26 Best SSDs

Crucial T500 1TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 SSD from the major electronics manufacturer, Crucial. The interface is compatible with PCIe 4.0x4.

The average sequential read speed was recorded at 7082.80MB/s, and the average sequential write speed was 6681.21MB/s. Among the products verified this time, it is one of the very fastest, about twice as fast as the PCIe 3.0 products. The average random read speed was recorded at 849.05MB/s, and the average random write speed was 557.73MB/s. The random access speed is not much different from others, but it can be said to be sufficiently within the acceptable range. 

The processing speed of various apps measured in PCMark10 is amongst the highest in the products we tested this time, which is more than three times the score of the product with the lowest score. It could be called a fast SSD. The maximum temperature during operation is 127.4℉. It comes with a large heat sink, and it is attractive that it can properly dissipate heat despite its high processing performance. It performs better than average in every aspect and can be said to be a product that is easy to use for anyone.

Western Digital, a major manufacturer specializing in storage products, offers the "WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD". This is a product of WD_Black, which is considered a brand for gamers within the company, and the interface supports PCIe 4.0×4.

The average sequential read value was recorded as 6942.14MB/s, and the average sequential write value was 6385.60MB/s. Although not top class among the products we tested this time, these are fairly high numbers. The average random read value was 1182.19MB/s and the average random write value was recorded as 949.03MB/s. Sequential access was higher than average, but random access was quite excellent, ranking as top class among the products we tested this time.

The processing speed of various applications measured by PCMark10 is sufficiently high and can be considered top-notch. It scores more than twice as high as the lowest-performing product we've reviewed this time. The maximum operating temperature is 129.2℉. Thanks to the large heatsink, the temperature rise is suppressed, and the attractive feature is that it can be maintained at a relatively low temperature considering its performance. With fast random access speed and the ability to maintain a low temperature, it's a product we recommend for gamers.

The 'MP600 PRO 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen. 4 x4 SSD' from Corsair, which primarily deals with gaming devices. The interface supports PCIe 4.0x4.

The average value of the sequential read is 7033.78MB/s, and the average value of the sequential write is 6072.34MB/s. Among the products tested this time, it's quite fast. The average value of the random read is 1151.28MB/s, and the average value of the random write is 868.88MB/s. Particularly, the random access is extremely excellent, and it can be said that it's a product with outstanding data transfer speed. The processing speeds of various applications measured in PCMark10 were slightly above average, but not at the top class. The maximum temperature during operation was 129.2℉. Thanks to the large heat sink, the temperature increase was well controlled.
The maximum internal temperature is measured during PCMark10 score measurement. However, considering the high benchmark scores of sequential and random access, the PCMark10 score was close to the average. Therefore, there is a possibility that light thermal throttling is initiated at an early stage during long-term operation, thus reducing the risk of malfunction.

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.