I'm looking to buy a new SSD mainly for booting up my system and for storing my favorite games. I have a 1TB HDD for other files, so I just need something fast for the main games. I have an older i5 3570 processor and SATA 3 ports available. I've narrowed it down to two choices: a 500GB SSD with DRAM or a larger 1TB SSD without DRAM. The price for each option ranges from €50 to €60. Here are my options: For the DRAMless ones, there's the ADATA SU650 (1TB), Crucial BX500 (1TB), and ADATA SU630 (960GB). For the ones with DRAM, I have the ADATA SU800 (512GB), Kingston KC600 (512GB), and Samsung 870 EVO (500GB). Any advice on which route to take?
5 Answers
Honestly, I think 500GB is kinda cramped nowadays. The 1TB drive gives you way more breathing room for games, even if it lacks DRAM. Just make sure you don’t do heavy copying tasks where the lack of DRAM could slow you down.
If you're really on a tight budget, maybe just grab that 512GB with DRAM. Gaming on an i5 3570 doesn’t require massive storage capacity, and it could still be satisfactory for your uses.
I wouldn't recommend going for ADATA. Brands like Crucial or WD have better options for reliability. It’s worth getting a quality SSD.
If you’re sticking to SATA, having DRAM is pretty crucial for good performance in most cases. No DRAM can slow down your data transfers, especially when you're dealing with larger files.
While NVME drives are great, I get that you're looking at SATA. You might actually get better options by spending a bit more and going for a 1TB SSD with DRAM, even though I know that's not what you asked for!
Right, but for OP's setup, they absolutely need SATA, so focusing on that makes sense.
Totally agree! Samsung drives are top-notch too, but just remember, OP is specifically looking for a SATA drive, not NVME.