SSDs became a mainstream necessity these days. It is hard to imagine a brand new PC without one of them inside. This is no longer a matter of preferences, but common sense. Hard drives have been a bottleneck of computers for a long time, but with the SSDs, especially NVMe ones, that problem has shifted to CPU’s, RAM, program code, etc.
When we talk about the best SSD for gaming, things are not that simple – other than the fact you definitely need one. Everything else is up to your budget, needs and personal preferences. Choices are usually not that easy and SSDs are no exception. There are 2,5” versions, M.2 ones, different capacities, sequential transfer speeds, NVMes and many other things that make this choice more complicated than it should be.
Best 2.5” SSDs
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Best M.2 SSDs
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2.5” vs. M.2
If you don’t want to fool around with cables, or have a laptop or a small form factor PC, with a motherboard that supports M.2, or want to enjoy the beauties of NVMe, M.2 SSD should be your logical choice. In other situations, especially if you are limited with slots on your older motherboard, 2,5” is the right choice for you.
Sequential Transfer Speeds (Read/write speeds)
Although sequential read/write speeds are not the best or only sign of fast performance, they do indicate what you should expect from your drive. 2,5” drives based on SATA interface have maximum values of around 560 MB/s, while NVMe ones can go above 3,500 MB/s
Write Cycles
SLC has an expected read/write lifecycle between 90,000 and 100,000 writes per cell, MLC ranges between 10,000 and 30,000 writes and TLC is between 3,000 to 5,000 writes. Unfortunately, due to cuts in cost (which, on the other hand, made SSDs much more affordable), SLC became limited only to servers and other enterprise users. MLC is still available, but only in rare models, while other SSDs use TLC, that is nowadays combined with SLC technology to increase transfer speeds, like in WD Blue 3D NAND for instance. If you can, choose MLC, but since it is usually too expensive, go for 3D NAND TLC.
Capacity
When we talk about the capacity of the drive, it is a known fact that no matter how large it is, it can always be larger. If your budget allows it, go for higher numbers, but have the performance vs. price ratio in your mind. Sometimes it is even better to choose a smaller, but better performance SSD for your OS and applications and regular a hard drive for storage, than going for bigger capacity SSD with lower performance, that won’t fully satisfy you.
The Best 2.5” SSDs
Samsung 860 PRO
A Great Performance SSD That Will Satisfy Any Gamer
Samsung 860 PRO is another great performance SSD from the Samsung’s “kitchen”. It’s a real successor to the 850 PRO, which made a real impact in SSD market. This SSD comes in various capacities from 256GB to 4TB, that will satisfy even the most demanding users.
Its performance is very smooth and tests have shown that it is better or close to the competition in most categories. Such good results are mostly achieved thanks to its new 64-layer V-NAND flash that showed to be less latent than the old 48-bit and 32-bit layer flash, thanks to its brand new MJX controller.
Samsung just continued where it left off with 850 PRO, upgraded the technology, improved the performance and created another high-performance SSD that will attract a lot of gamers and professionals. All in all, a fast SSD with a maximum sequential read/write speed of 560/530 MB/s and great endurance rating, that can surely compete for the place of the best SSD for gaming.
Pros:
- It uses MLC NAND
- There are versions from 256GB to 4TB
- Great SATA performance
- 5-year warranty
Cons:
- A bit pricey
WD Blue 3D NAND
An SSD Made for Great Budget Gaming
If you need a high-quality SSD that is affordable, good for gaming and doesn’t go that far from the best, WD Blue 3D NAND might be your best choice. Although this WD SSD uses the old Marvell 88SS1074 controller that was used in previous WD SSDs from 2016, thanks to its 3D NAND TLC flash, its performance is more than good – very close to MLC NAND drives. In some tests, it even outperforms Samsung 850 EVO, which is known as one of the fastest 3D NAND MLC SSDs.
