These are the best Samsung solid-state drives you can buy

Choosing the right solid-state drive (SSD) for your PC is vital, especially if it's to be the drive that holds and loads the OS. SATA SSDs took storage to the next level compared to mechanical drives, but NVMe PCIe SSDs like the Samsung EVO PLUS catapults flash storage into the atmosphere with fantastic read and write speeds at a reasonable price. It's the best SSD in terms of performance and value for your PC.

Best Value SSD

Samsung 970 EVO Plus

Staff pick

Most modern motherboards have an M.2 slot, which is required for this SSD, but if you manage to install this module, you'll be enjoying read and write speeds of 3500 MB/s and 3300 MB/s, respectively. It's super fast. The included five-year warranty only adds to the list of factors that make you disbelieve the price, but it's true. Like most SSDs available, the higher the capacity, the more you'll be paying out, but it's worth it.

From $73 at Amazon (250GB)

Best SATA SSD

Samsung 860 EVO

The 860 EVO is Samsung's best-selling solid-state drive (SSD) family, and rightfully so since you get so much for your money. There's a 5-year warranty on each 860 EVO, and new owners will be able to enjoy up to 550MB/s read, and 520MB/s write speeds. That's not bad for a SATA interface.

From $57 at Amazon

Best NVMe SSD

Samsung 970 PRO

To say the Samsung 970 PRO is a fast NVMe PCIe SSD would be an understatement. With read and write speeds of 3,500MB/s and 2,500MB/s, respectively, it's a force to be reckoned with. Ideal for loading the OS, games, and software, the 970 PRO from Samsung will also last longer with a 5-year limited warranty and a solid endurance rating of 1,200 TBW. (That means you can write 1,200 TBs worth of data to the drive before encountering issues.)

From $148 at Amazon (512GB)

Best Budget SSD

Samsung 860 QVO

The QVO is an odd bag from Samsung. You get the same 550MB/s, and 520MB/s read and write speeds you'd find in the 860 EVO, but there are a few drawbacks that make this more budget orientated. You'll also see a drop from five years to just three on the warranty compared to the 860 EVO, and the endurance rating is way worse, but it's priced more aggressively, especially at higher capacities. If you don't mind the hit in endurance and warranty, the QVO is worth considering when on a tighter budget.

From $103 at Amazon (1TB)

Best Portable SSD

Samsung T5

The Samsung T5 is an external, portable SSD that has a robust, metal enclosure to protect it from the potential drop and shatter damage. As a SATA SSD, the T5 has read and write speeds of 540MB/s and 520MB/s, respectively, and it's portability allows you to take it with you everywhere you may go, making it particularly helpful in business circumstances or when you need to transfer some data fast.

From $87 at Amazon (500GB)

Making a Samsung storage recommendation

Solid State Drives (SSDs) can be just the thing you need when it comes to storing data. If we were to make a single outright recommendation, it would be the Samsung 970 EVO PLUS, offering immense value and high levels of performance, with a strong warranty to back it. So long as you have a spare M.2 slot, this module will deliver read and write speeds up to 3500 MB/s and 3300 MB/s, respectively.

The rather enticing price of the Samsung 970 EVO PLUS is for the 512GB version. If you need more storage, you'll either have to prepare to pay out considerably or plan ahead and pick up more budget-friendly options like a mechanical drive. If you want an SSD-only setup, throwing in a 1TB Samsung 970 QVO would add considerable storage capacity without destroying your available budget.