SSDs (Solid State Drives)

SSD, which stands for Solid State Drive, is a storage device with no moving parts. It offers faster data access, higher reliability, and lower power consumption compared to traditional Hard Disk Drives (HDDs). SSD technology operates entirely differently. Using a chip made with NAND flash memory, SSDs don't rely on any moving parts resulting in a more durable component.

If you're looking for more information on SSDs, check our article which covers everything you need to know about SSDs.

What is the best SSD for me?

To choose the best SSD for you, consider your needs, performance, capacity, reliability, and budget.

Generally speaking, NVMe SSDs are best for speed-intensive tasks like gaming and video editing. External SSDs are best for portability and convenience, ideal for backups and on-the-go storage. SATA SSDs are considered to be the best for general use where speed is less critical, balancing performance with affordability and compatibility.

For more information on form factors read our article: Understanding M.2, SATA, PCIe and NVMe SSDs

Not sure if our products are right for your computer? Try our System Scanner or Upgrade Selector.

SSDs are generally considered better than HDDs due to their faster read/write speeds, lower power consumption, and greater reliability. However, there are a few advantages to HDDs. For a detailed comparison, you can check out this article: SSD vs. HDD: Know the Difference 

The lifespan of an SSD depends on various factors like SSD generation, usage, and maintenance. Crucial offers SSDs with either a 3 or 5-year warranty, providing peace of mind when it comes to SSD durability. You can look in the product specifications to find what warranty is offered for your SSD or visit our warranty page to learn more about warranties provided by Crucial. 

PCIe generations differ primarily in their bandwidth, data rate, latency, and power efficiency. Generally, each generation doubles the speed of its predecessor. Gen5 SSDs are ideal for demanding applications like gaming, AI, and data analytics. However, Gen4 SSDs are still plenty fast for most users and often come at a lower price point, making them a more cost-effective option for less demanding tasks. Gen3 SSDs, can still improve speed and storage for a lower cost but most creatives, gamers, and tech enthusiasts opt for a bigger performance improvement. Ultimately, it comes down to your budget and the level of performance you require and which SSDs are compatible with your system. 

SSDs come in four different sizes 2.5-inch, M.2, SATA and U.2. 2.5-inch and M.2 SSDs are the most common types of SSDs for desktops, laptops and servers. Ultra-thin devices typically use SATA while larger systems use an U.2 SSD as they have larger storage capacities. You can also use an external SSD to increase the storage of your device if the internal storage is full.

There are many different sized SSDs depending on your device capacity. SSDs typically range between 120GB to 30TB, however the biggest NVMe SSD is 61TB.1TB is equal to 1,000 GB so, for example, 1TB is larger than 512GB. 1TB is more than enough storage for an everyday laptop or desktop to store photos, videos and files. Gamers, businesses and video editors may require more storage to hold large files, applications and media.