The Best Internal Solid State Drives
We compared eight SSDs on speed, capacity, and owner sentiment. The Samsung SSD 990 PRO 2TB is our top pick for its unbeatable performance and reliability.
Updated
The bottom line
The Samsung SSD 990 PRO 2TB is our top pick for its exceptional read and write speeds, reliability, and ease of installation. Priced at $389.99, it delivers read speeds up to 7,450 MB/s and write speeds up to 6,900 MB/s. The closest alternative is the Kingston NV3 2TB, which offers similar performance at a lower price of $281. For a budget pick, the PNY CS900 500GB offers good performance at $80, though it has lower speeds compared to the top picks.
Samsung SSD 990 PRO 2TB $389.99
Best overall performance and reliability
The Samsung SSD 990 PRO 2TB delivers exceptional read and write speeds, reliability, and ease of installation. Priced at $389.99, it's the best choice for those seeking top-tier performance. However, it's more expensive than some alternatives.
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Kingston NV3 2TB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD $281.00
High performance at a lower price
The Kingston NV3 2TB offers high-speed performance with read speeds up to 6,000MB/s and write speeds up to 5,000MB/s at a lower price of $281. It's a great alternative to the top pick, though it has slightly lower speeds.
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PNY CS900 500GB 2.5" SATA III Internal SSD $80.00
Good performance at an affordable price
The PNY CS900 500GB offers good performance at $80, with sequential read speeds up to 550MB/s and sequential write speeds up to 500MB/s. It's a good choice for budget-conscious buyers, though it has lower speeds compared to the top picks.
Check price on AmazonThe field, ranked
- Samsung SSD 990 PRO 2TB Best performance and reliability 10.0/10 $389.99 Amazon
- Kingston NV3 2TB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD High performance at a lower price 9.0/10 $281.00 Amazon
- Samsung SSD 990 EVO Plus 1TB Good performance and efficiency 8.0/10 $239.99 Amazon
- SANDISK Optimus 5100 High performance and value 8.0/10 $99.99 Amazon
- Kingston NV3 Good performance and value 7.0/10 $156.77 Amazon
- Samsung 9100 PRO High performance for professional use 7.0/10 $379.99 Amazon
- PNY CS900 500GB 2.5" SATA III Internal SSD Good performance at an affordable price 6.0/10 $80.00 Amazon
- PNY CS900 Basic performance for budget buyers 5.0/10 $48.90 Amazon
Who should buy which
Gamers and professionals who need top-tier performance should opt for the Samsung SSD 990 PRO 2TB. Those looking for high performance at a lower price should consider the Kingston NV3 2TB. Budget-conscious buyers should go for the PNY CS900 500GB.
Also-rans
The Samsung 9100 PRO and the SanDisk Optimus 5100, while high-performing, did not earn picks due to their higher prices and slightly lower speeds compared to the top picks. The PNY CS900 250GB, though affordable, has lower speeds and is not as versatile as the 500GB version.