Its maximum sequential read/write speeds go up to 560/530 MB/s and it comes in capacities from 250GB to 2TB. The 250GB version can be found for less than $100, which is more than compelling and can be called the best budget SSD for gaming. Design of the product, along with the package itself, is very modest, which can prove to be its downside, because it may not be that appealing to gamers who like to show off with their hardware.
The interesting fact about the WD Blue 3D NAND is that it is almost the same as the Sandisk’s Ultra 3D SSD. They have different branding and Ultra is known to be a bit more expensive, but it can be found for the same money if you are persistent. Besides that, there are no bigger differences. It’s good to know this before making the purchase.
Pros:
- Available both in M.2 and 2.5” version
- Good price per gigabyte ratio
- Speeds don’t decrease with the saturation of the cash, which is common for TLC flash
- 3-year warranty
Cons:
- Spartan package and cheap design
SanDisk Ultra 3D NAND SSD
A More Handsome Twin Brother of WD Blue 3D NAND
Most of the things said about the WD Blue 3D NAND also stand for SanDisk Ultra 3D NAND SSD. They both use the old Marvell 88SS1074 controller that works great with their 3D NAND TLC flash memory, which makes them very competitive even with the MLC NAND drives. Also, they do not suffer from speed decrease when their cash is oversaturated like the competition, and all that thanks to the technique of multi-tiered caching that manages TLC just like SLC and combine TLC.
Without any doubt, this is a good SSD, with a good value for money. It gives more than a decent performance in games. Also, under heavier workloads, it will outperform Crucial MX300, which is in the same class and its direct competitor, although better power efficiency and mobile use are in Crucial SSD’s hands.
Pros:
- Better performance than its non-3D NAND predecessor
Cons:
- Not impressive testing results
PNY CS900
An Entry Level SSD for Gaming
If you have an older PC or just want to get to know the whole SSD experience without investing too much money, PNY CS900 is made for you. This is not a top-shelf SSD and don’t expect miracles and performance of an 860 EVO, but if you are used to using gaming hard drives, this will surely drastically increase your system and game loading times, as well as performance.
This is a drive that offers durability and modest performance, with sequential read/write speed of 515/490MB/s and it comes in capacities from 120GB to 960GB – more than enough for most users. Its package contains an Acronis True Image HD 2017 data migration software that will help you transfer the data from the old HDD, therefore there is no reason to be scared of losing the important data.
All in all, PNY CS900 is not a masterpiece, but it does a good job. Thanks to its excellent balance of price and performance, this is more than a good choice for the best cheap SSD for gaming.
Pros:
- Affordable
Cons:
- Modest speed and overall performance
Silicon Power 256GB SSD 3D NAND A55
A Trustworthy SSD for Budget Users
Silicon Power A55 is one of the best cost-effective SSDs on the market right now. It doesn’t represent the top of the class, but for upgrades from hard drives or medium gaming this “little fellow” is a great choice.
A55 has a lot of aces up its sleeve: it integrates SLC and TLC flash blocks so that writing is first made to the SLC section, and after that, sequentially copied to TLC part, providing for a much better peak writing efficiency. Although this solution has its downside – the transfer rate significantly drops when there is a transfer of large files (that most today’s games are), it is still a great improvement over the regular TLC drives.
Also, A55 uses ECC technology and S.M.A.R.T. monitoring system in order to provide a safe data transmission, and it is one of the lightest and thinnest SSDs on the market right now – all welcome additions to an SSD that’s more than decent. Its sequential read/write speeds of 460/370MB/s are not even near the top, but its other features establish it as a reasonable solution for people who want a proper price vs performance ratio.
If you are wondering if this is the best cheap SSD for gaming, the answer is: maybe not the best, but surely among the top three.
Pros:
- Very thin and light
Cons:
- Sequential read/write speeds could be faster
The Best M.2 SSDs
Samsung 970 EVO Plus
Another Slick SSD from Samsung
Solid state drives have long been considered exotic due to their price point, but that’s changed in recent years. The Samsung 970 EVO Plus series is a fine example of that as it’s a dirt cheap SSD lineup with plenty of speed.
