The Best SSDs for Video Editing

It also offers a 7,000MB/s rated read speed and offers a 6,700MB/s rated write speed. On rated read speed it trails the group at 7,000MB/s, while the T705 4TB offers 14,100MB/s. Its 6,700MB/s rated write speed ranks second of 4 here, behind the T705 4TB (12,600MB/s) and ahead of the P310 2TB (6,000MB/s).

Like the P310 2TB and SN5100 2TB, it has a PCIe 4.0 x4 interface, while the T705 4TB uses a PCIe 5.0 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. 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 T705 4TB at the time of writing.

It needs a Gen5 slot and good cooling. On rated read speed it leads this guide at 14,100MB/s, ahead of the 990 EVO Plus 4TB (7,250MB/s). Nothing else here matches its 12,600MB/s rated write speed; the SN7100 4TB comes closest at 6,700MB/s.

It is the only pick here with a PCIe 5.0 x4 interface; the SN7100 4TB has a PCIe 4.0 x4 interface instead. You also get an Acronis True Image and Adobe software bundle. 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 priced above the SN7100 4TB and below the 990 EVO Plus 4TB at the time of writing.

Its 7,250MB/s rated read speed ranks second of 5 here, behind the T705 4TB (14,100MB/s) and ahead of the SN7100 4TB (7,000MB/s). On rated write speed it sits mid-pack at 6,300MB/s: the T705 4TB offers 12,600MB/s, and the P310 2TB comes in at 6,000MB/s. A PCIe 4.0 x4 or 5.0 x2 interface is unique to it among these picks, while the T705 4TB uses a PCIe 5.0 x4 interface.

It also comes with Intelligent TurboWrite 2.0 caching for large transfers and firmware updates through Samsung Magician software. 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 was the most expensive pick when we checked, so weigh what it adds over the T705 4TB.

On rated read speed it ties with the SN5100 2TB at 7,100MB/s. Its 6,000MB/s rated write speed is the slowest in this group; the T705 4TB leads at 12,600MB/s. Like the SN7100 4TB and SN5100 2TB, it has a PCIe 4.0 x4 interface, while the T705 4TB uses a PCIe 5.0 x4 interface.

It also offers an Acronis data migration bundle. 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 cost the least of the 5 picks at the time of writing, with the SN5100 2TB the next step up.

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. On rated read speed it ties with the P310 2TB at 7,100MB/s.

Like the SN7100 4TB and P310 2TB, it has a PCIe 4.0 x4 interface, while the T705 4TB uses a PCIe 5.0 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. 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 P310 2TB and below the SN7100 4TB at the time of writing.