I'm upgrading my old PC piece by piece, and I need some advice on choosing reliable SSDs. This PC will mainly be used for casual gaming and regular internet tasks. Currently, I have an odd setup where my operating system and various software run off a SATA drive, and I use an NVMe M.2 drive for games. While speed isn't essential for the software, I'd love for my games to load quickly and smoothly.
Right now, I'm using Kingston SSDs: a 240GB A400 for my OS and a 500GB A2000 for games. Unfortunately, I've had a pretty poor experience with both; they often freeze at full usage, especially during updates. I want to steer clear of Kingston in the future. I considered switching to Samsung due to their reputation for quality, but I've seen a lot of negative reviews about their software issues and failures recently. I'm also thinking about Crucial but want some input before making a decision.
I'm looking for 1TB drives for each of my SSDs to ensure I have enough space down the line. Additionally, I'd prefer two separate SSDs to minimize wear and avoid putting all my data on one drive. For context, here's a rundown of my current build: ASUS PRIME B450M-K motherboard, Corsair Vengeance LPX Black 16GB RAM, AMD Ryzen 5 2600 CPU, and an AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT GPU. I also have a Western Digital HDD for old data. I'm not into demanding games, just titles like EU4, Stellaris, and some older games, so I won't be upgrading to a high-end build anytime soon. Thanks for any help!
3 Answers
Going for a single 2TB SSD could also work well, as it can handle wear leveling better. Drives like the Kioxia Exceria Plus G3 or WD Blue SN5000 are worth considering if you're open to a larger capacity all-in-one solution.
It's not super common to experience issues with Kingston SSDs, especially both on the same system—could be more of a Windows or drive controller issue. Definitely consider backing up your data externally since relying on a single drive isn't safe. Even cheap drives can work well—it’s always a good idea to have backups as a safeguard!
The A400 and A2000 are budget models from Kingston, which might explain your bad experience. Kingston does offer some higher-end models like the KC3000 that are better. Samsung can be a great choice, just make sure to check for firmware updates before you dive in, as many brands have had firmware issues at one point. Regarding Crucial, steer clear of their QLC-NAND drives for the OS; they can be less reliable. If you want two separate SSDs, look for one with DRAM cache for the OS to ensure smooth performance. Recommended pairs are Samsung 990 Pro for the OS and the 990 Evo Plus for games—or a Crucial T500 for the OS and a separate model for storage.
Thanks for the thorough info! I’ve been hesitant about Kingston, and you’re spot on about the QLC-NAND. I'll definitely consider the Samsung 870 EVO for OS and maybe the 990 Pro for games. Gotta do some price checking first, though!
You make a solid point. Once my upgrades are complete, I plan to get a few external drives for backups, just to be safe!