Best SSDs 2024

The best SSD will make sure you're never found wanting more when it comes to storage or speed.

If what you're after is one of the best NVMe SSDs, which makes sense as the best SSDs often fall into that category, then you'll know all about the extra speed and sturdiness these devices offer. As a result, NVMe SSDs are our primary focus for this list as they just are a little superior.

They're not our only focus though, as we've picked out five superb Solid State Drives across several different categories to give your PC the upgrade it deserves. We've considered price, storage, and reviews in this, resulting in only the best SSDs around making the cut. With that in mind, let's dive into our top picks...

Best SSDs

1. Samsung 990 Pro - a well-rounded option for most PCs
2. Kingston KC3000 - top pick if you're all about speed
3. WD Black SN850 - best choice for gaming
4. Corsair Force Series MP510 - a great budget option to consider
5. WD Black AN1500 - best PCle SSD around

Credit: Samsung

1. Samsung 990 Pro

Best SSD overall

Updating the 980 Pro, Samsung's impressive 990 Pro SSD drive offers a performance improvement of up to 65%, enabling faster loading speeds for games on both PS5 and PC.

That's a great introduction to what is an excellent SSD overall. It boasts Gen 4.0 PCle performance, for example, which means it's the fastest type of drive you can get your hands on, with sequential read/write speeds of up to 7,450 MB/s. That's very close to the maximum performance capabilities that a Gen 4.0 drive can offer you.

It's also worth noting that this Samsung SSD uses significantly less power than the previous generation, with a 50% improved performance per watt. Moreover, with Samsung Magician Software, you get access to advanced optimization tools for your drive, so you can monitor its health, protect your valuable data, and receive important updates if there's anything wrong with it.

As with most SSDs, it doesn't get as hot as an HDD and comes with a smart thermal management system so it doesn't overheat and maintains consistent performance whenever it's in use.

All in all, this is a brilliant choice and is one of the best SSDs you can get your hands on given its Gen 4.0 performance capabilities.

Read More: Best SSD deals

Credit: Kingston

2. Kingston KC3000

Best SSD for speed

If you're on the hunt for the fastest SSD around, the Kingston KC3000 is certainly up there with the best when it comes to providing high-performance capabilities.

It's a PCle 4.0 NVMe SSD that offers lighting-fast write/read speeds of up to 7GBps, as well as up to one million IOPS - also known as input/output operations per second. In other words, this drive will be able to access your files almost instantaneously, so you don't have to wait around for games or other software to load.

To provide these kinds of speeds and bring you high-end performance and endurance, it's powered by the Phison PS5018-E18 and comes with Micron's 176-layer flash. Due to its compact M.2 2280 form factor as well, it's compatible with both laptop and desktop devices and, given its performance stats, we'd recommend using it for gaming purposes, as it should quickly boot and load even the most demanding games out there.

If it's a lighting-quick SSD you're after for high-end performance, this will definitely do the trick.

Read more: Best PCIe SSDs

Credit: WD

3. WD Black SN850

Best SSD for gaming

The WD Black SN850 is an officially licensed M.2 4.0 NVMe PS5 drive, so if you're looking for an SSD specifically for your gaming console, this might be the right option for you.

It has a heatsink design, which allows it to easily slide into your PS5's M.2 expansion slot and, when you buy the 2TB capacity drive, you can store up to 50 games on it if you were to presume that the file size for each game was 36GB.

The PCle Gen 4 technology will allow this SSD to reach speeds of up to 7,000MB/s, which is near the top end of the scale in terms of how quick the latest SSDs can be. You certainly won't have to worry about files or games taking too long to load, as they will open almost instantaneously - depending on how big they are, of course.

All in all, this SSD should give a big performance boost when it comes to loading games on your PS5.

Read more: Best SSDs for gaming

Credit: Corsair

4. Corsair Force Series MP510

Best budget SSD

Available to buy in four different capacities up to 4TB, this budget pick certainly doesn't hold back despite its price tag, and it still offers Gen 3.0 NVMe performance as well.

Being a Gen 3 SSD instead of Gen 4 is ultimately what drives the price down on Corsair's MP510. But, at the end of the day, it still provides you with far faster loading speeds than any HDD would, and it also features a PCle interface, offering better performance than the older SATA interface.

It also has the newer M.2 2280 form factor, so is compatible with desktop devices and will fit directly into your PC's motherboard. Moreover, the high-density 3D TLC NAND gives you the ideal combination of performance and endurance, meaning it's built to last for years without its performance faltering.

It's a great drive, all things considered, and is one that is fast enough while also being good value for money.

Read More: Best DDR5 RAM

Credit: Western Digital

5. WD Black AN1500

Best PCle SSD

M.2 is the most recent form factor, which is why the majority of the newer SSDs offering NVMe performance are only available as such. But, as a clever solution for anyone who doesn't have an M.2 slot but still wants NVMe performance, WD came up with the AN1500 drive.

It comes in the older PCI form factor and, not only is it an NVMe SSD, but it also offers PCle 3.0 x4 performance. Essentially, this drive can offer read/write speeds of up to 6,500MB/s, which is impressive and almost as fast as the newest 4.0 Gen drives.

You can also get a capacity of up to 4TB, which provides you with excellent storage size for all of your files and is ideal if you want to store loads of games on your PC.

Another slightly fun aspect about this SSD that also makes it great for gaming in a dark room is that it comes with fully customisable RGB lighting to create an atmospheric feel that can match up well with some of the best gaming keyboards or best gaming mice.

If you find yourself without an M.2 slot in your motherboard, why not check out this drive?

Read More: Best cheap external multiple hard drive enclosures

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

SSDs can be quite a confusing topic, so we've answered some of the most frequently asked questions on the web below so you can learn a bit more about them.

What is the difference between an SSD and a hard drive?

Both an SSD and an HDD (hard drive) have the same function: they store files and data, essentially acting as your device's long-term memory. However, the key difference here is that SSDs are a newer technology and provide a speed and performance that is so fast it can't really be compared to a traditional HDD.

In technical terms, SSDs use memory chips to store and access data, whereas HDDs use mechanical spinning disks and a moving read-and-write head. Essentially, the memory chips used by SSDs are instantly accessible, providing your device with the data it requires much faster.

So, if you're looking for faster loading speeds and something that can handle more demanding files, like large games or complex operating systems, an SSD is without a doubt the way forward.

Is SSD recommended for gaming?

Yes, SSDs are recommended for gaming because they're probably the best option around when it comes to minimising loading times and launching games faster. This is particularly important nowadays since games have become increasingly more demanding in terms of file size and bandwidth.

For gaming, we would recommend that the SSD you get is at least a Gen 3.0 drive, which can deliver rates of up to 3,500 MB/s. However, if you're looking for the fastest experience possible, you can't get any better than an NVMe Gen 4.0 drive, so it's worth investing in if your budget allows it.

In fact, some of the newest Gen 4.0 drives around at the minute can even exceed 7,000 MB/s, offering super-fast reading and writing speeds. That's something to keep in mind when it comes to upgrading and investing in one.

What types of SSDs are available?

The most commonly used SSDs today include:

• SATA SSDs: These SSDs connect to the system via SATA cables and are commonly used in laptops and desktop computers.
• NVMe SSDs: Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) SSDs connect directly to the motherboard via PCIe slots, offering faster data transfer speeds compared to SATA SSDs.
• M.2 SSDs: These SSDs use the M.2 form factor and can connect via SATA or PCIe interfaces.
• PCIe SSDs: These SSDs connect directly to the motherboard via PCIe slots and offer high-speed data transfer rates suitable for demanding applications such as gaming and content creation.