Hey everyone! I'm in the market for a solid 2TB SSD, and I'd love to hear your recommendations. Just so you know, I'm also curious if it really matters if the SSD comes with a pre-applied heatsink or not.
5 Answers
If you're focusing on gaming, I'd suggest the MP44L, VP4300 Lite, or C910 as they're usually the cheapest and reliable. For more intensive workloads, the SN850X is a solid choice, though be cautious if you’re using an MSI motherboard since there have been compatibility issues with that specific combo.
For a good balance of performance and price, I’d go with the Lexar NM790, Teamgroup MP44, or the Patriot Viper VP4300. They’re basically variations of each other! If you’re looking for budget options, the Lexar NM710 and WD SN580 are solid.
Some great options to consider are the SK Hynix Platinum P41, Solidigm P44 Pro, and of course, the Samsung 990 Pro. They’re all very well-regarded.
To be honest, just grab whatever's cheapest from a reputable brand. All NVMe SSDs are super fast these days, so unless you're running synthetic benchmarks, you won’t notice much difference.
Before you decide, it would help to know your budget and how you plan to use the SSD. For basic tasks or gaming, a budget NVMe drive should suffice. If you want to dig deeper, there's a flowchart that can help you choose based on your needs. As for the heatsink, it depends; for casual use or gaming, Gen3 or Gen4 drives usually do fine without one. Most motherboards already come with heatsinks.
Yeah, I wouldn't go for the SN850X with MSI motherboards. It's notorious for having issues. If you need DRAM cache, look at the Kingston Fury Renegade, which is currently around $144. If that’s not a must, the Lexar NM790 is a great pick and even has a version with a heatsink for around $130.