13 Best 2.5-Inch SSDs [Tested and Reviewed]

Our pick for the best 2.5-inch SSD overall is the Samsung 870 EVO SATA III SSD 1TB 2.5 Internal Solid State Drive. It’s peppy and capable of reading and writing data at great speeds – all without running too hot.

This SSD advertises sequential read speeds of up to 560MB/s and 530MB/s for sequential writes. In our tests, it hit 559.96MB/s and 525.64MB/s, respectively. Meanwhile, the average speed for random reads was 387.47MB/s and 333.99MB/s for random writes. These rate at or near the top in either category.

However, it really shines when it comes to everyday computing. Using the PCMark10 to benchmark performance, the Samsung 870 blew the rest of the competition away and was three times faster than the slowest SSD in our tests. The maximum operating temperature was 98.6℉. which is the average of all the drives we tested.

Price-wise, this SSD falls somewhere in the middle but it’s more affordable than the Samsung 870 QVO further down this list. We’d recommend stretching your budget a bit further if possible if you want a reliable drive that’ll be able to handle just about anything you throw at it.

The Lexar NS100 1TB 2.5” SATA III Internal SSD may not be as fast as the Samsung 870 EVO above, but it still showcases a well-balanced performance.

It clocked an average sequential read speed of 560.88MB/s, and an average sequential write speed of 512.21MB/s. Meanwhile, the average random read and write speeds were 394.76MB/s and 335.07MB/s, respectively – both of which are slightly higher than the Samsung 870 EVO’s random read/write speeds. Its processing speeds are in the top-tier, and a maximum operating temperature of 95°F is one of the lowest we recorded in our tests.

You’ll pay a little more for this 2.5-inch SSD than others on our list, but it’s still on the more affordable side. This all-rounder should satisfy anyone who needs a drive that’ll be able to keep up with their workloads or games.

The Crucial MX500 1TB 3D NAND SATA 2.5 Inch Internal SSD has some of the fastest random read and write speeds we recorded in our tests. The average random read was 395.81MB/s, while the average random write speed was 335.79MB/s. Paired with sequential read and write speeds of 561.05MB/s and 511.98MB/s, respectively, this is another well-balanced SSD. 

The processing speed of various apps measured by PCMark10 was slightly above average. The highest operating temperature we recorded was 96.8℉, indicating a low risk of disk failure due to overheating.

The Patriot P210 1TB Internal SSD - SATA 3 2.5" Solid State Drive has an average sequential read speed of 562.07MB/s and an average sequential write speed of 517.43MB/s. This is well beyond what Patriot claims (520MB/s and 430MB/s, respectively).

Its average random read and write speeds are among the lowest in our tests, but they’re still quite satisfactory at 357.72MB/s (read) and 272.09MB/s (write). On the flip side, processing speeds significantly outpaced most of its competitors. A maximum operating temperature of 98.6℉ (the average among the drives we ranked) indicates a low risk of heat-related drive failure.

The FanXiang S102 Pro 1TB 2.5" SSD Internal Hard Drive SATA III 6Gb/s has excellent sequential and random read speeds (561.41MB/s and 386.66MB/s). However, its average write speeds fall below average at 515.82MB/s (sequential) and 285.66MB/s (random). Despite that imbalance, it still performs well when it comes to everyday computing tasks, although it runs slightly warmer than most of the SSDs we tested (109.4℉).

The Samsung 870 QVO SATA III SSD 1TB 2.5" Internal Solid State Drive recorded above average read, write, and performance speeds in our tests. Although it doesn’t outpace the Samsung 870 EVO that sits at the top of our list, we think it’s an otherwise balanced drive that can withstand daily computing tasks. However, it’s the most expensive SSD on our list and tends to run warmer than its competitors with a max recorded temperature of 105.8℉.

The Western Digital 1TB WD Blue SA510 SATA Internal Solid State Drive SSD is an excellent choice if you prioritize random access read and write speeds, which we recorded at 354.68MB/s and 326.16MB/s on average, respectively. It also has the among the lowest operating temperatures we measured (89.6℉). Other than that, the sequential read/write speeds and processing speeds are just okay.

The Fanxiang S101 1TB SSD 2.5 inches SATA III 6Gb/s Internal Solid State Hard Drive boasts very good sequential read and write speeds (558.11MB/s and 503.11MB/s on average, respectively) but its random access speeds are comparatively paltry at 285.47MB/s (read speed) and 299.69MB/s (write speed). Otherwise, it’s capable of handling everyday computing tasks at above-average speeds, although a 111.2℉ max operating temperature is among the highest in our tests.

The PNY CS900 1TB 3D NAND 2.5" SATA III Internal Solid State Drive is quite average, but its recorded random read speed (254.53MB/s) is an obvious blind spot. On the other hand, processing speeds are above average on the PCMark 10 scale. A max internal temperature of 98.6°F will ensure a virtually non-existent risk of drive failure due to overheating.

The Team Group CX2 2.5" 1TB SATA III 3D NAND Internal Solid State Drive is one of the cheapest drives on our list. However, it suffers from slow sequential access speeds on average (541.98MB/s read speed and 514.65MB/s write speed) as well as subpar processing speeds. On the flip side, a max temperature of 91.4℉ is among the lowest we measured, so you won’t have to worry about overheating at all.

The Team Group QX 2.5" 1TB SATA III 3D NAND Internal Solid State Drive is the least expensive of the SSDs we tested. It also boasts the lowest temperature we recorded (82.4°F), so overheating won’t be a worry here. While its performance is decent for the price, its overall speeds lag behind its pricier and more sophisticated rivals.

The SanDisk SSD PLUS 2.5" 1TB SATA III TLC Internal Solid State Drive is a mid-priced SSD hobbled by slow speeds, especially when it comes to random access (126.83MB/s read speed and 105.85MB/s write speed), which we believe is the reason behind its overall lackluster performance. On the plus side, it shouldn’t overheat.

The Western Digital 1TB WD Green SATA SSD recorded average random read speeds of 126.71MB/s and average random write speeds of 107.27MB/s, which are both well below the baseline of the drives we tested. Processing speeds for various applications measured by PCMark10 were also significantly below average. A max operating temperature of 118.4℉ is the highest we recorded – although we should note that the risk of this drive overheating is still rather low.

 
Meanwhile, we recorded an average sequential read speed of 554.11MB/s, and an average sequential write speed of 463.53MB/s. Those aren’t terrible, but this SSD will struggle with common tasks that call upon random access, like saving photos.