Right now, there's a slew of great deals available for July 4th, and we've picked a few of the best and added them directly below. You can also find more best SSD deals for this holiday in our Best July 4th Sales and Deals 2023, article and then refer to our rankings here to determine the best deal.
Of the key components in any PC, the storage drive is the slowest: transferring bits in a fraction of the time your CPU and GPU take to process it or your RAM takes to load it. A poor-performing storage drive often leads to a big bottleneck, forcing your processor (even if it's one of the best CPUs for Gaming) to waste clock cycles as it waits for data to crunch.
Finding the best SSD or solid-state drive for your specific system and needs is key if you want the best gaming PC or laptop, or even if you just want a snappy productivity machine. To find the best SSDs for gaming and productivity, we test dozens of drives each year and highlight the best ones here. We have multiple categories, including the best SSD for NAS and he Best SSD for the Steam Deck listed below. For those on the hunt for the Best SSD for the PS5, be sure to head to that link for our recommendations based on our exhaustive testing.
Best July 4th SSD Deals
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Note: These listings are for the best July 4th SSD deals only, so refer to below for a wider range of our best SSD picks.
Picking the Best SSD for You
The latest NVMe SSDs have undercut mainstream drives on the slower SATA interface (which was originally designed for hard drives), but we shouldn't expect to see the end of SATA drives any time soon. SATA drives will continue to get more affordable so they can compete on price, but they can't hope to keep up with newer NVMe drives on performance.
Blazing-fast PCIe 5.0 M.2 SSDs, which offer up to twice the sequential speeds of the older PCIe 4.0 standard, are now supported with Intel and AMD's current platforms, the Zen 4 Ryzen 7000 and 13th-Gen Raptor Lake.
It's great if your desktop system can handle a PCIe 5.0 drive, but they are still new and expensive, so they aren't a requirement: For example, the PCIe 4.0 Samsung 990 Pro is our current choice for the best SSD overall, and the best SSD for gaming. This drive is rated for 7,450 / 6,900 MBps of sequential read/write throughput and 1.2 / 1.55 million read/write IOPS. That means less time waiting for game levels to load or videos to transcode.
The era of PCIe 5.0 SSDs is upon us, propelling us to new heights of stratospheric SSD performance. Even though there are faster models coming, the Crucial T700 is unquestionably the fastest consumer SSD in the world that you can actually buy, at least for now, delivering up to a blistering 12.4 GB/s of sequential throughput and 1.5 million random IOPS over the PCIe 5.0 interface. That's an amazing level of performance from an amazingly compact device.
While the PCIe 5.0 drives are the fastest SSDs money can buy right now, believe it or not, raw speed isn't everything. In regular productivity tasks such as web browsing or light desktop work, you may not even notice the difference between a PCIe 3.0 SSD and one with a 4.0 interface, let alone a new bleeding-edge PCIe 5.0 model. The latest PCIe 5.0 SSDs also carry a heavy price premium for now, so you're probably best suited with a PCIe 4.0 or 3.0 model — unless you're after the fastest possible performance money can buy, of course. If that's the case and your system supports it, go for a new PCIe 5.0 SSD.
Ultimately, the best SSD for you is one that provides enough capacity to hold your data at a price you can afford. Consider that a high-end, AAA game can use more than 100GB of data, and Windows 11 all by itself may need 60GB.
Best SSDs in 2023 at a glance (more info below):
| Best SSDs | Best SSD | Alternate |
|---|---|---|
| Best Overall / Best M.2 SSD | Samsung 990 Pro | WD Black SN850X |
| Fastest SSD | Crucial T700 | Row 1 - Cell 2 |
| Best Budget M.2 SSD | Crucial P3 | Row 2 - Cell 2 |
| Best SSD for PS5 | Black SN850X | Row 3 - Cell 2 |
| Best SSD for Steam Deck, Mobile | Sabrent Rocket 2230 | Row 4 - Cell 2 |
| Best M.2 SSD for Laptops | SK hynix Gold P31 | Row 5 - Cell 2 |
Here's the shortlist of our rankings below, but we have deeper breakdowns for these drives below, along with far more picks for other categories, like RGB SSDs, value-centric PCIe 3.0 SSDs, workstation SSDs, DirectStorage SSDs, and SATA SSDs, among other categories.
