Samsung 990 Pro
Best Overall / Best M.2 SSD
Type: Internal Form Factor: M.2 (2280)
Interface (Computer Side): PCIe Gen 4.0 x4, NVMe 2.0
Capacity: 1TB: 1GB DDR4, 2TB: 2GB DDR4, 4TB: 4GB DDR4
NAND Type: Samsung V-NAND 3-bit MLC
Controller Maker: Samsung in-house
Bus Type: PCIe
NVMe Support: Yes
Rated Maximum Sequential Read: Up to 7,050 MB/s
Rated Maximum Sequential Write: Up to 6,400 MB/s
Terabytes Written (TBW) Rating: 1TB: 600 TBW, 2TB: 1200 TBW, 4TB: 2400 TBW
Encryption: AES 256-bit, TCG/Opal, IEEE1667
Power Consumption:
Active: 1TB: 5.4 W, 2TB: 5.5 W, 4TB: 6.5 W
Idle: Max 55 mW
Sleep: Max 5.8 mW
MTBF: 1.5 Million Hours
Operating Temp: 0 – 70 ℃
Software: Magician Software for SSD management
Warranty Length: 5 years
Pros
The fastest drive we’ve tested to date
Competitively priced
Works with Sony PlayStation 5
256-bit AES hardware-based encryption
New high PCMark 10 score for a PCI Express 4.0 SSD
Heatsink and RGB options
Cons
Lower MTBW and TBW than predecessor
The Samsung 990 Pro SSD grabbed a lot of attention for sticking with PCIe 4.0 instead of moving to PCIe 5.0, but it pushes PCIe 4.0 to its limits. With blazing read speeds of up to 7,449 MB/s and write speeds of up to 6,826 MB/s, it’s a fantastic choice for gamers and creative professionals. It even outperforms the 980 Pro, transferring files and loading games noticeably faster, and offers a significant speed boost for PS5 users.
However, the 990 Pro has a few drawbacks. Its limited capacity options and higher price might be a turnoff for some, especially when compared to more budget-friendly options like the PNY XLR8 CS3140. For those on a tighter budget, the Samsung 980 or 970 Evo are solid alternatives, offering decent performance at a lower price.
Built with Samsung’s trusted quality and advanced thermal control, the Samsung 990 Pro is both speedy and reliable, making it a fantastic choice for anyone looking to boost their computer’s performance.
Samsung 870 EVO – Best SATA SSD
Type: Internal
Form Factor: 2.5-inch
Interface (Computer Side): SATA 6 Gb/s (compatible with SATA 3 Gb/s & SATA 1.5 Gb/s)
Capacity: 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB
NAND Type: Samsung V-NAND 3-bit MLC
Controller Maker: Samsung MKX
Bus Type: SATA
NVMe Support: No
TRIM Support: Yes
S.M.A.R.T Support: Yes
Garbage Collection: Auto
Encryption Support: AES 256-bit, TCG/Opal, IEEE1667
WWN Support: Yes
Device Sleep Mode Support: Yes
Rated Maximum Sequential Read: Up to 520 MB/s
Rated Maximum Sequential Write: Up to 500 MB/s
Terabytes Written (TBW) Rating:
250GB: 150 TBW
500GB: 300 TBW
1TB: 600 TBW
2TB: 1200 TBW
4TB: 2400 TBW
Power Consumption:
Active:
250GB, 500GB: Average 2.2 W, Max 3.5 W
1TB: Average 2.5 W, Max 4.0 W
2TB: Average 2.5 W, Max 4.5 W
4TB: Average 2.5 W, Max 5.0 W
Idle:
250GB, 500GB, 1TB: Max 30 mW
2TB, 4TB: Max 35 mW
Reliability (MTBF): 1.5 Million Hours
Operating Temperature: 0 – 70 ℃
Software: Magician Software
Warranty Length: 5 years
Pors
Excellent performance, especially with small file operations
Unlike the QVO, long writes don’t slow down
5-year warranty
Capacities up to 4TB
Cons
Premium price
The Samsung 870 EVO is a reliable and fast SATA SSD that’s perfect for a wide range of users. It boasts read speeds up to 560 MB/s and write speeds up to 530 MB/s, thanks to Samsung’s advanced V-NAND technology. Whether you’re doing everyday tasks or handling more demanding applications, the 870 EVO delivers solid performance. It’s also built to last and includes handy features for secure data storage and easy data transfer. If you need a dependable and powerful SSD, the Samsung 870 EVO is a great choice.
