Games like Call of Duty take up to 250GB of storage, in addition to regular updates. If you want to have many games installed simultaneously, it may be worth taking a higher performance SSD, or solid-state drive..
SSDs are much faster than HDDs (hard disk drives). The price of SSDs is slowly coming down, but it may still be some investment to take up more capacity. A 1TB SSD is a good compromise between capacity and price, as well as its speed and performance. There will be enough space for all games, music and the like.
The main types of SSDs available are SATA and NVMe . SATA SSDs are 2.5 inches in size and have slower compute and read speeds than NVMe. These SSDs are good choices for older PCs and motherboards without NVMe compatibility. NVMe drives are more like RAM sticks and add directly to the motherboard ..
We've made a list of the best SSDs available that will let you load your games faster and not run out of space.
SAMSUNG 980 PRO
Image via Amazon The 980 PRO is the first SSD from Samsung to be compatible with the new PCIe 4.0 standard. This NVMe SSD is built to achieve the best possible performance with very good read and write speeds. If you are using an M.2 PCIe 4.0 slot, it will be possible to read in sequences up to 7000MB / s and 5000MB / s..
Samsung's 980 PRO has a nickel coating to help heat dissipation, and another heat dispersal device to protect the NAND card. It also includes an integrated system called Dynamic Thermal Guard to manage its temperature, and the Samsung Magician app that shows the health and performance of the drive. The Samsung 980 PRO 1TB is one of the fastest SSDs you can find and is perfect for a gaming PC.
WD_Black SN850
Image via Amazon The Western Digital Black SN850 is another NVMe compatible PCIe 4.0 with fantastic performance. Its one TB capacity should be enough to install larger games, and has a read speed of 7,000MB / sec and write speed of 5,300MB / sec. These fast write and read speeds are perfect for launching games and other activities as fast as possible, without incessant loads.
Like the Samsung 980 PRO, the Western Digital SSD also comes with software to manage its health and performance, and it also features Game Mode. Game Mode disables some low activity features to optimize performance. If you are worried about thermal performance, you can also take this SSD with a heatsink, but it is only available in desktop PC version. The SN850 is quite expensive, but it has excellent speed and should improve your gaming experience.
Patriot Viper VPR100
Image via Amazon The Patriot Viper VPR100 is a great option if you like RGB lights. This NVMe SSD uses the older PCIe standard, so its write and read speeds are slower than previously mentioned. Despite this, it is sufficient for gaming with a speed of 2900 MB / sec read and 3300 MB / sec write. It also has an integrated heat sink and thermal sensor.
One of the main reasons for taking this SSD is its RGB lights , which form an attractive pattern on each side. It includes 16 LEDs on each side, which can be configured using an app. The VPR100 is compatible with most major RGB applications like Asus Aura, MSI Mystic Light and Gigabyte Fusion. The wide compatibility of RGB means that it will be possible to synchronize them with your mouse, headphones and even your motherboard.
Samsung 860 EVO
Image via Amazon If you don't want to spend a lot, it is possible to buy the Samsung 860 EVO . It is a 2.5 inch SATA drive which is compatible with more motherboards. Older laptops and desktops do not have M.2 slots for NVMe SSDs, but they can benefit from a SATA type SSD.
The Samsung 860 EVO has read speeds of 550MB / sec and write speeds of 520MB / sec. It is also possible to use the Samsung Magician software to check for possible updates and manage its health and performance. Another very useful feature is the AES 256-bit encryption which protects your data. The Samsung 860 EVO is an inexpensive and efficient choice if you are looking for a cheaper option.
Crucial MX500
Image via Amazon The Crucial MX500 is another reasonably priced 1 Terabyte SATA SSD. It has a low price while maintaining satisfactory speed and good reliability. The read speed is 560MB / sec and 510MB / sec for writing, which should be enough for the usual tasks.
The low price, however, is not without its drawbacks. Its average lifespan is lower than the competition, with a score of 180TB Written (TBW). It's still a high number that most users will never reach, and it comes with a 5-year warranty. The MX500 is a great choice if you want to upgrade your old PC or expand your storage.
Sabrent Rocket Q
Image via Amazon The Sabrent Rocker Q 1TB is one of the cheapest NVMe SSDs on the market. It is compatible with the older PCIe 3.1 standard, so it is slower than the other NVMe mentioned. Despite this, the reading speed is still at 3200MB / sec and reading at 2000MB / sec, which is more than enough for usual uses including gaming.
This SSD is also sold with the Sabrent Acronis True Image software which helps to clone your old drive to the new SSD. The only downside to the Rocket Q is that it has a lower endurance score than the other SSDs on this list, at just 260 TBW. This is still a number that few users reach, and it also comes with a 5-year warranty.
TEAMGROUP T-Force Cardea Zero Z440
Image via Amazon The TeamGroup T-Force Cardea Zero Z440 is created for gaming and high performance. The SSD runs on PCIe Gen4 motherboards and has an impressive write speed, with 4,400MB / sec and 5,000MB / sec read. It also uses a layer of graphene and copper which can reduce heat by around 9%.
This SSD has a very good durability rating at 1800 TBW, and it comes with software to manage its performance, like the other options on this list. The T-Force Cardea Zero Z440 is a great addition to a PC for speed and storage.