpensive when compared to its competitors.
The only reason it doesn’t rank #1 is because it’s quite expensive, but for all intents and purposes it’s the best in terms of quality and speed. This Gen4 PCIe M.2 is available in 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB capacities with read/write speeds of 5000MB/s and 4400MB/s, respectively.
Here it is fast. nine0008
Ultimately, until their next iteration hits the shelves and doubles the speed of Gen3, consumers may want to hold back on investment, but rest assured, this is a high quality kit.
Best SSD for games
ADATA SX8200 NAND NVME M.2
- Reading/Record — 3200/1700 MB/s
- — 1 TB
- — PCIe 3.0
6
- Very good value for money
- CASTE 1 TB
- Excellent representation
Bessions
- is not the most reliable brand
- , different performance with various equipment settings
ADATA is usually not the first in our list, when we recommend, well, well, but whatever, but whatever, but whatever, but anything, but After extensive research and testing, we were seriously surprised by what Adata was able to produce with the SX8200 M.2 SSD.
First of all, Adata is not the most trusted brand, but they are growing in the community and starting to offer consumers reliable hardware options.
So let’s talk about performance. SX8200 is currently at 99th percentile in performance, it lags a bit behind the 970 EVO plus in this regard, but hits the shelves at a fraction of the price, making it incredible value for money.
We have yet to see how this SSD will perform over time, but one thing is certain. If you can get a year off this product, then you are getting a serious deal.
Best Budget SSD for Gaming
Intel 660p NVME M.2 1TB
- Reading/Record — 1800/1800 MB
- — 1 TB
- Interface — NVME M.2
PLASS
- Excellent budgetary choice
- sufficiently decent statistics of performance performance 9000 9000 9000 9000 CONS
- Not the fastest
The Intel 660p is our highest budget 1TB SSD, and for good reason it’s truly incredible value for money. Intel designed this SSD specifically for consumers on a budget, why not!? this is a great idea and many will use it.
As for a 1TB SSD, you just can’t come close to that by price/performance standards. Not to mention the peace of mind you get when you buy Intel products. nine0008 Many of the drives on this list are 500GB or less due to the cost of SSDs these days, but our budget picks include a massive 1TB storage capacity. This means that not only do you have enough space to house your OS and core games, you can also store your additional media library here. No need for additional hard disk capacity.
A truly fantastic low cost SSD that has all the features and technology you expect, but at a much more affordable price. nine0008
Conclusion
That’s it, the best SSDs for gaming in one place. Now it may seem a little heavy M.2, but they are the fastest and require nothing more than a network connection, without the need for cabling. 2.5-inch SSDs are still used in large numbers, but in all respects they lose out. Finally, this brings us to a conclusion: our personal favorite SSD will be the Samsung 970 EVO Plus 500GB, thanks to its fair price and excellent performance.