HP FX900 PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSd
Best budget SSD / Best budget PCIe 4.0 SSD
Type: Internal
Internal Form Factor: M.2 Type-2280
Interface (Computer Side): PCIe Gen 4 x 4
Capacity: 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB (tested), 2 TB
NAND Type: TLC
Controller Maker: InnoGrit
Bus Type: PCI
NVMe Support: Yes
Rated Maximum Sequential Read: 5000 MBps (1TB)
Rated Maximum Sequential Write: 4800 MBps (1TB)
Terabytes Written (TBW) Rating: 400 TBW (1TB)
MTBF: More than 2,000,000 hours
Operating Temperature: 0°C to 70°C
Warranty Length: 5 years
The HP FX900 PCIe 4.0 M.2 offers the best speed, and efficiency in this budget that no other SSD in this budget could do in our tests. It has sequential read speeds of up to 5000 MB/s and write speeds of up to 4800 MB/s which surprised me.
The HP FX900 SSD is also an excellent choice for gamers and budget-conscious users seeking a PCI Express 4.0 stick. It excels in various performance metrics beyond just sequential speed ratings, which often dominate the marketing of SSDs. Notably, the FX900 demonstrates impressive real-world performance, particularly in PCMark 10 tests, which include scenarios relevant to gaming. Despite its budget-friendly price, it competes effectively with higher-rated drives, making it a valuable option for those who want high performance without a high price tag. Whether you’re building a new system or upgrading an existing one, the HP FX900 offers substantial capabilities that merit serious consideration.
Whether for gaming, content creation, or everyday computing, the HP FX900 PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSD offers an excellent blend of affordability, speed, and reliability.
WD Black SN850X – best gaming SSD
Type: Internal
Internal Form Factor: M.2 2280
Interface (Computer Side): PCIe Gen4 x4
Capacity: 1TB, 2TB, 4TB
NAND Type: TLC
Controller Maker: Western Digital
Bus Type: PCIe
NVMe Support: Yes
Rated Maximum Sequential Read: 7300 MB/s
Rated Maximum Sequential Write: 6300 MB/s
Terabytes Written (TBW) Rating: 600 TBW
Operating Temperature: 0°C to 85°C
Warranty Length: 5-Year Limited Warranty
Pors
Great all-round performance
All the Gen 4 SSD you’ll ever need
Capacities up to 4TB
Optional heatsink and RGB
Exceeded both its sequential read and write speed ratings
Aced PCMark and 3DMark storage tests
5 years Warranty
Cons
No real gains in 4K random performance
Heat sink adds cost
The WD Black SN850X is hands down the best SSD for gaming right now, offering a perfect mix of cost, speed, and efficiency. While PCIe Gen 5 SSDs are starting to show up, they’re pricey and run hot. The SN850X, as one of the best Gen 4 SSDs, stands out with its updated SanDisk controller and higher-density NAND, giving you blazing read speeds of 7,300 MB/s and write speeds of 6,300 MB/s.
The 1TB model is perfect for today’s large game installs. It features WD’s Game Mode 2.0 software, which automatically improves game loading times. The drive stays impressively cool, reaching only 58°C under heavy use, a big improvement over its predecessor’s 77°C, even if you skip the optional heatsink.
While its 4K random access results and PC Mark 10 scores show only minor improvements, the SN850X shines overall with fast gaming speeds, cool operation, great pricing, and solid software. It’s a fantastic all-rounder and a great addition to any gaming PC.
Gigabyte Aorus Gen5 12000 – Best PCIe 5.0 SSD
Type: Internal
Internal Form Factor: M.2 2280
Interface (Computer Side): PCI-Express 5.0 x4
Capacity: 1TB, 2TB
NAND Type: 3D TLC NAND Flash
Controller Maker: Gigabyte
Bus Type: PCIe
NVMe Support: Yes
Rated Maximum Sequential Read: Up to 11,700 MB/s (1TB), Up to 12,400 MB/s (2TB)
Rated Maximum Sequential Write: Up to 9,500 MB/s (1TB), Up to 11,800MB/s (2TB)
Terabytes Written (TBW) Rating: 700 TBW
Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF): 1.6 million hours
Operating Temperature: 0°C to 70°C
Warranty Length: 5 years
Pors
high speed
Excellent bundled heatsink
High relative performance
Black PCB
Optional heatsink included
Cons
Questionable value at 1TB
Weak power efficiency
The Gigabyte Aorus Gen5 12000 had the overall best performance among the PCIe 5.0 SSDs we tested. It has sequential read speeds of up to 12,400MB/s and write speeds of up to 11,800MB/s which surprised me. All daily tasks can be done easily with it. What I like about it is that it offers a lot for the price. In our test, we found that the 1TB is slightly slower than advertised, and we’d recommend the larger 2TB capacity, both for speed and value.