Quick Shopping Tips
When choosing an SSD, consider the following:
- Pick a compatible interface (M.2 PCIe, SATA, Add-in Card): Look at your user manual or a database like the Crucial Memory Finder to determine what types of SSD your computer supports.
- 500GB to 2TB: 1TB is the practical minimum for any PC build that costs more than $500 (perhaps one of the best PC builds). 2TB is the best SSD capacity for anyone that can spend $200+ on a drive. 500GB is the bare minimum anyone should consider at any price. 4TB drives have also plummeted recently, so good deals abound.
- SATA is slowest: SATA isn't as fast as an M.2 PCIe or a PCIe add-in card, but the majority of desktops and many laptops support 2.5-inch SATA drives, and many doing typical mainstream tasks users won't notice the difference between a good recent SATA drive and a faster PCIe model.
For even more information, check out our SSD Buyer's Guide. Or, if you're looking for an external SSD, you can check out our Best External Hard Drives and SSD page, or learn how to save some money by building your own external SSD. Below, you'll find our recommendations for drives with all three major interfaces.
Best SSDs You Can Buy Today
Samsung hit back at its competitors with this impressive update to the 980 Pro. New hardware and new options, including a heatsink with RGB and a 4TB variant, have allowed Samsung to retake the M.2 SSD crown. Performance is excellent across the board, setting a few new performance records, such as with 4K random read performance. In our testing, the drive was consistent, power-efficient, and cool. Samsung has also updated its software for this drive, giving it the best SSD toolbox available, and the drive is backed by a competent warranty and decent support.
$20 extra for a heatsink and RGB is a good deal, and as we see with all vendors recently, pricing is at or near all-time lows. Samsung will likely discount this drive quickly. There are also competing PCIe 5.0 drives on the market that serve up faster performance, but they still carry a premium.
Read: Samsung 990 Pro Review
WD has taken its popular Black SN850 SSD and turned it up to 11. The Black SN850X leverages an improved controller and newer flash to get the most out of the PCIe 4.0 interface. Performance is improved across the board, and the drive comes close to rivaling the Platinum P41 in most ways. Unlike the Platinum P41, it offers a heatsink option that also comes with RGB at 1TB and 2TB. WD also supports the SSD with its decent Dashboard application and a respectable warranty.
The M.2 Black SN850X was a bit pricey at launch, however, with a daunting MSRP. The touted Game Mode 2.0 feature felt incomplete in our testing, although WD ensures us that this will improve with future firmware updates. We do like the idea of a drive that’s made for the PlayStation 5, and also one that’s super fast for gaming on a PC, particularly with DirectStorage on the horizon. All-in-all, this is a good compromise if you can’t find the Platinum P41.
Read: WD Black SN850X Review
Best M.2 PCIe NVMe Drives 2023
These small, rectangular drives look like sticks of RAM, only smaller. They are usually 80mm long by 22mm wide, described as size 2280, but some may be shorter or longer, so make sure you get one that matches your slot. You can get M.2 drives that support SATA, but most modern desktops and laptops with M.2 slots support the faster PCIe NVMe standard.
Crucial's T700 is the world's fastest SSD, taking the hands-down performance lead in every performance category. That groundbreaking speed comes courtesy of the drive's PCIe 5.0 x4 connection, which offers a pathway for up to twice the throughput of PCIe 4.0 SSDs, and the Phison E26 SSD controller paired with Micron's leading-edge 232-Layer 3D TLC flash. That potent common creates an SSD that's the fastest on the market for PC game loading times.
Yes, faster drives will be released to the market near the end of the year, but for now, the T700's 12.4 / 11.8 GB/s of throughput leads the market, not to mention the beastly up to 1.5 million random read/write IOPS that remains uncontested by any SSD on the market. The Crucial T700 can take a beating, too: The T700 doesn't lose as much steam as other drives during heavy sustained workloads, making it a suitable drive for even the heaviest of workloads, like workstation-class video editing.
