I still remember the day when my friend spent an hour trying to convince me to upgrade to an SSD because faster storage is better. Until the day I tried one for myself, I thought SSDs were just a gimmick that cost a lot of money . Since then, I have never looked back. It is true that for a lot of people, an NVMe drive is a luxury but if you are looking to get access to the fastest possible storage and that too, without any hindrances, an NVMe SSD is the way to go.
No one likes the slow speeds of hard drives or traditional SATA based drives anymore, especially the creative professionals who have to handle a lot of data transfer on a daily basis; You simply cannot really go without something that delivers mediocre performance.
But how do I find the best NVMe SSD is the question that most of the people tend to ask and do it regularly. Well, it is not as difficult as it might seem. Despite the limitless options that are available in the market, finding the right NVMe SSD is only going to take a little time as we explore some of the finest options in this list and see which one makes the most sense.
Reviewing the Best NVMe SSD
| Awards | Model | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Best Overall NVMe SSD | Buy on Amazon |
|
| Best Budget NVMe SSD | Buy on Amazon |
|
| Best Enterprise NVMe SSD | Buy on Amazon |
|
| Best Budget NVMe SSD | Buy on Amazon |
|
| Best RGB NVMe SSD | Buy on Amazon |
Now, if you have been searching the market for a good NVMe SSD, the thing is not going to be that difficult, to be honest. Quite the contrary as in most cases, the market has so many options to choose from that you can just get your hands on something that is good and works well and you are all settled, too.
With that said, the purpose of this roundup is to look at all the great offerings that are not going to slow down and will deliver exceptional performance. So, let’s get down to business.
WD Black SN850
Specifications:
- Capacity: 500 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB.
- Controller: WD Black Gen 2.
- Flash: BiCS 96-layer TLC.
- Interface: M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4.
- Sequential Read: 7,000 MB/s.
- Sequential Write: 5,300 MB/s.
It is more than safe to say that when you are talking about good quality storage devices, the one name that is synonymous with speed and reliability happens to be Western Digital. Simply put, they have been putting out some of the finest storage devices that one can go for and that too without charging a lot of money or compromising on some other aspects. My first storage device was by Western Digital and I have recommended their hard drives to almost everyone.
So, when the company announced that they are moving into the SSD market, it was a delightful but expected move and the latest WD Black SN850 is just something that you should be looking into if you are in search of a super-fast storage that only does one thing – mean business. Needless to say, if you have been in the market for something that is fast and reliable, this is the way to go.
Starting with the obvious, the WD Black SN850 is one of the best NVMe SSDs available in the market in terms of the performance; it is competitively priced and the performance is something that most people are going to absolutely love. For anyone who has been searching for something good and reliable, going for this NVMe is the right thing to do.
However, there are a lot of technicalities in this SSD that I love. For starters, the WD Black SN850 comes with substantial and speedy dynamic SLC cache that recovers very, very quickly. Now, it might not seem like a big deal to anyone who is just looking to buy a storage device but if you have spent enough time doing your research, you will come to realise how this actually is one of the features that most people look for, and Western Digital has brought it to the consumers this time around.
Furthermore, you are getting a rather attractive design with an all-black PCB. However, I have to tell you that this time around, there is no heatsink. Which means that it is very advisable to install the WD Black SN850 in a motherboard that ships with a heatsink for M.2 drives. This should not really be an issue as most motherboards do.
The WD Black SN850 has a very useful software package that lets you monitor various aspects of the drive, making everything a lot more accessible to you. I do understand that this feature might not seem like something that is super intuitive or useful but in my testing, it worked rather well and without any complications.
Last but not the least, the cherry on top is the fact that the WD Black SN850 comes with a 5-year warranty, which goes to show how much confidence Western Digital has in their drives.
My only concern here is that due to the lack of a heatsink, the drive tends to get hot when you are running it under a lot of pressure.
Overall, the WD Black SN850 is an excellent NVMe SSD that is super-fast, attractive, has a good software package, and delivers a great warranty, as well. If you have been looking for something that means business, this is the way to go.
- Competitively priced.
- Class-leading performance across the board.
- SLC cache is large and recovers fast.
- Sleek design.
- Useful software inclusions.
- Long, 5-year warranty.
- Can run hot under heavier loads.
