Are you looking for the best Solid State Drives to enjoy high-quality games on PC smoothly? Read our reviews of the best SSD for gaming and buy the right one.
We have already reviewed the best speakers, the best RAM, and many other components, and now we have vitally important hardware not only to play but for the proper functioning of any computer: storage units. The best SSD for gaming that can improve your gaming experience on your desktop or laptop computers.
Users who decide to migrate to these more modern units will not face major setbacks, since they use the same SATA interface as HDDs, which makes them easily interchangeable, without having to resort to adapters or expansion cards.
Most SSD devices use Flash memory based on NAND ports, which allows them to retain data in case of interruption of electrical fluid.
What are the best SSD or Solid State Drives suitable for desktop and laptop gamers?
Although NAND Flash memory has indeed experienced a considerable increase in recent months, the price of SSDs has gradually decreased in recent years until it is available to almost anyone. They are no longer prohibitive; their use has been extended to all sectors and there are models with different capacities and benefits that fit almost all budgets.
In general, we are all quite clear about what an SSD is and how it works, but when it comes to associating it with gaming, there are still some myths that continue to generate certain doubts. That is why we wanted to make this special article structured in a question-and-answer format, in which we will help you to be clear about what SSDs contribute to a gaming team and what not. Before that let’s see some of the best SSDs on the market right now.
Samsung 970 EVO Plus SSD for Gaming
The 970 EVO Plus SSD disk is the improved version of the 970 EVO, making it much faster than its predecessor. It is powered by V-NAND technology and the latest firmware optimization. Maximize the power of NVMe bandwidth, with a capacity of up to 2TB and reliability of up to 1,200TBW. We delve a little more into these characteristics.
It is capable of reaching a sequential read and write speed of up to 3,500 and 3,300 MB per second respectively, making it 53% faster than the 970 Evo. And, as previously mentioned, it not only includes the newest V-NAND technology (which in turn brings greater NAND performance and greater power efficiency) along with optimized firmware but also includes a Phoenix controller and a powered Intelligent TurboWrite.
It manages to include up to 2 TB in a compact M.2 form factor (2280), greatly expanding storage capacity and saving space for use by other components. Given its performance, you have up to 1,200 TBW on hand with a 5-year warranty; Not to mention its resistance backed by the latest V-NAND technology and Samsung’s quality.
With its advanced controller with nickel coverage and its integrated heat diffuser, this product has a superior heat dissipation capability. Meanwhile, its Dynamic Thermal Guard monitors and maintains optimal operating temperatures automatically so that there are no dips in its performance.
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WD Black SN750 NVMe Internal Gaming SSD
This is another best SSDs for gaming PC users. Western Digital is a popular manufacturer of hard drives and data storage in the United States. The SSD WD Black SN750 NVMe disc manages to offer performance no less than spectacular for video game fans and those who are very focused on the type of hardware they are thinking of mounting or improving a computer.
The product can reduce the waiting time by improving the overall speed of the system as well as the loading times of games and levels, allowing you to quickly return to action and even play with a considerable advantage. It offers speeds up to 6 times faster than the fastest SATA SSD of the brand (Specifically, approximately 3,400 MB per second in terms of reading speed).
Likewise, it manages to offer twice the storage density of the previous generation, while its 64-layer NAND 3D technology allows this product to overcome storage limitations.
Its design is considered elegant, making use of a heat sink and making it one of the best options for those computers that accept the M.2 form factor and a perfect component for those systems with RGB lighting and cooling technologies, such as liquid.
It also has the WD Black SSD Dashboard that allows performance optimization, all thanks to the game mode feature that is included. This manages to disable the low-power mode of the SSD, making it work at full capacity during the most arduous game sessions.
+ PROS
- It has an excellent performance in terms of writing and sequential reading.
- Even without the heat sink, this product manages to reach controlled temperatures.
- Use of the WD Black SSD Dashboard to give a boost to the game sessions.
– CONS
- Its price requires consideration.
- Buyers comment that it could include some more firmware optimizations.
