Best NVMe SSDs in 2023
The best NVMe SSDs will revolutionize your gaming experience, allowing you to blaze through loading screens faster than ever before. With performance improvements of up to five times that of traditional hard drives, you can expect ultra-fast load times and a virtually lag-free gaming experience.
From budget models to premium options, there are plenty of great NVMe SSDs on the market that can meet your gaming needs. Whether you’re looking for maximum storage capacity or blazing speeds, there’s an option available for everyone. We’ve rounded up the best NVMe SSDs for gaming so you can easily find one that fits your budget and your gameplay needs. So ditch that old hard drive and get ready for some serious speed – it’s time to upgrade your system with an NVMe SSD!
Products at a Glance
How do we pick the Best NVMe SSDs
The search for the best NVMe SSDs can be a daunting task. With so many products on the market, finding the right one that meets your needs can seem an impossible task. But don’t worry – we’re here to help.
We’ve researched dozens of varied models to determine which are truly worth investing in. Here are our top picks of the best NVMe SSDs that offer the aptest performance, storage capacity, and reliability. Whether you’re a gaming enthusiast or just looking for fast storage, these are some of the top-rated options you should consider when making your purchasing decision. Explore our list below and find out why they stand out from other drives on the market today!
Features and considerations
When buying an NVMe SSD, there are a few features and considerations to be aware of to ensure you get the best product for your needs. The first consideration is storage space. If you plan on storing large files such as videos, music, or games, then make sure to select a drive with enough SSD capacity. Additionally, it’s important to consider the read/write speeds of the drive. NVMe drives can deliver up to 3-5 times faster performance than traditional SATA III drives.
The second feature is the form factor. M.2 and add-in cards are two common formats used in laptops and PCs. Make sure your system supports either type before purchasing an NVMe drive. Finally, another key feature is the warranty: a majority of manufacturers offer at least three years of coverage for their products if any issues arise within that period.
Best NVMe SSDs in 2023
- Outstanding performance
- Incredibly fast
- Includes Samsung Magician software
- Heatsink and RGB options
- Costly
Samsung has improved the previous 980 Pro model. It has built a heatsink with RGB and included a new 4TB version set to release in 2023. These updates enabled Samsung to reclaim the SSD lead. The drive has an interesting warranty policy now and is one of the best SSD toolboxes available.
The model 990 PRO is manufactured on an M.2 Type-2280 (80mm long) “gumstick” printed circuit board and uses the NVMe protocol over the PCIe 4.0 bus. It’s made with Samsung MLC V-bit flash with a controller that Samsung claims is the first consumer SSD to use 8-nanometer architecture. If you’re looking for the best in the market I wouldn’t think twice and get this amazing SSD.
- A nice variety of capacities
- RGB available
- Good warranty
- Doesn’t have 256-bit AES encryption
The WD Black SN850X ranks second on our best NVMe SSDs list. It’s designed to offer exceptional performance with fast read/write speeds and low latency, making it an excellent choice for gamers who need to quickly access and store large files. With up to a 7,300MB/s sequential read speed, this drive can easily handle anything from 4K video editing to games that require heavy data loading. Additionally, the dual-drive interface offers flexibility so you can have both a system drive and secondary storage on one device.
The drive has solid NAND technology but it still falls behind its competitors. So, we think this could be improved in further versions. Moreover, the drive has a 112-layer TLC Flash storage, which helps deliver great endurance and reliability. The solid design ensures there are no weak points or areas where heat could build up during long gaming sessions.
- Up to 4TB options
- Great price
- 5-years warranty and software support
- Endurance could be better
The Crucial P3 Plus is one of the top contenders in the SSD market. This internal SSD offers impressive read and writes speeds, as well as a long lifespan compared to other drives. The best part is that it has a great performance-per-price ratio. For this reason, we’ve decided to choose this SSD as one of the top drives on a budget. If you care at all about getting the best performance for your buck, this is a perfect choice.
The Crucial P3 Plus has a PCIe Gen 4.0 interface with NVMe support, allowing it to reach read speeds up to 5,000 MBps in the 2TB version and 4,800 MBps in the 4TB version. Besides, it also comes with a five-year warranty from Micron—the parent company of Crucial—which is much more than what many other brands offer. In addition, it’s been tested for over five million hours without any failure or data loss incidents reported.
- Great performance
- Competitive pricing
- Amazing power efficiency
- It doesn’t have a heatsink
- Can run a bit hot
- Only up to 2TB
The SK Hynix Platinum P41 uses the latest NVMe SSD technology, providing users with an ultra-fast experience for their storage needs. This M.2 form factor drive offers read/write speeds of up to 7,000 MBps and 6,500 MBps respectively. It also comes equipped with two NAND packages of flash memory, making it capable of handling heavy workloads without breaking a sweat. With its low power consumption and cool temperatures during operation, the SK Hynix Platinum P41 is one of the best NVMe SSDs on the market today.
The SK Hynix Platinum P41 features excellent reliability thanks to its advanced error correction algorithms that prevent data errors from occurring when transferring large amounts of data.
SK Hynix uses its own Low Power Double Data Rate (LPDDR4) DRAM on the design of the P41, denoting that this is a dedicated DDR built for mobile devices with low power use. DDR for SSDs is generally used for metadata, particularly, mapping and addressing for translation between physical and logical data locations.
That’s all among the best NVMe SSDs currently on the market. The space has no sooner exploded thanks in part to their newfound inclusion among current-gen video game consoles, with Sony’s PS5 sporting its own proprietary iteration of the hardware. SSDs will only improve as time goes on, with needs exacerbating alongside them. While prices have somewhat changed, at least there are companies like WD_Black making affordable options for both new and old PC enthusiasts. Still, Samsung proves to remain the breadwinner in the space.
Should I replace my SATA SSD with NVMe?
If you have a motherboard that is compatible with an NVMe SSD then we recommend that you make the switch over from SATA. This will increase the overall speed and performance of your PC.
Are NVMe SSDs better than SATA SSDs?
Yes, NVMe offers drastically faster read and write times when compared to SATA SSDs. This significantly reduces load times and minimizes lag getting you into the action quicker.
Is it worth buying an NVMe SSD?
If you are looking to squeeze the most performance out of your rig then we recommend investing in an NVMe SSD. However, at its price point compared to SATA SSDs, the marginally improved performance can be a bit off-putting. If budget is an issue then SATA SSDs may be the right choice for you.
Our Verdict
There is a wide variety of SSD drives available on the market. Whether you are looking for an upgrade to your existing system or building a new one, all of the above-mentioned top-of-the-line drives offer unparalleled performance and reliability.
However, in conclusion, the Samsung 990 Pro ranks top of our best NVMe SSDs list. With its high performance, reliability, and affordability, the Samsung 990 Pro proves itself to be the clear winner. On the other hand, for users looking for unmatched speed and performance, the WD Black SN850X is a great option, as well. And, for those who are budget conscious and need a reliable storage upgrade, Crucial P3 Plus also proves to be a phenomenal choice.