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The best solid-state drives (SSD drives) are much faster, more efficient, and more durable than hard drives. And, if your daily life is connected with the active use of a laptop, you should stop using slow and noisy hard drives, the information on which can be destroyed by a slight shake.
The good news is that SSDs have become more affordable. This means that you can purchase SSD drives without having to spend a lot of money and not settle for cheap alternatives. You don’t even need to have an expensive and powerful laptop to take advantage of the huge speed boost offered by good SSDs. The best ultrabooks and the best laptops on the market also come equipped with quality SSD drives out of the box.
To make it easier for you to find the perfect SSD, we’ve rounded up the best SSD drives of 2022. If you’re on a tight budget, or if you’re willing to spend a hefty sum on a new SSD, you’ll find something on this list.
Top 10 rating according to KP
Editor’s Choice
1. WD Black SN750 NVMe SSD
Western Digital has been building a name for years with a plethora of SSDs and hard drives, and the WD Black SN750 continues that tradition by claiming the best SSD gaming solution. This SSD has an extremely fast read speed of 412,5MB/s, which should make any heavy game load in no time. And considering it’s one of the most affordable NVMe SSMs out there, it’s easy to recommend to any gamer looking for a new SSD, no matter their budget.
2. Adata XPG SX8200 SSD
If you’re looking for an M.2 SSD that’s fast and affordable, this is it. The Adata XPG SX8200 is not the fastest drive on the market, but nonetheless, there is no drive that matches the proposed price-performance ratio. Of course, you can get more speed in more expensive SSDs, but we can recommend this drive to anyone, regardless of budget.
3. Toshiba OCZ RD400
If you’re looking for multiple looks and sizes, the Toshiba OCZ RD400 drives are some of the best SSDs out there. They are 2D and come in three different form factors: M.2, M.2280 XNUMX, and as an add-on card (AIC). All sizes have all the connectors you need, so it’s easy to find a place for them in your computer case.
What other laptop SSDs are worth paying attention to
4. Intel 760p Series SSD
The best NVMe SSDs were too expensive for most users. But those days are coming to an end – the Intel SSD 760p series changes everything. This SSD delivers impressive performance that’s only slightly behind its Samsung 960 Evo counterpart, with read speeds of 3056MB/s and write speeds of 1606MB/s. But what really makes 760p stand out is its fantastic price-performance ratio. Yes, there are faster NVMe drives on the market, but they are much more expensive and, frankly, not worth it.
5. WD Blue SN550
WD has done a great job of designing SSDs that reduce functionality to a bare minimum. This downgrade was made to reduce the cost and availability of the solution for most PC owners, so that they would consider the WD solid state as an affordable upgrade. This option does not provide maximum speed or hardware encryption, but is still significantly faster than any SATA drive. This is an easy way to upgrade to NVMe if you’re on a budget.
6. Kingston KC2000
Compared to its predecessor, the KC2000 is impressive and also brings it much closer to competing with Samsung and Corsair. Anyone moving from the SATA format will see a huge performance boost, so choosing a PCI NVMe drive is highly dependent on speed and cost. The Kingston strikes a good balance here, with the KC2000 nearly as fast as its competitors, but generally more affordable.
7. Crucial MX500
If you’re not going to use this drive for 4K video editing every day and don’t need a 4TB device, the MX500 delivers a near-perfect balance of performance and price. If you can afford larger capacities, you will not only get a bonus in cost per gigabyte, but also a much longer lifespan.
8. WD Black SN750
It is the fastest M.2 SSD with capacities up to 2TB, and one of the most affordable at the moment. It can be recommended to those who need a small amount of memory, but at maximum speed and at a reasonable price.
9. WD Blue 3D NAND
WD Blue 3D NAND best represents the last good SATA SSD before moving to NVMe. This is a significant improvement over its predecessor and allows Western Digital to compete with the leading SSD manufacturers. Overall performance combined with a competitive price is a winning combination, and this SSD is great for those who still want to use SATA technology without sacrificing high read and write speeds.
10 Kingston KC600
A SATA SSD will never outperform the new NVMe, but if for some reason you’re limited by the form factor, the Kingston KC600 is a great choice. It’s comparable in performance to larger brands, but available at a lower price and just as fast. For the money, this is one of the best budget options among all SSD drives on the market.
How to choose an SSD drive for a laptop
For a person looking for a laptop SSD for the first time, it can be difficult to decide which one is the best fit. To understand how to choose the right solid state drive, we turned to Daria Makhortova, system administrator of a large IT company, through the hands of which thousands of different SSDs have passed. She suggested some important tips on the key characteristics of such devices.
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The last thing you want to do is buy an SSD and then upgrade again in the near future, so try to get an SSD with the highest storage capacity your wallet allows.
Form Factor
When purchasing the best SSD for you, also check the physical specifications of the drive to make sure your computer has enough space for it and that the connections between them are compatible. Most SSDs are 2,5″ but there are 3,5″ options and also pay attention to z-height (thickness). If you have a super-slim device, fear not – you just need to choose an M.2 SSD.
Interface
Finally, take a quick look at the interfaces inside your laptop: SSDs can use the older, more traditional SATA interface, or the newer NVMe direct-to-motherboard variant (and the M.2 form factor can work with both).