How to pick the Best SSD for your needs
SSD or Solid State Drives can breathe life into an old PC or laptop, or it could be used to take the performance of a new system to a whole new level. SSDs can also be used in gaming consoles like the PS4 Pro where you could improve your console’s memory to reduce load time and enhance its overall performance significantly. In summary, if you want to get the best out of your system – be it a new or an old one – an SSD is one of the best ways to achieve that.
How to buy the best SSD for your system?
With so many SSDs in the market, it can be very difficult to identify one that is perfect for you. One of the best ways of filtering through the hundreds of SSDs out there is determining what it is you really need from the SSD. What does that mean? Well, here is a scenario of one person who is simply looking for an SSD to revive an old PC and another guy looking to enhance his gaming laptop. While both individuals can get a notable improvement from the same SSD, getting one that is made with a particular task in mind like say gaming will improve the gamer’s experience dramatically as compared to a standard SSD.
You also need to look at storage capacity with the future in mind. Don’t just be clouded with your desperate need to improve your PC at the moment and settle for an SSD that you will be forced to upgrade in a year or so. We’d always recommend that you buy an SSD with a bigger capacity than you need at the moment. And yes, such a drive will probably cost you a significant amount of cash, but in the end, it’ll be a worthwhile investment that will serve you for quite some time.
Finally, you have to check the dimensions of the SSD. The last thing you’d want is to get super excited when your purchase is finally delivered only to realize that it cannot fit in your laptop or gaming console forcing you to start going through tedious return procedures. Make sure that the solid-state drive you are getting can comfortably fit into your PC, laptop, or console. You can even contact your PC manufacturer to inquire on whether the SSD you are eying can fit.
What’s the Best SSD?
The best SSD in the market today is the Samsung SSD 860 EVO. This drive features advanced V-NAD technology from Samsung, which has seen a tremendous boost in all computing and gaming functions. The SSD records incredible speeds of up to 550MB/s (read) and 520MB/s (write) thanks to the Intelligent TurboWrite Technology! With such insane speeds, your normal windows functions become seamless, browsing speeds are enhanced, gaming feels effortless, and your everyday tasks will just flow.
The following is a breakdown for the 860 EVO and other remarkable SSDs available out there:
Samsung SSD 860 EVO
The Samsung 860 EVO is a versatile SATA SSD that will work perfectly under different conditions. Whether you are looking to enhance the performance of a personal, business, or even a gaming PC or laptop, you will witness a massive improvement with the 860 EVO. Since the SSD was designed to meet virtually all needs, the manufacturer has made the SSD with different storage capacity. If you are just looking for a standard boost, you can choose between the 250GB, 500GB, and 1TB capacity depending on your needs at the moment and in the future. If it’s a business or gaming laptop/PC, you can invest in the 1Tb, 2Tb, or even 4Tb 860 EVO. The prices get higher moving up the ranks, but so does your storage capabilities.
To make sure that the SSD can work perfectly and consistently with different systems, the SSD is developed with ECC algorithm and MJX controller improving its communication with different hosts for smoother and faster performance. The Samsung 860 EVO can work comfortably with Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems.
The 860 EVO also performs really well when it comes to storing and rendering large high-res videos, including 4K movies and 3D data. This is made possible by the superior V-NAND tech that can deliver as much as 2,400 Terabytes Written (TBW). Take note that the warrantied TBW for these SSDs will vary depending on the capacity of the drive.
Using the SSD is also easier than ever, thanks to the Samsung Magician software. This gives you an intuitive interface from which you can manage the drive with ease. You will also be notified of the latest firmware updates in as they are rolled out. These updates should constantly improve the stability, compatibility, consistency, and overall performance of the drive.
Other Features
- Form Factor: mSATA, M.2, 2.5-inch
- Offers various security options including 256-bit AES encryption
Crucial MX500
The Crucial MX500 SATA SSD is another brilliant drive delivering blistering speeds to boost your PC’s performance for a smooth experience. Whether it is multi-tasking or handling heavy workloads, you will find the efficiency of the MX500 very useful. Your system will fire up in seconds, files will load almost instantaneously, and the most demanding of applications will breeze their way through your system in a manner you never thought possible.
The SATA SSD utilizes Micron 3D NAND technology to boost sequential Read and write speeds that can get up to 560MB/s and 510MB/s respectively. The technology really impressed us not just due to how fast it is but also on how it works so quietly and efficiently to keep your workstation quiet and your energy bills down.
Security is something that Micron takes seriously, and that’s why the MX500 is also developed with several security tools to safeguard your data. The SSD uses AES 256-bit encryption to protect your files. Meanwhile, a powerful Data Defense will constantly protect your videos, music, photos, and other files from getting corrupted. The manufacturer has also integrated a Power Loss Immunity feature that protects your data against accidental data loss resulting from unexpected power outages.
Installing the SSD is also super easy. Micron has even included an Install guide that will help almost anyone to install the SSD without breaking a sweat.
You can get the Crucial MX500 in different sizes ranging from 250Gb, 500GB, 1Tb to 2TB.
Other Features
- Form Factor: 2.5-inch
- Compatible with all PCs that can fit a 2.5-inch 7mm SATA drive
- Built-in durability
Kingston A400 SSD
The Kingston A400 SSD is another extremely fast solid-state drive engineered to fit in slim laptops or any other system with limited installation space. The SSD is available with various storage capacities starting from 120GB, to 240GB, 480GB, and 960GB. Although it is not available with massive storage capacities as is the case with our top 2 picks, it still offers a considerable amount of space that most users will find very comfortable to work with. It’s also the cheapest of the lot.
Through an advanced gen controller, this SSD will drastically cut your system and file load times. Read and write speeds can get as high as 500MB/s and 450MB/s, multi-tasking, and general computing will feel a lot smoother than you are used to. Your system will also become highly responsive, making you question traditional hard drives and everything they stand for.
The Kingston A400 utilizes flash memory, and it is also vibration and shock-resistant. This simply means that the SSD is much more durable and reliable as compared to hard drives and a majority of other clumsy SSDs found out there. Its well-thought construction and installation mechanism also makes it a very good option for highly mobile notebooks where it will remain functional without causing any damages.
The A400 is very quiet, and it is also backward compatible with SATA Rev 2.0.
Other Features
- Form Factor: 2.5” and M.2 2280
- SATA Rev 3.0 interface