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The best SSD deals: Samsung, Crucial, WD deals and moreSolid deals on solid state drives
Solid deals on solid state drives
Every gaming PC needs a place to stuff the games. And the OS. And all the other applications, files and whatnot. In ye olde days a mechanical hard drive would suffice, but now it’s a much wiser move to equip your build with an SSD for drastically superior speeds. And where better to find the right one than our guide to the best SSD deals?Get the best Cyber Monday SSD deals right now:Best SATA SSD deals (UK)Best NVMe SSD deals (UK)Best external SSD deals (UK)Best SATA SSD deals (US)Best NVMe SSD deals (US)Best external SSD deals (US)Alright, fine, it won’t boost gaming performance like thebest graphics cardsmight, 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 thebest SSDswe’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:SSD specs:2.5in form factor, 540MB/s seq read, 510MB/s seq writeCrucial BX500 deals:240GB - £30 from Amazon (was £36)480GB - £41 from Amazon (was £55)1TB - £68 from Amazon (was £92)2TB - £135 from Amazon (was £186)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.SSD specs:2.5in form factor, 560MB/s seq read, 530MB/s seq writeSamsung 870 Qvo deals2TB - £160 from Amazon (was £171)4TB - £277 from Amazon (was £321)8TB - £560 from Amazon (was £651)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:SSD specs:PCIe 3.0 interface, 3500MB/s seq read, 3000MB/s seq writeWD Blue SN5701TB - £56 from Amazon (was £59)1TB - £90 from Amazon (was £93)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.SSD specs:PCIe 3.0 interface, 2400MB/s seq read, 2000MB/s seq writeWD Blue SN550500GB - £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.SSD specs:PCI-e 4.0 interface, 7000MB/s seq read, 5100MB/s seq writeWD Black SN850500GB - £86 from Amazon (was £130)1TB - £140 from Amazon (was £154)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.SSD specs:PCIe 4.0 interface: 6600MB/s seq read, 5000MB/s seq writeCrucial P5 Plus500GB - £66 from Amazon (was £71)1TB - £106 from Amazon (was £157)Amazon have deals on most capacities of the P5 Plus, on Crucial’s hyper-fast PCIe 4.0 SSD. The 500GB model for under £70 is particularly appealing, although if you’re able to stretch to 1TB, that’s twice the capacity for well under twice the price.SSD specs:PCIe 3.0 interface: 3500MB/s seq read, 2300MB/s seq writeSamsung 970 Evo Plus500GB - £63 from Amazon (was £72)1TB - £125 from Ebuyer (was £131)2TB - £209 from Scan (was £230)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:SSD specs:USB 3.1 interface, 540MB/s seq read, 515MB/s seq write, 51gSamsung T5500GB - £65 from Amazon (was £89)1TB - £105 from Currys (was £110)2TB - £195 from Amazon (was £298)Katharine thought the T5a touch priceywhen she reviewed it back in 2018. Three years on, prices have come down dramatically for this tiny external SSD. You can currently grab the 1TB model for a touch over £100 on Amazon.SSD specs:USB 3.2 interface, 1050MB/s seq read, 1000MB/s seq write, 58g, fingerprint scannerSamsung T7 Touch1TB - £125 from Amazon (was £135)2TB - £220 from Amazon (was £251)While similar in form to the T5, the T7 touch comes (roughly) double the read and write speeds, alongside an in-built fingerprint scanner to stop your family members sneaking a peek at that fantasy novel you’ve been writing. It’s a fair bit more expensive than the T5, and Amazon’s deal on the 1TB isn’t incredible, but you can get £100 off the 2TB version, which is a reasonable chunk off your bill.SSD specs:USB 3.2 interface, 1050MB/s seq read, 1000MB/s seq write, 100gCrucial X81TB - £91 from Amazon (was £133)2TB - £157 from Amazon (was £247)The Crucial X8 offers similar performance to the Samsung T7 Touch, but at a considerably lower price. The 1TB version is currently just over £100 at Amazon, while the 2TB version is £82 off at Ebuyer. It is almost twice the weight of the T7 Touch, although 100g is still pretty light.The best SSD deals (US):Best SATA SSD deals:SSD specs:2.5in form factor, 540MB/s seq read, 510MB/s seq writeCrucial BX500240GB - $34 from Amazon (was $39)1TB - $75 from Amazon (was $90)2TB - $160 from Amazon (was $180)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.SSD specs:2.5 inch form factor, 