If your computer is starting to feel a little sluggish, or you're tired of waiting for games and apps to load, you can upgrade to one of the best SSD options that could be a game-changer. Solid-state drives (SSDs) are much faster than traditional hard drives, helping your system boot in seconds, load large files immediately and make daily tasks feel more picky. Whether you're upgrading your laptop, building a gaming PC, or just wanting extra storage for your work or creative projects, the right SSD can seriously improve performance.
However, there are a lot of specifications to consider – PCIE Gen 4, Gen 5, SATA, NVME – which is easy to get lost in jargon. That's where we came in! We have provided you with 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 using unused features.
Best SSDs of 2025
How do we test SSD
I have tested or personally used the daily SSD suggested on this list. From our top picks, I bought four with my own money after doing about a dozen hours of research. Additionally, Engadget senior journalist Jeff Dunn also tested some of our suggestions, including the important X9 Pro listed above.
What to look for in PC SSD
The most affordable way to add fast storage space to your computer is to use a 2.5-inch SATA drive. If you don't want to worry about compatibility, this is also one of the easiest, as nearly all computers made over the past two decades will include motherboards with serial ATA connections. So if you want to extend the lifespan of an older PC build, the best SATA SSD is a great choice. Installation is also very simple. Once you have the internal SSD secured in the driver cage, all you need to do is connect it to the motherboard and power supply.
One disadvantage of SATA drivers is that they are slower than their high-performance NVME counterparts in terms of responsiveness, and SATA III limits data transfer to 600MB/s. However, even the slowest SSD will be much faster than the best mechanical drives. The 1TB SATA SSDs cost around $100 and they are a good bulk storage option.
If your PC is updated, there is a good chance that the space that contains one or more M.2 SSDs. The form factor represents your ticket to the fastest SSD on the market, but the tricky part is navigating all the different standards and specifications involved.
The M.2 drive can have a SATA or PCIE connection. SSDs with the latter are called nonvolatile memory or NVME drives and are much faster than their SATA counterparts, with the Gen3 model up to 3,000mb/s. These drives rely on NVME NAND technology for outstanding performance and durability. You can get twice as much performance with a Gen4 SSD, but you need a standard motherboard and processor that supports it.
If you are running an AMD system, it means at least a Ryzen 3000 or 5000 CPU and X570 or B550 motherboard. Meanwhile, with Intel, you will need at least the 11th or 12th generation processor and the Z490, Z590, or Z690 motherboard. Remember that GEN4 SSDs are also usually costing more than their GEN3 counterparts.
More expensive is the latest Gen5 model, which has a sequential read speed of up to 16,000mb/s. However, even if your computer supports standards, it is best to buy a more affordable GEN4 or GEN3 drive. Currently, few games and apps can take advantage of GEN3 NVME speeds, not to mention Gen4 and Gen5 speeds. More importantly, the Gen5 NVME drive can get hot, which can cause performance and lifespan issues. Now, your money is best used for other components, such as upgrading the GPU.
As for why you would buy an M.2 SATA drive on a similarly prescribed 2.5-inch drive, it comes down to being easy to install. You add the M.2 storage space to your computer by installing the SSD directly to the motherboard. This may sound daunting, but in practice, the process involves a screw that you first remove to connect the drive to your computer and then retest to hold the SSD in place. As an additional bonus, no wires are involved, making cable management easier.
Note that you can install the SATA M.2 SSD into an M.2 slot with PCIE connection, but you cannot insert the NVME M.2 SSD into an M.2 slot with SATA connection. Unless you want to continue using an older M.2 drive, there is little reason to take advantage of the feature. Speaking of backward compatibility, you can also use a gen4 drive to connect via PCIE 3, but you won't get any speed benefits of faster NVME.
The last thing to consider is that M.2 drives have different physical sizes. From shortest to longest, the common choices are 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280 and 22110 (the first two numbers represent the width of the width, while the latter represents the length.) In most cases, you don't have to worry about this, as 2280 is the default value for many motherboards and manufacturers. Thanks to multiple deadlocks, some boards can accommodate NVME SSDs in multiple sizes. That is, before purchasing a drive, check the documentation of your computer to make sure you pick up a compatible size.
If you are buying a replacement SSD for a steam deck or steam deck, things will be less complicated. For Valve's handheld, you'll need a 2230 size NVME. Simple. If you don't want to open the steam deck, you can also expand its storage space by installing a microSD card. Engadget has a guide specifically for SD card storage, so check out that guide for additional purchase suggestions.
