Top 15 Best SSD Drives 2022
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• Speed, reliability and silence – thanks to these three qualities, solid state drives, aka SSDs, beat hard drives (HDD) with one hand and firmly settled in our computers, laptops and game consoles. The best SSDs, from time-tested SATA to speed giants with PCIe 4.0 interface, are in my rating!
15.GIGABYTE 120GB SATA GP-GSTFS31120GNTD
- Read/Write Speed: 500/380MB/s
- Interfaces: SATA 6Gb/s
- Connector: SATA
• A small gray box at a very reasonable price will save your data, and will do it for a long time – its resource is 2 million hours of continuous use, and the warranty is more than three years.
• Judging by user reviews, owners of companies with offices are especially fond of this disk – it is cheap, but at the same time very hardy, and marriage is very rare. The Gigabyte device will be appreciated by both students and those who just need a disc for movies and music. The model can be used in a PC, and the combination of price / endurance makes it one of the best options in the top ssd for a laptop.
Pros and Cons Price Reliability Long MTBF – 1 million hours Small volume14. Kingston A400 240GB SATA SA400S37/240G
- Read/Write Speed: 500/350MB/s
- Interfaces: SATA 6Gb/s
- Connector: SATA
• Another hardy workhorse for ordinary people who do not need super-speed in games and who do not deal with huge amounts of data. And those who just want Windows to load faster, but there was somewhere to store documents and photos.
• Kingston A400 meets these requirements with a vengeance: it is simple, reliable, inexpensive, moderately fast and therefore very popular. It uses a 40nm Phison S11 as a controller. The memory used is TLC NAND from Toshiba.
Pros and cons price reliability endurance low speed13. Seagate FireCuda 530 1TB M.2 ZP1000GM3A013
- Read/Write Speed: 7300/6900MB/s
- Interfaces: SATA 6Gb/s
- Connector: SATA
• Seagate is one of the biggest names in storage, and the new FireCuda 530 doesn't disgrace its creator. It is based on the Phison E18 controller, which provides insane speed – one of the highest in the SSD market. It's not quite stable though – some other drives (for example, WD Black SN850, fifth place in the rating) provide more uniform speed, but the numbers are still impressive.
• Well, besides, the phenomenal endurance that the Barracudas have always been famous for has not gone away – in the reviews, experts note that this is something amazing, one of the most reliable SSDs. I will also add that the drive is compatible with the PS5, and for a certain fee you can buy a cooler for it, specially optimized for the latest generation of curling irons.
Pros and cons very fast reliable price12. AMD Radeon 512GB SATA R5SL512G
- Read/Write Speed: 540/460MB/s
- Interfaces: SATA 6Gb/s
- Connector: SATA
• A good disc in terms of price / quality / resource. High speed for its price range, decent capacity, durability – what else do you need for file storage or a Windows boot disk?
• The memory of this model is 32-layer 3D TLC NAND, the controller is Silicon Motion SM2258XT. There is no DRAM cache, only the SLC cache is present, and if it is insufficient, the speed drops significantly. But this is a common drawback of budget SSDs.
Pros and cons reliability and durability good speed for SATA III heats up11. Kingston XS2000, USB 3.2 Gen2x2
- Style: portable
- Connection type: USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C
- Maximum read speed: 2000 Mb/s
- Maximum write speed: 2000 Mbps
- Form Factor: 1.8 ″
• This silver beauty is one of the best portable SSDs on the market. He does not have enough stars from the sky – there are more spacious, and smaller, and faster than him. Even its data transfer rate is not the highest, but still generally higher than that of competitors.
• But the combination of all these qualities of the Kingston XS2000 is hard to beat. It can be used as a flash device, it will easily fit in your pocket or bag, and the capacity from 500 MB to 2 TB ensures that you have enough space for important documents, as well as for presentations and projects. It's nice that the kit comes with a convenient rubber case so that the device does not lose its presentation.
