Best SSD 2024: Upgrade your PC or PS5 with these drives

The Gigabyte Aorus Gen5 12000 is the fastest SSD we’ve ever tested. It’s capable of a sequential read speed of up to 12,000MB/s, which is twice as fast as a large number of the SSDs currently available on the market.

The enhanced speeds are all thanks to the jump up to the new PCIe 5.0 standard, although this means you’ll need a cutting-edge PC to make use of its full potential, and so is wasted on consoles such as the PS5.

Not only did it prove to be excellently speedy when loading up games, but our tests also showed it to only take 37.40 seconds to transfer a 120GB file. New PCIe drives can suffer from overheating woes, but the Gigabyte Aorus Gen5 12000 has fortunately been paired with a solid heatsink to avoid this issue.

If you want the fastest possible performance, and have the necessary processor and motherboard to reap its full potential, then the Gigabyte Aorus Gen5 12000 is the best SSD you can buy right now.

Reviewer: Zak Storey
Full review: Gigabyte Aorus Gen5 12000 review

Most SSD makers are now focusing on making the jump to new PCIe 5.0 drives to take performance to new heights, but the Crucial T500 instead focuses on achieving the best SSD performance on the older PCIe 4.0 generation.

The Crucial T500 is the fastest PCIe 4.0 SSD we’ve tested, achieving sequential read speeds of up to 7400MB/s, which is pushing the absolute limit of the technology. It performed very well in our benchmark tests too, including the Final Fantasy XIV in-game speed test and only took 37.40 seconds to transfer a 120GB file.

It comes bundled with a heatsink, which is great to keep it cool and at an optimal performance level, but it’s unfortunately difficult to prise off if you want to use your own heatsink or you’re struggling to fit inside your PC. Fortunately, you are able to purchase the SSD without a heatsink to avoid this issue.

If you’re still using a PCIe 4.0 processor in your PC, then the Crucial T500 is the best SSD we’ve tested, delivering the fastest speeds we’ve seen from this generation.

Reviewer: Zak Storey
Full review: Crucial T500 Review

Purchasing an SSD can be a tad confusing for PS5 owners, as you need to make sure the speeds are just right to ensure a smooth performance without overpaying. The Kingston Fury Renegade SSD is our favourite of the bunch, with a fantastic balance of price and performance.

The Kingston Fury Renegade is a PCIe 4.0 SSD that’s capable of up to a 7300MB/s sequential speed, which is just shy of the performance of the Crucial T500.Our benchmark tests backed up its high performance claims, proving excellent across the board, including fast gaming load times and speedy file transfers.

The SSD comes bundled with a solid low-profile heatsink too, which allows it to to easily fit inside a PC or even the PS5.

If you’re looking for an SSD to upgrade your PS5 storage with, then we think the Kingston Fury Renegade SSD is the best SSD to go for. That said, this is still an excellent choice for PC gamers, as the performance isn’t too much different from the excellent Crucial T500.

Reviewer: Zak Storey
Full review: Kingston Fury Renegade SSD Review

The WD Black SN850 is one of the more affordable SSDs on this list, and represents superb value due to its excellent performance. It’s also frequently discounted, with the 1TB variation dropping as low as £118.99.

This SSD is compatible with PCs as well as the PS5 console, and it managed to get read and write scores of up to 7000MB/s and 5300MB/s, respectively. File transfer speeds were very impressive, with the 110GB Mortal Kombat 11 transferring over from another Gen 4 SSD at just 1.65GB/s.

There is a drawback to the heatsink model though, as the drive can get very hot during extended use. However, since the average person won’t be testing their SSD in this manner, we can’t see this being a huge issue for most people, even if it is something to be aware of.

Overall, if you’re looking to upgrade your setup but don’t want to break the bank, the WD Black SN850 is one of the best SSD options on the market, and since it can be found in 500GB, 1TB, 2TB and 4TB variations, you should be able to find a configuration and price that works best for you.

Reviewer: Aleksha McLoughlin
Full review: WD Black SN850 Review

The last few years have seen the emergence of handheld gaming PCs, with the likes of the Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally gaining popularity. But one of the downsides to having such a compact device is that there’s no room for a full-size SSD if you want to upgrade the storage. Fortunately, the mini dimensions of the WD_Black SN770M SSD makes it possible for you to boost the storage.

The WD_Black SN770M is available in various sizes, including 512GB, 1TB and 2TB. As the Steam Deck is only available with up to 1TB by default, this means you can effectively double the device’s maximum capacity. The one caveat is that the Steam Deck doesn’t have a spare M.2 slot, so you’ll need to replace the existing drive in order to fit the WD_Black SN770M inside.

Our benchmark tests show the WD_Black SN770M to offer up to a 5215MB/s read speed, which is far faster than any MicroSD card expansion will deliver. The SN770M does lag behind full-size SSDs built for a desktop PC, but that’s no surprise given the dinky dimensions here.

So if you’re looking to upgrade the storage of your Steam Deck, Asus Rog Ally or any other PC handheld, then the WD_Black SN770M is the best SSD you can buy for the job. But look elsewhere if you want a great value SSD for a desktop PC.

Reviewer: Zak Storey
Full review: WD_Black SN770M Review

The Samsung 860 Evo is capable of squeezing every last drop of performance from its old SATA interface. It’s important to note that anyone with a modern NVMe-compatible computer can benefit from the newer M.2 SSD standard, like the PNY XLR8 CS3140. However, Samsung’s solution is still perfectly serviceable and will be compatible with older setups that don’t support NVMe drives.

With the older SATA standard limited to 600MB/s speeds, the Samsung 860 Evo sees low read and write scores coming in at 550MB/s and 520MB/s, respectively. This means it’s not a great option for gamers, or anyone who wants speedy boot-up times and quick data transfer speeds.

But it will provide serviceable loading and transfer times for anyone who just wants a PC for basic productivity tasks. It’s also a great affordable pick for those who want plenty of storage space at an affordable price, with a fantastic range of configurations including 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB and 4TB. With so many options you should be able to find a price point and storage option that’s right for you.

Reviewer: David Ludlow
Full review: Samsung 860 Evo review