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 write speed it leads this guide at 6,900MB/s, ahead of the NM790 1TB heatsink (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 T500 1TB heatsink and below the SN850X 1TB at the time of writing.

On the spec sheet, it offers a 7,450MB/s rated read speed and is rated for 1TB. 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. It was the highest-priced of the 5 picks at the time of writing, so the case for it rests on what it adds over the SN850X 1TB and the rest. The maker doesn't give its rated write speed; if that figure matters, the 990 PRO 1TB offers 6,900MB/s.

It also offers a 7,400MB/s rated read speed and offers a 6,500MB/s rated write speed. Its 7,400MB/s rated read speed ranks third of 5 here, behind the 990 PRO 1TB (7,450MB/s) and ahead of the SN850X 1TB (7,300MB/s). On rated write speed it sits mid-pack at 6,500MB/s: the 990 PRO 1TB offers 6,900MB/s, and the SN850X 1TB comes in at 6,300MB/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. It undercut the T500 1TB heatsink and every other pick on price at the time of writing.

It also offers a 7,300MB/s rated read speed and is rated for 1TB. 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. On price it sat second of 5, between the cheaper NM790 1TB heatsink and the pricier 990 PRO 1TB, at the time of writing. The maker doesn't give its rated write speed; if that figure matters, the 990 PRO 1TB offers 6,900MB/s.

It matches the T500 1TB heatsink on rated read speed (7,300MB/s). On rated write speed it trails the group at 6,300MB/s, while the 990 PRO 1TB offers 6,900MB/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. Its price falls between the 990 PRO 1TB and the 990 Pro 1TB heatsink, based on our last check. If rated read speed is your priority, the 990 PRO 1TB (7,450MB/s) is the stronger choice.