I'm building my first gaming PC with a Ryzen 7 7800X3D and an RTX 5070 Ti, and I want around 2TB of storage. I'm not familiar with the different M.2 NVMe SSD options, so I'd appreciate recommendations for drives that offer good performance and reliability without being unnecessarily expensive.
3 Answers
Look for a reputable 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD with TLC NAND if the price is reasonable. A drive with DRAM is preferable for an operating-system drive, but a well-reviewed DRAM-less model with a good controller can still work perfectly well for games. Avoid paying a large premium for Gen 5 since it won’t provide a meaningful gaming benefit.
For gaming, a PCIe 4.0 NVMe drive is more than fast enough. You generally won’t notice much difference between good Gen 4 models in everyday gaming, so focus on price, warranty, and reviews rather than chasing the absolute fastest drive. A DRAM-equipped model can be a nice choice for a boot drive, but it isn’t essential for a gaming-focused system.
SSD prices can vary a lot, especially for 2TB models, so compare current deals instead of locking onto one brand. Check the drive’s endurance rating, warranty, NAND type, and independent reviews. Also, make sure your motherboard’s top M.2 slot supports PCIe 4.0 and install the included heatsink if it has one.
If two similarly priced drives are available, I’d choose TLC NAND over QLC. TLC usually offers better sustained performance and endurance.