Best SSD manufacturers in 2020

Solid State Disk or Solid State Drive is a relatively new type of storage device based on the principles of conventional flash memory. This type of memory is non-volatile, works fast enough and is not cleared when the power is turned off. Unlike conventional hard drives, these devices are compact and lightweight, easy to operate, operate without extraneous noise and overheating. SSD drives are used in home computers and professional equipment. The features of choosing the best solid state drives, their technical characteristics, as well as advantages and disadvantages are described in this article.

What are SSDs?

SSD drives have already become a common attribute of personal computers and laptops. There are several types of such devices. First of all, it is worth dividing all devices by purpose:

• for personal computers and laptops;
• server rooms.

In addition, there are different options for solid state drives depending on:

• connection interface;
• form factor;
• type of flash memory;
• data transfer protocol.

The most common connection types are SATA (older and slower) and PCIe (modern and faster). SATA devices are typically 2.5 ”or mSATA form factor. Drives with PCI connection are usually made in the form of a miniature board with soldered elements (M2 connector).

There are three types of solid state drive memory:

• SLC (single-level cell);
• MLC (multi-level cell);
• TLC (triple-level cell).

They differ in the number of bits in a cell: SLC has one bit, MLC has two bits, TLC has three bits. This feature determines the maximum number of rewriting cycles, as well as the speed of the device. Increasing the number of bits negatively affects the performance and longevity of the drive.

How to choose an SSD drive?

What to look for when choosing a solid state drive? The question is very complex, therefore, before buying, you need to decide on a set of certain characteristics of a new device. The selection criteria are quite diverse: from basic technical parameters to ergonomics and design. Let's try to disassemble each of them:

1. Memory

Manufacturers offer various options - from 60 GB to 2 TB. The optimal volume is determined by the purpose of the device: devices with a capacity of up to 256 GB are used to install the operating system and various programs, disks up to 512 GB are suitable for storing a large amount of media files, larger drives are used by gamers, developers, etc. You need to know that Low capacity SSDs are applicable if you have a basic HDD in the assembly. Otherwise, you need to lay the volume of the solid-state drive at least 1-2 TB.

2. Memory type

Directly affects the performance of the device. The most common variant is with TLC memory. They are not the most durable, while they are many times faster than standard hard drives in performance. Multi-level MLC cells are characterized by high service life and high speed. This type of memory is most often used by fans of games and multimedia viewing.SLC-based devices offer unique durability and performance. Such discs are used to solve professional problems.

3. Form factor

The dimensions of the device depend on the system into which it will be integrated. For regular personal computers and laptops, the inexpensive 2.5 ”form factor options are suitable. In the case of ultra-thin technology, it is necessary to use miniature solutions with dimensions similar to PCI cards.

4. Read and write speed

SSD performance is determined by the type of memory used. In this case, when choosing a device, you must be guided by the following: if you plan to use it only as a storage, then first of all you need to pay attention to the write speed. If you plan to use the disk to run software and games, the main thing is the read speed.

5. Supported functions

First of all, it is necessary to highlight the TRIM function - the so-called cleaning the disk from garbage. It will help improve performance and extend the life of your device. It will be very useful to have the SMART function - a system for analyzing and monitoring the state of the device. This technology will promptly identify problems and prevent the loss of important data.

6. Interface view

There are several ways to connect solid state drives to your computer. It is the type of interface that determines the optimal throughput of the device. For example, SATA provides processing speed of 600 Mb / s, and the PCI 3.0 connection type is 4-6 times faster. The latter option is the most expensive, so it is suitable primarily for game lovers and professional developers.

7. Operational reliability

Most SSD drives can easily withstand writing up to 1 petabyte of information, and newer models are twice as large. In addition, there are a number of ways that can extend the life of the device: do not defragment the disk, leave at least 20-25% of the device's memory free, keep old files for a long time, etc.

8. Manufacturer brand

One of the most important parameters. The durability and stability of work depends primarily on the manufacturing company. You should not chase cheapness, preferring cheap Chinese goods from aliexpress. It is necessary to make a choice in favor of companies that have already proven themselves from the best side, developers of the most advanced technologies in the field of SSD. The rating of the best manufacturers of quality solid state drives, based on feedback from real buyers, presented below will help you decide on the purchase of the necessary device.

Top SSD manufacturers

Kingston

One of the top brands with some really cool products. The company creates drives using the most modern technologies and is known for the highest level of quality.