WD Black SN750
Specifications:
- Capacity: 250 GB, 500 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB, or 4 TB
- Controller: Western Digital
- Flash: SanDisk or Toshiba 3D TLC.
- Interface: M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4.
- Sequential Read: 3,430 MB/s.
- Sequential Write: 3,000 MB/s.
Western Digital returns once again with another great offering that you can check out. However, this time around, we are looking at a slightly older variant which runs on the PCIe 3.0 x4 instead of the modern interface and while the performance difference is still there, the good thing is that if you have been looking for something that presents excellent value, this is the SSD that you need to go for because it positions itself as one of the best values NVMe SSDs in the market, especially now since you can find it at great prices.
With that said, the SSD that we are looking at is the WD Black SN750 and yes, it is the predecessor of the SN850, so it should not come as a surprise that what you are looking at is rather impressive through and through and delivers solid performance across the board. However, that is not the only thing that the SSD is known for delivering as you are getting a lot in a small package.
The efficiency on the WD Black SN750 class-leading and the SSD performs like a champion. I did not, for a second, feel like the SSD is not good enough in terms of the overall performance. Thankfully, the read and write speeds remained consistent even when under load, and the performance is something that you can definitely rely on. If you want to quickly transfer data from one end to another, the SSD is not going to let you down.
One more thing that I love about the WD Black SN750 is how predictable and consistent the performance is. Meaning that it does not matter which file you are copying, you can already tell that it is going to reach the destination in no time and that too, without any errors coming in the way. If you are looking for something that favours performance over everything else, then putting your money on the WD Black SN750 is the smartest thing that you can do.
The overall aesthetics of the WD Black SN750 are actually good, too. The SSD you are looking at is minimal, at best and the all-black PCB is something that I like. You can even buy an optional heatsink for the SSD without spending a lot of money, in case you do not already have a heatsink on the motherboard.
Speaking of the heatsink, I would suggest that you use one because when under load, the WD Black SN750 tends to get hot and that is not something that should come as a surprise because you are not really getting access to any heatsink by default.
Overall, if you have been in the market for a good SSD that also presents an excellent value, then getting the WD Black SN750 is an excellent choice as you are getting something that will not only deliver top of the line performance in its class but will also look good while doing so. Even though it generates a bit of heat, it is nothing that cannot be taken care of.
- Class-leading performance for what you are paying.
- Looks stunning in all-black design.
- The performance remains consistent and wonderfully predictable.
- Runs with great efficiency.
- Needs a heatsink for best performance.
Seagate Firecuda 530
Specifications:
- Capacity: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB
- Controller: Phison PS5018-E18 controller
- Flash: Micron 176L TLC NAND
- Interface: M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4.
- Sequential Read: 7,300 MB/s.
- Sequential Write: 6,900 MB/s.
Another company that is known for delivering some excellent storage devices is Seagate. As a matter of fact, Seagate and Western Digital have competed for as long as one can remember and while the critics might think that the competition did not really bring out anything good, you would be surprised to know the innovations that take place just because there is stiff competition in the market. That is the reason why Apple and Samsung are so good at innovation.
The NVMe SSD that I am reviewing right now is one of the fastest that I have tested and to be honest, for those who have been searching for something that delivers great performance, this might as well be the one that you need to go for. However, speed is not the only Seagate Firecuda 530 is good at as the SSD provides a lot more than one might need, to be honest. That is why some might consider it a niche offering but hey, if you want your data to be protected in the best way, this is it.
Right away, the Seagate Firecuda 530 is one of the fastest SSDs that you can buy with sequential read going as high as 7,300 MB/s and sequential writes going as high as 6,900 MB/s. This is a great threshold but what is even more impressive is the fact that the SSD is more than capable of keeping the sustained performance going, which is what most people need to pay attention to. Needless to say, this SSD is not going to slow down in any case.
The overall design of the Seagate Firecuda 530 is another thing that I love because when you are looking at it, the SSD is actually one of the better looking offerings in the market, and what’s even better is the fact that you are also getting a rather striking heatsink, which makes everything even more attractive.
Thankfully, looks are not the only thing that are good here. The Seagate Firecuda 530 brings 5-year of warranty, and 3-year of rescue data recovery service, which is an excellent thing, especially for the enterprise users who would want to keep their data protected at all costs. Not just that, you are also looking at an SSD that comes with XTS-AES 256-bit encryption, which is something that you do not often see, but hey, this is an enterprise SSD made for the more professional user, and having these features is a plus point.
