Fast program starts, short boot and load times – plus quiet operation and low power consumption: the right SSD (Solid State Drive) effectively boosts the performance and, above all, the speed of your PC. But what else should you consider when choosing from the wide range of SSDs available? Find out how to make the right choice and what to look for.
What hardware does my computer have?
When choosing a new computer, or a new SSD for your existing one, the first step is to check what hardware it has. This is easy to check by looking at the manual. If you are going to install the new SSD yourself, you can find out what interfaces or connections it supports on the motherboard itself, or in the system information or device manager.
The basic rules for interfaces are:
- SATA is older, widely used and compatible with a wide range of motherboards and devices. The standard transfer rate is around 600MB/s.
- PCIe interfaces are faster and more efficient, but also more expensive. They are perfect for high performance applications, but there are also differences in PCIe. To take full advantage of PCIe, you should have a PCIe 4.0 version and a newer CPU (Ryzen 3000 – 5000, Intel from 11th or 12th generation). This is because PCIe 4.0 can double the transfer speed compared to PCIe 3.0, up to 8GB/s.
In addition to their interfaces, SSDs also differ in their form factors. Form factors not only determine the physical size of SSDs, but are directly related to the interface of the SSD and thus define its performance.
- 2.5″ is the most common form factor and has the same format as most conventional hard drives, such as HDDs. It only supports the SATA interface.
- Thanks to its slim shape, m.2 has become the new standard for laptops and convertibles. m.2 SSDs are easy to install on the motherboard and can use both SATA and PCIe interfaces.
- mSATA is still used in some older laptops and devices and, as the name suggests, only uses the SATA interface.
- U.2 is a fairly rare form factor and is found in high-end workstations, servers and enterprise systems. It is relatively expensive and only supports the PCIe interface.
If you are upgrading your PC, it is worth checking which form factor fits your system.
Selection criteria for SSDs
There are many different criteria you can use to choose an SSD. Here are some of the most important ones:
SATA SSDs vs. NVMe SSDs
When looking for an SSD, you will quickly be faced with the question of SATA or NVMe. The two types of SSD differ in price and interfaces, among other things.- SATA SSDs are significantly cheaper and fit into most systems because they use the SATA interface. They are ideal for typical applications such as web browsing, office software, media playback and basic gaming.
- NVMe SSDs are much faster because they use the PCIe interface. The downside is that many older devices are not compatible with them and they are much more expensive than SATA SSDs. NVMe SSDs are recommended for performance-intensive tasks and applications such as media editing, large databases or gaming.
Capacity
SSDs come in a range of capacities, with common sizes including 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB or 4TB. For most applications, 500GB will be sufficient, but for games or other large programs, it is worth investing in more storage space.
Speed
The type of interface plays a big part in speed. As mentioned above, PCIe interfaces are generally faster than SATA interfaces. With PCIe, the more lanes available for transfer (x2 and x4 are common for SSDs), the faster the transfer rate.
| Maximum bandwidth | x2 | x4 |
| PCIe Gen 3 bandwidth | 2 GB/s | 4 GB/s |
| PCIe Gen 4 bandwidth | 4 GB/s | 8 GB/s |
| PCIe Gen 5 bandwidth | 8 GB/s | 16 GB/s |
Lifetime
The TBW value indicates the total amount of data that can be written to the SSD over its lifetime. The higher the TBW, the longer the lifespan of the SSD.
Security Features
If security is important to you, choose an SSD with additional security features. Some SSDs have built-in hardware encryption that automatically encrypts and decrypts data without affecting performance. One example is 256-bit AES hardware-based encryption.
Others have features such as Secure Erase, which ensures that all data is completely and securely erased, or power failure protection. This ensures that all data in the cache is backed up before power is lost.
As a general rule, make sure the manufacturer provides regular, secure firmware updates.
Price/performance ratio
SSDs can quickly become expensive, but for most people a cheaper option will be perfectly adequate. For example, if you want to use the SSD primarily as a place to store your personal files, a cheaper SATA SSD will be perfectly adequate in most cases. If you want speed and, above all, performance, it is worth spending a little more.
High performance for demanding work
The Kingston KC3000 NVMe™ SSD, 2TB, M.2 PCIe is a truly high performance storage device. With PCIe 4.0 and read/write speeds of up to 7000MB/s, it optimises all workflows. It is ideal for media design, video editing or software applications such as 3D rendering and 4K+ content creation. The low-profile graphene-aluminium heat sink also helps to reduce the computer’s heat build-up.
Maximum performance for gamers
The Kingston FURY RENEGADE SSD 2TB, M.2 offers the highest level of performance. Equipped with the latest Gen 4×4 NVMe controller and 3D TLC NAND, the SSD delivers speeds of up to 7,300 MB/s read and 7,000 MB/s write. This ensures a consistent and exceptional gaming experience, whether loading games, applications or streaming. Available in capacities from 500GB to 4TB, there is plenty of room to store an extensive library of all your favourite games and media.
Big performance on a small budget
You don’t have to break the bank to get a powerful SSD. The Kingston KC600 SSD 512GB, also available in mSATA, is equipped with the latest 3D TLC NAND technology and comes with several security features such as AES 256-bit. The SSD will significantly improve your system – fast boot-up, short load times and enough space for your data result in an attractive price-performance ratio for those on a tight budget.
The future of SSDs
SSDs have become the standard in hard drive technology and have largely replaced HDDs. They are unlikely to be replaced in the near future, on the contrary, there are some major developments on the horizon for SSDs.
In the future, 3D NAND technology will make it possible to achieve much higher capacities for the same physical size and power efficiency. PCIe 4.0 and PCIe 5.0 are also expected to be integrated into more and more SSDs, becoming the new standard for data transfer.
The biggest factor in the near future will be the integration of artificial intelligence. This has the potential to make SSDs smarter and more efficient, adapting to the exponentially increasing demands on storage technology.
Images: Kingston