The company offers SSD devices in several modifications of three main series: A400, UV500 and A1000 with capacities from 120 gigabytes to 1.92 terabytes and read speeds up to 1500 MB / s and write speeds up to 1000 MB / s.

• high performance indicators for reading and writing due to the use of TLC NAND memory;
• five-year warranty period from the company;
• ease;
• reliability and durability
• lack of noise during operation;
• better balance between cost and performance;
• high level of technical solutions.

• lack of expressive design;
• high power consumption.

An overview of the technical specifications of the most popular Kingston SSD models

Model	Volume, GB	Form factor	Memory type	Write / read speed, MB / s	Interface	average price
SA400S37 / 120G	120	2,5'	TLC	320/500	SATA 6Gb / s	1400-5200
SA400S37 / 240G	240	2,5'	TLC	350/500	SATA 6Gb / s	2400-4500
SUV500 / 120G	120	2,5'	TLC 3D NAND	320/520	SATA 6Gb / s	1800-3700
SUV500 / 240G	240	2,5'	TLC 3D NAND	500/520	SATA 6Gb / s	3200-5200
SA1000M8 / 240G	240	2280	TLC 3D NAND	800/1500	PCI-E 3.0x2	3800-5900
SA1000M8480G	480	2280	TLC 3D NAND	800/1500	PCI-E 3.0x2	6300-10100

Samsung

The true leader in the global solid state drive market. It is focused not only on products for personal PCs and laptops, but also for professional servers. The company makes sure that everyone can choose a product according to their needs and price. The sensational models of the 960 and 970 series with the EVO and PRO indexes have become real bestsellers in their class.

• quality and reliability;
• modern memory base MLC 3D-NAND and TLC 3D-NAND using multilevel cells;
• ultra-high speed of reading and writing;
• 64-layer flash memory;
• Phoenix controller with increased core frequency and high performance;
• low noise level;
• excellent durability.

• rather poor equipment;
• slight underestimation of speed relative to the declared one.

Description of the characteristics of the most popular and demanded Samsung solid state drives

Model	Volume, GB	Form factor	Memory type	Write / read speed, MB / s	Interface	average price
850 120Gb	120	2,5'	TLC 3D NAND	520/540	SATA 6Gb / s	2800-5040
860 EVO MZ-76E250BW	250	2,5'	TLC 3D NAND	520/550	SATA 6Gb / s	3950-6050
970 EVO MZ-V7E250BW	250	2280	TLC 3D NAND	1500/3400	PCI-E 3.0x4	5500-7800
860 PRO MZ-76P512BW	512	2,5'	MLC 3D NAND	530/560	SATA 6Gb / s	11900-17800

Western digital

One of the world's most popular manufacturers of computer electronics, specializing in the production of internal and external hard drives, as well as solid-state and network drives. The American company offers three series of SSD drives up to 2 TB: Black, Blue and Green. The proprietary Marvell controller provides excellent performance, and the cache buffer using DDR-3 up to 2 GB - high-speed performance. Western Digital devices are slightly cheaper than Samsung, while they are inferior in read and write speeds.

• high performance and speed;
• relatively inexpensive price;
• a large selection of devices in terms of memory capacity - up to 2 TB;
• high energy efficiency (especially Green - series);
• three-year warranty period;
• proprietary support software.

• quality of body materials.

Specifications of the Best Western Digital SSDs

Model	Volume, GB	Form factor	Memory type	Write / read speed, MB / s	Interface	average price
WD Green PC SSD 120Gb	120	2280	TLC 3D NAND	520/545	SATA 6Gb / s	1600-2500
WD Green PC SSD 240Gb	240	2,5'	TLC 3D NAND	520/545	SATA 6Gb / s	2300-4150
WD Blue 3D NAND SATA SSD 500Gb	500	2280	TLC 3D NAND	530/560	SATA 6Gb / s	5900-9900
WD Black NVMe SSD 500 Gb	500	2280	TLC 3D NAND	2500/3400	PCI-E 3.0x4	8900-12900
WD Blue 3D NAND SATA SSD 1Tb	1000	2,5'	TLC 3D NAND	530/560	SATA 6Gb / s	10100-13700

Transcend

The Taiwanese memory and storage corporation remains competitive. Attractive cost and powerful enough performance characteristics allow the company to remain among the leaders among manufacturers of SSD-devices. Transcend is actively implementing NVMe technology, which effectively increases the operating speed. The variety of drive form factors allows them to be used even for ultra-thin laptops. A nice bonus - 5 years factory warranty for all Transcend devices.