I mentioned this earlier, but the best buying advice I can offer is not to get too stuck on the bleeding edge of storage technology. The sequential read speed of the manufacturer list you see on the drive is less than you think about the difference between theoretical and realistic performance benchmarks.
If your budget forces you to choose between a 1TB GEN3 NVME and a 512GB GEN4 model, choose a higher capacity. From a practical point of view, the worst thing you can do is to buy an SSD that is too small. The drive can slow down significantly when it approaches capacity, and you may end up buying a product with higher storage capacity later.
What to look for in portable and USB flash drives
Portable SSDs are a little different from their internal siblings. Reading speed is important, but they are almost secondary to how external drives connect to your PC. Without a USB 3.2 Gen 2 x 2 connection, you won't get the most out of your model. This is a quality feature even in newer PCs. Therefore, most people are better off buying a portable drive with a USB 3.2 Gen 2 or Thunderbolt connection. The former provides a maximum transfer speed of 10Gbps. The best external hard drives also allow you to transfer data from your Windows PC to your Mac or other device (if compatible). If you plan to use a portable drive on multiple devices, make sure to consider this beforehand.
Also, if you are planning to drive while traveling and commuting, it is worth buying a model with IP certified water and dustproof. Some companies like Samsung offer a rugged version of the most popular drives with durable endurance. For extra peace of mind, 256-bit AES hardware encryption will help prevent someone from accessing your data if you lose or place an external SSD.
Some of the same features help with the thumb drive. Our favorite budget external SSD model's pick has USB 3.0 connectivity and some form of hardware encryption.
Comments about console storage
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If PC gaming isn't your business, and you have an Xbox Series X|S or PS5, it's much easier to get your fancy new console with the fastest memory than to do the same storage space on your PC. With X Series or Series S, your choices are limited to Seagate and Western Digital’s choices. The former offers 512GB, 1TB and 2TB models, with the most affordable price of less than $90. Western Digital's expansion cards are cheap, and cost $80 for the 512GB model. The good news is that these two options are often sold. The best option is to set up alerts for the desired model by using a price tracker like CamelCamelCamel.
With Sony's PlayStation 5, there is a slight involvement in upgrading the console's internal storage space. PS5 does not use proprietary solutions, but uses NVME storage. Thankfully, there aren't many potential configurations you'll find on your PC. Engadget keeps a comprehensive guide to the best SSDs for the PS5; in short, the best option is a large capacity GEN4 drive with a built-in radiator. Check out this guide for a complete list of gaming SSD suggestions, but for quick use, consider the COSAIR MP600 Pro LPX suggested above. It meets all memory specifications of Sony's latest console and you won't have any clearing issues with HeatSink. Corsair is available in 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB and 8TB versions of drive versions. The 1TB version is expected to cost about $110, while the 2TB price is about $200.
For those still playing on previous generation consoles, you can get slightly faster game loading times from the PlayStation 4 by swapping the included hard drive for a 2.5-inch SSD, but it may not be worth it at this point, and you'd better save money for a new console.
SSD FAQ
What size SSD is the best?
There isn't a single size fits all the rules for SSDs, but if you want to upgrade your PC or console storage, or want to add an external drive in your toolbox, we usually recommend getting at least 1TB of SSD. For most people who need extra storage space for photos, documents, and programs, a 1TB drive will be enough. If you are a hardcore gamer, you might want to invest in more storage considering that many of today’s compelling titles can take up a lot of space.
Is a 256GB SSD better than a 1TB hard drive?
The short answer is that it depends on the drive you need. Generally, SSDs are faster and more efficient than HDDs, but HDDs are usually cheaper. We recommend SSD springs in most use cases today – upgrade your PC, save important photos and documents, store games for a long time, and more. However, if you focus on getting the most extra space (and sticking to the budget), HDD may be a good choice for you.
Does a larger SSD mean faster?
Getting a larger SSD doesn't always translate into faster drives overall. Larger SSDs will provide higher storage capacity, which means more space to store digital files and programs. To understand the speed of an SSD, you need to view its read speed: The read speed measures how quickly a drive can access information, while the write speed measures how quickly a drive can save information. Most SSDs list their approximate read/write speed in the specifications, so be sure to check these numbers before purchasing.
This article originally appeared on Engadget
