The best NVMe SSD can help you get incredible speeds and plenty of storage.
That's because NVMe SSDs are known as some of the fastest around, oftentimes doubling as some of the best SSDs for gaming as a result. They have high speeds and fairly large capacities, and they're durable as well. It's good news all around if you're looking for more storage or you're into building PCs.
We've made a list of the best NVMe SSDs around so that you can get the most out of your setup without having to worry about finding an SSD yourself. Factors like their speed, performance, price, and user review all come into the equation, ensuring only the top solid-state drives around make the cut. Let's begin...
Best NVMe SSDs
- Samsung 990 Pro - a well-rounded option for most people
- Crucial T700 - a high-end SSD
- WD_BLACK SN850X - best pick for gamers
- SK Hynix Platinum P41 - top midrange choice
- Western Digital Blue SN570 - best budget option
1. Samsung 990 Pro
Best NVMe SSD overall
Speeds: Up to 7,450 MB/s
Figuring out the best NVMe SSD is actually harder than it seems. While we could just go for the one with the best stats, it's important to consider the price as well. A good balance of price and power is important, and that's what the Samsung 990 Pro offers.
The Samsung 990 Pro comes in at under $200 in most places you look, which isn't cheap, but it's also not bank-breakingly expensive either, especially considering its impressive performance specs.
With a 2TB capacity and speeds of up to 7,450 MB/s, you're going to have enough storage and speed here for nearly any task you could ask of your PC. Samsung has also managed to optimize the power usage of the device too, which sort of saves you money in the long run from a power usage point of view.
Additionally, you get built-in thermal control, some impressive software and customization options thanks to Samsung Magician, and a two-month membership of Adobe Creative Cloud Photography plan. That may not be a deal maker, but it's certainly a nice bonus to what is already a great SSD.
Reasons to buy:
- Not bank-breakingly expensive
- Boasts high speeds and a huge capacity
Read More: Best SSD deals
2. Crucial T700
Best premium NVMe SSD
Speeds: Up to 12,400 MB/s
If you're someone who wants the best of the best no matter the cost, then good news, because that's exactly what the Crucial T700 offers as long as you can afford the price.
Sitting closer to $500 rather than 100, you'd expect to get a lot of power and reliability in this NVMe SSD. That expectation is justified and you thankfully won't be disappointed. After all, it has absurd speeds of up to 12,400 MB/s, making it the fastest option on this list by a substantial amount.
This one even comes with a heatsink built-in, which is one less thing to worry about when you're squeezing out as much power and performance as you can in a PC rig, especially for gaming.
In fact, even if you're not someone who cares about gaming, you'll be able to enjoy the speeds when you're watching TV shows or films, editing basically anything, and practically whatever else you can aim for on a PC - if you want the best, then this is it.
Reasons to buy:
- One of the fastest SSDs you can buy
- Has heatsink to keep those internal components cool
Read More: Best external hard drives
3. WD_BLACK SN850X
Best gaming NVMe SSD
Speeds: Up to 7,300 MB/s
This powerful WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD is an incredible upgrade to most gaming setups. And, while many options are locked to just PC gaming, this bad boy works wonders with the PlayStation 5 as well, making it a great pick regardless of your platform.
It's easy to install no matter what device you end up going with, and it boasts an impressive 2TB of storage, with speeds of up to 7,300 MB/s as well. This means you can download a ton of AAA titles if you desire, and load them up blisteringly quickly.
The model we've linked to also includes a heatsink, which makes the deal that much sweeter as you won't have to worry about it adding to the thermal load of your PC or PS5. In turn, this can improve the longevity of whatever platform you play on, ensuring it remains up to whatever tasks you throw at it for years to come.
Reasons to buy:
- Works with the PS5, making it great for gaming
- Enough storage to download plenty of AAA titles
Read More: Best cheap external multiple hard drive enclosures
4. SK Hynix Platinum P41
Best midrange NVMe SSD
Speeds: Up to 7,000 MB/s
If you're looking for a cheaper NVMe SSD, but still have a relatively modest budget to spend, then the SK Hynix Platinum P41 is an excellent choice to consider for quite a few reasons.
For starters, the 1TB option is under $100 in most places you look, which is a good price for a PC upgrade, and a small price to pay for so much storage. Of course, the size of an SSD is far from the most important aspect, but it's definitely a good start.
When it comes to speed, it can reach up to 7,000 MB/s, which is likely going to be more than enough for your needs, even if you're a gamer who's looking for those super-fast load times.
It has good power efficiency as well, and it comes with a five-year warranty - certainly a nice thing to have in your back pocket when you're buying PC components.
Reasons to buy:
- Not too expensive, but not the cheapest option either
- It's very quick for the price
Read More: Best hard drives for PlayStation
5. Western Digital Blue SN570
Best budget NVMe SSD
Speeds: Up to 3,300 MB/s
The Western Digital Blue SN570 might not have the same speeds as the others on this list, but it's also a fraction of the price. The smallest model has a storage of 250 GB with speeds of up to 3,300 MB/s. That's not so bad considering the price tag.
Okay, it's not going to be ideal for gamers or the most demanding work, but it is more than enough for most people who just want a bit more oomph in their home PC.
Also, and we can't stress this enough, the price of this thing is kind of absurd, at under $25 for the 250 GB option in most cases, making it cheaper than most takeaway orders we all make on the regular.
We like the shade of blue too, which really isn't relevant to the performance, but isn't a bad thing either. Plus, if you want to, you can always opt for the SN580 for faster speeds, and choose a larger model if you need the storage. This version though is our ultimate budget pick without question.
Reasons to buy:
- It's incredibly cheap, although there are options that boast more storage if you need
- Fairly quick for the price
Read More: Best CPU deals
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
If you've got questions, then good news, because we've got answers.
What is an NVMe SSD?
An NVMe SSD is a solid-state drive (SSD) that uses NVMe as its protocol for its data transfer. Basically, the NVMe part is how it does what it does, and the SSD part is what it is.
The advantages of NVMe are that it allows for reduced system load in general, which means they can be faster without causing your PC more stress. That's incredibly handy to have, especially if you're a gamer putting their PC under quite a lot of stress already.
What's the difference between an NVMe and a SATA SSD?
It's a little reductive, but the short answer is that SATA SSDs are slower. That's because the way that NVMe transfers data is simply faster and more efficient.
You can grab a SATA SSD for cheaper a lot of the time, but if you want speed over storage, then you should go for an NVMe option.
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!