I've just upgraded my gaming setup to the AM5 platform and downloaded Oblivion Remaster, but realized I don't have enough storage for it. I currently have a Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB SSD that's been great, but I need a secondary drive. I'm torn between getting another 2TB drive (would love to stretch to 4TB) and am confused by the options available: HDD, SATA SSD, and NVMe all seem similarly priced. For example, 2TB NVMe is about $150, 2.5" SATA SSD around $130, and an HDD is about $90. I'm also considering read/write speeds, but just deciding on the type of drive is proving stressful. What do you think I should go for?
3 Answers
If you're looking for performance, skip the HDD for anything other than cold storage. NVMe drives will definitely give you better speeds compared to SATA SSDs, although the difference may not be huge. For just a $20 difference, I'd go for the NVMe to keep your setup tidy with less cable clutter.
HDDs are okay if you need affordable storage just for media files, but they're significantly slower—around four times slower than SSDs or NVMe drives. If you're serious about gaming and performance, SSDs, especially NVMe, should be your go-to.
I’d avoid the SATA SSD if you’re considering fast load times for gaming. The NVMe drive is a smarter choice even if the price is slightly higher, especially since you want to keep everything running smoothly.
I have the Asus Tuf Gaming B650-E WiFi with a Ryzen 5 7600X, and I checked; no lane sharing issues. With my board, I can easily support multiple NVMe drives, so I'm leaning towards getting a 990 Pro or 990 EVO Plus for around $150.