NVMe SSDs are the fastest available solid state drives available in the market today. They are way faster than the traditional SATA III SSDs whether it is in 2.5-inch, mSATA or M.2 form factor. NVMe Drives are also known as PCI-Express (PCIe) SSDs because they use the PCI-Express (PCIe) bus for data transfer. You should know that NVMe stands for Non-Volatile Media Express.
NVMe SSDs are available in different form factors that include M.2 SSDs, PCIe SSDs, and 2.5-inch U.2 SSDs. An NVMe SSD can be around 4x times faster than a SATA III (6 Gbps) SSD. For example, a fast SATA III SSD can have Read / Write speeds of 520 / 475 MB/s while an NVMe SSD has Read / Write speeds of around 2600 / 1000 MB/s or maybe higher. NVMe PCIe SSDs are indeed very fast but they are costlier than the regular SATA Solid State Drives. But if you want to build a high-performance gaming PC and do not have any budget issues then you must get an NVMe SSD especially for installing the Windows OS on it.
The most common and widely used form factor for NVMe SSD is M.2 type because of its compact size, wide availability and support by motherboards. M.2 SSDs plugs into the M.2 Socket of your motherboard and is available in different lengths too. PCIe expansion card SSDs plugs into the PCIe slot and are less common. Another rare Solid State Drives are 2.5-inch NVMe SSDs that plug in the U.2 port of the motherboard. U.2 port is generally used to connect external 2.5-inch SSDs and is generally found in high-end motherboards only. The most popular NVMe SSDs are the M.2 PCIe solid state drives and here in this post, I am going to list down the best NVMe SSDs for PC and Laptops that deliver blazingly fast performance in games as well as in OS and other applications.
Note: If your PC motherboard lacks M.2 PCIe slot for NVMe Solid State Drives then you can use SSD PCIe expansion cards or PCIe SSD Adapter / SSD AIC with M.2 slot and can use M.2 NVMe SSDs in your PC using it. Also for Windows 7, you may have to download the latest updates or NVMe SSD drivers from the manufacturer’s website to make your NVMe SSD work.
Must Read:
Best Internal NVMe Solid State Drives [PCIe M.2 SSD]
Here are the best NVMe solid state drives having M.2 form factor that you can buy for your laptop or PC. These NVMe M.2 Solid State Drives are mainly used for video editing, gaming and for high-end professional work.
Samsung 960 EVO NVMe M.2 SSD 250GB
This is one of the best NVMe SSDs that you can get in the market right now. Samsung 960 EVO NVMe M.2 SSD comes in capacities of 250GB, 500GB, and 1TB and has got M.2 2280 form factor. This is a fast NVMe SSD that uses V-NAND memory and is quite affordable to. This NVMe SSD has got sequential Read / Write speed of 3200 MB/s / 1500 MB/s and is around four times faster than an M.2 SATA3 6Gbps SSD. The IOPS (input/output operations per second) or Random Read / Write speed of this SSD is 330K / 300K IOPS which is far better than a traditional SATA SSD.
This NVMe SSD can be used in both desktops and laptops for installing Windows OS on it. You will definitely see a tremendous improvement in the boot times and performance in high-end applications after installing this PCIe SSD in your computer. To avoid overheating, the SSD comes with Dynamic Thermal Guard protection which automatically throttles the drive’s temperature when it approaches dangerous levels. The SDD comes with Samsung Magician software that is very easy to use for managing the SSD. To get full performance and features of this SSD, you should download and install NVMe drivers for this SSD from Samsung’s website. Overall, it is the best NVMe M.2 SSD for the money. Highly recommended by me.
| Samsung 960 EVO NVMe M.2 SSD Specifications | |
| Capacity Available | 250GB, 500GB, 1TB |
| Form Factor | NVMe M.2 2280 |
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x4 |
| Flash Memory Type | V-NAND |
| Read / Write Speed | 3200 / 1500 MB/s |
| Features | Dynamic Thermal Guard protection, Samsung Magician software, AES 256-bit Encryption, S.M.A.R.T. support, Garbage Collection, 1.5 MTBF, Shock resistant, Trim support |
| OS Support | Windows 7 / 8 / 10 |
| Warranty | 3 year |
Buy Samsung 960 EVO NVMe M.2 SSD
Samsung 970 EVO NVMe M.2 SSD 500GB
Samsung 970 EVO NVMe M.2 SSD is an upgrade over the Samsung 960 EVO NVMe M.2 SSD. This newer model i.e. Samsung 970 EVO NVMe M.2 SSD comes with higher performance and is more durable over the older one. This NVMe SSD has got sequential Read / Write speed of 3400 MB/s and 2300 MB/s, and Random Write speed of 450K IOPS (4KB, QD32). This NVMe SSD is available in capacities of 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB.
