NVMe drives are becoming more and more common. With the rise in popularity of PCIe Gen 4, they’re also getting faster and faster.
We’ve writtena detailed guide on how to install these tiny drivesto give your system a performance boost, and, if you’re contemplating which drive to buy, you might be stuck knowing which one to choose. We’re here with a helping hand, covering the best drives available for you - whether you prioritise storage, speed or reliability. Some even feature RGB, because, as every good PC gamer knows, RGB lighting means better performance.
There’s plenty more to understand regarding different generations of NVMe, whether your hardware is compatible and how much space you need to run one, and we’ve covered these queries in the section below our picks to help you choose the right drive.
For now, though, let’s dive into the top options we’ve tested.
Crucial T700 NVMe SSD
WD_Black SN850
Samsung 990 Pro
Kingston Fury Renegade 4TB PCIe Gen 4.0 NVMe
Crucial P5 Plus
Crucial P3 (2TB)
Corsair MP600 Mini
The Crucial T700 is PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD with eye-watering speeds up to 12,400MB/s sequential reads and 11,800MB/s sequential writes.
If you’re on the cutting edge and want the fastest NVMe around then the Crucial T700 is an eye-wateringly good option. This is a PCIe Gen 5 NVMe which will need the latest motherboard tech to run at max speed but is otherwise insanely good.
The T700 can manage speeds of up to 12,400/11,800MB/s sequential reads/writes making it twice as fast as Crucial’s own P5 gen 4 NVMe. It does need to be kept cool though, as under heavy load it may thermally throttle. So we’d recommend opting for the version with the heatsink (which is massive) to keep it running optimally. You’ll also need to ensure your system has good airflow. Otherwise it’s another winner from Crucial.
For bleeding-edge speed, this is a great choice.
If you’ve got a setup that can take a PCIe Gen 4 drive, there’s not much out there that can best this superb option from WD_Black.
The SN850 is blisteringly fast - read/write speeds can reach 7,000/5,300MB/s, so you’re looking at a big leap forward from older tech.
you’re able to get it with or without a heatsink, too, in case you’re a little worried about overheating in your build. It can be an expensive choice for bigger capacities, but this is a bleeding-edge option.
This excellent drive has nearly peerless speed.
Samsung has been one of the biggest names in the SSD spaces for some time now, and its latest flagship drive is a bit of a stunner.
With read/write speeds of up to 7450/6900MB/s, you will be blown away by its speed if you’re upgrading, and while it’s far from the cheapest option out there, Samsung’s pedigree makes it a very solid option.
This is a great drive with ultra-fast speed that runs cool and efficiently thanks to its heat sink. It’s not cheap, but it’s worth the money.
The Kingston Fury Renegade is available in two different formats, one of which includes this heatsink version.
This drive runs at up to 7,300 MB/s read speed. Which means ultra-fast transfer speeds.
We used this drive for both video files and for gaming and found it to be swift and reliable. It’s also great looking when installed in a gaming PC.
The largest ones are very expensive, but these are great-quality drives.
This is a fast, reasonably priced Gen 4 PCIe NVMe drive that’s backwards compatible with Gen 3 systems. What more could you want?
The Crucial P5 Plus is a great alternative for those looking for a PCIe Gen 4 drive. It’s not as fast as the SN850, but can manage as much as 6600MB/s read speed.
One simple thing we liked about this drive was the fact that it comes with the all-important M.2 mounting screw - something a lot of drives don’t. But it’s also fast, reliable and easy to use, too.
The Crucial P3 NVMe is a smart choice for affordable storage which you can rely on.
If you’re not too fussed about having PCIe gen 4 speeds or have an older motherboard then this Crucial option is a logical choice.
The Crucial P3 is available in sizes up to 4TB but it’s also surprisingly affordable at 2TB which is its main appeal.
For your money, you get up to 3,500MB/s read speed as well. Plus it has the all-important mounting screw included.
Superb M.2 2230 NVMe drive
This drive is ideal if you need a small form factor NVMe SSD.
If you need a smaller form factor 2230 NVMe SSD for your storage upgrade then the Corsair MP600 Mini might fit the bill. This is a more compact drive than the standard size and is ideal for things likeupgrading the storage of your Steam Deckor popping it into a small notebook.
Despite its small size, this is still a PCIe gen 4 drive that runs up to a reasonable 4,800MB/s read/write speed. It’s not as fast as the standard-sized drives out there, but it’s still very nippy and reasonably priced too.
How we chose these NVMe SSDs
We’ve tried and tested every SSD on this list, ensuring that they’re capable of the advertised speeds, as well as checking their build quality and ease of use. You wont find any questionable no-name parts here, just top SSDs from reputable manufacturers.
We take many things into consideration before adding an SSD to our list. This includes performance, value for money, brand reputation and consumer feedback. We also try to include a variety of options, ranging from affordable budget drives to high-end performance beasts.
How to choose an NVMe SSD
Buying an NVMe SSD isn’t quite as simple as buying the best available. There are a few other considerations that need to be made first to make sure you get the right results and aren’t wasting money.
Ensure your hardware is compatible
The first thing to do is make sure you actually have an M.2 slot available on your motherboard. Most modern laptops and desktops are able to support NVMe drives via an M.2 slot directly on the motherboard.
Sometimes you’ll find your motherboard has one, two, three or even four slots that can be filled up with drives. Check the specs of your motherboard via the manufacturer’s website to see what’s available or the manual to see where it’s located. See our guide onhow to build your own PCto see examples, as well.
What generation do you need?
There are currently two generations of PCIe NVMe available, Gen 3 and Gen 4. Both will run in an M.2 slot, but they won’t necessarily run at maximum speed.
If you have an older Intel or AMD motherboard, for example, you might only have a PCIe Gen 3 slot on your motherboard and even if you put a Gen 4 drive in there, it might be speed limited.
For example, the Intel 10th generation CPUs on Z490 motherboards are only capable of supporting Gen 3 speeds - around 3,000MB/s. If you put something like the Crucial P5 Plus in there it could only hit that speed, but in a newer motherboard - like Intel’s Z590 setup - it could hit double that speed at 7,000mb/s.
You’ll also pay more for Gen 4 drives than Gen 3, so it’s important to know what your machine can handle.
How much space do you need?
Another big question, and also important on the value front, is how much space you actually need. Are you looking to install chunky games to your NVMe?
The 500GB drives are cheaper to buy, but it’s surprisingly easy to fill these up, especially if you consider the massive install sizes of games like Red Dead Redemption 2, Call of Duty: Warzone and more. On the other hand, the 2TB, 4TB and 8TB options will set you back a small fortune.
What are you running?
NVMe drives can be used for many things. You can, for example,use this process to clone your Windows installationonto one and therefore make your PC boot up faster.
Installing games on these drives may also mean less time spent looking at loading screens and better responsiveness. If you’re transferring large files around a lot - like video files for example - then a faster PCIe Gen 4 drive will really make a difference and help make your workload more efficient.
There are many considerations to make before clicking that buy button, but, hopefully, we’ve helped ease the decision-making process.
