Best M.2 Solid State Drives in the UK

Technology is an ever-changing game and if you’re planning to go for an upgrade you shouldn’t settle for anything less than the best. That’s exactly why we don’t hesitate to recommend the Samsung 970 Evo V-NAND, a top of the line m.2 PCIE solid state drive.

Right away, let’s just take a look at the read/write speed on this device. If you don’t find the 3400/2500 level impressive, you’re either from the future or know something we don’t know. That kind of speed is nearly triple what you’d get on SSDs even a year or two ago, guaranteeing fast transfers with no chance of read/write errors. Well, actually, the latter is guaranteed by the innovative protocols such as the 3C NAND Flash.

You can set up several transfers to go at once thanks to the NVME interface, which prevents errors. And don’t worry about getting carried away and running out of space, the Samsung 970 Evo has 1 TB of storage with an upgraded 2TB model available as well.

This quality does have a cost though as this SSD is pretty energy-heavy, consuming up to 10 W in Burst Mode and not much less in regular operation. If the high energy bill is something you actually worry about, you might want to get a more economical option.

But if it’s quality and speed you want, you simply can’t go wrong with the Samsung 970 Evo. Not only is it ultra-fast and reliable, it also uses the five-core processor to ensure that your operations are never interrupted or end in an error. This 1TB M.2 SSD may not look much different from the rest but it’s a true powerhouse among the competition.

Ever get scared that your rig, even though it was built for gaming, may be overheating or getting worn out? That used to be a common problem with many M.2 SSD drives but, nowadays, there are ways of fixing that. For example, the WD Black High-Performance model gives you access to the proverbial control panel, where you can make sure that things are running smoothly.

You see, this drive comes with a special dashboard software that lets you see the details of performance, including current speed and state. Don’t forget to review the info about your WD Black as well as that’s where you can see whether the system is up to date and how much space is actually left (since your OS might not be giving the precise number).

However, diagnostics are not the only thing that makes the WD Black an SSD for experienced users. Sadly, this model doesn’t come with a mounting screw so you’ll have to pick one out yourself. And should you choose incorrectly, you’ll be in for a few wasted minutes and, if you’re not careful, a damaged PC part.

There is one particular set of users that will love this model for sure, though. Since this is pretty much the fastest M.2 SSD on the market, it’s perfect for gaming in 4K on ultra-high settings. Also, graphic editing and even 3D modelling should be a breeze when you use this drive. Plus, the drive is quite affordable for the specs you get, making it the best bargain for now.

If you won’t settle for anything less than the fastest drive at the best price, don’t pass up the opportunity to get the WD Black High-Performance. Sure, we would prefer for it to come with a mounting screw to make the installation process easier but that’s not a dealbreaker for such an advanced device.

Consider how much important and valuable data you have stored on your computer. Odds are your whole life is on that machine and if you want to make sure nothing is lost, it only makes sense to invest in a reliable M.2 PCIE SSD like the WD Blue 3D.

This model has been tested to show an average operational lifetime of 1.75 million hours, more than enough to keep your information safe for 200 years. Sure, the warranty is set at a puzzlingly low 400 TBW but that shouldn’t deter you from relying on this SSD.

It’s also tough to deny that the read/write speed of 560/530 is not the highest but at least the transfer is guaranteed to be error-free and works equally well for large files as well batches of small ones. And you can send as much information to the drive as you’d like since its 1TB capacity is enough for a whole library of knowledge.

Despite being a more affordable model, the WD Blue 3D is still a WB product and thus comes with a special piece of software to monitor its operational status and make sure things are going well. It’s not too tough to navigate and we’d recommend using it regularly to make sure your data is safe and sound.

If you’re seeking high speeds, the WD Blue 3D might disappoint you. But if it’s reliable data storage for years upon years you want, your search is over. This drive is reliable, affordable, and easy to keep in good condition, which means it’s worth the money.

Have you ever lost important data due to a power outage? You know, working away at an Excel spreadsheet with several dozen tabs just to see it all erased because the data didn’t back up properly? That’s never going to happen with the Crucial MX500 Internal.

Thanks to the integrated Power Loss Immunity System, this drive will keep working even in case of a power outage, preserving the data on it and preventing file corruption, which is a common cause of data loss. Sure, it’s not going to work for hours but even a few precious seconds are enough for the drive to back up the essentials.

We do have to concede that some of the other parameters here aren’t as impressive as the former feature. Yes, the 560/510 read/write speed is alright but it’s been surpassed time and again. However, the 1TB storage capacity is still pretty nice, especially at such a low price point.

Besides, this is a Crucial drive, coming from a widely-known and respected company. So you get not only data protection but also data management software, which lets you check for any broken sectors on the drive and make sure that everything is running smoothly, even after an unfortunate outage.

In the end, this drive is a good budget-friendly choice as long as speed isn’t your number one priority. It’s particularly useful for handling sensitive data and the appealingly affordable price makes it a must-buy in our eyes.

As technology is advancing in leaps and bounds, not everybody has the time and the money to keep up with it. But if you want your older PC to take a single yet effective step into the future, try outfitting it with the Kingston A1000.

This M.2 SATA SSD is backwards compatible with Revs. 2 and 3, so you can install it into any laptop or desktop computer from the last generation without worrying about it working. Of course, that kind of compatibility requires some sacrifices and we have to admit that the 480Gb storage capacity isn’t all that impressive. You could go for the 960Gb model, though, if you feel like that level isn’t enough. We don’t have any qualms about the speed, though, as the 1500/900 read/write is a big step up from mechanical drives and certainly more than we’d expect to get from such an affordable model.

It’s safe to say that this drive is particularly viable for laptops as it uses less power than the average SSD. Plus, it has shock resistance so you know it’s not going to fail just because you carried the laptop around a bit too carelessly. And that’s particularly important since the drive doesn’t come with any software for backing up info, so you’ll either have to trust its quality or get a third-party program.

All in all, the Kingston A1000 is a great find if you’re working on a budget and need an SSD that will still fit an older computer. Its high transfer speed and reliable shock resistance help the drive take any old machine straight to the future.