Best SSD deals for gaming today

This 2230-size SSD isn't discounted in any way, but it's a very cheap way of sticking a new drive in a handheld gaming PC. Don't expect anything in the way of frills or blistering speed, though.

Key Specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 5,000 MB/s read | 4000 MB/s write

At this capacity, the G50 hardly fits the bill for a gaming drive or even a main storage drive. Still, it should be fine for a scant few documents or other small files kept away from your boot drive.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 5,000 MB/s read | 5000 MB/s write

Definitely a budget drive and slower than its newer SN5100 model. But this is 1 TB for almost a 512 GB kind of price. If you just want a cheap SSD for a budget PC build, then this is the one to go for.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 5,150 MB/s read | 4,850 MB/s write speed

Price check: Amazon $82.99

Okay, so our tests demonstrate it's slightly slower than the advertised speeds, but the actual sequential performance still isn't bad. Couple that with a very reasonable price point, plus its practically frosty temps, and you might well be looking at your next upgrade.

Key specs: NVMe | 7,400 MB/s read | 6,500 MB/s write

Price check: Newegg $155.99

Crucial's performance claims are very much peak values, and the real-world numbers are generally lower (as we found when we reviewed the 2 TB version), but it's the best way to boost your Steam Deck's storage and get a handy speed bump, at the moment.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 7,100 MB/s read | 6,000 MB/s write

Price check: Newegg $123.00

Samsung's relatively new 990 Evo Plus range has a lot going for it (check out our review), but its launch price was too high. This deal goes a long way to rectify that, and along with Samsung's excellent Magician software, it's a really solid SSD to stick in any gaming PC.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 7,150 MB/s read | 6,300 MB/s write

Price check: Newegg $169.85

Samsung's 990 Pro is a very solid SSD (read our review of the 2 TB model). Its reputation was previously damaged due to some drives dying unexpectedly, but that's since been resolved with firmware updates. If you simply must have a Samsung SSD, then this one is pretty good, but there are better options out there, too.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 7,450 MB/s read | 6,900 MB/s write

Price check: B&H Photo $109.99 | Best Buy $109.99 | Newegg $139

This is still one of our favorite SSDs for gaming, despite the strong competition and volatile prices. Unlike the cheaper SN770, the SN850X encapsulates the best PCIe 4.0 offers in terms of performance (check out our review). Use promo code SSE3357 to get the full discount.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 7,300 MB/s read | 6,300 MB/s write

Price check: Newegg $114.99 | Best Buy $124.99

For anyone looking for a cheap, spacious drive offering serious performance, this is a genuinely brilliant SSD for the money. Our review of the 4 TB version clearly shows just how good it is.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 7,400 MB/s read | 6,500 MB/s write

Price check: Newegg $149.95

Though left in the dust by fellow PCIe 5.0 drive, the WD Black SN8100, Crucial still can't be beat when it comes to balancing price against performance. Though not the speediest internal SSD, the P510 still offers proper Gen 5 performance for the cost of a Gen 4 drive—check out our full review.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 5.0 | 11,000 MB/s read | 9,500 MB/s write

Price check: Amazon $138.99

It's the best PCIe 5.0 gaming SSD money can buy right now, thanks to its blistering speed and excellent power and thermal efficiency. Alas, it's also very expensive compared to a typical, fast Gen4 drive.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 5.0 | 14,900 MB/s read | 14,000 MB/s write

Price check: Amazon $159 | Best Buy $169.99

This Team Group drive isn't the fastest compact SSD you can stick in your Steam Deck, but it is one of the cheapest 2 TB drives you'll be able to find for your wee handheld gaming PC. And it will also be a little quicker than the stock drive the Deck ships with, too.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 5,000 MB/s read | 3,500 MB/s write | Steam Deck + ROG Ally compatible

Price check: Newegg $200.86

Samsung's relatively new 990 Evo Plus range has a lot going for it (check out our review), but its launch price was too high. This deal goes some way to rectifying that, but for a DRAM-less SSD, it's still a bit pricey. If you're a fan of Samsung's excellent Magician software, then it's worth considering, but there are SSDs for less money that are just as good.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 7,250 MB/s read | 6,300 MB/s write

