Let’s talk about whether you need an SSD for a gaming PC ? A couple of years ago, we would have said that a solid-state drive is not a necessary gadget: it will help speed up downloads, but in general it will not significantly affect performance in games, unlike everyday PC use and working with documents, where the SSD shows a noticeable increase.
However, the situation has now changed. Firstly, new consoles are entering the market, where the SSD is the basic drive, and new projects are being sharpened to work with it, which are also going to the PC. This means that the player who uses the HDD for games runs the risk of facing long loading of saves, slowly loading objects and other problems caused by slow hard drives .
Second, NVIDIA’s new RTX IO technology is breaking into the PC gaming field. It works on GeForce RTX 20xx and 30xx video cards and provides data loading from the drive directly into the video card memory, bypassing the central processor and RAM . This significantly reduces loading times for games, increases fps and improves the detail of game worlds. Therefore, by installing a high-speed NVMe SSD, you will have a richer video game experience compared to users whose PCs are equipped with conventional HDDs.
SAMSUNG 980 PRO
Samsung is used to making flagship drives, and the 980 PRO is no exception. It is a very fast SSD with MLC type memory, which can write data at 5000 MB / s and read at 6900 MB / s. In fact, it is one of the fastest drives on the market today.
On the one hand, high read and write speeds are suitable for those who do not accept compromises. On the other hand, in most tasks, including gaming, such performance will be excessive. Until NVIDIA brings RTX IO technology to the masses, you simply won’t feel the speed gains from such an SSD on a PC. But feel how your wallet is empty – Samsung devices do not differ in a democratic approach to pricing.
KINGSTON KC600
A series of great SATA SSDs from Kingston with very good performance and record-breaking download speeds. The devices are equipped with an SMI SM2259 controller , 3D NAND flash memory and a hardware self-encrypting mechanism.
As part of the series, Kingston produces disks ranging from 250 gigabytes to 2 terabytes. The device will perfectly show itself both as a system disk and as a game one. Read more in our KC600 review.
PATRIOT P210
Inexpensive SATA-SSD with TRIM function, thanks to which the system can free blocks of flash memory without loss of performance in the background. The device supports the SMART reporting system, which allows predicting device failure and scanning the disk for problems.
The P210 performed very well in tests, especially considering its low price. If you are looking for something inexpensive and high quality for budget gaming, we recommend taking a closer look.
WD BLUE SN550
The Western Digital device operates on a 96-layer 3D NAND BiCS4 flash memory. In our tests, the disc shows speeds significantly exceeding those declared by the manufacturer.
Fast, reliable, the SN550 excels in demanding applications, and its low price tag makes it an affordable choice for gamers looking to save some money without losing anything.
KINGSTON A400
The Kingston A400 SATA drive is just what you need for budget gaming. It is inexpensive and allows you to comfortably play all modern projects. You will get acceptable download speeds for games and better reliability than using an HDD, but after a couple of years, you might want to upgrade to NVMe.
Kingston A400 uses TLC memory. Some consider it not the best choice, but let’s be honest – the average person does not care what type of memory is soldered on the board of his SSD drive, as long as it works. And it will work – according to the manufacturer, you will be able to record at least 80 TB of data.
ADATA XPG SX8200 PRO
This drive is almost not inferior to the versions from Samsung in terms of speed and performance in typical tasks, while being much cheaper. It provides read / write speed of 3500/3000 MB / s and is capable of working 2 million hours.
You can purchase the ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro now, and this device will last for several years until PCIe 4.0 drives become cheaper.
PATRIOT VIPER VPN100
Patriot has been successfully manufacturing memory modules for PCs for a long time, so you don’t have to worry about the quality and reliability of its SSD.
The hero of our collection, the Patriot Viper VPN100 model, is made in the M.2 form factor, can write data at a speed of 2200 MB / s and read at a speed of 3300 MB / s, and is also equipped with its own heatsink that cools the microcircuits under load.
GIGABYTE AORUS RGB SSD
At the first glance at this SSD, its belonging becomes obvious: the logo of the gaming brand Aorus and the bright backlighting give out a gaming device in it.
And it justifies its purpose with good indicators: writing – up to 2000 MB / s, reading – up to 3480 MB / s. A metal heatsink is also used here, which effectively removes heat from hot microcircuits.
ADATA XPG GAMMIX S11 PRO
ADATA produces select devices under the XPG brand for gamers. The Gammix S11 Pro model is one of the best in the manufacturer’s SSD line: made in the M.2 form factor, equipped with a heatsink and providing read / write speeds of 3500/2300 MB / s.
In terms of price, this drive will satisfy the frugal user. In general, a good option for your money, and the only drawback is the lack of support for PCIe 4.0.