Many of the first PCIe 5.0 SSDs come with active cooling solutions, meaning they have a fan attached to the heatsink. In contrast, the T700 has a stylish passive heatsink that does an admirable job of assuring top-notch performance. Crucial also offers the drive without a heatsink, thus allowing you to use either your own third-party cooler or the in-built motherboard M.2 heatsinks that are becoming increasingly popular.
The Crucial T700 also has plenty of endurance, with 600TB of write endurance per TB of capacity, meaning you can confidently hammer the drive with heavier workloads, too. The drive also comes backed by Crucial's five-year warranty, leaving pricing as one of the few quibbles — you can expect to pay a premium for this drive. However, you get premium performance in exchange.
Read: Crucial T700 Review
The Crucial P3 is the little sibling to the P3 Plus. There’s not much difference between the two, other than the P3 being limited by its PCIe 3.0 interface. This isn’t all bad, as the P3 is a bit cheaper and also more efficient. In fact, it’s incredibly efficient, making it a useful addition to any system. The lack of a 4.0 interface reduces its maximum bandwidth and sequential performance, plus puts it out of range for use in the PlayStation 5.
It’s nice to see some newer hardware in the PCIe 3.0 SSD market segment, especially with capacities of up to 4TB. Crucial backs it with a full 5-year warranty and decent software support. However, its guaranteed write endurance is quite low. The P3 is based on QLC and is also DRAM-less, so it might be prone to potential performance issues. It’s also best at higher capacities. Still, it’s a good option on sale for an upgrade, or if you just need more NVMe-class bulk storage.
Read: Crucial P3 Review
If you're looking for a broader view of multiple different options for a PS5 SSD, head to our Best SSDs for PS5 feature. Spoiler alert: This SSD is the best of the bunch. WD has taken its popular Black SN850 SSD and turned it up to 11, but luckily the price isn't nearly extreme. The current $150 price point for the 2TB model is a steal, but make sure you check current pricing. The Black SN850X leverages an improved controller and newer flash to get the most out of the PCIe 4.0 interface, thus delivering excellent performance with the Sony PlayStation 5. Performance is improved across the board, and the drive comes with a heatsink option.
WD also supports the SSD with a respectable five-year warranty that will let you game with peace of mind. This drive is made for the PlayStation 5, but it is a bit pricier than other options, so you'll need to keep an eye out for sales. It's also super fast for gaming on a PC, particularly with DirectStorage on the horizon.
Read: WD Black SN850X Review
The Sabrent Rocket 2230 is a fast and efficient M.2 2230 drive designed for devices that need smaller PCIe SSDs, like the Steam Deck or Microsoft’s Surface Pro series. Such smaller drives are usually sold only with pre-built OEM machines. A retail option like the Rocket 2230 means that you can avoid second-hand drives that may lack reliable support and a warranty.
There aren’t too many retail options on the market yet with the Inland TN436 being the primary alternative, but that may change in time.
The Rocket 2230 has good all-around performance and maintains a solid level of performance in sustained workloads. It is also quite efficient in our tests thanks to its blend of a newer PCIe 4.0 controller and 176-Layer NAND flash. You can get the same results with many M.2 2280 drives at a much lower cost, however. The drive is also currently limited to just 1TB and product registration is required to get the full warranty.
Still, it’s the best choice for certain machines, particularly the popular Steam Deck.
Read: Sabrent Rocket 2230 SSD Review
Crucial’s P5 Plus is an evolution of the P5 with a focus on improved performance, especially where the original P5 let us down. Built for gamers and creative professionals who want faster load times and more efficient workflows, Crucial’s P5 Plus is a solid PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD that is priced well for its feature set.
Although it banks on value more than flat-out performance, the P5 Plus proved capable of keeping up with the best in most applications. It features a host of specialized algorithms for data protection and hardware-based, OPAL 2.0-compliant AES 256-bit encryption for data security. If you can’t quite afford the Samsung 980 Pro or WD_Black SN850, the P5 Plus is a solid performing alternative that’s worthy of your consideration.
Read: Crucial P5 Plus Review
SK hynix’s Gold P31 touts market leadership as the first retail SSD product to launch with 128-Layer flash. With SK hynix’s newest flash reaching incredible bit density, the Gold P31 hits the market at very low pricing. Listed at competitive prices, the Gold P31 is a fantastic value that will make you think twice about spending that extra $25-$50 on the Samsung 970 EVO Plus.
