Best SATA SSDs
SATA SSDs are the most compatible SSD upgrade — they work in any machine with a SATA port, including laptops and desktops from the last 15 years. While slower than NVMe, they still deliver read speeds up to 560 MB/s, which is far faster than any hard drive and enough for most workloads.
| # | Product | Capacity | Read | Write | TBW | Warranty | Score | $/TB | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Crucial MX500 1TBBest value Crucial | 1TB | 560 MB/s | 510 MB/s | 360 TBW | 5 years | 81.5 | $143.99/TB | $143.99 | Check Price on Amazon |
| 2 | 1TB | 560 MB/s | 520 MB/s | 400 TBW | 5 years | 79.5 | $177.99/TB | $177.99 | Check Price on Amazon | |
| 3 |  Seagate | 1TB | 540 MB/s | 510 MB/s | 400 TBW | 3 years | 68.9 | $219.99/TB | $219.99 | Check Price on Amazon |
| 4 |  Kingston | 1TB | 500 MB/s | 450 MB/s | 300 TBW | 3 years | 67 | $171.58/TB | $171.58 | Check Price on Amazon |
| 5 |  Samsung | 1TB | 560 MB/s | 530 MB/s | 600 TBW | 5 years | 62.5 | $399.99/TB | $399.99 | Check Price on Amazon |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is a SATA SSD worth it over NVMe?
If your machine doesn't have an M.2 slot, a SATA SSD is absolutely worth it — the upgrade from HDD to SATA SSD is dramatic. If you have an M.2 slot available, NVMe is usually the better choice at similar prices. For pure storage (secondary drives, bulk data), SATA SSDs are fine and often cheaper per TB.
What SATA SSD size should I buy?
1TB is the sweet spot for an OS drive — it holds Windows/macOS, applications, and most games without constant management. For budget builds, 500GB is viable. If you're using it as a secondary storage drive alongside an NVMe OS drive, 2TB or larger is worth considering.