Best SSD deals for gaming today

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

Though not the most spacious SSD, it's still hard to beat on value alone. Add to that the fact this DRAM-less drive is well suited to being a place to stash your operating system alongside a few games from your ever-growing Steam backlog, and that price just makes sense.

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

Price Check: Newegg $94.00 | B&H Photo $79.99

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 at this price, it's a great way to boost your Steam Deck's storage and get a handy speed bump. There are cheaper 2230-size SSDs to be found but they're not as fast as this one.

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

Price check: Newegg $93.99

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: Newegg $114.95 | Amazon $114.95

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

Price check: Newegg $99.99 (backordered)

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: Newegg $109.99 | Best Buy $109.99 | B&H Photo $109.99

One of the best PCIe 4.0 offers in terms of performance (check out our review). That makes it a great fit for a boot drive with space to spare for your game library but while it's super fast and reliable, prices are really volatile.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 7,300 MB/s read | 6,600 MB/s write

Price check: Newegg $169.99 | Best Buy $199.99

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: Newegg $179.99 | Amazon $184.00

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 $149.00

Samsung's 990 Pro is a very solid SSD (read our review), albeit pricey for what it is. It's 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: Newegg $169.99 | B&H Photo $229.99

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

Price check: Newegg $349.95

It's a fair chunk of cash for a slow SSD but if you're looking for lots of storage and don't need a blazing NVMe drive, then this is one of the cheapest ways of putting a 4 TB SSD in your gaming PC. Just don't expect it to sustain full speed under heavy workloads and you'll be fine.

Key specs: 2.5-inch | SATA III 6 Gb/s | 560 MB/s read | 510 MB/s write

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; plus it comes from a reliable brand.

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

Price check: Amazon $296.97

This is a good drive for bulking out your storage, especially for a Steam library. It uses QLC NAND than its sibling, the slightly more expensive MP44, and that means it is a bit slower when it gets down to the raw NAND speeds, but thankfully that won't happen 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

This Team Group boasts some mighty specs for the money, though it's actually the same hardware as in the Lexar NM790. The sequential read/write speeds are extremely high but it can only sustain them over short bursts. At this price, it's well worth putting up with that limitation. Read our full review of this SSD for more info.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 7,400 MB/s read | 6,900 MB/s write

Price check: Newegg $330.99 (backordered)

Ignore the lack of discount and just focus on the fact you're getting 4 TB of one of our historical favorite gaming SSDs (check out our review) for a reasonable price. If 4 TB still isn't enough for you, then there's the 8 TB version of the SN850X, but at $600, it's more than double the price of two 4 TB drives.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 7,300 MB/s read | 6,600 MB/s write

Price check: Newegg $325.00 | Best Buy $349.99

And here's that usually very pricey, larger capacity model. We love the 1 TB version of this SSD (check out our review), but at over $600, this 8 TB SSD often costs more than double the price of two 4 TB drives.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 7,300 MB/s read | 6,600 MB/s write

Price check: B&H Photo $679.99 | Amazon $679.99 | Best Buy $679.99

Our top pick for the best budget external SSD. Not only does this external drive maintain its peak transfer speed for over six minutes, 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 $94.99 | Best Buy $94.99

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

Crucial is a big name in SSDs, and the Micron-owned brand is offering a small saving on this 2 TB 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.

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

Price check: Newegg $198.04 | Best Buy $109.99

Samsung's external drives have a better recent history than its internal SSDs, so we've no hesitation in recommending the T7 for any professional looking for a large amount of storage that can be safely taken from place to place. They're designed to be rugged and fast, a potent combo. Oh, and they're available in three colors. Don't forget that you'll need to have a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port in your PC to get the best speed.

Key specs: USB 3.2 Gen2 | 1,050 MB/s read | 1,000 MB/s write

Price check: Best Buy $144.99 | Amazon $144.99

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 the 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.

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

Price check: Amazon $281.14 | Newegg $280.00 | Newegg (blue version) $219.99

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.

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

Price check: Newegg $619.99

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

This is one of our favourite SSDs for gaming right now. Unlike the cheaper SN770, the SN850X encapsulates the best PCIe 4.0 offers in terms of performance (check out our review). That makes it a great fit for a boot drive with space to spare for your game library, and at this price, we're happy to pay the premium for its higher speed.

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

Price check: Scan £99.98

This SSD is definitely a good bit slower than the newer SN5100 model. Still, plenty of space at this price point might make the compromise worth your while.

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

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 here). 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: PCIe 4.0 | 7,250 MB/s read | 6,900 MB/s write

Price check: Scan £269.98

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

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 £105.99 on Amazon.

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