Samsung 970 EVO NVMe M.2 SSD also comes with a newer controller which is Samsung Phoenix Controller while the older one has a Samsung Polaris controller. The SSD comes with the V-NAND MLC flash memory and has an endurance rating of 300 TBW which is 100TBW more than in Samsung 860 EVO NVMe M.2 SSD for the 500GB variant. It comes with a Samsung 512MB Low Power DDR4 SDRAM as Cache. The performance of this SSD is top notch and is well suited for high-end gaming, video editing, CAD/CAM softwares and for professional use. It comes with features like TRIM, SMART, AES 256-bit Encryption and Dynamic Thermal Guard. You can download the Samsung Magician software for free to manage and optimize this SSD and get the most out of it. Highly Recommended by me.
| Samsung 970 EVO NVMe M.2 SSD Specifications | |
| Capacity Available | 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB |
| Form Factor | M.2 (2280) |
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x4 |
| Flash Memory Type | V-NAND 3-bit MLC |
| Read / Write Speed | 3400 / 2300 MB/s |
| Features | TRIM support, S.M.A.R.T support, GC (Garbage Collection), AES 256-bit Encryption, Dynamic Thermal Guard |
| OS Support | Windows 7/8/10 |
| Warranty | 5 years |
Buy Samsung 970 EVO NVMe M.2 SSD
Samsung 960 PRO NVMe M.2 SSD 512GB
Samsung 960 PRO NVMe M.2 SSD is the bigger brother of the above mentioned Samsung 960 EVO NVMe M.2 SSD. Samsung 960 PRO NVMe M.2 SSD is the top-end NVMe SSD from Samsung and is considerably faster than the Samsung EVO series NVMe M.2 SSDs. It comes in higher capacities of 512MB, 1TB, and 2TB. The sequential Read and Write speed for this NVMe SSD is up to 3500 MB/s and 2100 MB/s respectively. The random read/write speeds are 330K / 330K IOPS (4K, QD32).
Other than higher speed this PCIe M.2 SSD shares the same features as in Samsung 960 EVO NVMe M.2 SSD. If you don’t have any budget issues and are looking for a branded and high-end NVMe SSD for building an ultimate gaming PC or high-performance PC for professional work then you should get this one. Highly Recommended for Enthusiasts.
| Samsung 960 PRO NVMe M.2 SSD Specifications | |
| Capacity Available | 512GB, 1TB, 2TB |
| Form Factor | NVMe M.2 2280 |
| Interface | PCIe x4 |
| Flash Memory Type | V-NAND |
| Read / Write Speed | 3500 / 2100 MB/s |
| Features | Dynamic Thermal Guard protection, Samsung Magician software, AES 256-bit Encryption, S.M.A.R.T. support, Garbage Collection, 1.5 MTBF, Shock resistant, Trim support |
| OS Support | Windows 7 / 8 /10 |
| Warranty | 5 year |
Buy Samsung 960 PRO NVMe M.2 SSD
Samsung 970 PRO NVMe M.2 SSD 512GB
Samsung 970 PRO NVMe M.2 SSD is an upgrade over the Samsung 960 PRO NVMe M.2 SSD. This a newer model and comes with higher speeds and endurance over the previous Samsung 960 Pro one. It comes in 512GB and 1TB capacities and only. This Samsung 970 PRO NVMe SSD comes with a higher write speed of 2300 MB/s while the read speed remains the same as 2300 MB/s compared to the older one. Also, the random write speed is higher and it has got a newer controller which is Samsung Phoenix Controller.