Pros and consappearancecompactnessrubber case includedno10. Crucial BX 480GB SATA CT480BX500SSD1
- Read/Write Speed: 540/500MB/s
- Interfaces: SATA 6Gb/s
- Connector: SATA
• Although the Samsung 870 EVO is faster and more spacious, the Crucial BX500 has an important advantage – it is one of the cheapest SSDs on the market. Judging by the tests of CrystalDiskMark, the speed declared by the manufacturer corresponds to the real one. And even under load, the drive case does not heat up much – up to about 50 degrees.
• It will attract those who need maximum performance at the lowest price and at the same time a sane lifespan. However, I recommend making backups for every firefighter – once a year even a stick shoots.
Pros and consprice/speed/reliabilitytheoretically small margin of rewrites9. Corsair 2TB M.2 CSSD-F2000GBMP600PRO
- Read/Write Speed: 7000/6550MB/s
- Interfaces: PCI-E
- Connector: M.2
• Expensive, playful and roomy – these three words can describe the MP600 PRO LPX model from Corsair. The disc is made for gamers, it can be installed both on a personal computer and PS5, if you are lucky enough to get it.
• Games on it will just fly – in benchmarks, the drive demonstrates the highest performance, overtaking even the Samsung 980 Pro, the first place in the 2022 SSD drive rating in terms of price / quality. But it also stands like a small wing from an airplane. Well, at least in the kit there is a low-profile cooler specifically for the PS5.
Pros and Cons8.Samsung 860 Pro
- Read/Write Speed: 560/530MB/s
- Interfaces: SATA 6Gb/s
- Connector: SATA
• The SATA3 interface is far from being as fashionable as it once was, but some models came out so successful that it would be a sin not to talk about them in the top SSD of 2023. One such model is the Samsung 860 Pro with a high-performance MJX controller operating at 1,0 GHz.
• The disk capacities are impressive, up to 4 TB, there is a DRAM buffer, and the transfer speed is at the upper limit of the available SATA III capacities and is stable as a rock. And, most importantly, it is a very reliable and secure (supports all hardware encryption standards) model, which is confirmed by customer reviews.
Pros and cons reliable will work for at least 5 yearsprice7.Samsung 980
- Read/Write Speed: 3100/2600MB/s
- Interfaces: PCI-E
- Connector: M.2
• Despite the fact that this model from Samsung is only with a PCIe 3.0 interface, and in terms of speed it is far from the second place in the rating (980 Pro), however, if you do not have to process large amounts of data on duty, then the 980 is quite good model and at a reasonable price (especially for 1 TB).
• The system will load instantly (customers write – time from 1 to 1,5 seconds), games – fly, and what else does an ordinary user need?
Pros and consfastquietno6. Samsung 870 EVO 1TB SATA MZ-77E1T0BW
- Read/Write Speed: 560/530MB/s
- Interfaces: SATA 6Gb/s
- Connector: SATA
• If you're more into traditional 2,5" SATA drives than M.2 crumbs, don't need crazy speeds, but want simple, honest, and reliable storage, then the 870 EVO is a great choice.
• This is one of the fastest drives among SATA drives, with capacities up to 4 TB, so your entire collection of children's cartoons will fit more than enough. I will also add that the “old man”, like other Samsungs, has excellent software – Samsung Magician SSD, a long warranty period and high reliability.
Pros and consStable speedReliabilityLong warrantyNo5. Western Digital WD Black NVMe 500GB M.2 SN850 WDS500G1X0E-00AFY0
- Read/Write Speed: 7000/4100MB/s
- Interfaces: PCI-E
- Connector: M.2
• One of the fastest PCIe 4.0 drives ever to hit the market to date. True, according to this characteristic, it is inferior to the FireCuda 530 (13th place in the rating).
• Then why fifth place? Because super-high speed and at the same time a moderate price for PCIe 4.0. In addition, this drive is not only fast, but also provides outstanding performance – the real transfer rate is as stable as a concrete wall. There is also a capacious DRAM buffer, so the 512 GB model has a buffer up to 512 MB DDR4. And the durability is at the level: according to the manufacturer, the drive can live 1,7 million hours.