SK hynix’s Gold P31 is great if you’re looking to increase your laptop storage, not only to gain capacity but to gain battery life, too. While some drives may perform well against the Gold P31 in benchmarking, the SK hynix is much more power-efficient, which will lead to longer off-the-charger sessions. Laptop users who prioritize battery life should definitely put the new SK hynix Gold P31 at the top of their drive list. Additionally, the Gold P31's very strong write performance and ultra-high efficiency make it a well-rounded choice for many desktop users as well.
Read: SK hynix Gold P31 Review
Patriot’s Viper VPR400 could be seen as the successor to their now-retired VPR100. The heatsink is essentially the same, as is the RGB. Patriot’s sync software works with ASRock, ASUS, Gigabyte, and MSI. In practice, enabling this mode does draw more power and produce more heat but neither should be a problem in a well-ventilated desktop case. Patriot backs all of this up with a 5-year, 800TBW-per-TB warranty.
Performance is good, as would be expected from a drive with InnoGrit’s IG5220 controller and Micron’s 176-layer TLC flash. While DRAM-less and not as fast as high-end PCIe 4.0 drives, this combination remains competitive and more than enough for most users. However, the aesthetics come at a price: the Viper VPR400 is very expensive for what it is. This is therefore a drive for the gamer who is willing to pay more for the perfect thematic build.
Read: Patriot Viper VPR400 Review
Sabrent is no newcomer to high-capacity SSDs. The company first hit 8TB with their Rocket Q, but now it has a TLC drive at that capacity. Currently, no other manufacturer offers a consumer 8TB TLC drive. As such, this drive offers the best of both the capacity and performance worlds, but it comes at a steep price.
The Rocket 4 Plus has a powerful controller and newer flash, but there are some downsides from pushing the capacity envelope: it has lower power efficiency and weaker all-around performance than some of its lower-capacity peers. That means other drives with this controller and Micron’s 176-layer flash do perform better, but they don’t offer nearly the same capacity. Overall, the 8TB Rocket 4 Plus is the fastest 8TB SSD we’ve ever tested, offering the highest performance available at this capacity point. If you’re looking for a better value, though, turn to the QLC version of this same drive.
Read: Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus SSD Review
Sabrent’s 8TB Rocket Q slots in as the industry’s highest-capacity M.2 NVMe SSD. The pint-sized monster is obviously best suited for the data hoarder on the go, but at $1,500, it’ll set you back about as much as some of the best gaming laptops. The drive doesn't just push capacity to the highest we've seen with a slim M.2 SSD; it also impresses with great performance and efficiency, thanks to the new Phison E12S controller and 96-Layer QLC flash. That said, you can look to the Rocket 4 Plus (listed above) if you're after the fastest 8TB SSD on the market.
QLC flash does have its downfalls, like lower endurance and slower write performance after the SLC write cache gets filled up during large file transfers, but the Phison E12S controller helps push the Rocket Q to deliver respectable performance. The pricing is far more amenable than faster alternatives at this capacity, too.
Read: Sabrent Rocket Q Review
Sabrent took its updated Rocket 4 Plus and turned the dial up a notch to produce the Plus-G. The original Rocket 4 Plus was an excellent drive when it launched, and Sabrent later quietly updated its flash to Micron’s 176-layer TLC without much fanfare. Phison has since made special firmware for DirectStorage, which requires this fast and reliable flash. Sabrent’s Rocket 4 Plus is the first SSD designed for DirectStorage with a customized version of this firmware, so it’s optimized for future gaming.
Still, newer drives like the SK hynix Platinum P41, WD Black SN850X, and Samsung 990 Pro are often a bit faster. Only one of those drives currently has a 4TB model available, though. Games that can use DirectStorage are also delayed, with the first game to use it, Forspoken, expected in early 2023. This makes the Plus-G seem stranded without any games that support one of its most important features, although our I/O+ firmware preview definitely showed superior performance in sustained workloads. This drive deserves a heatsink, but it’s currently sold separately. The MSRP on this drive, like with the SN850X and 990 Pro, is also a bit high.
