The most effective SSDs in 2025

In case your laptop is beginning to really feel slightly sluggish, otherwise you’re uninterested in ready for video games and apps to load, upgrading to probably the greatest SSD choices on the market generally is a game-changer. Stable-state drives (SSDs) are a lot sooner than conventional exhausting drives, serving to your system boot up in seconds, load massive recordsdata immediately and make on a regular basis duties really feel snappier. Whether or not you’re upgrading a laptop computer, constructing a gaming PC or simply need further storage for work or inventive initiatives, the appropriate SSD can significantly enhance efficiency.

However with so many specs to contemplate — PCIe Gen 4, Gen 5, SATA, NVMe — it’s straightforward to get misplaced within the jargon. That’s the place we are available! We’ve rounded up the very best SSD choices that will help you discover the appropriate steadiness of velocity, capability and worth, 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 suggest 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, in the event you’re set on outfitting your laptop with the quickest potential storage, I believe the Crucial T700 gives a compelling mixture of worth and efficiency. The T700 is likely one of the quickest NVMe drives in the marketplace proper now, and after launching at $180, it’s potential to seek out it on sale for about $143. Word that in case your motherboard didn’t include a heatsink in your NVMe drives, you will have to purchase the T700 mannequin that features one, which additional will increase the price.

Execs

• Very quick
• Helps DirectStorage
• 5-year guarantee

$140 at Adorama

WD_BLACK

Capability: 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 8TB | Connection: M.2 | Learn velocity: 7,300MB/s | Write velocity: 6,300MB/s

Supplied you personal the mandatory {hardware}, Gen4 NVMe drives supply fairly good worth proper now. After testing a couple of totally 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 case you’re set on shopping for a Gen4 mannequin, however wish to avoid wasting cash, Western Digital gives 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 essential 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 really helpful the Essential P2 as an ideal finances 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 outdated 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 current 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

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

Cons

• Might be sooner
• Endurance stats are usually not the very best

$60 at Adorama

SABRENT

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

In case 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 should slot into the Steam Deck’s M.2 slot with out situation, and also you don’t want to fret about it overheating. With current reductions on this mannequin, it’s dropped sufficient in worth the place you 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 in the event you got here to this web page on the lookout for a suggestion on what NVMe to purchase in 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’s good 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 personal heatsink

$170 at Amazon

Essential

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

For carrying recordsdata on the go, the Crucial X9 Pro is a transportable SSD with the right combination of efficiency, options and value. There are technically sooner choices on the market, however its 10 Gbps speeds needs 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 word that the included USB-C cable is pretty quick, and there’s no adapter for USB-A ports within the field. — Jeff Dunn, Senior Reporter, Shopping for Recommendation

Execs

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

Cons

• No USB-A cable included
• Not the quickest

$89 at Amazon

SAMSUNG

Capability: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB | Connection: USB 3.1 | Learn velocity: As much as 400MB/s relying on the mannequin | Write velocity: As much as 400MB/s

The Samsung Fit Plus has about all of the options you 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 expensive aspect.

Execs

• USB 3.1
• Modern design
• 5-year guarantee

Cons

• May be too small
• No indicator gentle

$23 at Adorama

How we check SSDs

I’ve both examined or personally use each day each storage drive really helpful on this checklist. 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

Probably the most reasonably priced means 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 in the event you don’t wish to fear about compatibility since virtually each laptop made within the final twenty 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 prolong the lifetime of an older PC construct. Set up is easy, too. When you’ve secured the interior SSD in a drive cage, all it’s good to do is to attach it to your motherboard and energy provide.

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

In case your PC is newer, there’s a very good likelihood it consists of house for a number of M.2 SSDs. The shape issue represents your ticket to the quickest SSDs in the marketplace, however the tough half is navigating all of the totally different requirements and specs concerned.

M.2 drives can characteristic both a SATA or PCIe connection. SSDs with the latter are referred to as Non-Risky 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.

In case you’re working an AMD system, meaning at the least a Ryzen 3000 or 5000 CPU and an X570 or B550 motherboard. With Intel, in the meantime, you’ll want at the least an eleventh or twelfth Gen processor and a Z490, Z590 or Z690 motherboard. Needless to say Gen4 SSDs sometimes value 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. Nevertheless, even when your laptop helps the usual, you’re higher off shopping for a extra reasonably priced Gen4 or Gen3 drive. In the mean 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 scorching, which may result in efficiency and longevity points. Your cash is healthier spent on different elements, like upgrading your GPU, for now.