Pros and cons very high speed4. Corsair 1TB CSSD-F1000GBMP400
- Read/Write Speed: 3480/1880MB/s
- Interfaces: PCI-E
- PCI-E type: PCI-E 3.0 x4
- Recommended: gaming, laptop and desktop
• Corsair deals with goods for gamers, and they also have a gaming SSD. Its volume in the maximum version is impressive, all games and a little more will fit. Its interface is PCIe 3.0 – although not as fast as 4.0, it is more than enough for games.
• The only drawback of the M400 is that it is not as hardy as its price counterparts. But for ordinary users who do not drive huge amounts of data through the disk, but use it for games and storing films and documents, the M400 resource will last for at least several years.
Pros and cons fast high volume 3D QLC NAND memory – its reliability has not yet been fully explored3. Silicon Power 1TB M.2 SP001TBP34A80M28
- Read/Write Speed: 3400/3000MB/s
- Interfaces: PCI-E
- Connector: M.2
• Among solid-state drives with PCI 4.0 interface is considered one of the most inexpensive. It is equipped with a robust Phison E12 controller and TLC 3D, NAND flash, but it has several competitors that beat Silicon Power in speed (for example, the first place in the 2023 SSD rating).
• A strange decision does not help either – for some reason, the designers decided to make the SSD board a bright blue color, which, against the background of traditionally black components, will hurt the eye. Another strange decision is that the sticker that interferes with heat transfer cannot be torn off, otherwise the warranty will be lost. Fortunately, the interference is small – only 1-2 degrees, but still unpleasant.
Pros and cons fast relatively inexpensive warranty depends on interfering sticker2. Samsung 970 EVO Plus
- Read/Write Speed: 3500-3200MB/s
- Interfaces: PCIe
- Connector: M.2
• The Samsung company is far from being a novice in computer matters. Therefore, the continuation of the EVO line – Samsung 970 EVO Plus – came out no worse and even better than the original. The data transfer speed has increased – according to the manufacturer, the reason is V-Nand technology, efficient use of NVMe and optimized firmware. This will be especially appreciated by buyers who, by the nature of their work, have to deal with the distillation of large data arrays – for example, for CAD. For games, it is perhaps too powerful.
• The drive doesn't even get particularly hot – the reason is said to be automatic temperature monitoring and cooling when required by the Dynamic Thermal Guard system. And, what is especially pleasant, despite such technical perfection, the disc is not particularly expensive.
Pros and cons Stable high speed Proprietary control and test software M2 screw required, not included1. Samsung 980 PRO
- Read/Write Speed: 6900MB/s / 5000MB/s
- Interfaces: PCI-E
- Connector: M.2
• If you are ready to spend your hard-earned money in the pursuit of the perfect drive, I advise you to pay attention to the Samsung 980 PRO, one of the fastest SSDs on the market. Judging by the articles of experts, this is almost an ideal option for a PC – especially if we consider the capacity of 1 TB.
• And although Samsung 980 PRO can hardly be called cheap, however, for its high speed it does not require too much – the price is not much higher than competitors of the same class. Please note that to fully enjoy the speed, PCIe-4.0 is a must. The data transfer rate over this interface is twice as fast as PCIe 3.0 – and we are talking about the same drive! The 980 PRO form factor is compact, M.2 2280, so you can easily put it into a PC system unit or a thin laptop.
Pros and consHow to choose an SSD drive for your computer
Connector
• How exactly will your drive be connected to a PC or laptop. The two most common are:
SATA – traditional l-shaped connector on the motherboard. Also suitable for hard drives.
M.2 – Supports both SATA 3 and NVMe interface (PCIe 3.0 and PCI 4.0). The most frequent guest on modern motherboards. In order not to be mistaken, I suggest that you carefully study the documentation, because this connector can potentially support three different interfaces. Therefore, when choosing a drive for an M.2 connector, you must choose a device compatible with the motherboard interface.
• Such discs come in both 2,5-inch formats and thinner and narrower records exclusively for M.2. While 2,5-inch platters usually have an aluminum case that dissipates heat well, then M.2 platters may require a special cooler. Especially if you want to mount the disc in PS5.