It comes with V-NAND 2-bit MLC flash memory and has got an endurance rating of 600TBW for 512GB version. The supported features include TRIM, SMART, AES 256-bit Encryption and Dynamic Thermal Guard. It is a great SSD for enthusiasts, high-end gaming, video editing, CAD / CAM and other high-end professional softwares. You can manage and optimize the SSD using the Samsung Magician software.
| Samsung 970 PRO NVMe M.2 SSD Specifications | |
| Capacity Available | 512GB, 1TB |
| Form Factor | M.2 2280 |
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x4 |
| Flash Memory Type | V-NAND 2-bit MLC |
| Read / Write Speed | 3500 / 2300 MB/s |
| Features | TRIM support, S.M.A.R.T support, GC (Garbage Collection), AES 256-bit Encryption, Dynamic Thermal Guard |
| OS Support | Windows 7/8/10 |
| Warranty | 5 years |
Buy Samsung 970 PRO NVMe M.2 SSD
Corsair Force Series MP500 120GB M.2 SSD
Corsair is a big name in computer memory, power supply, and computer cases. Here from Corsair, we have Corsair Force Series MP500 120GB M.2 SSD which is a high-quality, fast, branded and value for money NVMe SSD having M.2 form factor. The SSD is also available in 240GB and 480GB capacity and uses MLC NAND memory.
The performance of this NVMe SSD from Corsair is at par with the above mentioned Samsung 960 PRO NVMe M.2 SSD. In fact, Corsair MP500 M.2 SSD has significantly better write speeds compared to the Samsung 960 PRO NVMe M.2 SSD. The sequential Read/Write speed of Corsair Force Series MP500 120GB M.2 SSD is up to 3000 / 2400 MB/s.
This is a very reliable drive and it has an endurance rating of 175TBW or Terabytes Written. It comes with Corsair SSD Toolbox Application for managing the drive. Other features include Gold contacts, Enhanced Error Correction, TRIM and S.M.A.R.T. support. This is one of the best NVMe SSDs that you can buy for building a high-performance PC or an ultimate gaming PC. Highly Recommended by me.
| Corsair Force Series MP500 120GB M.2 SSD Specifications | |
| Capacity Available | 120GB, 240GB, 480GB |
| Form Factor | NVMe M.2 2280 |
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x4 |
| Flash Memory Type | MLC NAND |
| Read / Write Speed | 3000 / 2400 MB/s |
| Features | 175TBW Endurance Rating, Shock Proof, Enhanced Error Correction, TRIM support, Corsair SSD Toolbox Application, S.M.A.R.T. support, 30um gold finger thickness |
| OS Support | Windows 10, Mac OS X |
| Warranty | 3 year |
Buy Corsair Force Series MP500 120GB SSD
Buy Corsair Force Series MP500 240GB SSD
Buy Corsair Force Series MP500 480GB SSD
Corsair Force Series MP510 480GB M.2 SSD
Corsair MP510 M.2 SSD is the fastest SSD from Corsair and one of the fastest NVMe solid state drives in the market right now. It is an upgrade over the Corsair MP500 SSD and has got the amazing performance. This M.2 SSD has performance almost equivalent to the Samsung 970 Pro, which is the best performing NVMe SSD right now. Corsair MP510 is available in capacities of 240GB, 480GB, 960GB and 1920GB. The 480GB version has got sequential Read and Write speeds of 3480 MB/s and 2000 MB/s respectively, and super-fast random read / write speed of 360K / 440K IOPS. The write speed for the 960GB variant can go up to 3000 MB/s.
This 480GB M.2 NVMe SSD uses 3D TLC NAND memory chips and has got endurance rating of 800TBW, which I think is the highest in its class. You can monitor the various parameters of the SSD that include SSD health status, Temperature, S.M.A.R.T. status and perform various functions such as optimize, disk cloning, over-provisioning and more using the Corsair SSD Toolbox software. The SSD is best suited for high-performance work environments, high-end gaming PCs and for enthusiast PC. The SSD comes with 5 years warranty and supports Windows and Mac OS X operating systems. It is very competitively priced and is Highly Recommended by me for high-performance desktops and gaming PCs.