Read: Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus-G SSD Review
Best NAS SSDs 2023
This drive is effectively an updated WD Black SN750, which was known for its consistent performance and good efficiency, but it’s tailored for NAS usage. That combination makes it a nice choice for a NVMe NAS SSD, especially when coupled with TLC up to 4TB.
The WD Red SN700 doesn’t offer anything special for the general user, but is great for use in a NAS. The underlying technology is also starting to show its age, but that maturity is important for critical storage systems like a NAS where performance isn’t as much of a focus. The WD Red SN700 also doesn’t have power loss protection, although that isn’t surprising as this drive isn’t for an enterprise application. However, the warranty and rated endurance are strong, which makes this a good buy for the right usage, which in this case is in a NAS.
Read: WD Red SN700 SSD Review
Best SATA SSDs 2023
You can get a SATA drive in the M.2 form factor, but most SATA drives are 2.5-inch models, which allows them to drop into the same bays that hold laptop hard drives. SATA drives are the cheapest and still the most popular.
If you don’t want to dish out big bucks on something in the NVMe flavor but still want strong SATA performance, the MX500 is a great choice. As an alternative to the Samsung 860 EVO, it offers similar performance and has a strong history of reliability. Usually priced to sell, the MX500 is a top value at any capacity you need.
Read: Crucial MX500 Review
Restrained by the SATA interface, but still need the absolute highest endurance and performance you can get? As the pinnacle of SATA performance inside and out, Samsung’s 860 PRO is the SSD to buy.
Like the Samsung 970 PRO, the 860 PRO uses Samsung’s 64L MLC V-NAND, which helps propel it to the top of the charts in our rounds of benchmarking and makes for some incredible endurance figures. You can get capacities up to 4TB, and endurance figures can be as high as 4,800 TBW. But with prices that are triple that of your typical mainstream SATA SSD, the 860 PRO is mainly for businesses with deep pockets.
Read: Samsung 860 Pro Review
Best Workstation SSDs 2023
The Samsung 980 Pro and WD_Black SN850 are our Best picks, but that doesn’t mean they are the fastest SSDs on the market. We know Optane’s DC P5800X is unearthly fast, but has limited capacity and doesn’t come in the same efficient M.2 form factor. The FireCuda 530, on the other hand, is available in capacities of up to 4TB, comes in that small M.2 form factor, and delivers incredible sustained write speeds for a flash-based SSD.
If you don’t have that deep of pockets for Optane, or maybe just want to out-benchmark your friends, the FireCuda 530 might be up your alley. Sporting Phison’s beastly, penta-core PS5018-E18 NVMe SSD controller and Micron’s fast 176-Layer TLC flash, the FireCuda 530 outperforms both the Samsung and WD across the board and it comes backed by better warranty and support service. However, its high-performance, endurance, and data rescue support add quite a bit to pricing, making it a very premium buy targeted for the professional crowd rather than the average gamer.
Read: Seagate FireCuda 530 Review
We have tested both the original version of this drive, which had a heatsink and 96-layer flash, as well as the updated Gaming version which has a heatsink and 176-layer flash. Inland also has updated this model with that flash and now offers a 4TB capacity option, sans heatsink for all capacities. We do recommend a heatsink for heavier workloads, which can be added yourself if you don’t fancy the Gaming model of Inland’s line or need a 4TB option.
The combination of the Phison E18 controller and 176-layer TLC flash from Micron is a match made in heaven: unrivaled peak performance and, with the right cache design as on the Gaming model, strong sustained performance. That is ideal for workstation tasks, and Inland’s drives are cheaper than competitor offerings while maintaining a decent warranty. This is a barebones drive but will get the job done.
Read: Inland Performance Plus Review
Best PCIe 3.0 SSDs 2023
Stepping back to older interfaces can save you some cash, and thankfully the PCIe interface is backward compatible, meaning even the two-generations-old PCIe 3.0 drives will work perfectly fine in a PCIe 5.0 slot — they just won't provide PCIe 5.0 SSD speeds. Given that PCIe 3.0 SSDs still offer plenty of speed for bulk storage, these offerings make a great value alternative if you need voluminous storage for pictures, videos and files that aren't in need of leading-edge response times. Overall, PCIe 3.0 SSDs offer far better performance than an HDD for bulk storage and come at lower pricing than newer SSDs, making them a good alternative for the value-conscious.
