Buying Guide
Best Storage for Video Editing
Video editing demands sustained sequential read/write speeds — 4K ProRes needs ~500 MB/s, 8K RAW needs 2,000+ MB/s. For studio work, use a fast NVMe SSD as a scratch disk. For on-location or portable editing, the Samsung T9 at 2,000 MB/s handles most professional workflows.
Top picks — ranked by value score
| # | Product | Capacity | Read | Write | TBW | Warranty | Score | $/TB | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Samsung · NVMe SSD | 2TB | 7.5 GB/s | 6.9 GB/s | 1200 TBW | 5 years | 66.2 | $195.00/TB | $389.99 | $389.99 |
| 2 |  Samsung · NVMe SSD | 4TB | 7.5 GB/s | 6.9 GB/s | 2400 TBW | 5 years | 59.5 | $237.25/TB | $949.00 | $949.00 |
| 3 |  Crucial · NVMe SSD | 1TB | 7.3 GB/s | 6.8 GB/s | 600 TBW | 5 years | 60.1 | $229.90/TB | $229.90 | $229.90 |
| 4 |  WD Black SN850X 2TB NVMe SSDBest value WD · NVMe SSD | 2TB | 7.3 GB/s | 6.6 GB/s | 600 TBW | 5 years | 78.5 | $77.50/TB | $154.99 | $154.99 |
| 5 | 1TB | 7.3 GB/s | 6.9 GB/s | 1275 TBW | 5 years | 62 | $299.27/TB | $299.27 | $299.27 | |
| 6 |  WD · NVMe SSD | 4TB | 7.3 GB/s | 6.3 GB/s | 2400 TBW | 5 years | 72.8 | $150.00/TB | $599.99 | $599.99 |
| 7 | 1TB | 7.3 GB/s | 6.3 GB/s | 600 TBW | 5 years | 57 | $249.99/TB | $249.99 | $249.99 | |
| 8 |  Crucial · NVMe SSD | 1TB | 5.0 GB/s | 3.6 GB/s | 220 TBW | 5 years | 36.1 | $288.01/TB | $288.01 | $288.01 |
Prices updated daily from Amazon. Value Score combines price/TB, speed, endurance, and warranty.
Frequently Asked Questions
How fast does an SSD need to be for 4K video editing?
4K H.264/H.265 footage requires about 100–200 MB/s sustained read. 4K ProRes needs 500 MB/s. 8K RAW needs 2,000+ MB/s. For most 4K workflows in Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve, any USB 3.2 Gen 2 external SSD (900+ MB/s) or NVMe drive is sufficient.
Should I use an internal or external SSD for video editing?
For a desktop workstation, an internal NVMe SSD as a dedicated scratch/media drive is ideal — no cable, no bandwidth sharing. For laptop editors or location shoots, a fast external SSD (Samsung T9, SanDisk Extreme V2) is the practical choice. Many professionals use both: NVMe internally for active projects and external for archive.