This drive is a big step up from the 970 EVO with write speeds over 50% faster at 3,500 MB/s read and 3,300 MB/s for write. Longevity is solid at around 600 terabytes written on the 1TB model, and we’re big fans of the clean black look as well. The EVO Plus is optimized to make the most of NVMe bandwidth and sports a space-saving design you’ll be thankful for.
There are no significant drawbacks with the Samsung EVO Plus as it’s capable and very affordable regardless of the size. This solid state drive is available in three capacities with 250GB, 500GB, and 1TB.
Pros:
- Black PCB
- Slick design
- Reliability
Cons:
- Speeds during longer writes
WD BLACK SN750
The Best SSD for the Money
Western Digital has always been a name you can trust when it comes to storage. We’ve been fans of their hard drives for decades, and the WD BLACK SN750 is one of the best SSDs for gaming – especially if you liked the previous generation.
The WD BLACK series is popular for a reason and one of the more highly rated SSD lineups around each year. There are four options available in the current generation ranging from 250GB to 2TB. The speeds on the lower end are 3,100 MB/s read, and 1,600 MB/s write while the 1TB model offers the best rates overall at 3,470 MB/s read and 3,000 MB/s write. Regardless of which one you choose, the WD BLACK SSD Dashboard utility is another perk which gives you a “gaming” mode along with other useful tools.
It’s hard to find fault with the WD BLACK SN750 series considering the style and price tag. They are a little cheaper than the blacked out EVO PRO’s, including models with matching heatsinks for a small additional cost.
Pros:
- Great price point
- 64-layer 3D NAND
- Dashboard utility
Cons:
- None
Kingston A2000 M.2 SSD
Perfect SSD for SFF PC Systems
A2000 from Kingston comes with either 250GB, 500GB or 1TB of storage space, so you will have a choice.
As for the slot itself, this SSD supports standard M.2 slot, which can be found in most motherboards nowadays. Also, because of NVME and PCIe performance, the cost of this SSD is not that much of an issue.
When it comes to the additional security support, A2000 fully supports the Security Suite package, which consists of TCG Opal, xts-AES 256-bit and EDrive.
This SSD is a perfect choice if you need a reliable and fast SSD for your Ultrabook or perhaps for an SFF PC, which stands for Small Form Factor PC.
Pros:
- Upgradable to larger storage space
- Reliable performance
- Full security support
- Pretty affordable
- Perfect for SFF PC
Cons:
- Could be a bit faster, read/write speed is 800 to 1000
SAMSUNG 980 PRO (Gen4)
Indispensable for the latest gaming experience
Incredible speed and stable performance throughout the entire time you use this powerful technology, Samsung has ensured that stability and raw power are all-time presents, even for the most demanding gamers and tech-savvy users.
Compared to the competition, this SSD excels in high-performance activities in all areas. Designed to be as efficient as possible, you are offered maximum energy-efficiency with the highest available capabilities, ensured by the M.2 2280.
What’s even more impressive is the level of thermal control that you get pre-installed in this unit, ensured by the nickel coating that allows you to use everything this SSD has to offer for hours on end without installing any additional equipment for cooling purposes.
You won’t have any trouble updating this device nor using its many features. You get tools that are intuitive and easy to comprehend. The ease of use nicely complements the 2x transfer rate of data of PCIe 3.0 while maintaining compatibility.
With this product, you receive speeds up to 6,900 MB/s¹ that expands the boundaries set by its predecessors, giving you a high-end SSD resistant to high temperatures while offering fantastic performance.
Pros:
- High speed
- High-quality Thermal Control
- Ease of use and installation
- Large data transfer
- A generational improvement over other SSD’s
Cons:
- This device skimped to 3-bit NAND from 2-bit, which might not suit everyone
- Lack of data encryption
- Somewhat more expensive than the competition
Crucial MX500 M.2 SSD
An SSD Made for Small Spaces
Don’t get confused, Crucial MX500 M.2 is basically the same SSD as the regular 2,5” MX500, with the difference that it uses M.2 slot instead of SATA slot. They both use SATA interface and not NVMe, which is the reason their sequential read/write speeds are limited to 560/510 MB/s. Basically, the M.2 version is made for small form factor PCs, where every inch is important, or for people who just want to get rid of cable problems.
