Best Cheap 500GB+ SSD Solid State Drives
There are a number of different ways to upgrade your computer. For instance, you can use the best processors to boost the operating speed, more RAM to up the multitasking game and slotting in the graphics cards to take your PC gaming to the next level.
However, the best SSDs can do more than that by simply helping speed up any operation on your personal computer (PC).
Perhaps this is the right time to shift from the traditional hard drive to an SSD as one of the most affordable ways of giving your computer a speed boost.
Give it a try and you will never look back. Here, we are going to look at the best cheap SSDs in terms of performance and best storage in the following review of a few selected SSDs on the market today.
1. Samsung SSD-860 Evo-500GB 2.5” SATA-3
If you are looking for an SSD that you can trust, look no more because Samsung SSD-860-500GB is all that you need. This SSD is designed primarily to enhance the performance of your mainstream PC or laptop.
Why is the case? Because this SSD comes in handy with the state-of-the-art V-NAND technology that is both fast and reliable. On top of that, it has a wide range of capacities and form factors for high performance.
As usual, the speed is of the essence and its consistency under heavy loads is what matters the most when using Samsung SSD-860 Evo-500GB to multitask, allowing for faster transfer of files.
The SSD performs optimally at sequential readspeeds of up to 550MB per second and sequential writespeeds of up to 52MB per second using Intelligent TurboWrite technology when installed on your PC or laptop. In addition, you can upgrade its TurboWrite buffer size from 12 GB up to 78 GB.
The test system configuration on this SSD has the following specifications: The Intel Core is i5-3550 CPU at 3.3GHz and 4GB for Windows 7 Ultimate operating system. Also, the SSD has a boosted endurance of up to 8 times higher Terabytes Written compared to the 850 EVO.
This is to make you feel secure when rendering and storing large-sized 4K videos or 3D data that is commonly used in most of the latest applications.
2. Kingston A400-SSD 480GB 2.5” SATA-3
Kingston A400-SSD 480 GB can dramatically improve the responsiveness of any existing system with an amazing boot, transfer times and loading compared to the traditional hard drives.
As a matter of fact, this SSD is 10 times faster than the mechanical hard drives when it comes to performance, responsive multitasking and overall faster system. All these positive attributes come as a result of its read and write speeds ranging from 450 MB per second to 500MB per second.
The fact that Kingston A400-SSD 480GB comes complete with flash memory, you can rest assured that it is durable and reliable as opposed to the traditional hard drives.
Apart from that, it is quieter and cooler as well as being resistant to vibrations and shock, making it a perfect choice for your notebook or the rest of mobile computing devices.
This SSD is readily available in various drive form factors with capacities starting from 120GB all the way to 960GB, giving you all the space necessary for applications, photos, videos, and other documents.
Most significantly, you can use this SSD to replace your smaller SSD or hard drive with a driver larger enough to accommodate all your files and other personal items for future reference or use.
3. SanDisk SSD-PLUS 480GB Internal SSD-SATA-3
SanDisk SSD-PLUS 480GB can help you upgrade your computer to make it act as though it is a brand new machine with faster shutdowns, faster boot-ups and faster app response time.
This is due to its higher sequential read speeds that can go as high as 535 MB per second and sequential write speeds of about 450 MB per second.
When combined, these features can contribute to better and faster performance compared to a typical hard drive. However, overall performance can depend mainly on the host drive, capacity of the drive, operating system and application.
When it comes to durability, SanDisk SSD-PLUS 480GB takes the lion’s share thanks to its solid-state design that excludes moving parts. At the same time, this SSD is engineered to resist vibrations and shock while ensuring that your data is fully protected against bumps and bruises.
With its ability to boost write performance and perfect balance, this SSD can enable you to transform your typical PC to become an ideal machine for all types of workloads.
4. Crucial MX5OO 500GB3D-NAND SATA 2.5”
Crucial MX500 500GB3D-NAND SATA 2.5″ gives your computer the best performance with a solid combination of the best features on the market today. This means you can use this SSD to optimize performance by elevating your game, unleashing your creativity and accelerating your system.
As if that is not enough, the Crucial MX500 500GB3D-NAND SATA 2.5″ has been thoroughly tested, tried and proven to be trusted based on performance and reliability.
Talking of reliability, this SSD boasts of a decade-long legacy that you can trust to give you a combination of performance, quality, and security.
Why should you choose Crucial MX500500GB 3D-NAND SATA 2.5″ in the first place? The answer is simple and clear. Using this SSD will make your computer experience a faster, quieter and cooler mode of operation.
This is due to the fact that the SSD in question has an adaptable pool of very high-speed flash memory that is designed to help your laptop or PC generate blistering speeds at an amazing price-performance ratio.
This is evident from its sequential read speeds of 560MB/s and 510 MB/s with random reads/writes of 95k and 90 k for all file types. Above all, this SSD comes with a 5-year limited warranty that backs up quite a number of validation hours and many qualification tests.
5. WD Blue 3D-NAND 500GB PC SSD SATA-3
The WD Blue 3D-NAND 500GB is a must-have brand of SSDs that enables your personal computer to unleash great performance that you can always trust.
This is attributed to the SSD’s high-capacity (of up to 2TB) that gets you started fast while killing load time. Its total accessible capacity varies depending on the environment it is operating in.
