Also: The best gaming CPUs Solid state drives also have slimmer designs than HDDs, making them better suited for both desktop and laptop use, or even installation in game consoles and very thin laptops if you opt for an M.2 model rather than a SATA version. To help you find the right fit for your computer, I’ve rounded up the best SSDs you can buy. I’ve broken down their features as well as their price points to help you decide which is the best choice for your needs as well as your budget. You may think that all SSDs are pretty much the same, but the WD My Passport external SSD gives you the best balance between speed, performance, capacity, and price. You can choose capacities from 500GB to an impressive 4TB, giving you plenty of options for handling everything from documents and photos at home to huge game files that won’t fit on your console’s stock storage drive. You’ll get read and write speeds of 1050 and 1000MB/s, respectively, giving you much faster access to your most-used files and programs than a traditional HDD. And you can keep your personal information and work documents safe from prying eyes with both password protection and 256-bit AES encryption. And since it’s a portable, external SSD, the outer case is designed to protect the delicate components inside. It’s able to resist drops from as high as 6.5 feet as well as shocks and vibrations, meaning you won’t have to worry about your morning commute or a fall from your desk destroying your new SSD. If you’re wanting to snag an SSD without spending a fortune, the PNY CS900 is the best option. For less than $50, you’ll get 1TB of storage, which is more than enough to handle everything from school documents and family photos to large game files and video. It’s also sized perfectly for use in either desktop or laptop computers, letting you upgrade either your home tower or your mobile workstation on the cheap. And just because it’s budget-friendly, that doesn’t mean it skimps out on speed. You’ll get read and write speeds of 535 and 515MB/s, respectively, which is perfectly fine for everyday home or office use and accessing your most-used programs and files. For speed and reliability on the go, the SanDisk Extreme portable SSD is a great option. The external case is designed with mobile professionals in mind, providing IP55 dust and water resistance as well as resistance to falls, drops, shocks, and even airport X-rays. The case also has a built-in carabiner loop for attaching a lanyard to keep the drive close at-hand when you need it. You can choose capacities from as little as 500GB for everyday home and office use to an impressive 4TB for handling raw photo and video files as well as finished projects. You’ll also get read and write speeds of 1050 and 1000MB/s, respectively for faster access to your files, documents, and programs. And if you’re worried about prying eyes getting at your personal information or work documents when you aren’t looking, the SanDisk Extreme lets you set up both password protection and 256-bit AES encryption. For gamers looking to upgrade their desktop, gaming laptop, or console, the WD Black SN850 was built from the ground-up to be the best gaming SSD available. With capacities up to 2TB, you’ll have plenty of room for all of your favorite games in your library as well as new releases on your wishlist. And the compact form factor makes it easy to install in laptops and consoles. With ludicrously fast read and write speeds of 7,000 and 5,300MB/s, you can get near-instantaneous access to files, images, programs, and apps. This is perfect for content creators who need to make thumbnails, highlight reels, and merch designs and have to multitask with heavy-duty programs that lesser SSDs and HDDs can’t handle together. You can also download the WD Black Dashboard, which is a desktop app that lets you monitor read and write speeds, used and free capacity, and other performance metrics so you can catch issues before they can ruin your data. It can be difficult to find high-capacity SSDs, but the Samsung 870 QVO aims to give you more storage space than most people could ever need. At an impressive 8TB, you’ll have more than enough space for everyday files and documents as well as photos, videos, and games. The slim form factor makes it easy to install in both desktop towers and laptops, letting you quickly upgrade your current rig for a fraction of the cost of a new computer. With read and write speeds of 560 and 530MB/s, the Samsung 870 QVO is a faster, more reliable high-capacity drive than traditional hard disk models. And if you download the Samsung Magician app, you can optimize performance, update firmware, perform benchmark checks, and even set up encryption for your new SSD. A traditional hard disk drive operates similarly to a vinyl record turntable: you have the disc, an aperture arm, and a needle. The needle “reads” the information on the discs to access files and programs or boot your computer. And while HDDs are significantly less expensive than their solid state counterparts, they also come with a high risk of mechanical failure as well as slower read and write speeds. But if you want to prioritize cost and storage capacity, an HDD is the better choice since they’re less expensive and come in capacities up to 20TB.
