Best SSD for gaming in 2023: NVMe, SATA, portable & more

Looking for a new SSD in 2023 for your gaming needs? Don’t fret about it, as we’re here to save the day. From regular SSDs to NVMe and even for the Steam Deck, we’ve got you covered.

With most modern systems – aside from the Xbox Series X and S – it’s all about the NVMe SSD. The PS5, Steam Deck, and your PC will all support the super tiny, flat SSD that has surprisingly pretty much killed off the normal SSD from most conversations for gaming.

For those not in the know, they are like a little stick of gum but instead made of silicon and speedy flash storage modules that’ll have you up and running in your favorite games in no time at all.

Samsung 990 Pro: The best NVMe storage drive

Dexerto

• Speed: Up to 7,450 MBps read, 6900 MBps write
• Interface: PCIe 4.0 NVMe
• Form factor: M.2 2280
• Price: $169.99 (1TB)

The Samsung 990 Pro is an iteration of Samsung’s long line of speedy flash memory. Though, this time you will be getting a drive that pretty much maxes out the PCIe 4.0 interface as a whole, which means that this SSD offers some of the best read and write speeds in town.

Now, it will cost you a pretty penny, and if you need a heatsink to use it in your PS5 or otherwise, the cost will go even higher. But, for what it offers, it really cannot be beaten right now when it comes to raw speed. You’ll be able to transfer files and folders in a flash, but you will have to pay pretty dearly for that privilege.

Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus: The best NVMe SSD for most people

Sabrent

• Speed: Up to 7,000 MBps read, 5,500 MBps write
• Interface: PCIe 4.0 NVMe
• Form factor: M.2 2280
• Price: $89.99 (500GB)

The Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus is one of the most popular NVMe SSDs around, and for a good reason. It’s reliable, not too expensive, and comes in all manner of sizes for you to grab. We’d recommend picking up the TLC variant of the SSD, which should give it slightly more longevity than some others on the market right now.

The SSD has also been upgraded with a DirectStorage variant, but with not many games actually supporting it at the moment, we’d say to hold fire right now, and save your pennies. It might not have the fastest speeds compared to the 990 Pro, but it is still a fantastic contender for you to put into your gaming PC or PS5. We even used on in our fastest esports gaming PC build.

Crucial MX500: The best SATA SSD

Crucial

• Speed: Up to 560 MBps read, 510MBps write
• Interface: SATA
• Form factor: 2.5-inch
• Price: $69.99 (500GB)

If you don’t have access to an NVMe slot, or an M.2 Drive, then your next port of call should be a solid SATA drive. These won’t break the bank, but they will be significantly slower than their more advanced counterparts, too. However, they are still a huge step above a spinning hard drive.

Getting a SATA SSD is the most economical way of making your PC faster, and for us, the Crucial MX500 is the best way to get there. So, if you are looking for a storage drive or just a way to make an old PC a lot faster, then the Crucial MX500 is one of the best ways that you can do it.

Sabrent Rocket 2230: The best Steam Deck SSD

• Speed: Up to 5,000 MBps read, 3,700 MBps write
• Interface: PCIe 4.0 NVMe
• Form factor: M.2 2230
• Price: $269.99 (1TB)

If you are brave enough to make a Steam Deck SSD replacement, you could get your hands on the Sabrent Rocket 2230, a product that was seemingly released in response to the lack of consumer 2230 form factor SSDs.

Despite its tiny size, you can still get one with an impressive capacity, while also managing to have great specifications under the hood. Sure, it’s not quite as fast as its bigger brother earlier in this list, but it is still an impressive little piece of tech regardless. For those looking to amp up their Steam Deck storage, this might be the best consumer option on the market right now. Otherwise, you might have to head over to eBay for a stranger, potentially less-reliable SSD instead.

WD_Black P40 Game Drive: The best external SSD

Western Digital

• Speed: Up to 2,000 MBps read, 1,950 MBps write
• Interface: USB 3.2 Gen 2 x 2
• Form factor: 106.98mm x 50.82mm x 13mm
• Price: $119.99 (500GB)

For those looking for a good external SSD, you should look no further than the WD_Black P40 Game Drive. It can be used for storing games on your consoles, or it might come in handy just having a bit of extra storage that’s not on your PC or gaming laptop. Using the USB 3.2 Gen 2 x 2 interface, you’ll still be able to get very good transfer speeds out of it.

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It’s not going to break the bank, and it’s a great option for storing all of those older titles on PS4 to your PS5, or moving your Steam Installations around with it, too.

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