Price check: Newegg $257.95

Presenting only small gains over the SN850X, this SSD is no slouch and still offers some of the best-in-class 4K read performance (read our full review of the 1 TB model). Though this drops the DDR4 DRAM cache and instead opts for a single-sided drive design, it's still got the same versatile form factor that perfectly suits this heat-sinkless drive to PCs, consoles, and laptops.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 7,250 MB/s read | 6,900 MB/s write

Price check: Amazon $189.99 | B&H Photo $189.99

Samsung's 990 Pro is a very solid SSD (read our review), albeit pricey for what it is. Its reputation was damaged due to a habit of dying unexpectedly, but that's been resolved with firmware updates. If you really must have a Samsung SSD, then this one is pretty good, but there are better options to be found.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 7,450 MB/s read | 6,900 MB/s write

Price check: B&H Photo $189.99 | Newegg $229.95

This budget SSD is packing in a lot of space for just under $0.05 per GB, and while it might be QLC memory and comes without DRAM cache, it's still an impressively quick drive for the money, with strong sequential performance.

Key specs: PCIe 4.0 | Up to 7,100 MB/s read | up to 6,000 MB/s write

Price check: Newegg $195

Though left in the dust by fellow PCIe 5.0 drive, the WD Black SN8100, Crucial still can't be beat when it comes to balancing price against performance. Though not the speediest internal SSD, the P510 still offers proper Gen 5 performance for the cost of a Gen 4 drive—take a look at our full review.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 5.0 | Up to 11,000 MB/s read | Up to 9,500 MB/s write

Price check: Best Buy $209.99 | Newegg $249

It's the best PCIe 5.0 gaming SSD money can buy right now, thanks to its blistering speed and excellent power and thermal efficiency. Alas, it's also very expensive compared to a typical, fast Gen4 drive.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 5.0 | 14,900 MB/s read | 14,000 MB/s write

Price check: Newegg $249.99 | Best Buy $249.99

This might not be the fastest of drives, but it's difficult to argue with this much storage for this price. With a sequential read/write of 5,000 MB/s and 4,500 MB/s, it's still not what you'd call slow and should be fine for gaming, and it comes from a reliable brand.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 5,000 MB/s read | 4,500 MB/s write

Price check: Newegg $293.79

This is a good drive for bulking out your storage, especially for a Steam library. It uses QLC NAND rather than TLC, which the slightly more expensive MP44 uses, and that means it is a bit slower. Thankfully, that won't really be a problem unless you're moving huge files around on the regular.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 7,400 MB/s read | 6,200 MB/s write

Price check: Newegg $290.99

At more than twice the price of two 4 TB SSDs, it's only worth considering this Lexar drive if you need huge amounts of fast storage, but don't have enough M.2 slots on your PC's motherboard to have multiple SSDs. As expensive as it is, it's actually the cheapest 8 TB NVMe at the moment.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 7,000 MB/s read | 6,200 MB/s write

Not all external SSDs need to be big and bulky. This Team Group PD20M is just 40 g in weight and 8.2 mm thick, making it very portable. It's also MagSafe-compatible, so you can attach it to the back of an iPhone and extend its storage, with an appropriate cable. As with all fast external SSDs, you'll need a USB 3.2 Gen2x2 (20 Gbps) port to get the full speed.

Key specs: USB 3.2 Gen2x2 | 2,000 MB/s read and write

Small, light, and very fast in the right USB port, this little SSD might be all you need for your external storage requirements. While we didn't think it offered a great amount of drop resistance in our review, the SD810 is rated to IP68, so it'll fend off dust and water ingress nicely.

Key specs: USB 3.2 Gen2x2 | 2,000 MB/s read and write

Price check: Newegg $243.99

Our top pick for the best budget external SSD. Not only does this external drive maintain its peak transfer speed for over six minutes, but it's also dinky enough to attach to the end of your lanyard. Thumb drive, who? But without a hard-wearing, shock-proof shell, or even an IP rating for dust protection, perhaps you're better off treating this budget drive like a little prince.

Key specs: USB 3.2 Gen2 | 1,050 MB/s read and write

Price check: Newegg $99.99 | B&H Photo $101.99 | Best Buy $101.99

Not only is this a nippy external SSD, but it also sticks darn close to those advertised peak speeds seemingly endlessly. It does this without getting all that toasty either, thanks to Samsung's "Dynamic Thermal Guard."

Key specs: USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 | 2,000 MB/s read and write

Price check: Newegg $145.78

This drive comes in an anodized aluminium shell with a rubberized base and is just 65 x 50 mm. There's an integrated lanyard hole too, if you want to wear it, which hides a drive activity light.

