Collection: Solid State Drives (SSD)

Which SSD do you actually need?

Most PC builders overthink the headline speed number and underthink the things that decide how a drive feels after six months. Solid state drives split into three practical tiers. Entry drives are usually DRAM-less PCIe 3.0 or 4.0 NVMe, or SATA, using QLC or lower-layer TLC flash. They lean on Host Memory Buffer, which borrows a slice of system RAM for the mapping table. That works fine for boot and games, but sustained writes fall off hard once the SLC cache fills, sometimes to a few hundred MB/s.

Sweet-spot drives are PCIe 4.0 NVMe with TLC flash and, usually, a DRAM cache. Think Samsung 990 EVO Plus or 990 Pro, Crucial T500, WD_BLACK SN850X, or Lexar NM790. Having DRAM on the drive keeps the mapping table local, so random access stays consistent when the drive is busy and write speeds hold up after the cache runs out. Enthusiast PCIe 5.0 drives, such as the Crucial T700 or Corsair MP700 series, double sequential throughput to roughly 12,000 MB/s and beyond. Diminishing returns hit hard here. Game load times, Windows boot and app launches are limited by CPU decompression and latency, not sequential bandwidth, so a good Gen4 drive and a Gen5 drive feel almost identical for most people.

Gen5 only earns its money if you move huge files constantly, like 8K video footage or large datasets. Otherwise, spend the difference on capacity, a better GPU or more Desktop Memory.

Upgrading and technical nuances

Controller and flash matter more than the interface label. A PCIe 4.0 drive with a modern controller and TLC will beat a badly cached budget Gen5 drive in mixed workloads. Look at sustained write behaviour and random 4K performance, not just the sequential figure printed on the box. QLC is fine for a game library or secondary drive, but I wouldn't put it in a primary drive that handles constant installs and scratch files.

Check your platform before buying. Both AM5 and Intel Core Ultra LGA1851 boards generally offer a Gen5 M.2 slot wired to the CPUs & Processors, with extra slots running Gen4 through the chipset. Plenty of Motherboards share bandwidth between M.2 slots and SATA ports, or drop the GPU slot from x16 to x8 when a second Gen5 drive is populated. Read the manual's lane-sharing table. It takes two minutes and saves a headache.

SATA SSDs like the Samsung 870 EVO and Crucial MX500 still make sense. They cap near 550 MB/s, but for older systems, bulk storage, or builds without a spare M.2 slot, they are cheap, cool and reliable. If you're upgrading an older machine that only has PCIe 3.0, a Gen4 drive still works but runs at Gen3 speeds, so buy for price and endurance rather than paying for bandwidth you can't use.

For consoles, the PS5 needs a Gen4 drive with a heatsink that fits its bay clearance. That is a different spec check from a desktop build.

Practical things to check before buying

Start with form factor. Most desktop drives are M.2 2280, meaning 22 mm wide and 80 mm long. Some boards have 2260 or 22110 slots, and a few have tool-free retention clips built for a specific length. Check the thickness too. Double-sided drives with chips on both faces can clash with low-clearance heatsinks or some laptop bays.

Thermals are where Gen5 drives bite. High-end controllers can pull a lot of power and will throttle once they pass roughly 80 degrees Celsius. Most Gen5 boards ship with a chunky aluminium heatsink for that reason. If your board's heatsink is thin, the airflow in your Computer Cases matters, and a front intake fan from Fans, Heatsinks & Cooling helps. A big GPU sitting directly over the primary M.2 slot can bake the drive too, so check the gap. Likewise, some tower air coolers from CPU Cooling hang over the top slot and block access, so install the drive before the cooler.

Also consider drive-supplied heatsinks. Many drives ship in two versions, bare and heatsinked. If your motherboard already has an M.2 shield, buy the bare drive. A second heatsink under the shield can make the stack too tall and block contact.

Power matters less for M.2 since it draws from the slot, but SATA drives need a SATA power lead from your Power Supplies. Check your ATX Power Supply has a spare connector, and if you're adding a 2.5 inch drive, grab the right Cables & Connectors. If you run a NAS or a networked backup box, a drive that handles sustained writes well matters more than peak speed, so pair it with decent Wired Networking gear.

Brands and local warranty

Samsung, Crucial, WD_BLACK (Western Digital), Kingston, Corsair, Seagate, Lexar and Solidigm are the names I'd trust. Samsung and WD tend to lead on firmware polish, Crucial on value and efficiency, and Kingston on broad availability. Corsair and Seagate FireCuda sit well for gaming-focused Gen4 and Gen5 options.

Local warranty is worth caring about. Under the Australian Consumer Law you have rights beyond the manufacturer's warranty, but a retailer with genuine Australian stock makes claims much simpler. Grey imports can mean a long overseas return and a refusal to honour the warranty at all. Most reputable brands offer three to five years or a set Terabytes Written rating, whichever comes first. Check that figure, because higher TBW suggests better endurance. Keep your invoice and serial number somewhere safe.

Frequently asked questions

How much capacity should I buy?

For a main drive, 1TB is the realistic minimum today and 2TB is the sweet spot for gaming and general use. Big game installs add up quickly. Drives also perform better with free space, as the controller has room to manage its SLC cache and wear levelling, so avoid filling past about 80 percent.

Do I need a PCIe 5.0 SSD?

Probably not. A quality Gen4 drive loads games and apps nearly as fast in everyday use. Gen5 helps with massive file transfers and professional workflows, but it runs hotter and costs more per terabyte.

Will an NVMe drive work in my older motherboard?

If it has an M.2 slot with NVMe support, yes. Some older M.2 slots are SATA-only, so check the manual. Gen4 and Gen5 drives are backwards compatible but will run at the slower slot's speed.

Is a DRAM-less SSD a bad choice?

Not necessarily. Modern DRAM-less drives with HMB are fine for light use and secondary storage. For a main drive that sees heavy mixed workloads, a drive with DRAM holds up better.

Do solid state drives wear out?

Eventually, but the rated endurance is far beyond what typical gamers or office users write. A 1TB TLC drive often carries a rating of 600TBW or more. You'll likely replace it for capacity before wearing it out.