An SSD will revive and old PC or laptop and maybe make a newer one even faster. Here we review and rank the top SATA and NVMe M2 drives to buy
What's The Best SSD You Can Buy?
Solid-state drives (SSD) are like hard drives, but as the name suggests they have no moving parts. So not only are they more rugged than hard drives, they're much, much faster.
This isn't about go-faster bragging rights though. Yes, you can copy enormous files to an SSD in record time, but it's the massive boost that the drive will give you your computer's responsiveness that will shock you most: applications launch almost instantly, web pages load faster, and Windows simply feels a lot faster.
SSDs come in different sizes and shapes so we've tested a combination of more traditional SATA as well as modern M.2 NVMe (PCIe) drives.
1. Corsair Force Series MP510
- From $69.99 | Model reviewed $239.99
We're blown away by the MP510 which is a drive that offers everything you could want.
It combines performance, endurance, capacity and price. PCI bus connected NVMe cards used to be expensive and lower capacity.
Not any more, so what's not to like?
2. Kingston KC2500
- From $73.99
Given how little the hardware has changed, Kingston has pulled something of a miracle with how the KC2500 performs.
Despite the same specs on paper compared to its predecessor, the KC2500 improves on read and write speeds purely from hardware and software engineering. You also get a long five-year warranty.
If you're in the market for an NVMe to upgrade or build a machine, then this drive really is one of the best ways to get top-tier performance at an affordable price. Just check whether its main rival, the Corsair Force Series MP510, can be found any cheaper at the capacity you want.
3. WD Blue SN550
- From $46.99
WD has done a great job of designing an SSD that strips functionality back to the bare minimum to make it cheap enough for most PC owners to consider as an affordable upgrade.
This doesn't provide ultimate speed or hardware encryption then but it's still substantially quicker than any SATA drive. We'd like a 2TB model and you're better off getting the larger capacities but the Blue SN550 comes highly recommended from us.
It's the fuss free way to upgrade to NVMe if you're on a budget.
4. Crucial MX500
- From $49.95 | Model reviewed $69.95
Unless you’re going to be using this drive for editing 4K video every day or need a 4TB device, the MX500 provides an almost perfect combination of performance and price.
If you can afford the bigger capacities, you get a bonus not only in cost-per-GB, but they also have a much longer lifespan.
5. Samsung 970 Evo Plus
- From $89.99
The 970 Evo Plus is an unusual addition to Samsung's SSD range, but a welcome one.
It's an even better version of the 970 Evo at around the same price so it's really a no-brainer on that front. If it's NVMe performance you want this Plus model is astounding.
However, the Corsair MP510 and Kingston KC2500 are cheaper making them better value if you don't need the fastest performance.
6. WD Black SN750
- From $79.99 | Model reviewed $249.99
It can't quite compete with the Corsair MP510 on value, but this is a top-performing M.2 SSD.
If you're looking for the fastest speeds then the SN750 is worth shortlisting against the Samsung 970 Evo Plus. It also comes in capacities up to 2TB if you want a lot of capacity.
The heatsink-equipped version costs a fair bit more, but could be worth it if you value aesthetics and better cooling.
7. WD Blue 3D NAND
- From $49.95 | Model reviewed $64.95
The WD Blue 3D NAND might best represent the last hoorah of the SATA SSD before NVMe
technology kicks that interface into the long grass. It’s a big improvement over its predecessor and gives Corsair and Samsung’s mid-range products a run for their money.
Excellent overall performance coupled with competitive pricing makes for a winning combination, or it does for that still want, or need SATA.
8. Kingston KC600
- From $45.35
A SATA SSD is never goint to beat an NVMe option but if you're limited to the form factor for whatever reason the the Kingston KC600 makes for a great choice.
It's comparable to the excellent Samsung 860 EVO but is available at a lower price and is just as fast. Kingston also provides one of the best upgrade kits we've seen if you need it.
9. Crucial P2
- From $49.99
The Crucial P2 might not be the fastest SSD around but it's an improvement on its predecessor at least.
But this isn't really about hitting the best benchmark figures. What it does is offer a very affordable way of upgrading to an NVMe drive - or to build a new system.
