The Best SSDs for a Boot Drive

Its random read and write are 40% and 55% faster than the 980 PRO, and Samsung's nickel-coated controller manages heat in slim laptops too. On rated read speed it leads this guide at 7,450MB/s, ahead of the NM790 1TB (7,400MB/s). On rated write speed it leads this guide at 6,900MB/s, ahead of the NM790 1TB (6,500MB/s).

You also get Samsung Magician software for firmware updates. 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 NM790 1TB and below the MP600 Elite 1TB at the time of writing.

It suits gamers and creators who want Gen4 speed at a mid-range price. Its 7,400MB/s rated read speed ranks second of 5 here, behind the 990 PRO 1TB (7,450MB/s) and ahead of the FX953 1TB 2230 (5,000MB/s). On rated write speed it ties with the MP600 Elite 1TB at 6,500MB/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. On price it sat second of 5, between the cheaper FX953 1TB 2230 and the pricier 990 PRO 1TB, at the time of writing.

It has 7,100MB/s reads. On rated read speed it sits mid-pack at 7,100MB/s: the 990 PRO 1TB offers 7,450MB/s, and the FX953 1TB 2230 comes in at 5,000MB/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. Remove the board's own M.2 cover or skip the drive's heatsink; you only need one. Only the MP600 Elite 1TB came close to it on price at the time of writing; it cost the most of the 5 picks. There is no published rated write speed figure, whereas the 990 PRO 1TB offers 6,900MB/s.

On rated read speed it sits mid-pack at 7,000MB/s: the 990 PRO 1TB offers 7,450MB/s, and the FX953 1TB 2230 comes in at 5,000MB/s. It matches the NM790 1TB on rated write speed (6,500MB/s). It also comes with high-density 3D TLC NAND and a heatsink version listed for PS5.

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. Remove the board's own M.2 cover or skip the drive's heatsink; you only need one.

When we checked, only the 990 PRO 1TB and cheaper picks cost less, and the MP600 PRO LPX 1TB cost more. Rated write speed is its weakest area, and the 990 PRO 1TB covers it better at 6,900MB/s.

It also offers a 5,000MB/s rated read speed and is rated for 1TB. Its 5,000MB/s rated read speed is the slowest in this group; the 990 PRO 1TB leads at 7,450MB/s. A PCIe 4.0 x4 (M.2 2230) interface is unique to it among these picks, while the NM790 1TB uses a PCIe 4.0 x4 interface.

It also comes with listed use in the Steam Deck. 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 NM790 1TB was the next step up.