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Title: The best SSDs in 2025

Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2025 09:00:36 +0000
Link: https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessorie...

If your computer is starting to feel a little sluggish, or youΓÇÖre tired of
waiting for games and apps to load, upgrading to one of the best SSD options
out there can be a game-changer. Solid-state drives (SSDs) are much faster
than traditional hard drives, helping your system boot up in seconds, load
large files instantly and make everyday tasks feel snappier. Whether youΓÇÖre
upgrading a laptop, building a gaming PC or just want extra storage for work
or creative projects, the right SSD can seriously improve performance.

But with so many specs to consider ΓÇö PCIe Gen 4, Gen 5, SATA, NVMe ΓÇö
itΓÇÖs easy to get lost in the jargon. ThatΓÇÖs where we come in! WeΓÇÖve
rounded up the best SSD options to help you find the right balance of speed,
capacity and price, so you can get the upgrade you need without overpaying
for features you wonΓÇÖt use.

Table of contents

Best SSDs in 2025

How we test SSDs

What to look for in a PC SSD

What to look for in portable and USB flash drives

A note on console storage

SSD FAQs

Best SSDs in 2025

How we test SSDs

IΓÇÖve either tested or personally use daily every storage drive recommended
on this list. Out of our top picks, I bought four with my own money after
doing about a dozen hours of research. Separately, Engadget Senior Reporter
Jeff Dunn has also tested a handful of our recommendations, including the
Crucial X9 Pro listed above.

What to look for in a PC SSD

The most affordable way to add fast storage space to a computer is with a 2.5-
inch SATA drive. ItΓÇÖs also one of the easiest if you donΓÇÖt want to worry
about compatibility since almost every computer made in the last two decades
will include a motherboard with Serial ATA connections. For that reason, the
best SATA SSDs are an excellent choice if you want to extend the life of an
older PC build. Installation is straightforward, too. Once youΓÇÖve secured
the internal SSD in a drive cage, all you need to do is to connect it to your
motherboard and power supply.

The one downside of SATA drives is that, in terms of responsiveness,
theyΓÇÖre slower than their high-performance NVMe counterparts, with SATA III
limiting data transfers to 600MB/s. But even the slowest SSD will be
significantly faster than the best mechanical drives. And with high-capacity,
1TB SATA SSDs costing about $100, theyΓÇÖre a good bulk-storage option.

If your PC is newer, thereΓÇÖs a good chance it includes space for one or
more M.2 SSDs. The form factor represents your ticket to the fastest SSDs on
the market, but the tricky part is navigating all the different standards and
specs involved.

M.2 drives can feature either a SATA or PCIe connection. SSDs with the latter
are known as Non-Volatile Memory or NVMe drives and are significantly faster
than their SATA counterparts, with Gen3 models offering sequential write
speeds of up to 3,000MB/s. These drives rely on NVMe NAND technology for
their superior performance and durability. You can get twice the performance
with a Gen4 SSD, but youΓÇÖll need a motherboard and processor that supports
the standard.

If youΓÇÖre running an AMD system, that means at least a Ryzen 3000 or 5000
CPU and an X570 or B550 motherboard. With Intel, meanwhile, youΓÇÖll need at
least an 11th or 12th Gen processor and a Z490, Z590 or Z690 motherboard.
Keep in mind that Gen4 SSDs typically cost more than their Gen3 counterparts
as well.

More expensive still are the latest Gen5 models, which offer sequential read
speeds of up to 16,000MB/s. However, even if your computer supports the
standard, youΓÇÖre better off buying a more affordable Gen4 or Gen3 drive. At
the moment, very few games and applications can take advantage of Gen3 NVMe
speeds, let alone Gen4 and Gen5 speeds. WhatΓÇÖs more, Gen5 NVMe drives can
run hot, which can lead to performance and longevity issues. Your money is
better spent on other components, like upgrading your GPU, for now.

As for why you would buy an M.2 SATA drive over a similarly specced 2.5-inch
drive, it comes down to ease of installation. You add M.2 storage to your
computer by installing the SSD directly onto the motherboard. That may sound
intimidating, but in practice the process involves a single screw that you
first remove to connect the drive to your computer and then retighten to
secure the SSD in place. As an added bonus, there arenΓÇÖt any wires
involved, making cable management easier.

Note that you can install a SATA M.2 SSD into an M.2 slot with a PCIe
connection, but you canΓÇÖt insert an NVMe M.2 SSD into a M.2 slot with a
SATA connection. Unless you want to continue using an old M.2 drive,
thereΓÇÖs little reason to take advantage of that feature. Speaking of
backward compatibility, itΓÇÖs also possible to use a Gen4 drive through a
PCIe 3 connection, but you wonΓÇÖt get any of the speed benefits of the
faster NVMe.

One last thing to consider is that M.2 drives come in different physical
sizes. From shortest to longest, the common options are 2230, 2242, 2260,
2280 and 22110. (The first two numbers represent width in millimeters and the
latter denote the length.) For the most part, you donΓÇÖt have to worry about
that since 2280 is the default for many motherboards and manufacturers. Some
boards can accommodate more than one size of NVMe SSD thanks to multiple
standoffs. That said, check your computerΓÇÖs documentation or firmware
before buying a drive to ensure youΓÇÖre picking up a compatible size.

