NVMe SSDs are the standard for modern PC storage — small, fast, and affordable. They plug directly into the motherboard's M.2 slot and are dramatically faster than old SATA SSDs. For gaming, an NVMe drive means near-instant load times. For everything else, it means your PC boots in seconds.
PCIe 3.0: ~3,500 MB/s read. Plenty for gaming and general use. Cheapest option. Works in any M.2 slot.
PCIe 4.0: ~5,000-7,400 MB/s read. Noticeably faster for large file transfers, video editing, and DirectStorage games. Requires a compatible motherboard (B550/X570/B650/X670 and newer).
PCIe 5.0: 10,000+ MB/s. Requires newest motherboards and often needs active cooling. Overkill for gaming, useful for professional video work.
With DRAM cache: Faster sustained writes, better for OS drives. Slightly more expensive. Examples: Samsung 980 Pro, WD Black SN850X.
DRAM-less with HMB: Uses system RAM as cache via Host Memory Buffer. Nearly as fast for gaming and everyday use. Perfectly fine for secondary/game drives. Cheaper.
TLC (Triple-Level Cell): 3 bits per cell. Better endurance, faster writes when full. Preferred for OS and frequently-written drives.
QLC (Quad-Level Cell): 4 bits per cell. Higher capacity per dollar, but slower sustained writes and lower endurance. Fine for game libraries (write once, read many times).
500GB: Minimum for OS + a few games. Tight.
1TB: Sweet spot. OS + 5-10 modern games comfortably. Best value per GB.
2TB: Heavy game library or content creation. No more storage anxiety.
4TB: Only if you know you need it.
Top Tier: Samsung (990 Pro, 980 Pro), WD Black (SN850X), SK Hynix (P41 Platinum). Fastest, most reliable, premium price.
Great Value: Crucial (P5 Plus, T500), TeamGroup (Cardea), Kingston (KC3000). Slightly slower than top tier but much cheaper per GB.
Budget Reliable: Silicon Power, ADATA, Patriot. Good for game drives, slightly lower endurance ratings.
No-name AliExpress SSDs — counterfeit capacity is common. SATA M.2 drives (they exist — check it says NVMe). Drives without any warranty. QLC as your only/OS drive if you do heavy writes. PCIe 5.0 drives for gaming builds — the premium isn't worth it.