560MB/s seq read, 530MB/s seq writeSamsung 870 Qvo1TB - $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:SSD specs:PCIe 3.0 interface, 3500MB/s seq read, 3000MB/s seq writeWD Blue SN570250GB - $48 from Amazon (was $54)500GB - $55 from Amazon (was $58)1TB - $100 from Amazon (was $110)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?SSD specs:PCIe 4.0 interface, 7000MB/s seq read, 5100MB/s seq writeWD Black SN850500GB - $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.SSD specs:PCIe 3.0 interface, 3500MB/s seq read, 3100MB/s seq writeSamsung SSD 980500GB - $60 from Best Buy (was $70)1TB - $100 from Best Buy (was $140)Samsung’s rival to WD’s SN550impressed Katharinewith 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:SSD specs:USB 3.2 interface, 1050MB/s seq read, 1000MB/s seq write, 58g, fingerprint scannertSamsung T7 Touch500GB - $105 from Amazon (was $110)1TB - $140 from Best Buy (was $160)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.SSD specs:USB 3.2 interface, 1050MB/s seq read, 1000MB/s seq read, IP55 water resistanceSandisk Extreme Portable SSD500GB - $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.
Every gaming PC needs a place to stuff the games. And the OS. And all the other applications, files and whatnot. In ye olde days a mechanical hard drive would suffice, but now it’s a much wiser move to equip your build with an SSD for drastically superior speeds. And where better to find the right one than our guide to the best SSD deals?Get the best Cyber Monday SSD deals right now:Best SATA SSD deals (UK)Best NVMe SSD deals (UK)Best external SSD deals (UK)Best SATA SSD deals (US)Best NVMe SSD deals (US)Best external SSD deals (US)Alright, fine, it won’t boost gaming performance like thebest graphics cardsmight, 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 thebest SSDswe’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:SSD specs:2.5in form factor, 540MB/s seq read, 510MB/s seq writeCrucial BX500 deals:240GB - £30 from Amazon (was £36)480GB - £41 from Amazon (was £55)1TB - £68 from Amazon (was £92)2TB - £135 from Amazon (was £186)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.SSD specs:2.5in form factor, 560MB/s seq read, 530MB/s seq writeSamsung 870 Qvo deals2TB - £160 from Amazon (was £171)4TB - £277 from Amazon (was £321)8TB - £560 from Amazon (was £651)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:SSD specs:PCIe 3.0 interface, 3500MB/s seq read, 3000MB/s seq writeWD Blue SN5701TB - £56 from Amazon (was £59)1TB - £90 from Amazon (was £93)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.SSD specs:PCIe 3.0 interface, 2400MB/s seq read, 2000MB/s seq writeWD Blue SN550500GB - £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.SSD specs:PCI-e 4.0 interface, 7000MB/s seq read, 5100MB/s seq writeWD Black SN850500GB - £86 from Amazon (was £130)1TB - £140 from Amazon (was £154)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.SSD specs:PCIe 4.0 interface: 6600MB/s seq read, 5000MB/s seq writeCrucial P5 Plus500GB - £66 from Amazon (was £71)1TB - £106 from Amazon (was £157)Amazon have deals on most capacities of the P5 Plus, on Crucial’s hyper-fast PCIe 4.0 SSD. The 500GB model for under £70 is particularly appealing, although if you’re able to stretch to 1TB, that’s twice the capacity for well under twice the price.SSD specs:PCIe 3.0 interface: 3500MB/s seq read, 2300MB/s seq writeSamsung 970 Evo Plus500GB - £63 from Amazon (was £72)1TB - £125 from Ebuyer (was £131)2TB - £209 from Scan (was £230)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:SSD specs:USB 3.1 interface, 540MB/s seq read, 515MB/s seq write, 51gSamsung T5500GB - £65 from Amazon (was £89)1TB - £105 from Currys (was £110)2TB - £195 from Amazon (was £298)Katharine thought the T5a touch priceywhen she reviewed it back in 2018. Three years on, prices have come down dramatically for this tiny external SSD. You can currently grab the 1TB model for a touch over £100 on Amazon.SSD specs:USB 3.2 interface, 1050MB/s seq read, 1000MB/s seq write, 58g, fingerprint scannerSamsung T7 Touch1TB - £125 from Amazon (was £135)2TB - £220 from Amazon (was £251)While similar in form to the T5, the T7 touch comes (roughly) double the read and write speeds, alongside an in-built fingerprint scanner to stop your