Interface
• The most important parameter to know when answering the question of which SSD hard drive is better to buy.
sata 2. The oldest interface, although still used in the PlayStation 4. Allows you to reach a maximum speed of 300 Mb / s.
sata 3. Can reach speeds up to 600 Mb / s. A good option if you do not need to drive large amounts of data through the disk, but you need ordinary household use: toys, music, movies, documents. Also keep in mind that the usual average connection speed in Moscow and the region becomes about 500-600 Mbps, that is, in this aspect, you simply won’t notice the difference between SATA 3 and PCIe 4.0 – anyway, the recording will be limited by the speed of the Internet. Such discs can be found in the traditional 2,5-inch format, as well as in the form of small M.2 platters.
PCIe 3.0. May have a two-way or four-way channel; the first develops a speed of about 2 Gb / s, the second can reach up to 4 Gb / s.
PCIe 4.0. Today it is the standard of the latest generation, develops a maximum speed – twice as much as its four-lane 3.0 counterpart. I will only add that using it for everyday tasks is like carrying water on a trotter. You will not notice the difference between a trotter and an ordinary workhorse during this procedure, but you will pay more. Whether it's worth it is up to you. In addition, the standard has not yet been tested enough, and due to optimization problems, drives with this interface may show worse results than PCIe 3.0.
What type of ssd memory is better
• SSD memory is a non-volatile NAND solid-state memory chips and a controller, which, in fact, regulates the process of recording and “playing” data. Chips can be compared to honeycombs, where information is hidden in each cell – from 1 to 4 bits. When overwriting data, "cells" are gradually destroyed, and sooner or later fail.
• The more data in a cell, the more it is accessed and the faster it is destroyed. There are currently four options:
- SLC – one charge (it is not offered in household drives, it is too expensive),
- MLC – two,
- TLC – three,
- QLC, respectively, four.
• MLC is the most reliable, but also the most expensive. QLC is the cheapest, but also the most leisurely. TLC is the most common, so it is a middle ground between the first and second options. Which is better – SSD TLC or MLC? Many factors play a role here: how much disk space (the larger, the less likely it is to be overwritten), how often you plan to use it, what is the declared warranty period and overwriting resource (TBW). In general, even economy models can last longer than the warranty period, unless, of course, you record and erase several films a day.
• It is worth focusing on the following indicators: TLC on average can live 5-6 years (about 1000 rewrite cycles), and MLC can last a couple of years more – up to 8 years (about 3000 cycles).
emkOperating systemt
• For the operating system, 120-240 GB is enough, for a game disk you should choose a size of 500 GB or more, for music and movies – here the more the better. Of course, the larger the capacity, the more expensive you will have to pay. And if the interface is also the latest, the "four" – get ready to part with a round sum.
Working hours
• It is designated TBW – terabytes written, how many terabytes can be written before the SSD goes to the land of eternal hunting. The approximate lifespan of your drive can be calculated by dividing the TBW in GB by the approximate amount of data you plan to overwrite each day.
best ssd drive for pc
• This is the one that is perfect for the task at hand.
- To load operating systems, SATA 3 with a size of 120-240 GB is enough, provided, of course, that you have another disk allocated for the “file trash can”.
- For gaming, PCIe 3.0 is preferred, and if you're a happy PS5 owner, you should start building models based on PCIe 4.0.
- To store music and movies, SATA 3 of a large volume will be enough.
- If you have to deal with heavy programs at work, if you are an engineer or a designer, then speed is crucial. PCIe 3.0 or (better but more expensive) PCIe 4.0 will do. Here you can see with the naked eye the difference between 3.0 and 4.0.
• And the main rule is that all models must have a TBW resource of 200 or more. Please note that the larger the volume, the higher the durability of the disc, all other things being equal.
Top ssd manufacturers
• There are many strong players in the SSD market now:
- Adata – there are some very successful budget models
- Corsair – specialize in gaming SSDs
- Kingston – inexpensive but durable
- Samsung – excellent quality at a moderate and high price
- Seagate – there are both flagships and budget models, it is famous for its endurance
- Western Digital – various SSDs for every taste, good price / quality ratio
