Alright, fine, it won’t boost gaming performance like the best graphics cards might, but faster loading times are absolutely on the cards when you go for solid state storage over hard drives. In fact, booting and using Windows in general will feel snappier, so even if you end up using an HDD for backup storage, a good SSD should pretty much always act as your main drive. Happily, this is doable even if you’re on a tight budget, as even the best SSDs we’ve tested are often available on sale – and some, like the WD Blue SN570, weren’t that expensive to begin with. We’ve also found discounts on higher-end PCIe 4.0 SSDs, which can write data and load up games even faster.
The best SSD deals (UK):
Best SATA SSD deals:
Crucial BX500 deals: A great option for those building a PC on a budget, the BX500 is only slightly slower than its more expensive cousin, the MX500. We recommend going for the 480GB model over the 240GB one - for a mere £11 extra, you can double your storage space. Samsung 870 Qvo deals Our Katharine-approved pick for the best large-capacity SSD,the 870 Qvo comes in various capacities up to 8GB, while also providing some of the fastest read and write speeds you’ll find in a SATA SSD. That’s still only a fraction of the performance that NVMe SSDs can provide, but if storage space is more important to you than speed, the 870 Qvo is undoubtedly the way to go.
Best NVMe SSD deals:
WD Blue SN570 Probably the best all-round SSD, the SN570 offers a fantastic balance of storage, price, and lightning-fast read and write speeds. Its high-performance random read speeds make it particularly suited to gaming, outperforming even the more premium WD Black in this specific regard. Even if these are hardly massive discounts, money off is money off, with the 1TB model offering especially good value. WD Blue SN550
500GB - £40 from Laptops Direct (was £62) 1TB - £70 from Scan (was £84)
If you want to squeeze every last drop out of your budget while maintaining speedy load times, then the SN550 is a fair bit cheaper across all sizes than the SN570. With read and write speeds in the 2000MB/s range, it is somewhat slower than its replacement, although still orders of magnitude faster than any SATA SSD. A perfectly fine alternative to WD’s more expensive models. WD Black SN850 If you want one of the fastest SSDs going, the Black SN850 is a good bet. Its PCIe 4.0 interface offers a big jump over 3.0 performance, especially in writes. That said, the Blue SN570 isn’t a million miles behind on read speeds - the more important factor for gaming - so arguably remains the better deal, though £86 for the 500GB Black SN850 remains a very decent deal indeed. Crucial P5 Plus Samsung 970 Evo Plus Outside of WD’s Blue SN570, the 970 Evo plus is one of the best NVMe SSDs to use the PCIe 3.0 interface. The Plus version reachesonly marginally better read speeds than the standard 970 Evo, but has significantly quicker write speeds.
Best external SSD deals:
Samsung T5 Samsung T7 Touch Crucial X8
The best SSD deals (US):
Best SATA SSD deals:
Crucial BX500 Nothing fancy here: just a reliable, reasonably speedy SSD with some enticingly entry-level pricing. Check out the 240GB model if you’re saving every penny for the other parts in your rig, or pick up the 1TB model for a great-value solo drive. Samsung 870 Qvo
1TB - $110 from Best Buy (was $120) 2TB - $190 from Best Buy (was $215) 4TB - $390 from Best Buy (was $400) 8TB - $750 from Best Buy (was $800)
870 Qvo prices and stock levels seem to ahev stablisied, following some wonkiness late last year. As such, now is a fine time to maximise your PC’s storage capacity without settling for the sluggishness of hard drives.
Best NVMe SSD deals:
WD Blue SN570 Our favourite NVMe drive overall is finally getting a few dollars off in the States. The WD Blue SN550 is also on sale here and there, but unlike in the UK, tends to cost either the same as the equivalent SN570 model or only very slightly less. Why not, then, just stick to the newer and faster SSD? WD Black SN850
500GB - $110 from B&H Photo Video (was $160) 1TB - $170 from B&H Photo Video (was $240) 2TB - $330 from B&H Photo Video (was $500)
Got a PCIe 4.0-ready motherboard and more cash to spend? The Black SN850’s speeds are worth splashing out for, especially with a healthy range of capacities being on sale. Samsung SSD 980
500GB - $60 from Best Buy (was $70) 1TB - $100 from Best Buy (was $140)
Samsung’s rival to WD’s SN550 impressed Katharine with its incredibly fast transfer speeds. Currently on offer at Best Buy, the $10 discount the 500GB version might not water many mouths, but you can get a far more generous $40 off the 1TB version.
Best external SSD deals:
Samsung T7 Touch Samsung’s extra-secure SSD has deals on the 500GB and 1TB models, though sadly the 2TB edition is currently sticking to its MSRP. No matter - with its fingerprint scanner, it’s an ideal upgrade for anyone who wants to store more sensitive files alongside their game backups. Sandisk Extreme Portable SSD
500GB - $105 from Best Buy (was $140) 1TB - $140 from Best Buy (was $240) 2TB - $235 from Best Buy (was $350)
Some external SSDs are, despite their portability, meant to stay in the house. Not so much the Extreme Portable SSD, which combines high transfer speeds with a ruggedised, water-resistant casing.