Last but not the least, the SSD never really runs hot, so if you have been wondering if you will be running into temperature issues, then that is not the case as everything runs cool and the SSD more than manages to hold itself.
My only concern here is that although great, the Seagate Firecuda 530 fails to hold the same level of efficiency as some of the other SSDs in the market.
In conclusion, if you are looking for one of the most durable, reliable, fast, and secure SSDs, then the Seagate Firecuda 530 is something that you should be getting. Simply put, the performance here is excellent in almost every regard and never really do I feel that you are not getting something that is good.
- Among the fastest performing SSDs.
- Solid build quality.
- Added heatsink with great aesthetics.
- 5-year warranty and 3-year rescue data recovery.
- XTS-AES 256-bit encryption for added security.
- Remains cool.
- Excellent sustained performance.
- Some efficiency is lost.
Crucial P5 Plus
Specifications:
- Capacity: 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB
- Controller: Crucial PCIe 4.0 Gen
- Flash: Micron 176-layer TLC flash
- Interface: M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4.
- Sequential Read: 6,900 MB/s.
- Sequential Write:5,000 MB/s.
The next SSD that I am going to shed light on is coming from Crucial. It is safe to say that nearly everyone in the storage market is aware of Crucial as a brand. The company also excels at giving some really compelling RAM kits, too. The thing with Crucial is that despite the company offering higher-end products, too. The best thing about them is that there are a lot of value or budget-oriented products as well.
This is exactly where the Crucial P5 Plus fits because this SSD is not going to cost you a lot of money but at the same time, the performance it delivers is excellent. Believe it or not, this right here is the cheapest M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD that you can find and don’t worry, being cheap does not mean that it is not going to deliver the level of performance expected of it.
Surprisingly, the Crucial P5 Plus manages to have one of the best blends of price and performance, with the SSD not being disappointing in terms of overall performance and being one of the finer priced offerings in the market. If you are looking to upgrade to have more storage because you are in need of more storage and hard drives are not what you want, then getting the Crucial P5 Plus is more than a smart decision.
You would be surprised that this budget-oriented SSD also brings hardware-based AES 256-bit encryption, so in case you are worried that your data might not be safe, you can just go ahead and encrypt everything and you are good to go.
The supplied monitoring tool that comes with Crucial P5 Plus is also very handy as it works really, really well overall and that too, without any complications that might come in the way. Last but not the least, you are getting up to 5 years of warranty, which in my opinion is a gift that keeps on giving, especially when you consider the price.
The downsides are not a lot, to be honest. The Crucial P5 Plus is an excellent SSD but it somewhat loses some of the efficiency when it is under load.
Overall, if you have been searching for a great NVMe SSD that is not going to cost you a lot of money. Then it is safe to claim that the Crucial P5 Plus is the best budget NVMe SSD that you can buy right away. What is even better is that this particular model is often available on sale across all the capacities, so you are good to go.
- Amazing price to performance ratio.
- Hardware AES 256-bit encryption.
- Gorgeous and simple design.
- Great monitoring software.
- 5-year warranty.
- The efficiency is a hit and miss.
XPG SPECTRIX S20G
Specifications:
- Capacity: 500 GB, 1 TB.
- Controller: N/A
- Flash: 3D NAND Flash
- Interface: M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4.
- Sequential Read: 2,500 MB/s.
- Sequential Write: 1,800 MB/s.
The last SSD that we are looking at is something special, to be honest. If a few years ago, you had asked me what I think of having RGB lighting on my storage device, I would not have made a comment because I did not think such a thing could exist. However, we are no longer living in the same era because it has become evident that SSDs have come a long, long way and changed a lot, as well.
The XPG SPECTRIX S20G is something that is made for people who are looking to add a bit more flair into their build with some lights. Now, I am not against RGB at all, however, it is an acquired taste where a lot of people dislike it and the same time, there are a lot of people enjoy it. However, I have to tell you that if you have been wanting a super-fast NVMe SSD, this is not it because it actually is an older generation but hey, the looks are important for most people.
