The Best NVMe SSDs for Gaming

On rated read speed it sits mid-pack at 7,250MB/s: the SN8100 2TB offers 14,900MB/s, and the MP600 Elite 2TB comes in at 7,000MB/s. Its 6,900MB/s rated write speed ranks third of 5 here, behind the T710 2TB (13,800MB/s) and ahead of the MP600 Elite 2TB (6,500MB/s). It also comes with next-generation TLC NAND and the highest rated writes among the 2TB Gen4 drives here.

It is an M.2 2280 drive, the standard length on desktop boards; check which of your board's slots it goes in, as some share lanes with SATA ports. It runs at full speed in any PCIe 4.0 M.2 slot and still works, slower, in a PCIe 3.0 slot. It was priced above the SN5100 2TB and below the Predator GM7 2TB at the time of writing.

Like the 9100 PRO, it needs a PCIe 5.0 slot to reach them. It matches the T710 2TB on rated read speed (14,900MB/s). On rated write speed it sits mid-pack at 11,000MB/s: the T710 2TB offers 13,800MB/s, and the MP600 Elite 2TB comes in at 6,500MB/s.

It shares a PCIe 5.0 x4 interface with the T710 2TB; the SN5100 2TB goes with a PCIe 4.0 x4 interface. It is an M.2 2280 drive, the standard length on desktop boards; check which of your board's slots it goes in, as some share lanes with SATA ports. Use a PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot, usually the one closest to the CPU, and a board heatsink or the drive's own; in a PCIe 4.0 slot it runs at 4.0 speed. It was the highest-priced of the 6 picks at the time of writing, so the case for it rests on what it adds over the T710 2TB and the rest.

On rated read speed it sits mid-pack at 7,400MB/s: the SN8100 2TB offers 14,900MB/s, and the MP600 Elite 2TB comes in at 7,000MB/s. It matches the MP600 Elite 2TB on rated write speed (6,500MB/s). It also offers listed PS5 compatibility and 7,400MB/s rated reads, near the PCIe 4.0 ceiling.

It is an M.2 2280 drive, the standard length on desktop boards; check which of your board's slots it goes in, as some share lanes with SATA ports. It runs at full speed in any PCIe 4.0 M.2 slot and still works, slower, in a PCIe 3.0 slot. It was priced above the SN7100 2TB and below the MP600 Elite 2TB at the time of writing.

On rated write speed it leads this guide at 13,800MB/s, ahead of the SN8100 2TB (11,000MB/s). It shares a PCIe 5.0 x4 interface with the SN8100 2TB; the Predator GM7 2TB goes with a PCIe 4.0 x4 interface. You also get Micron TLC NAND.

It is an M.2 2280 drive, the standard length on desktop boards; check which of your board's slots it goes in, as some share lanes with SATA ports. Use a PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot, usually the one closest to the CPU, and a board heatsink or the drive's own; in a PCIe 4.0 slot it runs at 4.0 speed. Its price falls between the MP600 Elite 2TB and the SN8100 2TB, based on our last check.

Its 7,000MB/s rated read speed is the slowest in this group; the SN8100 2TB leads at 14,900MB/s. On rated write speed it ties with the Predator GM7 2TB at 6,500MB/s. It also comes with high-density 3D TLC NAND and a bare drive for boards with their own M.2 heatsink.

It is an M.2 2280 drive, the standard length on desktop boards; check which of your board's slots it goes in, as some share lanes with SATA ports. It runs at full speed in any PCIe 4.0 M.2 slot and still works, slower, in a PCIe 3.0 slot. On price it sat fourth of 6, between the cheaper Predator GM7 2TB and the pricier T710 2TB, at the time of writing.

It reads at up to 7,100MB/s, about 30% faster than WD's previous generation. Note that WD has replaced it with the SanDisk Optimus 5100. Its 7,100MB/s rated read speed ranks fifth of 6 here, behind the SN8100 2TB (14,900MB/s) and ahead of the MP600 Elite 2TB (7,000MB/s).

It is an M.2 2280 drive, the standard length on desktop boards; check which of your board's slots it goes in, as some share lanes with SATA ports. It runs at full speed in any PCIe 4.0 M.2 slot and still works, slower, in a PCIe 3.0 slot. It was the cheapest of the group when we checked; the SN7100 2TB was the next step up. Buyers who need a confirmed rated write speed should compare it with the T710 2TB, which offers 13,800MB/s.