• using 64-layer TLC 3D NAND memory chip;
• information reading speed up to 1600 mb / s;
• long MTBF;
• five-year warranty;
• budget prices;
• wide range of form factors.

• heats up quickly;
• low write speed;
• no mounting screws included.

Overview of the characteristics of popular models of Transcend SSD-drives

Model	Volume, GB	Form factor	Memory type	Write / read speed, MB / s	Interface	average price
TS 120GSSD220S	120	2,5'	TLC	420/550	SATA 6Gb / s	1700-4200
TS 120GMTS420S	120	2242	TLC 3D NAND	500/560	SATA 6Gb / s	1800-2600
TS 256GMTE110S	256	2280	TLC 3D NAND	800/1800	PCI-E 3.0x4	3400-4600
TS 480GSSD220S	480	2,5'	TLC	450/550	SATA 6Gb / s	4600-8900

Silicon power

Another company from Taiwan. Models with PCI 3.0 interface with increased performance are gaining special popularity. Some Silicon Power devices are equipped with a heatsink to extend the service life. The latest Silicon Power SSDs support Host Memory Buffer technology, which can significantly improve performance.

• silent work;
• lightness and compactness;
• the presence of radiators-coolers on some models;
• reliability and durability;
• auto-update firmware;
• relatively inexpensive cost.

• weak equipment;
• low write speed.

Featured Silicon Power Solid State Drives

Model	Volume, GB	Form factor	Memory type	Write / read speed, MB / s	Interface	average price
SP120GBSS3S55S25	120	2,5'	TLC	500/550	SATA 6Gb / s	1400-3800
SP240GBSS3S55S25	240	2,5'	TLC	500/550	SATA 6Gb / s	2300-5400
ACE A55 512 Gb	512	2,5'	TLC	530/560	SATA 6Gb / s	5000-7200
P32A80	512	2280	TLC 3D NAND	1000/1600	PCI-E 3.0x2	4600-8900

Sandisk

The California company, recently taken over by Western Digital, has earned a reputation for quality and reliability. SSD - devices from this company are distinguished by high speed, low power consumption and noise level. SanDisk offers a wide range of solid state drives to suit casual users, gamers, graphics editors, and software developers alike. The main feature of the company is ultra-fast models with an M.2 PCI 3.0 × 4 NVMe interface with a playback speed of up to 3400 Mb / s, which is several times higher than that of devices with a SATA interface.

• a wide range of solid state drives for different users;
• special type of 3D NAND memory;
• perfect speed and performance;
• affordable installation and support using specialized software;
• high energy efficiency;
• quiet work;
• compact size.

• high price;
• a noticeable decrease in performance when filling free space.

SanDisk's Most Popular Solid State Drive Specifications

Model	Volume, GB	Form factor	Memory type	Write / read speed, MB / s	Interface	average price
SDSSDA-240G-G26	240	2,5'	TLC 3D NAND	440/530	SATA 6Gb / s	2700-4050
SDSSDH3-500G-G25	500	2,5'	TLC 3D NAND	530/560	SATA 6Gb / s	7000-11000
SDSDHII-480G-G25	480	2,5'	TLC 3D NAND	500/550	SATA 6Gb / s	7300-9300
SDSSDXPM2-500G-G25	512	2280	3D V-NAND	2500/3400	PCI-E 3.0x4	11900-14600

Intel

Products of one of the most famous "computer" brands are rightfully among the best SSD-devices. The company presents a huge selection of solid state drives for both home use and professional solutions. Buyers prefer Intel for its versatility, ergonomics, and device size. In addition, SSD disks of this company are distinguished by an increased resource of use, workmanship and reliability during use. True, the prices for such devices are not the smallest.

• a large selection of storage capacity;
• high speed of reading and writing;
• compact size;
• reliability and durability;
• 5 year manufacturer's warranty;
• practically does not get warm.

• poor design of most models;
• modest equipment;
• high cost.

An overview of the technical specifications of the most popular Intel SSD models.

Model	Volume, GB	Form factor	Memory type	Write / read speed, MB / s	Interface	average price
SSDPEKKW128G8XT	128	2280	TLC 3D NAND	650/1640	PCI-E 3.0x4	4000-5300
SSDSC2KW256G8	256	2,5'	TLC 3D NAND	500/550	SATA 6Gb / s	3900-5100
SSDSC2KW512G8X1	512	2,5'	TLC 3D NAND	500/550	SATA 6Gb / s	7200-11000
SSDPEKKW512G801	512	2280	TLC 3D NAND	1625/3230	PCI-E 3.0x4	10300-12300

Adata

The Taiwan-based company offers a unique range of devices in various capacities and capacities, based on various hardware platforms. The most popular of the SSD-drives of this company are the SX8200 models - the fastest ones presented by this company for all time. The performance and other technical characteristics of these devices are on a par with the top-end versions of other companies, while the ADATA products compare favorably in price.

