Overview
SSD is a type of persistent storage media on solid-state flash memory. SSD helps users improve temperature, data safety, and power consumption. NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) is a high-performance controller motherboard interface technology for SSD hard drives. The latest technology, released in 2013, gives your SSD exceptional storage, speed, and best-in-class compatibility. This controller technology uses a new PCIe slot that transfers data 25 times faster than the old technology.
It is entirely superior to the old technology, so up to now, it has become the standard technology of the SSD industry. Here we will introduce to you the NVMe SSDs are right for you, with the criteria of reasonable price, strong performance, and high durability.
- Best overall NVMe SSD: Samsung 980 Pro
- Best budget NVMe SSD: Kingston KC3000
- Best M.2 SSD for Laptops: SK Hynix Gold P31
Besides these products, you can also consider Samsung 970 EVO Plus, Patriot Viper VPR100 or WD Blue SN570
Reviews
1. Samsung 980 Pro
Samsung 980 Pro is an SSD model using Samsung's most advanced technology that meets both aspects that users care about, good performance and high durability. On this product, Samsung also, for the first time, launched its own self-developed controller called Elpis, which is rated for high processing performance and optimal heat dissipation with a Nickel layer and Label plate to ensure SSD performance is highly stable. Samsung 980 Pro allows sequential read and writes speeds according to the capacity level you choose.
However, achieving this level of performance requires your computer's hardware to be new and strong enough, but even with a slight loss in performance, this NVMe SSD can still operate smoothly even if it is not. Do you play games or make 4K, 8K videos. This is the best option in the price range that you should experience.
Reasons to buy:
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There are many options for capacity (256GB,500GB,1TB,2TB)
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Equipped with electrostatic flash memory that can store data even when not connected to a power source, NAND MCL technology is durable and affordable
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Equipped with ddr4 cache up to 2GB (with 2TB version).
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Controller Elpis was first launched by Samsung, with high processing ability and good heat dissipation.
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Fast processing performance in a short time and stability throughout the working process.
Reasons to avoid:
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Performance is highly hardware-dependent
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Getting the best performance requires new and powerful hardware
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Users need to have specific knowledge to perform in-depth fine-tuning
2. Kingston KC3000
Kingston KC3000 is designed to compete with the market-leading high-end NVMe SSDs. The SSD has powerful unmatched performance at an affordable price. The product has a variety of capacity options (512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB). Still, the 1TB capacity level is more competitive in price, and it also meets most of the user's requirements, from Professional 4K and 8K video producers to gamers.
The KC3000 is also supported by the Kingston SSD Manager tool that allows you to monitor the health of your SSD. In addition, it is equipped with a high-speed DDR4 DRAM cache and NAND SLC technology – the most durable of all. This is one of the products worth buying, especially for users who want to use it for a long time.
Reasons to buy:
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The product uses PCIe 4.0 technology for speedy and powerful performance for creative professionals and gamers.
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Stay cool during operation thanks to the aluminum graphene heatsink
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Meticulous and attractive design
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Equipped with durable Phison high-performance 8-channel controller with thermostat for optimal performance
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5-year warranty and one of the highest-rated endurance NVMe SSDs
Reasons to avoid:
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The cost of the product is a bit high due to the use of NAND SLC, but it is commensurate with the durability and quality
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The product consumes a lot of electricity
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It does not support AES hardware encryption for password protection
3. SK Hynix Gold P31
SK Hynix Gold P31 is SK Hynix's first retail M.2 NVMe SSD, using NAND TLC with relatively high durability and low cost. The product's performance is awe-inspiring and excellent, providing the best performance. Although the technology may not be as new as other SSDs, this product does compete with those products in terms of performance. SK Hynix Gold P31 has capacities of 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB at a low price, but the quality is not inferior to high-end products. This SSD is also equipped with SMART data reporting, secure erasure, and AES 256-bit hardware encryption support for near-maximum security. The product is the most competitive M.2 NVMe SSD to date.
Reasons to buy:
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Power usage efficiency is optimized by the manufacturer as much as possible
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Performance with M.2 NVMe technology is rated as the world's leading, and efficiency reaches unprecedented levels
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Competitive durability and 5-year manufacturer warranty
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The price of the product is competitive, cheap compared to the quality
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Has 256-bit AES encryption with absolute security
Reasons to avoid:
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The 2TB model has a slower file write performance than the 1TB model.
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Equipped with an additional PCB (printed circuit board) to make the design more vivid, but only in the 2TB version.
FAQs
1. What is a good price for NVMe SSD?
It is depended on your choice. 1TB can be a sweet spot for price and performance which is around $100 for the decent drives and around $150 for the high-performance one.
2. Which is faster M.2 or NVMe?
NVMe SSDs are ideal for gaming or high-resolution video editing so they can reach higher speeds than M.2. But this also leads to NVMe SSDs’s high cost.
3. Does NVMe need a heatsink?
NVMe SSD is easy to install and forget so it can overheat critically even during normal day-to-day use. So our answer would be yes.
Final Words
Choosing an NVMe SSD is not easy because the market has a lot of products with a lot of different prices, especially if you are not a person who is knowledgeable about the technical parameters. We have tried to give the brightest view so that you can access NVMe SSDs in a good price range. I hope you can choose your product based on our information.