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Samsung 970 PRO Solid State Drive
This SSD Disk for gaming manages to provide outstanding performance, all thanks to its Samsung NVMe interface. It makes use of the latest V-NAND technology, together with the Phoenix controller and a compact size M.2 (O 2280), which makes this Samsung SSD manage to exceed many of the expectations that any user may have. It is an ideal product for terminals and computers that have to cope with very high workloads.
This SSD combines a state-of-the-art PCIe Gen 3 × 4 NVMe interface, along with the aforementioned V-NAND technology, the same generation, and the improved Phoenix controller that achieves read and write speeds of up to 3,500 and 2,300 MB per second. It could be said that it manages to be 30% faster than the previous model.
It offers up to 1,200 TBW, together with a 5-year limited warranty, allowing for a considerable yield of 50% more than the previous model. Likewise, its advanced nickel-plated controller, next to its heatsink, manages to achieve better heat dissipation, and its Dynamic Thermal Guard technology helps to automatically control the temperature of the unit and minimize the number of declines in performance caused by Overheating.
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Crucial P1 3D NAND NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
This is another best SSDs for gaming PC users. Crucial is one of several brands under which the Micron Technology company markets part of its products. This North American producer of memories and computer data storage has also been dedicated to dynamic random access memories, flash memories, and USB sticks.
The SSD Crucial P1 disk is highly recommended in case you want to move much faster to the action of the game or even store a large amount of data representing many precious memories, It has a good storage capacity (500 GB) with some Small dimensions of M.2 form factor. It has an accelerated performance thanks to the latest NVMe PCIe technology and is made to provide everything you can get from a highly updated storage device.
It has sequential read and write speeds that reach up to 2,000 and 1,750 MB per second, offered by the use of the aforementioned NVMe PCIe technology, and is backed by 40 years that Micron has been in the market developing various storage and memory technologies considered as some of the most advanced available. That, and not to mention the 5-year limited warranty that comes with this product.
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Adata XPG SX8200 Pro
Adata Technology is a memory and storage manufacturer located in Taiwan, founded in 2001 and with a product catalog consisting mainly of DRAM modules, USB sticks, hard disk drives, solid-state drives, memory cards, and mobile accessories.
From its XPG product line, focused directly on the video game market, we have the XPG SX8200 Pro SSD disk. Promoted as one of the fastest SSDs of the XPG line to date, it has been designed for computer enthusiasts, in addition to players and passionate about increasing clock speed.
This has a very fast PCIe Gen 3 × 4 interface and offers maximum read and write speeds of up to 3,500 MB and 3,000 MB per second, respectively, which in turn manage to exceed 6 Gb / s SATA. It has support for NVMe 1.3, which allows it to offer excellent random read and write performance as well as multitasking functionalities.
With its SLC caching, in addition to a DRAM cache buffer, E2E data protection, and ECC LDPC, this product manages to maintain high data speeds and integrity, even during extremely intense applications such as the representation of various games and the clock speed increase. Similarly, this disc has a black XPG heat sink with a thermal compound previously applied inside it for ease of assembly and a 5-year warranty.
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Samsung 860 Pro
This is another best SSDs for gaming PC users. The Samsung SSD 860 Pro disk is a product that will allow you to experience the reliability of what this company offers, having been designed initially with high-end computers, workstations, and NAS in mind. It has the most modern Samsung V-NAND technology and, along with this, an algorithm-based controller that can be described as very robust.
Its speed will remain constant even under heavy workloads, granting a sequential write speed of up to 530 MB per second and, thanks to the previously mentioned controller and V-NAND technology, a sequential write speed of 530 MB per second.
You can safely store and even render videos and 3D data that are used by the latest applications, in addition to having up to 8 times more TBW than the previous model, the 850 Pro. Its ECC algorithm and MJX controller are capable of generating very high speeds, while its TRIM command queue, which is improved, greatly favors its compatibility with Linux. And, of course, it is accompanied by a 5-year warranty.