If youΓÇÖre buying a replacement SSD for the Steam Deck or Steam Deck OLED,
things are less complicated. For ValveΓÇÖs handheld, you will need a 2230
size NVMe. Simple. If you donΓÇÖt want to open your Steam Deck, itΓÇÖs also
possible to expand its storage by installing a microSD card. Engadget has a
separate guide dedicated to SD card storage, so check that out for additional
buying advice.

I alluded to this earlier, but the best buying advice I can offer is donΓÇÖt
get too caught up about being on the bleeding edge of storage tech. The
sequential read and write speeds you see manufacturers list on their drives
are theoretical and real-world performance benchmark tests vary less than you
think.

If your budget forces you to choose between a 1TB Gen3 NVMe and a 512GB Gen4
model, go for the higher-capacity one. From a practical standpoint, the worst
thing you can do is buy a type of SSD thatΓÇÖs too small for needs. Drives
can slow dramatically as they approach capacity, and you will probably end up
purchasing one with a higher gigabyte capacity in the future.

What to look for in portable and USB flash drives

Portable SSDs are a somewhat different beast to their internal siblings.
While read and write speeds are important, they are almost secondary to how
an external drive connects to your PC. You wonΓÇÖt get the most out of a
model like the SanDisk Extreme Pro V2 without a USB 3.2 Gen 2 x 2 connection.
Even among newer PCs, thatΓÇÖs something of a premium feature. For that
reason, most people are best off buying a portable drive with a USB 3.2 Gen 2
or Thunderbolt connection. The former offers transfer speeds of up to 10Gbps.
The best external hard drives also allow you to transfer data from your
Windows PC to a Mac, or other device, if compatible. Be sure to consider this
beforehand if you plan to use your portable drive across multiple devices.

Additionally, if you plan to take your drive on trips and commutes, itΓÇÖs
worthwhile to buy a model with IP-certified water and dust proofing. Some
companies like Samsung offer rugged versions of their most popular drives,
including the Samsung SSD T7 Shield, with a high endurance rating. For
additional peace of mind, 256-bit AES hardware encryption will help prevent
someone from accessing your data if you ever lose or misplace your external
SSD.

Some of the same features contribute to a great thumbstick drive. Our
favorite picks for best budget external SSD models feature USB 3.0
connections and some form of hardware encryption.

A note on console storage Seagate

If PC gaming isnΓÇÖt your thing and you own an Xbox Series X or PS5,
outfitting your fancy new console with the fastest possible storage is far
more straightforward than doing the same on PC. With a Series X or Series S,
your options are limited to options from Seagate and Western Digital. The
former offers 512GB, 1TB and 2TB models, with the most affordable starting at
a not-so-trivial $90. Western DigitalΓÇÖs Expansion Cards are less expensive,
with pricing starting at $80 for the 512GB model. The good news is that both
options are frequently on sale. Your best bet is to set an alert for the
model you want by using a price tracker like CamelCamelCamel.

With SonyΓÇÖs PlayStation 5, upgrading the consoleΓÇÖs internal storage is
slightly more involved. Instead of employing a proprietary solution, the PS5
uses NVMe storage. Thankfully, there arenΓÇÖt as many potential
configurations as you would find on a PC. Engadget maintains a comprehensive
guide to the best SSDs for PS5; in short, your best bet is a high-capacity
Gen4 drive with a built-in heatsink. Check out that guide for a full list of
gaming SSD recommendations, but for a quick go-to, consider the Corsair MP600
Pro LPX I recommend above. It meets all the memory specifications for
SonyΓÇÖs latest console and you wonΓÇÖt run into any clearance issues with
the heatsink. Corsair offers 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB and 8TB versions of the
drive. Expect to pay about $110 for the 1TB variant and about $200 for 2TB.

For those still playing on a previous generation console, you can get
slightly faster game load times from a PlayStation 4 by swapping the included
hard drive to a 2.5-inch SSD, but going out of your way to do so probably
isnΓÇÖt worth it at this point and youΓÇÖre better off saving your money for
one of the new consoles and updating your operating system instead.

SSD FAQs What size SSD is best?

There is no one size fits all rule for SSDs, but we generally recommend
getting at least a 1TB SSD if youΓÇÖre looking to upgrade PC or game console
storage, or looking to add an external drive to your toolkit. A 1TB drive
will be plenty for most people who need extra storage space for photos,
documents and programs. If youΓÇÖre a hardcore gamer, you may want to invest
in even more storage considering many high-profile titles today can take up a
ton of space.

Is a 256GB SSD better than a 1TB hard drive?

The short answer is that it depends on what you need your drive for. In
general, SSDs are faster and more efficient than HDDs, but HDDs are usually
cheaper. We recommend springing for an SSD for most use cases today ΓÇö
upgrading a PC, saving important photos and documents, storing games long
term, etc. But if youΓÇÖre focused on getting the most amount of extra space
possible (and sticking to a budget), an HDD could be a good option for you.

Does bigger SSD mean faster?

Getting a bigger SSD doesnΓÇÖt always translate into a faster drive overall.
A bigger SSD will provide a higher storage capacity, which means more space
for storing digital files and programs. To understand how fast an SSD will
be, youΓÇÖll want to look at its read/write speeds: read speeds measure how
fast a drive can access information, while write speeds measure how fast the
drive can save information. Most SSDs list their approximate read/write
speeds in their specs, so be sure to check out those numbers before you make
a purchase.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessorie...
140014262.html?src=rss

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