What should I look for when choosing a 2.5-inch SATA SSD?

An NVMe drive can be faster and sometimes costs only a little more, but it requires an available compatible M.2 slot. If your motherboard or system setup only supports SATA storage, a 2.5-inch SATA SSD is the appropriate choice. Before ordering, confirm the motherboard manual and make sure you have a SATA data cable and a suitable power connector from the power supply.

For a SATA replacement, compatibility is usually straightforward, and practically any modern 2.5-inch SATA SSD will be much faster than your current 126GB drive. When comparing models, TLC NAND is generally preferable to QLC because it tends to offer better sustained performance and endurance. A drive with dedicated DRAM cache is also a nice advantage. Models such as the Samsung 870 EVO and Crucial MX500 are common examples, but check the exact model carefully—the BX500 is a different, lower-tier product. An SSD comparison or tier list can help verify the NAND type, cache, and overall quality before buying.