Key specs: USB 3.2 Gen2 | Up to 1,050 MB/s read and write

Price check: Newegg $169.99 (OOS) | Best Buy $184.99

This external SSD is the fastest we've tested, both in terms of sustained write speeds and also RND4k performance (which is great for gaming). It looks and feels like a premium part too. Just make sure you have a 40 Gbps USB4 port that can make good use of it before you pull the trigger, otherwise you're just wasting a lot of money.

Key specs: USB4 40 Gbps | 3,800 MB/s read / 3,700 MB/s write

Price check: Newegg $318.85 | Amazon $319.99

We've said it once, so we'll say it again: fast both in terms of sustained write speeds and also RND4k performance, this is a particularly premium feeling external gaming SSD that typically comes with a price tag to match. It's a huge amount of money, but it's also a huge amount of storage.

Key specs: USB4 40 Gbps | 3,800 MB/s read | 3,700 MB/s write

Price check: Amazon $659.99

Looking for a small, budget SSD just to host the operating system and nothing else? This WD Blue is priced just right for what it is, as long as you're not expecting the very fastest of NVMe storage.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 5,000 MB/s read | 4,000 MB/s write speed

For just storing documents, this small SATA SSD is a lot faster than a traditional HDD, and Lexar makes reliable and robust SSDs. You're still better off getting an NVMe M.2 SSD for games and your operating system, though.

Key specs: 2.5-inch | SATA 6 Gb/s | 550 MB/s read | 520 MB/s write

Okay, so our tests demonstrate it's slightly slower than the advertised speeds, but the actual sequential performance still isn't bad. Couple that with a very reasonable price point, plus its practically frosty temps, and you might well be looking at your next upgrade.

Key specs: NVMe | 7,400 MB/s read | 6,500 MB/s write

This SSD is no slouch and still offers some of the best-in-class 4K read performance (read our full review here). Though this drops the DDR4 DRAM cache and instead opts for a single-sided design, it's still got the same versatile form factor that perfectly suits this heat-sinkless drive to PCs, consoles, and laptops.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 7,250 MB/s read | 6,900 MB/s write

Okay, so our tests demonstrate it's slightly slower than the advertised speeds, but the actual sequential performance still isn't bad. Couple that with a very reasonable price point, plus its practically frosty temps, and you might well be looking at your next upgrade.

Key specs: NVMe | 7,400 MB/s read | 6,500 MB/s write

Prices for the XS70 are some of the most variable I've seen for an SSD, so it's perhaps worth waiting to see if the price dips again before picking one up. It packs rather a large bang for your buck with its fast read and write times, at least. While the software side of things may be a little lacking, we were impressed with this drive's overall performance and value proposition.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 7,300 MB/s read | 6,800 MB/s write

What it lacks in outright NVMe speed, this SN5000 more than makes up for with cost-effective capacity. This is the best way to add lots of cheap storage to your gaming PC.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 5,500 MB/s read | 4,000 MB/s write speed

This large capacity SSD is packing in a lot of space for just under £0.08 per GB, and while it might be QLC memory and comes without DRAM cache, it's still an impressively quick drive for the money, with strong sequential performance.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 7,100 MB/s read | 6,000 MB/s write

Crucial is a big name in SSDs, and the Micron-owned brand is offering a small saving on this 1TB external model. The drive comes in an anodized aluminium shell with a rubberized base and is just 65 x 50 mm big. There's an integrated lanyard hole too, if you want to wear it, which hides a drive activity light. If this isn't enough storage for you, the 2 TB version is only £119.99 on Amazon.

Key specs: USB 3.2 Gen2 | 1,050 MB/s read and write

Small, light, and very fast in the right USB port, this little SSD might be all you need for your external storage requirements. While we didn't think it offered a great amount of drop resistance in our review, the SD810 is rated to IP68, so it'll fend off dust and water ingress nicely.

Key specs: USB 3.2 Gen2x2 | 2,000 MB/s read | 2,000 MB/s write

If you need a small external SSD but don't want to sacrifice capacity or performance, then Crucial's X10 Pro is a great choice. It's the same size as the X6 model but has double the read/write performance, though you will need to plug it into a 20 Gbps USB port to reach full speed.

Key specs: USB 3.2 Gen2x2 | 2,100 MB/s read | 2,000 MB/s write