• durability (TBW indicator reaches 160 TB, work to failure for up to 2 million hours);
• five-year manufacturer's warranty;
• attractive price;
• read speed up to 3350 mb / s, write speed - up to 2350 mb / s;
• stability and performance due to the SMI controller and TLC 3D NAND memory;
• optimization of data storage thanks to the support of the TRIM team;
• some models are equipped with additional cooling.

• substandard materials;
• complicated key registration procedure.

Description of the characteristics of the most popular and demanded ADATA solid state drives

Model	Volume, GB	Form factor	Memory type	Write / read speed, MB / s	Interface	average price
Ultimate SU650 120 Gb	120	2,5'	TLC 3D NAND	320/520	SATA 6Gb / s	1750-2300
Ultimate SU650 240 Gb	240	2,5'	TLC 3D NAND	450/520	SATA 6Gb / s	2700-5400
XPG SX8200 480 Gb	480	2280	TLC 3D NAND	1700/3200	PCI-E 3.0x4	7300-9300
XPG SX8200 Pro 512 Gb	512	2280	TLC 3D NAND	2350/3350	PCI-E 3.0x4	8400-9300

Toshiba

A high-quality and reliable Japanese brand has proven itself as an SSD manufacturer. Toshiba is above all about quality and reliability. The company produces models for both personal computers and laptops, and for servers. Toshiba devices, among other things, have good indicators in terms of speed and performance, support TRIM optimization, have an increased TBW resource and energy efficiency. The manufacturer provides a three-year and five-year warranty for its models.

• long service life between failures - more than a million hours;
• Consolidation of TLC cells and SLC cache to increase performance;
• high speed of reading and writing;
• excellent energy efficiency (in use mode, consumption is no more than 5 W);
• excellent build quality;
• good bandwidth;
• compactness and weight.

• high price;
• firmware update via DOS.

Description of the technical parameters of the best SSD Toshiba drives

Model	Volume, GB	Form factor	Memory type	Write / read speed, MB / s	Interface	average price
THN-S101Z1200E8	120	2,5'	TLC	480/550	SATA 6Gb / s	2100-3000
THN-RC10Z2400G8	240	2242	TLC 3D NAND	1100/1600	PCI-E	5400-6600
KSG60ZSE1T02	1024	2,5'	TLC 3D NAND	535/550	SATA 6Gb / s	16100-17200
HDTSA1AEZSTA	1024	2,5'	MLC	520/550	SATA 6Gb / s	20700-30000

AMD

AMD introduces its popular line of budget models, the Radeon R3, to the SSD market. A wide choice of storage capacities (from 60 to 960 GB), a relatively high speed of reading files (up to 520 MB / s), a very affordable price - the list of these advantages makes AMD devices an excellent option for upgrading a personal computer or laptop. The company uses reliable Silicon Motion processors and TLC memory from SK Hunix.

• low cost;
• resistance to mechanical stress;
• good performance in accordance with the declared characteristics;
• robust metal body and built-in LED.

• heats up quickly;
• fail quite often
• lack of firmware update;
• lack of mounts 3.5 included.

Review of technical characteristics of popular AMD SSD drives

Model	Volume, GB	Form factor	Memory type	Write / read speed, MB / s	Interface	average price
R3SL120G	120	2,5'	TLC	360/520	SATA 6Gb / s	2100-3700
R3SL240G	240	2,5'	TLC	470/520	SATA 6Gb / s	2900-5300
R3SL480G	480	2,5'	TLC	470/520	SATA 6Gb / s	7300-9600
R3SL960G	960	2,5'	TLC	470/520	SATA 6Gb / s	11300-13200

Brief conclusion

In the presented rating, only top companies specializing in the production of solid-state drives and producing high-quality devices that can be used to modernize both a home computer and large-scale servers are presented. These devices are suitable for both beginners and amateurs, and professionals: gamers, designers, software developers and optimizers, etc.

All devices are distinguished by high operational reliability and durability, as well as the use of the most modern technologies in design and manufacture. When choosing the right device, you must follow certain criteria described in this article. Mistakes in the selection can lead to disappointment with the model, refusal to use it and the need to re-purchase.