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Intel Optane SSD 905P
At this point, Intel does not need any presentation; Similarly, it is convenient to remind some of this company a bit. Also known as Intel Corporation, this multinational and American technology company not only supplies processors to other computer system manufacturers, but also manufactures, among several products, network interface controllers and integrated circuits, flash memory, and graphics chips.
This SSD disk can offer read and write performance (specifically sequential speeds of 2,600 MB per second and 2,200 MB per second, respectively) highly optimized for workstations. Similarly, it manages to provide a good amount of 10 write operations to the unit per day (or DWPD), which translates into exceptional resistance.
The Intel Optane technology that contains this SSD disk is used to the fullest by having broader capabilities that encourage the user to manage large data sets and workloads with high demands on everything related to the storage I / O subsystem. And if that weren’t enough, make use of LED lights to illuminate your equipment.
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Crucial MX300 SSD for Gaming
This is another best SSDs for gaming PC users. Micron and its Crucial Memories line are one of the most recognized brands in the market. As for the segment that concerns us in this article, the MX300 is a product that does not go unnoticed.
In a market where all the components for computers seem to be destined so that their prices always point upwards, the value in the stores of this SSD is extremely competitive, especially when compared with that of other copies such as the Samsung 850 EVO.
It is capable of achieving up to 530 MB / s of sequential read speed, regardless of the type of file, while in writing it reaches up to 510 MB / s.
Another aspect that attracts attention is the saving of energy consumption that it offers: it requires an average of 0.75 V to operate, which is 90% less than Traditional Hard Drives, and an important difference if we decide to compare it with the Samsung SSD. This low consumption makes it ideal for those who like to go into gaming action on laptops.
It also has Micron 3D NAND Acceleration Technology, as well as dynamic writing, which speeds up file transfer times.
Micron delivers it with a 3-year warranty while ensuring that the device has a life expectancy of 1.5 million hours of use or 220 TB written (equivalent to 120 GB of written data every day, for five years).
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SanDisk Ultra II SSD for Gaming
Our ranking with the Best SSD Gaming Discs takes us back to California, in the United States, the headquarters of SanDisk, one of the largest conglomerates in the world in terms of manufacturing storage units, parents of Flash Storage Cards and USB Flash Drives, in addition to being participants in the development of CompactFlash, SD and Memory Stick Cards.
SanDisk Ultra II is a Solid State Unit that seeks to take the same slice of the market where the Crucial MX300 competes: domestic users who demand high speeds and high capacity (gamers included), and who want a reliable product at affordable prices.
SanDisk ensures that the Ultra II is the most resistant SSD unit on the market, being able to withstand shock-free proportions (such as the computer falling abruptly from the desktop), in addition to high temperatures without affecting its performance or putting at risk your integrity.
On the other hand, another of its characteristics is that using its two-layer architecture, it gets bursts of faster speeds.
It guarantees an energy saving of up to 15% compared to its competitors, which makes it an interesting option for those who play on their laptops.
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Kingston Digital SSD For Gaming
Again a product of the largest “independent” semiconductor company.
The Kingston SSD Now UV400 endorses the fame of its company to offer mid-range devices with performances that have nothing to envy to the “highest”.
While you may not be required to compete in a speed race with the Samsung 850 EVO, its performance is 10 times higher than that of traditional Hard Drives.
At the time of purchase, it includes a kit with everything you need to adapt without problems to the existing system, from a USB housing to transfer data, a 2 to 3.5-inch adapter to install it on desktops, and a SATA data cable.
Highly resistant to strong shocks and vibrations in general, so its operation in laptops will not be affected by any physical shock.
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HyperX Fury RGB SSD for Gaming
Kingston and its line of products designed for gamers: HyperX, could not be left out of our ranking with the Best SSD for gaming.
And like most products with this label, its quality and capacity please not only users of computer games.
The HyperX Savage offers a fairly high yield, which in the words of its designers, remains unchanged even if the device reaches full capacity. It has a Phison S10 controller with 8 channels and four cores.