Now, from the moment you take the XPG SPECTRIX S20G out of the box, you are presented with something that looks stunning, to say the least. This is perhaps the best-looking SSD that you can buy right now and while I am not sure if I am in favour of how the lighting looks, it is an added benefit that makes your SSD stand out. The RGB can be controlled through whichever software you wish to ranging from XPG’s own software or something from the likes of MSI, Asus, Gigabyte, and other companies. Needless to say, if you want to have a complete control over RGB lights, this is the way to go.
Thankfully, the overall design is also something that I like and screams gamer. This has always been something that most people wanted, to begin with and this is exactly what you are getting here, too. The SSD is also passively cooled all thanks to a massive aluminum heatsink on the SSD that keeps the SSD cool.
The XPG SPECTRIX S20G also ships with 5-year warranty which has become a standard for most top-tier SSDs in the market, and to be honest, it is actually great that you are getting this. Last but not the least, the price is something that I really enjoy, especially now that you can actually get this SSD for discounted prices.
Moving onto the downsides, I do have to mention a few things that I am not a fan of. For starters, the SSD can run into thermal throttling, likely because of the LED lights generating more heat. Additionally, I wish the SSD was available in more than 500 GB and 1 TB configurations.
In conclusion, if you have been in the market for something that looks as good as it performs, then the XPG SPECTRIX S20G is something that I would recommend to everyone. Sure, it is not the fastest in the bunch but it looks strikingly beautiful and works really well overall.
- One of the best looking designs.
- RGB lighting looks great.
- 5-year warranty.
- Impressive passive cooling.
- Great price.
- Can run into thermal throttling.
- Only available in 500 GB and 1 TB configurations.
How to Buy the Best NVMe SSD
Now that we have looked at the best NVMe SSD, the next step is to start looking at a helpful buying guide that will let you pick the best SSD for your money. Remember, although the SSDs in the market serve the same purpose, they are not all made the same way, and therefore, there are complications that can come in the way, and well, we have to be sure that we are not running into any complications of sorts.
With that out of the way, below are a few things that we are going to mention that will ultimately help you pick the right SSD without getting confused by the sheer number of options that are in the market.
- Do You Have the Slots: Now, I know this is going to sound strange but before you go ahead and drop your money on an SSD, you have to know if you have the required slots because let’s be honest, older motherboards did not have these as commonly as one would think. So, be sure that you have unpopulated M.2 slots on your motherboard.
- What Capacity Do You Need: Another important point of consideration is looking at the amount of storage you are going to need. NVMe SSDs are available anywhere from 250 GB and go all the way up to 4 TB, but the more you are getting in terms of storage, the higher you are paying. This is why you must be aware of the right capacity, so you make the right decision.
- What’s Your Purpose: Another thing that most people easily overlook is the reason why they are spending money on an SSD and the purpose they have. In the hindsight, it might look that the consumer is spending money on an SSD to use as a storage device but more often than not, we use them to store games or OS, for that matter. If you want to store games, you are more than likely to need a higher capacity than you would if you just want to keep the SSD as a boot drive.
- Do You Care Much About RGB: The last bit it something that is going to polarize most of the consumers out in the market looking for SSDs. How important is RGB to you, in the first place? Well, to be honest, over the past couple of years, I have seen some stunning implementations but it is not a feature that you should absolutely get. Why? Well, for starters, NVMe SSDs with LED lights tend to run hotter under load because remember, the LEDs also generate heat, and a lot of them in a cluster can spell for a disaster. Additionally, at the time of writing, most of the RGB NVMe SSDs that are available are from the older generation which means that you are getting slower speeds than you would if you buy the Gen 4.
Conclusion
Although SSDs are excellent, the one thing that everyone knows is that they are still more expensive than hard drives. Therefore, you cannot just buy any random SSD from the market and wish for the best experience. If you are spending a good amount of money, you deserve a good SSD and that is a given, to be honest.
In this round up, we have listed the best NVMe SSDs available in the market. It does not matter if you are looking for something that has flashy lighting or something that delivers the fastest performance there is, you would be all good to go as we have made sure that we include all the best SSDs from various categories.
The SSDs that are mentioned in this round up are from all the categories that one could imagine and for the most part, we only included the latest generation of SSDs. Why? Well, it is better that you are getting twice as much speed, and that too, without any limitations that might cause issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
I have been gaming for almost 24 years with extensive knowledge of all platforms and the gaming industry, in general. With interests in literature, art, gaming, and PC hardware.