The SSD’s sequential read speeds, in this case, go up to 560 MB per second while the sequential write speeds go up to 530MB per second which make the transfer rate of the interface reliable and efficient.
In other words, this is an industry leading SSD with 1.75M hours of mean time to failure or in short, the MTTF and up 500TBW( or terabytes written) for the enhanced reliability.
Most significantly, WD Blue 3D-NAND 500GB boasts of WD F.I.T. Laboratory certification to prove that it is compatible with many types of computers. When you purchase it you will get free downloadable software that will enable you to monitor the status of the drive all the time.
6. Silicon Power 512GB SSD-3D NAND SATA-3 2.5”
Silicon Power 512GB SSD-3D NAND SATA-3 2.5″ is equipped with 3D NAND technology to enhance power efficiency and reliability.
The advanced 3D NAND flash offers you improved endurance and an extended battery life that enables you to work even longer without charging your laptop frequently.
Its high transfer speeds result in very short boot time, quick file processing and fast application loading for your computer. All these operations are made possible courtesy of high-quality controller including the original synchronous NAND flash technology.
The Silicon Power 512GB SSD-3D NAND SATA-3 2.5″ comes in handy with absolutely free-download SSD (Health monitor tool) SP toolbox software that is designed specifically to monitor the health status of the SSD.
This way, you can easily run a test on performance, check the detailed information of the SSD and get the overall health evaluations including the available space on the device, the temperature of the device, total bytes written, erase account status, S.M.A.R.T. status, and block numbers.
With its built-in Bad Block Management, you can continuously monitor and replace any bad block in order to keep the system in good working condition. Just like other SSDs, this one has multiple techniques supported such as vibration and shock proof without any moving parts.
7. ADATA SU800 512GB-3D NAND 2.5” SATA 3
ADATA SU800 is an internal 2.5″ SSD that uses the next generation 3D NAND technology. This technology is designed primarily for the consumer market and it stacks memory cells in a vertical manner to increase the density and overcome issues of limitations commonly found in the old 2D NAND architecture.
As such, efficient architecture and higher cell density improve write performance as well as reliability without necessarily increasing die size.
ADATA SU800 boasts of high and reliable performance thanks to features such as the built-in intelligent SLC cache as well as well DRAM memory cache buffer that is designed to boost write/read performance up to 520MB/560MB/s respectively. Also, SU800 supports Data Shaping and RAID Engine to improve data protection and overall drive stability.
The Low-Density Parity Check-Error Correction Code serves the function of enhancing integrity and performance of your laptop or desktop PC giving it superior stability, efficient power management, and durability.
How to Choose an SSD for Your Computer?
When choosing the solid state drives for your computer, there are a number of factors to consider. These factors come in the form of features that you need to look before making your final decision. Here are the easiest ways of choosing an SSD for your computer:
Interface
For you to get the best and highest performance from SSDs, you will need to consider the type of interface that has the best features. For instance, you can settle for 6Gbps rated Serial-ATA interface for stronger performance in comparison to hard drives.
Drive Height or Length Restrictions
When planning to replace a hard drive in your laptop with an SSD, you need to be fully aware of its physical size limitations. Look out for the maximum supported height and length for the SSD you are interested in before purchasing it. Ensure that the SSD will fit well in your system before making your final decision.
SSD Capacity
Obviously capacity comes as a very simple concept to understand. The overall storage capacity of SSDs is significantly lower than what the traditional hard drive can achieve. However, the typical ranges for SSDs capacity are between 64GB and 4TB.
The same capacity can play a very crucial role in the performance of the solid-state drives as well. All these are determined by the type and number of memory chips within the drive. So, when selecting your ideal SSD look for the rated speed specification in relation to its capacity level if you really want to achieve better performance for your PC.
Controller and Firmware
As it seems, the performance of an SSD is what matters the most when installing one in your laptop or PC. This performance is greatly impacted by the firmware and controller available on the drive.
The controller handles the management of data between the memory chips. They also determine the capacity for the SSD in relation to the total number of channels for the chips. Therefore, take into consideration the controller and firmware’s rated speeds when choosing an SSD for your computer.
Write and Read Speeds
Given that SSDs have better performance speeds in comparison to hard drives, you should also consider the write and read speeds when purchasing a drive. Write and read come in two different categories but manufacturers list only the write and sequential speeds because the sequential speeds are more efficient in terms of speed as a result of their larger data blocks.
The second type is known as random data access that consists of several small data writes and reads that are a bit slower because they need more operations. This means that when making your selection of SDDs, you need to look critically into write and read speeds to know exactly what will work well for your PC.
Choosing your SSDs should not be a problem anymore once you know what you are looking for. The above-named factors or features are the ones to consider the most before making a decision to purchase an SSD. But most importantly, take your budget into considerations even before you set out to look for a solid state drive for your personal computer.
Conclusion
SDDs are becoming increasingly popular compared to the traditional hard drives because of their high performance and other superior features that they come with.
And you can attest to this fact right from the review of the few selected SDDs in the main selection of the article. Therefore, choose your SSDs wisely and enjoy its superior features that enhance better performance for your computer.
Featured Image: Flickr