We're quite impressed with the Samsung 970 EVO Plus. Like the WD Black SN750, Samsung’s drive carries over the same controller as its predecessor. But instead of refreshing it with the same flash, Samsung decided to switch things up a bit with its new 9x-layer flash. Just as the flash is stacked to new heights, performance hits new highs, too. The resulting drive is exactly what its name says: a big Plus.
As the first widely-available retail SSD to hit the market with Samsung's latest 9x-layer flash, the Samsung 970 EVO Plus delivers the same performance as the 970 EVO, plus more. The drive consistently proved that it has some of the strongest write performance on the market and can handle tough workloads. It even beat out Samsung’s own 970 PRO in a few tests, which is quite the feat considering the PRO slots in as Samsung's workhorse for workstation-class applications.
Read: Samsung 970 EVO Plus Review
The Intel 670p is an older drive, but it is also a proven budget option that is often on steep sale. It’s best to grab it at 1TB or 2TB as the 512GB model is slower with a smaller pSLC cache. The drive has DRAM, which is nice, and it has the fastest QLC on the market even now. Performance outside of the cache does not suffer as much as a consequence. The cache itself is of a hybrid design which is more flexible so that the drive feels more comfortable at various fill states.
In our tests, the Intel 670p loaded Final Fantasy at the same speed or faster than competitors. It also finished just two places below the vaunted PCIe 4.0 Samsung 980 Pro in PCMark 10. Those are very respectable marks for a budget drive.
Intel is a known brand and their SSDs are generally reliable with a strong warranty and good support. However, this drive now falls under the Solidigm umbrella and has been succeeded by the PCIe 4.0 P41 Plus. That drive is DRAM-less and feels more like a sidegrade but has also been priced aggressively. However, if you don’t need the bit of extra bandwidth and would prefer a drive with DRAM, the 670p is a solid choice for a budget PCIe 3.0 SSD, especially for laptops.
Read: Intel 670p Review
Best DRAM-less SSDs 2023
DRAM-less SSDs come without their own local RAM memory on the storage device — instead, they leverage the memory present on the PC for their use. This results in slower performance, relegating these to use as value drives for tasks that aren't performance sensitive. That said, you can find great values in these types of drives, and they perform just fine for the majority of users with day-to-day workloads.
Powered by WD’s in-house four-channel DRAM-less architecture and packing the latest BiCS5 TLC flash, WD’s Black SN770 breaks the mainstream mold. Although its peak bandwidth is a bit limited due to its four-channel controller, the SN770 still trades blows with the best, dishing out sequential speeds of up to 5.15/4.9 GBps read/write and up to 740,000/800,000 random read/write IOPS.
Not only is the SN770’s peak performance exceptional, but its QD1 performance is also exceptional, meaning the drive is plenty snappy. With Game Mode enabled via WD’s SSD Dashboard, the Black SN770 can dish out random read speeds that rival the more costly Black SN850. It is also backed with the same endurance ratings and a five-year warranty.
Overall, the WD Black SN770 delivers exceptionally fast performance and is a solid choice for both gamers and mainstream users looking for a consistent-performing SSD at a reasonable price.
Read: WD Black SN770 Review
WD’s Blue SN570 is a solid choice for mainstream builders putting together a new system or even gamers on a budget. The Blue SN570 delivers snappy performance in most consumer work thanks to its BiCS5 TLC flash and an improved NVMe SSD controller design. This pairing makes for a forty percent improvement in sequential performance and solid gains in 4KB random read workloads, positioning it shoulder-to-shoulder against Samsung’s 980. However, at lower prices than the Samsung 980 and also backed with a solid warranty, support software, and decent endurance ratings, the WD Blue SN570 is an even better value.
Read: WD Blue SN570 Review
Finding Discounts on the Best SSDs in 2023
Whether you're shopping for one of the best SSDs or one that didn't quite make our list, you may find savings by checking out the latest Crucial promo codes, Newegg promo codes, Amazon promo codes, Corsair coupon codes, Samsung promo codes or Micro Center coupons.
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