As for why you’d purchase an M.2 SATA drive over a equally specced 2.5-inch drive, it comes right down to ease of set up. You add M.2 storage to your laptop by putting in the SSD instantly onto the motherboard. That will sound intimidating, however in observe the method entails a single screw that you simply first take away to attach the drive to your laptop after which retighten to safe the SSD in place. As an added bonus, there aren’t any wires concerned, making cable administration simpler.

Word which you could 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 wish to proceed utilizing an outdated M.2 drive, there’s little motive to reap the benefits of that characteristic. Talking of backward compatibility, it’s additionally potential to make use of a Gen4 drive by means of a PCIe 3 connection, however you received’t get any of the velocity advantages of the sooner NVMe.

One last item to contemplate is that M.2 drives come in several bodily sizes. From shortest to longest, the frequent choices are 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280 and 22110. (The primary two numbers characterize width in millimeters and the latter denote the size.) For essentially 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 dimension of NVMe SSD because of a number of standoffs. That stated, verify your laptop’s documentation or firmware earlier than shopping for a drive to make sure you’re choosing up a appropriate dimension.

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

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

What to search for in transportable and USB flash drives

Transportable SSDs are a considerably totally different beast to their inner siblings. Whereas learn and write speeds are essential, they’re virtually secondary to how an exterior drive connects to your PC. You received’t get essentially 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 motive, most individuals are greatest off shopping for a transportable drive with a USB 3.2 Gen 2 or Thunderbolt connection. The previous gives switch speeds of as much as 10Gbps. The most effective exterior exhausting drives additionally permit you to switch knowledge out of your Home windows PC to a Mac, or different gadget, if appropriate. Remember to take into account this beforehand in the event you plan to make use of your transportable drive throughout a number of units.

Moreover, in the event you plan to take your drive on journeys and commutes, it’s worthwhile to purchase a mannequin with IP-certified water and mud proofing. Some 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 knowledge in the event you ever lose or misplace your exterior SSD.

A number of the similar options contribute to an ideal thumbstick drive. Our favourite picks for greatest finances 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 Collection X|S or PS5, outfitting your fancy new console with the quickest potential storage is much extra easy than doing the identical on PC. With a Collection X or Collection S, your choices are restricted to choices from Seagate and Western Digital. The previous gives 512GB, 1TB and 2TB fashions, with essentially the most reasonably priced beginning at a not-so-trivial $90. Western Digital’s Enlargement Playing cards are cheaper, with pricing beginning at $80 for the 512GB mannequin. The excellent news is that each choices are ceaselessly on sale. Your greatest guess is to set an alert for the mannequin you need by utilizing a worth tracker like CamelCamelCamel.

With Sony’s PlayStation 5, upgrading the console’s inner 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 greatest 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, take into account 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 gives 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB and 8TB variations of the drive. Anticipate to pay about $110 for the 1TB variant and about $200 for 2TB.

For these nonetheless taking part in on a earlier era console, you will get barely sooner sport load occasions from a PlayStation 4 by swapping the included exhausting drive to a 2.5-inch SSD, however going out of your means to take action most likely isn’t value it at this level and also you’re higher off saving your cash for one of many new consoles and updating your working system as a substitute.

SSD FAQs

What dimension SSD is greatest?

There isn’t any one dimension matches all rule for SSDs, however we usually suggest getting at the least a 1TB SSD in the event you’re trying to improve PC or sport console storage, or trying so as to add an exterior drive to your toolkit. A 1TB drive shall be a lot for most individuals who want further space for storing for photographs, paperwork and applications. In case you’re a hardcore gamer, it’s possible you’ll wish to spend money on much more storage contemplating many high-profile titles right now can take up a ton of house.

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

The quick reply is that it is determined by what you want your drive for. Usually, SSDs are sooner and extra environment friendly than HDDs, however HDDs are often cheaper. We suggest springing for an SSD for many use circumstances right now — upgrading a PC, saving essential photographs and paperwork, storing video games long run, and so on. However in the event you’re centered on getting essentially the most quantity of additional house potential (and sticking to a finances), an HDD may very well be a very good possibility for you.

Does larger SSD imply sooner?

Getting an even bigger SSD doesn’t all the time translate right into a sooner drive general. A much bigger SSD will present a better storage capability, which implies extra space for storing digital recordsdata and applications. To grasp how briskly an SSD shall be, you’ll wish 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 make sure you take a look at these numbers earlier than you make a purchase order.