8 SSDs That’ll Let You Skip Those Long Loading Times

8 SSDs That’ll Let You Skip Those Long Loading Times
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There is a very special type of frustration that comes from long loading times. After spending all that time downloading and installing a new game, only to be greeted with an endless loading screen, all because your PC’s internal storage isn’t up to scratch? It sucks! That’s why grabbing yourself a reliable solid-state drive (SSD) will help you cut down on those strenuous wait times.

Picking the right SSD can be a bit tricky at times. For starters, you’ll need to make sure your PC’s motherboard can actually support them — both in terms of compatibility and physical room inside your rig. After dropping a hundred or so dollars on a new SSD, the last thing you’d want is one that doesn’t actually fit your PC case. Then comes the issue of knowing whether it’s a SATA or M.2 SSD – and if it’s the latter, what generation it is.

To help you get your gaming PC up to snuff, here are a few SSDs that are worth your time, broken down by price range.

If you’re specifically looking for an internal SSD to install in your PS5, you can find Kotaku Australia’s guide for that here.

This article has been updated since its original publication.

The best budget SSDs (Up to $100)

Crucial MX500 2.5″ 3D NAND SATA III SSD (500GB)

2.5-inch SATA SSDs are somewhat on the outs, considering that these days you don’t have to spend that much more to get their M.2 equivalent. However, the Crucial MX500 SSD is a great option if you’re shopping on a budget. If you’re just after a little bit of extra storage for your gaming PC and don’t want to go too crazy with spending, you can pick up the 500GB MX500 SSD for an absolute bargain. Even if you don’t need one that bad, it’s a very justifiable price.

It’s an SSD that is both consistent and reliable when it comes to performance. Upgrading to the 1TB capacity version of this Crucial SSD isn’t a bad idea, either, if your budget can spare it.

Where to buy: Amazon Australia ($55) | eBay ($58.65, with the code MAY15) | Mwave ($47)

WD Black SN770 NVMe PCIe Gen4 M.2 2280 SSD (500GB)

Image: Western Digital

If you’re upgrading or building a mid-level gaming rig, I’d suggest looking at Western Digital’s Black SN770. This WD Black SSD stands toe-to-toe with some of the more high-end M.2 drives when it comes to transferring speeds, but with the added bonus of a cheaper price. The 500GB drive is a good choice for having a dedicated OS drive.

Where to buy: Amazon Australia ($66) | eBay ($63.75, with the code MAY15) | Mwave ($67.95)

Samsung 970 EVO Plus NVMe PCIe Gen 3.0 x4 M.2 2280 SSD (1TB)

samsung ssd
Image: Samsung

The Samsung 970 EVO Plus is a reliable SSD that can hold its own while running some of the more system-demanding games. If you also do a fair share of video editing or graphic design work, this thing will make sure you aren’t stuck with long load times.

Grabbing the 1TB version isn’t a bad idea if you’re after a good install drive or scratch drive. You should definitely consider leaning towards more storage space if you have a few Modern Warfare-sized games installed at any given time.

Where to buy: Amazon Australia ($95) | eBay ($92.65, with the code MAY15) | Mwave ($79)

The best mid-range SSDs ($100 to $200)

Samsung 870 EVO 2.5″ SATA III  V-NAND SSD (1TB)

samsung ssd
Image: Samsung

Samsung’s 870 EVO is an inexpensive SATA SSD that offers one of the strongest sequential reading and writing rates of any SATA drive. It doesn’t hurt to have more than one SSD installed on your computer so having this as an extra drive isn’t a bad idea, especially if you’ve got a large collection of games with big install sizes.

Where to buy: Amazon Australia ($109.31) | eBay ($118.15, with the code MAY15) | Mwave ($109)

Crucial P3 Plus NVMe PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 2280 SSD (2TB)

Image: Crucial

Crucial’s P3 Plus was designed to work under pressure, so it’s not a bad option if you spend your time playing system-demanding games. Where it really shines is its speed. This SSD can sequentially read up to 5,000MB/s and sequential write up to 4,200MB/s. That’s a fantastic rate of performance, especially when you factor in the very affordable price tag for the storage size.

Where to buy: Amazon Australia ($169.35) | eBay ($194.65, with the code MAY15) | Mwave ($178)

Samsung 980 Pro NVMe PCIe Gen4.0 x4 M.2 SSD (1TB)

samsung ssd
Image: Samsung

If you’re after top-of-the-line performance, Samsung’s 980 Pro really swings for the fences. With 7,000MB/5,000MB read and write speeds, Samsung’s 980 Pro can handle any game that you want to throw at it. If you’re looking for an SSD with low latency and enhanced bandwidth, that will help you reach some high-end performances with your games, then this is the one you want.

Where to buy: Amazon Australia ($137.09) | eBay ($148.75, with the code MAY15) | Mwave ($149)

The best SSDs for big spenders ($200+)

Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus NVMe PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 SSD (2TB)

Image: Sabrent

If you want to go big with your SSD but still want value for your money, the Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus might be what you want. You’ll get some solid performance with the Rocket 4 Plus SSD when it comes to gaming, with read and write speeds of 7,100MB/s and 6,600MB/s. It’s also not a bad option if you spend a lot of time editing videos.

The 2TB of storage should be more than enough to meet your needs, even if you feel it necessary to have a lot of big install games on your drive at any one time. It’s on the more expensive end of the SSD spectrum, but a solid investment nonetheless. If you can’t justify going that big, maybe drop the storage size down to the 1TB version.

Where to buy: Amazon Australia ($294.99)

WD Black SN850X NVMe PCIe 4.0 M.2 2280 SSD (2TB)

Image: Western Digital

As far as SSD brands go, Western Digital’s WD Black range is fairly reliable, so if you’re worried about not getting the most bang for your buck, be rest assured that you’re in capable hands. The SN850X is the latest high-end NVMe SSD in the WD Black range, and offers excellent performance, with read speeds of up to 7,300MB/s and write speeds of 6,600MB/s.

This SSD is also a great option if you’re looking to increase the internal storage of your PlayStation 5. Just make sure you get the version that comes with a heatsink attached.

Where to buy: Amazon Australia ($246.55) | eBay ($334, with the code HGMAY) | Mwave ($369.95)


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At Kotaku, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.

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