A PCIe Gen 3 SSD with four lanes and NVMe technology, the P5 boasts blazing fast speeds, with sequential read speeds maxing out at around 3,400 MB/s, and write speeds hitting up to 3000 MB/s. The write speeds dwindle down on the lowest model to 1400 MB/s though, so it’s worth the extra 20 or 30 bucks to go up to the next storage tier. With full hardware-based encryption, 3D NAND technology, helpful companion software, decent endurance metrics, and easy installation, the Crucial P5 is a great drive at a great price. Not sure if your computer or motherboard are compatible? There’s a compatibility checker right on the manufacturer’s website, where you can enter your computer’s make and model to make sure it will fit. A PCIe Gen 3 SSD with four lanes and NVMe technology, the P5 boasts blazing fast speeds, with sequential read speeds maxing out at around 3,400 MB/s, and write speeds hitting up to 3000 MB/s. The write speeds dwindle down on the lowest model to 1400 MB/s though, so it’s worth the extra 20 or 30 bucks to go up to the next storage tier. With full hardware-based encryption, 3D NAND technology, helpful companion software, decent endurance metrics, and easy installation, the Crucial P5 is a great drive at a great price. Not sure if your computer or motherboard are compatible? There’s a compatibility checker right on the manufacturer’s website, where you can enter your computer’s make and model to make sure it will fit. The PCIe Gen 3.0 x4, NVMe 1.3 SSD comes in 250 GB, 500 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB capacities. The 500 GB model usually sells for around $70, which is a pretty good value. With 256-bit encryption, V-NAND technology, and TRIM support, the 970 EVO is efficient and reliable. You can use Samsung Magician to maintain and monitor your drive— a companion software that’s clean and intuitive. For anyone looking for a budget M.2 SSD from a trusted brand, the 970 EVO is worth a look. Designed for gamers, overclockers, content makers, or anyone who wants to upgrade their laptop or desktop, the Adata XPG SX8200 Pro has a sleek design and exceptional performance. This is one of the best SSDs you can buy at this price. Super easy to set up and install, you just plug the drive into your PC’s SATA slot, and the migration software will take you through the rest. Combine that with Samsung’s Magician software, which you use to monitor and maintain your SSD, and you have an ultra user-friendly experience. The DRAM-less drive (DRAM stands for dynamic random access memory) is low cost. It’s a good option for those who use their PC for work, and it serves as an affordable way to upgrade your disk drive storage. The Blue SN550 would suffice as a gaming drive if you wanted to use it in a gaming rig build, but there are much better SSD options available for gaming. It also features a low-latency Silicon Motion Controller, and it’ll work with any computing device that has a compatible SATA slot. It’s a SATA 3.0, but it is backwards compatible with SATA 2.0. You won’t get some of the perks you’d get with a more expensive option like user-friendly companion software or exceptional endurance, but this is a good option for someone looking to upgrade their disk drive in a budget PC or for someone looking to install a second SSD. A PCIe NVMe Gen 3 drive with four lanes, the P1 comes in three storage capacities: 500 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB. It boasts sequential read/write speeds of 2,000/1,700 MB/s, as well as 3D NAND technology and useful companion software (Storage Executive) for performing firmware updates and monitoring your drive’s health and performance. The P1 is backed by a five-year limited warranty. Plus, it’s been on the market for a while now, so most of its flaws are already known. With the P1, you’re giving up some of the bells and whistles like better endurance and hardware encryption for a tried and true SSD at a low price point.
What to Look for in a Cheap SSD
Form factor- This indicates the drive’s size, configuration, and connection type. Many NVMe drives take the M.2_2280 form factor, as they’re 22mm by 80mm in size. NVMe drives are preferred because they’re faster than SATA III, which maxes out at 6 Gbps (data transfer). M.2 drives have a slimmer profile than the 2.5-inch SATA drives, and they have a different type of connection. You can check your computer’s motherboard to see if it has the right slot for the SSD you want. Storage capacity- The whole purpose of upgrading your computer’s drive is to get better performance, so capacity is especially important because you want enough storage to serve your needs. Unless you’re upgrading a budget PC or using the SSD as a second drive, you’ll probably want at least 500 GB—more if you’re using the PC for gaming or heavier use. Read/Write Speeds- This indicates the drive’s performance, or how fast the drive can read and write blocks of information. It is typically measured in MB/s. You can find metrics for sequential read/write speeds, as well as random read/write speeds. An NVMe drive will have significantly faster speeds than a SATA.