family members sneaking a peek at that fantasy novel you’ve been writing. It’s a fair bit more expensive than the T5, and Amazon’s deal on the 1TB isn’t incredible, but you can get £100 off the 2TB version, which is a reasonable chunk off your bill.SSD specs:USB 3.2 interface, 1050MB/s seq read, 1000MB/s seq write, 100gCrucial X81TB - £91 from Amazon (was £133)2TB - £157 from Amazon (was £247)The Crucial X8 offers similar performance to the Samsung T7 Touch, but at a considerably lower price. The 1TB version is currently just over £100 at Amazon, while the 2TB version is £82 off at Ebuyer. It is almost twice the weight of the T7 Touch, although 100g is still pretty light.The best SSD deals (US):Best SATA SSD deals:SSD specs:2.5in form factor, 540MB/s seq read, 510MB/s seq writeCrucial BX500240GB - $34 from Amazon (was $39)1TB - $75 from Amazon (was $90)2TB - $160 from Amazon (was $180)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.SSD specs:2.5 inch form factor, 560MB/s seq read, 530MB/s seq writeSamsung 870 Qvo1TB - $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:SSD specs:PCIe 3.0 interface, 3500MB/s seq read, 3000MB/s seq writeWD Blue SN570250GB - $48 from Amazon (was $54)500GB - $55 from Amazon (was $58)1TB - $100 from Amazon (was $110)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?SSD specs:PCIe 4.0 interface, 7000MB/s seq read, 5100MB/s seq writeWD Black SN850500GB - $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.SSD specs:PCIe 3.0 interface, 3500MB/s seq read, 3100MB/s seq writeSamsung SSD 980500GB - $60 from Best Buy (was $70)1TB - $100 from Best Buy (was $140)Samsung’s rival to WD’s SN550impressed Katharinewith 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:SSD specs:USB 3.2 interface, 1050MB/s seq read, 1000MB/s seq write, 58g, fingerprint scannertSamsung T7 Touch500GB - $105 from Amazon (was $110)1TB - $140 from Best Buy (was $160)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.SSD specs:USB 3.2 interface, 1050MB/s seq read, 1000MB/s seq read, IP55 water resistanceSandisk Extreme Portable SSD500GB - $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.
Every gaming PC needs a place to stuff the games. And the OS. And all the other applications, files and whatnot. In ye olde days a mechanical hard drive would suffice, but now it’s a much wiser move to equip your build with an SSD for drastically superior speeds. And where better to find the right one than our guide to the best SSD deals?
Alright, fine, it won’t boost gaming performance like thebest graphics cardsmight, 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 thebest SSDswe’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
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
Amazon have deals on most capacities of the P5 Plus, on Crucial’s hyper-fast PCIe 4.0 SSD. The 500GB model for under £70 is particularly appealing, although if you’re able to stretch to 1TB, that’s twice the capacity for well under twice the price.
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
Katharine thought the T5a touch priceywhen she reviewed it back in 2018. Three years on, prices have come down dramatically for this tiny external SSD. You can currently grab the 1TB model for a touch over £100 on Amazon.
Samsung T7 Touch
While similar in form to the T5, the T7 touch comes (roughly) double the read and write speeds, alongside an in-built fingerprint scanner to stop your family members sneaking a peek at that fantasy novel you’ve been writing. It’s a fair bit more expensive than the T5, and Amazon’s deal on the 1TB isn’t incredible, but you can get £100 off the 2TB version, which is a reasonable chunk off your bill.
Crucial X8
The Crucial X8 offers similar performance to the Samsung T7 Touch, but at a considerably lower price. The 1TB version is currently just over £100 at Amazon, while the 2TB version is £82 off at Ebuyer. It is almost twice the weight of the T7 Touch, although 100g is still pretty light.
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
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
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
Samsung’s rival to WD’s SN550impressed Katharinewith 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
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.