That is if you're ok with up to (currently) 500GB and things like no encryption, but that should be fine for the target market here. Get yourself better than SATA performance at a bargain price.
10. Kingston UV500
- $95
It might not be the fastest or cheapest drive around but the UV500 will be a solid enough choice for anyone looking for a SSD to last a long time. It's also got good hardware encryption.
There's a range of capacities and form factors on offer so the drive will make for a trusty workhorse.
What To Look For In An SSD
For those seeking the very best performance, there's still a case for finding the fastest rather than just choosing the cheapest SSD.
This is where you have a choice. There are two different types of SSDs: SATA and PCIe.
SATA is the type you’re probably most familiar with as it has been around for years and is used in PCs and laptops for hard drives and DVD drives. Most SATA SSDs are 2.5in wide as they’re designed to fit in laptops. But they’re also compatible with all recent PCs.
For laptop users specifically, you'll want to also know the exact height of the SSD to ensure it will fit: some are 9.5mm thick rather than 7mm.
The other type is a PCIe SSD. It gets confusing because there are other acronyms and terminology too: NVMe and M.2. Put simply, PCIe (PCI Express) supersedes SATA because it is a much faster interface.
Most commonly you'll see PCIe drives referred to as NVMe. This stands for Non-Volative Memory Express) but what's most important to note is the form factor - the size of the drive - because that's which determines if the thing will actually fit in your PC or laptop.
This is where M.2 comes in. It’s a relatively new type of slot you’ll find on recent motherboards and in some laptops. Most M.2 SSDs are the 2280 type, which simply means 22mm wide and 80mm long. You can check your motherboard manual or contact your laptop manufacturer to find out if such a drive will be compatible.
Note: Just because an SSD has an M.2 interface does not mean it is an NVMe drive. You can buy SATA SSDs with M.2 connectors which will still be limited to SATA speeds, so watch out for this when buying. As we said, it can get a bit confusing.
If your PC's motherboard doesn't have an M.2 slot, don't worry. you can buy a PCIe adapter card for around £15/$15. Some M.2 SSDs are sold with the adapter, such as Kingston's KC1000.
Aren't SSDs Really Expensive?
It's taken years, but we are now at the stage where an SSD is a truly affordable component for everyone. And if your budget will stretch to only £50, you can still get Crucial's MX500 (reviewed below) is under £50 from Amazon. In the US, a 500GB WD Blue 3D Nand costs $64 which is a great deal.
Sure, you get much more storage if you buy a traditional hard drive for the same money, but if you have a PC you can always install Windows and your most-used programs on an SSD and keep your music, video and photo libraries on a huge hard disk where performance isn’t as important.
How Much Space Do I Need?
Of course, the 250GB size of SSD (although you can find smaller) is going to be the cheapest and therefore the most tempting.
However, there's nothing worse than getting a notification of your drive being full, resulting in lots of admin to sort out what to keep, delete or move.
So carefully consider what you're going to need the drive for. If it's just for the operating system and a few applications then 250GB will be fine - especially if you're going to have another drive for storing files.
However, if this is going to be the only drive in your machine and you're going to be storing lots of applications, files and games then you'll need to go for more. 1TB will obviously cost more but will be necessary.
Performance
Getting back to performance, this has effectively plateaued among SATA SSDs. It's not that flash memory has reached its limit, it's that they're hitting the limit of what the SATA interface is capable of.
The fastest SATA SSDs can read at around 550MB/s, but the fastest PCIe NVMe drives can read at over 3000MB/s.
What About MLC, TLC And SLC?
There are various memory technologies used on SSDs, from multi-level cell (MLC), to the cheaper triple-level cell flash (TLC) architectures. You might even come across the rare and most expensive single-level cell (SLC) drive. The differences between the cell technologies boil down to the amount of bits (data) that a single cell (within the SSD) can handle.
TLC handles three, MLC two, and SLC one. The greater the number of bits per cell, the increased likelihood of failure, inconsistencies and - most importantly - performance. However, as this is a general sweeping statement, manufacturers have found ways around the limitations of SSD technology.
When buying an SSD, look out for long warranties and high write limits (expressed as a TBW value) if you prize data integrity, although with the help of proper backup routines, data loss isn’t really an issue today.
0 comments:
Post a Comment