| Corsair MP510 M.2 480GB NVMe SSD Specifications | |
| Capacity Available | 240GB, 480GB, 960GB, 1920GB |
| Form Factor | NVMe M.2 2280 |
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x4 |
| Flash Memory Type | 3D TLC NAND |
| Read / Write Speed | 3480 / 2000 MB/s |
| Features | 800TBW Endurance Rating, AES 256-bit Encryption, Shock Proof, Enhanced Error Correction, TRIM support, Corsair SSD Toolbox Application, S.M.A.R.T. support, Corsair SSD Toolbox Software support |
| OS Support | Windows 7 / 8 / 10, Mac OS X |
| Warranty | 5 year |
Buy Corsair Force Series MP510 480GB M.2 SSD
MyDigitalSSD BPX NVMe MLC M.2 2280 SSD 240GB
If you don’t care about the brand and want the cheapest NVMe M.2 2280 SSD then MyDigitalSSD BPX NVMe SSD is the perfect choice for you. This NVMe SSD may not be as fast as the Samsung 960 PRO or Corsair Force MP500 but it is still very fast and way faster than a SATA III SSD.
This SSD has got Read / Write speed of 2600 / 1300 MB/s and comes with the reliable Phison E7 (PS5007-E7) Controller. It comes in sizes of 120GB, 240GB, and 480GB. The SSD comes with various features that include AES-256 Encryption, SMART, TRIM, and RAID Support, Smart ECC – RAID ECC Protection. So if you are looking for a compact, fast and budget NVMe SSD for your gaming PC, laptop or for professional needs then you cannot get anything better than this at this price range.
| MyDigitalSSD BPX NVMe MLC M.2 2280 SSD Specifications | |
| Capacity Available | 120GB, 240GB, 480GB |
| Form Factor | NVMe M.2 2280 |
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x4 |
| Flash Memory Type | MLC NAND |
| Read / Write Speed | 2600 / 1300 MB/s |
| Features | Phison E7 (PS5007-E7) Controller, AES-256 Encryption, SMART, TRIM, and RAID Support, Smart ECC – RAID ECC Protection |
| OS Support | Windows 8 / 10, Mac OS X |
| Warranty | 5 years |
Buy MyDigitalSSD BPX NVMe MLC M.2 2280 SSD
WD Black M.2 PCIe SSD 512GB
Western Digital is very popular for its mechanical internal and external hard drives. It also makes some of the very affordable high-quality solid state drives, both SATA and PCIe. Here we have WD Black M.2 PCIe SSD that comes in capacities of 256GB and 512GB. This M.2 2280 small form factor NVMe SSD is relatively cheaper and is also slower than SSDs from the above mentioned Samsung and Corsair. However, it is still two times faster than a SATA SSD. The reduced speed and low cost of this SSD are because of the use of TLC NAND memory chips. The life of this PCIe SSD is 1.75M hours MTTF which is pretty decent.
The 512 variant of WD Black M.2 PCIe SSD has got sequential Read / Write speed of up to 2050 / 800 MB/s and the 256 version comes with Read / Write speed of 2050 / 700 MB/s. This NVMe SDD is targeted towards mainstream users with normal laptops and mid-range gaming PCs. So if you are looking for branded and cheap NVMe SSD then this one will not disappoint you. Highly Recommended for users on a tight budget.
| WD Black M.2 PCIe SSD 512GB Specifications | |
| Capacity Available | 256GB, 512GB |
| Form Factor | NVMe M.2 2280 |
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x4 |
| Flash Memory Type | TLC NAND |
| Read / Write Speed | 2050 / 800 MB/s |
| Features | 1.75M hours MTTF, WD SSD Dashboard software, WD F.I.T. Lab certified, Thermal and power management |
| OS Support | Windows 8 / 10, Mac |
| Warranty | 5 year |
Kingston HyperX Predator PCIe SSD 240GB
Kingston is one of the largest manufacturers of desktop/server memory and memory products that include flash drives and solid state drives. HyperX is the gaming division of Kingston that manufactures PC gaming components, memory, storage drives, and accessories. Here we have Kingston HyperX Predator PCIe SSD that is available in the capacities of 240GB, 480GB, and 960GB.