MX500s performance can be compared to the best SSD SATA drives and represents a very good option for gaming. Against NVMe SSDs, MX500 losses significantly when large files are copied, but in other categories, it keeps up the pace. Compared to its 2,5” version, there is no bigger difference, except for the size and the fact that M.2 gets heated much faster, which might affect its performance, but only when it continuously writes large files. If this is a common scenario for you, 2,5” version is definitely a better choice.
It’s also important to know that its write speeds don’t deteriorate that quickly due to an SLC cache overflow. While its competition’s speeds fall to 200 MB/s, its speed stays at around 400 MB/s. Drops happen after 32GB of written data, which is more than a good result. This is not the best gaming SSD according to performance, but for gamers who have a limited budget and are looking for good value for their bucks, this is a very good solution until you get enough money to buy top of the class NVMe drives.
Pros:
- Very good price vs. GB ratio
- 5-year warranty
- Power-loss protection
- Compact form
Cons:
- It uses a SATA interface
- TLC instead of MLC
- It heats too much
MyDigitalSSD BPX Pro
A Reliable and Affordable Solid-State Drive/h4>
Stability is critical when dealing with any type of hard drive especially solid-state drives. MyDigitalSSD may not have the brand name recognition of Western Digital or SanDisk, but their GPX Pro lineup sport some of the top SSD’s around.
This solid-state drive isn’t fancy from a design standpoint but will provide you with excellent speeds across the board. The Phison E12 controller plays a part in that along with Toshiba’s 3D NAND flash. The drive has a max read speed of 3.4 GB/s and can write at 3.1 GB/s, so it’s on part with our top models in that regard. Other features to note include bad block management, end-to-end data path protection, and power saving mode support.
Whether you dabble in 4K or simply need a speedy SSD for gaming, MyDigitalSSD has you covered with their BXP Pro line. Their drives are an ideal way to increase the capacity in your rig for cheap, and you certainly won’t be disappointed by their performance. You can pick up this drive in four flavors with 256GB, 512GB, 1TB or 2TB.
Pros:
- The price tag
- Efficient M.2 drive
- 5-year warranty
Cons:
- Nothing significant
Crucial P2 M.2 SSD
Affordability, Reliability, and Power in One Package
When it comes to SSD cards, speed and capacity are everything, and that is what you get with this premium-quality product! With a long tradition of consistently providing the best products on the market, Crucial gives us a real bargain that is hard to pass on.
Behind this fantastic SSD are thousands of hours of validation that have continued the long line of tried and tested cards that go far beyond the consumer base’s expectations. This card offers customizable specifications, ranging from 250GB-2TB capacity with a read speed up to 2400MB/s!
Enjoy the unique NVMe experience as you feel the change in your computer’s performance with the Crucial P2. Aside from the tremendous power you get, you have complete control over every feature and activity of your SSD, thanks to the easy-to-use management software that handles all the optimization and security features.
A genuinely fantastic card with high read speed and capacity makes hardcore gaming and high-performance demanding activities a breeze.
Pros:
- Excellently optimized specs
- Expands on the power of your computer
- NVMe technology
- Easy to install and use
- 5-year warranty
Cons:
- While potent, this is a budget SSD card, so keep its limits in mind
Conclusion
We all know that technology is ever-advancing and that things are only getting faster, stronger and better with time. Yesterday – we were all about hard drives. Today is the time of SSD. Only time will show what the next technology we’ll all want and need, will be. Until then, enjoy all the pleasures of the fast SSDs and use our guide to find the best one for your gaming needs. Happy hunting!
2 Replies to “Best SSDs for Gaming in 2023”
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