Best SSD for laptop in 2024 – our top picks
If you’re on the hunt for the best SSD for laptop, we’ve got you covered right here.
To improve the performance of your laptop, you need to invest in an SSD. Unlike traditional HDDs, an SSD offers significantly improved speeds, enabling swift application loading, improved boot Windows boot times, and an overall enhancement in system responsiveness.
In today’s market, NVMe M.2 SSDs have become the gold standard for laptops, boasting speeds of up to 6,600 MB/s. These high-performance SSDs are made for demanding tasks such as gaming, video editing, and content creation, delivering a seamless user experience. While SATA SSDs are also available, they lag behind their NVMe counterparts in terms of speed.
As the market is filled with SSDs, finding the right one for your laptop can get tricky. To help you kick off the search in the best possible manner, we’ve selected a few options we think are the best SSDs for laptop.
So, without any further ado, let’s dive into the list!
Products at a Glance
How we picked
We’ve used our expertise to explore the market and find the best SSDs for laptops. We selected the SSDs based on their performance, compatibility, and value for money they offer. We’re also constantly looking for new SSDs to add to our list, so make sure to check back here soon.
Product Reviews
- NVMe M.2
- 1 TB storage
- Read speeds up to 6,600 MB/S
- Write speeds up to 5,000 MB/S
- Overkill if not used for demanding tasks
If you want an SSD for your laptop that ticks all the boxes of a premium and high-performing storage device, we’d recommend the Crucial P5 Plus.
To begin with, the Crucial P5 Plus is an NVMe M.2 SSD, which is much better than SATA M.2 SSDs when it comes to performance. As it is a high-performance SSD, it offers a read speed of up to 6,600 MB/s and a write speed of up to 5,000 MB/S. On top of that, the SSD also comes with adaptive thermal protection, dynamic write acceleration, error correction, and NAND technology. This makes the Crucial P5 Plus an excellent choice for tasks like gaming, video editing, and content creation.
When it comes to storage capacity, the variant we selected gives you 1TB of storage, which will be more than enough for most people. But depending on your needs and budget, you can also opt for either the 500GB variant or the 2TB variant if you have some extra cash in your pocket. The Crucial P5 Plus is also backward compatible, meaning you can use it with a Gen3 system.
Overall, the Crucial PS5 Plus is the best SSD for a laptop due to its performance. We even think that it deserves to be one of the best NVMe SSDs.
- Budget option
- Smart technology and LDPC algorithm
- Storage may be low for some users
- Speeds are not ideal for demanding tasks
Even though SSDs are much better than HDDs in terms of performance, you don’t always have to spend a fortune on them. If you’re tight on a budget, you’d want to check out the HP S750, which we think is the best budget SSD for a laptop.
When it comes to transfer protocol, the HP S750 is a SATA III. As far as performance is concerned, it offers a read speed of up to 560 MB/s paired with a write speed of up to 520 MB/s. Sure, these speeds aren’t that amazing, but this is what you’d get from a budget SSD.
The HP S750 also features a 4-channel controller. On top of that, it supports Smart technology and LDPC algorithm, which improves its life. The outside of the SSD is also pretty solid, as there’s a metal shell with no moving parts inside. As it works flawlessly in shocks and vibrations, you won’t have to worry about losing any data.
As for storage capacity, the variant we selected offers 512GB of storage, but you can also go for the 256GB or 1TB variant. Overall, we think the HP S750 is a great option and is on par with some of the best budget SSDs.
- High write and read speeds
- SanDisk Memory Zone app
- 2TB storage
- Up to three-meter drop protection
- Expensive
- Speed not as high as internal SSDs for the price
If you’re always traveling and are looking for a portable SSD for your laptop, you’d want to check out the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD, which we think deserves to be one of the best portable SSDs.
When choosing a portable SSD, you want to ensure it’s solid enough to handle a fall or hit. As for the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD, it has up to three-meter drop protection and offers IP56 water and dust resistance. In short, you can carry it around easily without worrying about the device getting damaged. There’s also a carabiner loop on the SSD in case you want to attach the drive to your backpack or belt loop.
For data management, you can use the SanDisk Memory Zone app. This allows you to unlock, access, and back up your phone’s files in one location. On top of that, the app will also automatically move files from your phone to your SSD to make sure your storage doesn’t get full. As far as its performance is concerned, it offers a read speed of up to 1050 MB/s and a write speed of up to 1000 MB/s, which is pretty decent for a portable SSD.
Overall, the SanDisk Extreme is the best portable SSD for laptop. The variant we selected comes with 2TB of storage, but you can also opt for 500GB, 1TB, or 4TB, depending on your budget and needs.
- SATA III
- Samsung Magician software compatible
- TBW rating of 2,400
- Speed not as good as NVMe M.2 SSDs
If you’re on the hunt for the best SATA SSD for laptop, we’d recommend checking out the Samsung 870 EVO SATA III SSD.
Samsung is known for creating some of the best SSDs, and their 870 EVO does not disappoint when it comes to performance. For starters, it has a read speed of up to 560 MB/s and a write speed of up to 530 MB/s. On top of that, it has a 2.5-inch form factor, so it will easily fit inside your laptop.
Managing the SSD is also pretty easy, thanks to the Samsung Magician software. This software helps you manage the data, keep your drive updated, boost its performance, and monitor its health. On top of that, it has a TBW rating of 2,400, meaning it can write 2,400 TB of data over its lifetime.
Overall, the Samsung 870 SATA III is a great choice for those who want a SATA SSD for gaming, content creation, or other similar tasks.
How to pick the best SSD for laptop
Choosing the best SSD for a laptop is not as simple as just buying the one with the biggest price tag. Instead, you need to carefully look at its specs, performance, and the value for money it offers. Here are a few things to consider before making a purchase.
Storage capacity
Make sure to go for a capacity that matches your needs. If you won’t be dealing with a lot of data, it will be better to opt for a 512GB or 1TB SSD. But if you’re planning to download several games, install multiple software, and keep some data stored, you’d want to go for at least a 2TB SSD.
Performance
SSDs are all about performance, but not every device is the same. For instance, NVMe SSDs provide faster speeds compared to SATA SSDs, but they also come with a bigger price tag. If you’re on a budget, sticking to a SATA SSD would be a better choice. But if money is not an issue, you should go with an NVMe M.2 SSD.
Lifespan
The lifespan of an SSD is measured in TBW. This indicates how much data can be written on the storage device over its lifespan. If you want something that will last for years, go for an SSD with a TBW rating of 2,000 or above. This means that it will be able to write 2,000TB of data over its lifetime.
Additional features
Some SSDs, mostly the premium ones like the best SSDs for gaming, come with additional features, such as heatsinks to control their temperatures, power loss protection, hardware encryption, and dedicated software. So, if you’re spending a good amount of money, make sure to choose an SSD that comes with at least a few of these features.
Do SSD get slower over time?
Yes, SSDs can get slower over time. They may be high-performance storage devices, but they have non-volatile memory. Because of this, they become less reliable as time passes.
Our Verdict
We think the Crucial P5 Plus is the best SSD for laptop. It is an NVMe M.2 SSD with a read speed of up to 6,600 MB/s and a write speed of up to 5,000 MB/s. This makes it a solid choice for demanding tasks like gaming, video editing, and other tasks. On top of that, it also comes with adaptive thermal protection, dynamic write acceleration, error correction, and NAND technology, which further adds to its glory.