This PCIe SSD uses MLC NAND and supports the PCIe 2.0 interface which is a tad disappointing. This NVMe SSD is reliable but is certainly not the fastest SSD you can get for your gaming PC or laptop. This SSD drive is slower than most of its competition. The 240GB variant is the slowest and has got Read / Write speed of 1400 / 600 MB/s. The 480GB and 960GB variants are faster having Read / Write speeds of 1100 / 910 MB/s and 1300 / 1000 MB/s respectively. You can also use this M.2 PCIe SSD with an HHHL adapter. So if you are a fan of Kingston or HyperX then only you should get this PCIe SSD otherwise not, because there are much faster and better M.2 NVMe drives available than this.
| Kingston HyperX Predator PCIe SSD 240GB Specifications | |
| Capacity Available | 240GB, 480GB, 960GB |
| Form Factor | NVMe M.2 2280 |
| Interface | PCIe 2.0 x4 |
| Flash Memory Type | MLC NAND |
| Read / Write Speed | 1290 / 600 MB/s |
| Features | Shock Resistant, Marvell Controller, TRIM support |
| OS Support | Windows 7 SP1 / 8 / 8.1 / 10, Mac |
| Warranty | 3 year |
Plextor M8Pe(G) M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD 512GB
Plextor might be an unheard name for some users but it does make high-quality SATA and PCIe Solid State Drives. This 512GB PCIe Plextor SSD comes with its own heat sink which prevents the SSD from overheating especially during intensive and heavy-duty operations. This is a fast M.2 PCIe SSD but not as fast as the Samsung 960 Evo and Pro series solid state drives. It has got sequential Read / Write speed of 2300 MB/s and 1300 MB/s. The lower capacities i.e. 128GB and 256GB variants are slower than the 512GB version but the 1TB version is a bit faster in both Read and Write operations.
This M.2 2280 PCIe SSD uses TOSHIBA 15nm Toggle MLC memory and comes with Marvell 88SS1093 controller. The drive also has very good build quality and reliability of 2.4 million hours MTBF. So if are looking for a reasonably priced SSD with heatsink then you may want to buy this.
| Plextor M8Pe(G) M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD 256GB Specifications | |
| Capacity Available | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| Form Factor | NVMe M.2 2280 |
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 x4 |
| Flash Memory Type | MLC NAND |
| Read / Write Speed | 2300 / 1300 MB/s |
| Features | Shockproof, supports GC TRIM, S.M.A.R.T, IO queue, NVMe command, TrueSpeed, TrueProtect, LDPC, 128-bit ECC |
| OS Support | Windows 8.1 / 10, Linux |
| Warranty | 5 year |
Buy Plextor M8Pe(G) M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD
See also:
- How to Calculate SSD Lifespan in Years
- Best M.2 Heatsinks for NVMe SSDs [Passive & Active]
- Best M.2 PCIe Adapters for NVMe and M.2 PCIe SSDs
- Best M.2 2230 SSDs for Steam Deck, Microsoft Surface Pro
- Best Internal Hard Drives for PC & Servers [3.5-inch HDD]
- Best Gaming Hard Drives for High Performance Desktops
Final Words
There is no doubt that NVMe SSDs are way faster than the SATA solid state drives. If you are building a high-end gaming PC or performance PC with the latest processor, graphics cards and other components then you don’t want to miss on NVMe solid state drives. These PCIe SSDs will surely boost your computer performance both in games as well as in professional applications or programs. If you have any doubts or queries regarding NVMe PCIe SSDs then you can ask me by leaving a comment below.
(*This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission if you choose to purchase through the links I provide (at no extra cost to you). Thank you for supporting the work I put into this site!)
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Hi. Nice comparison article. But I still can’t choose between Samsung 960 Evo (250Gb) and Corsair MP500 (240Gb)… Pls help me to decide what’s better!
No doubt both are very good SSDs but i would suggest you to go for Corsair MP500 because of better write speed.
Hi. Thanks for your post very helpful. Just one think i would like to ask. So, If my motherboard doesn’t have an M.2 port, is there a PCIe SSD that can be inserted directly on the PCIe port on my motherboard? or do I have to buy an adapter? I’m a little bit confused on that issue? I can find NVME with 2 types of connections.
Thanks
You can use M.2 PCI-E adapter to run a NVMe SSD but make sure that the PCIe slot should support x4 speeds otherwise you won’t get the full performance.
Thanks for your help. How about x16?
You can use in PCIe x16 slot too.
Thanks a lot
What do you think of the 2TB Samsung PM981 PCIe NVMe M.2 2280 SSD vs the Toshiba KXG50PNV2T04 XG5-P?
Both are pretty good but I would go with the Samsung PM981.