At the time of purchase, it offers the option of including a kit ready with everything necessary for its installation and configuration: USB 3.0 housing for 2.5-inch data transfer, 2.5 to 3.5-inch adapter to adapt in desktop environments, SATA data cable, a screwdriver with several tips and Acronis, the software required for data migration.
It offers a fairly thin (just 7 mm thick) and low-profile design, which allows it to be used on any desktop or laptop computer.
Its exterior design does not go unnoticed, maintaining the characteristics of all HyperX products. There are even those who lament that such a striking device visually ends up inside the computer case with almost no chance of being admired.
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Do SSDs increase frames per second in games?
It is one of the most important questions and also the one that generates the most doubts; Can an SSD improve gross gaming performance? Many believe not but the reality is different.
An SSD unit can help improve the frame rate per second in games, although it is true that it has a minor impact and that in many cases the difference can be residual.
When we run a game it has to perform disk reading operations to load different elements such as textures for example, which can be quite heavy. In an SSD, access times are shorter and the load is carried out faster, which can help reduce the effects of “popping” and give the SPF a slight push.
We have already said it but we repeat it, the difference in terms of SPF is low (averages of 3 to 5 SPF) but it exists. In this case, the most important thing is the improvement in a load of textures and elements of the game, since it can improve the experience in many cases.
Is it true that SSDs greatly reduce loading times?
Yes, it is one of its most important advantages. A game can load up to triple as fast in an SSD thanks to its shorter access times and faster reading speeds.
To better understand this, it is enough to review these two data a little more thoroughly:
SSD:
- The average access time of 0.1 ms.
- The average speed of sequential reading is 500 MB / s.
- And the average random read operations: 10,000 IOPS (Samsung 850 EVO).
HDD:
- The average access time of 8 ms.
- The average speed of sequential reading is 150 MB / s.
- And the average random read operations: 83 IOPS (WD Black).
In games like GTA V, for example, the load of the synthetic performance test loads in 26 seconds using an SSD, while with an HDD of 7,200 RPM, it goes up to 55 seconds, an abysmal difference that extends to any new generation game in a greater or lesser extent
Taking into account that there are titles with quite frequent and relatively long loading screens (Destiny 2, Fallout 4, and Dark Souls III are three good examples) the advantage of using an SSD is obvious, since we will suffer less waiting and enjoy a better experience.
Is it bad to use an SSD to install games?
It is an important myth that is related to the write cycles that an SSD supports before entering the read-only mode.
Over the years, this type of storage unit has undergone a significant improvement in terms of stability and reliability, to the point that it is possible to find 500 GB units that support tens of terabytes of writing.
This means that their useful life is quite long and that we can use them without problems to install and uninstall games with relative frequency if we should worry.
However, in extreme cases, it is better to opt for HDD as a compliment if we are going to install and uninstall very heavy games every day.
Is it essential to buy a PCIe SSD?
Currently, most users use SSDs with the SATA III interface for a very simple reason; They are relatively inexpensive and offer an excellent level of performance.
With the arrival of the PCIE SSDs in their different versions (direct to the slot and M.2 ) a current has emerged that practically imposes the purchase of these to have a good experience of use, but in reality, it does not make sense.
The differences are indeed enormous since a SATA III SSD is around 500 MB / s and PCIE models reach 3,500 MB / s, but current games are not able to take advantage of these enormous speeds, which means that for any user The first option is more than enough to enjoy a optimal experience.
Best SSD for Gaming: Final notes
I think that having an SSD today is important and highly recommended. The only cases in which I contemplate the unique use of an HDD are in low-budget equipment in which storage capacity is essential, such as in low-cost gaming computers.
In case you have a small budget, I remind you that you can choose to combine an SSD and an HDD. The first should be reserved for the operating system and to install only the essentials, while the second would be an additional solution for everything else.
This will allow you to enjoy the best of both worlds; the operating system will “fly” and everything you have installed in the SSD as well, but you will not have to be constantly deleting and installing things since you will have the support of the HDD.