The best hard drives for laptop, gaming PC and PS5 gameandnews

Whether it’s a laptop, gaming PC or PS5 – documents, photos or games usually take up a lot of space on your hard drive. An internal or external SSD can help here. GIGA therefore presents the best solid state disks in different price ranges and for different purposes.

The best SSDs 2023: All recommendations at a glance

SSDs are now standard in laptops, desktop PCs or current consoles such as the PS5, because the price has fallen sharply in recent years. Compared to classic hard drives (HDD), solid state drives are quiet, robust and energy-saving, since no mechanical parts are used. In addition, they are extremely fast: simply replacing an HDD with an SSD can provide a decent increase in speed on many old computers. The installation is usually easy to do, especially with older laptops – especially if the device has a maintenance hatch. With newer devices, on the other hand, installation is often difficult and almost impossible for inexperienced users without the necessary tools and know-how.

If you want to learn more about the functionality and advantages of an SSD, you can watch our video on the subject:

Internal SSD

Samsung 980 Pro

GIGA tip With the Samsung 980 Pro you really can’t go wrong. I myself have installed different models of this series over the last few years and have always been absolutely satisfied with the performance. The model shown here features the latest PCIe 4.0 standard, delivering read speeds of up to 7,000 MB/s and write speeds of up to 5,100 MB/s. In my opinion, another plus point is the successful software, which informs you at all times about the current status of the hard disk and provides you with necessary updates.

Advantages

• High transfer rates thanks to PCIe 4.0
• No additional cables necessary

Disadvantages

Crucial MX500

price tip In the Crucial MX500 It is a 2.5-inch SATA SSD. On the one hand, this means that a corresponding slot is required for installation. On the other hand, the transfer rates are significantly slower compared to current NVMe models. But especially for older laptops, which are usually equipped with an even slower HDD, the Crucial MX500 can represent an inexpensive and, above all, sensible upgrade – SATA SSDs are usually around 3-4 times faster compared to HDDs.

Advantages

• Particularly suitable for devices without an M.2 slot
• Relatively cheap

Disadvantages

• Limited transfer rates due to SATA interface

Corsair MP600 Pro LPX

The Corsair MP600 Pro LPX is primarily aimed at gamers for whom the integrated memory of their PS5 is not sufficient. Fortunately, with the current generation of consoles, this can be expanded in just a few simple steps. The Corsair model shown here was specially optimized for use with the PlayStation 5, which is not least noticeable in the extremely high transfer rates of up to 7,100 MB/s. A heat sink is also included in the scope of delivery so that the SSD does not suffer from too much heat.

Advantages

• Optimized for PlayStation 5
• Extremely high transfer rates
• Heatsink included

Disadvantages

External SSD

Samsung T7 Touch

GIGA tip The Samsung T7 Touch is a portable SSD that can be unlocked with a fingerprint if required. This not only ensures increased security, but also makes it easier to use because you don’t have to enter a password. Thanks to NVMe support, the T7 Touch can also boast read/write speeds of up to 1,050/1,000 MB/s. Moving large amounts of data between multiple devices should therefore be extremely quick.

Advantages

• Biometric unlocking possible
• Fast data transfer thanks to NVMe support

Disadvantages

SanDisk Portable SSD

price tip If you are looking for a simple storage solution for on the go, you might want to look at the SanDisk Portable SSD find it. With a maximum of 520 MB/s, the transfer rates are significantly lower than with other models, but it is a lot more affordable. Due to the compact design and the integrated loop, you can also take the external hard drive with you at any time without any problems. In any case, the SanDisk Portable SSD is ideal for “transporting” smaller files such as documents or photos.

Advantages

• Compact design
• Robust case with loop for easy attachment

Disadvantages

• Limited transfer rates due to SATA interface

WD Black P50

The WD Black P50 is an external SSD that is ideal for the PS5 due to its extremely high transfer rates of up to 2,000 MB/s. At this point, however, it should be mentioned that PS5 titles cannot be started directly from the hard drive. That’s why the hard drive only acts as a kind of temporary storage – with PS4 games, on the other hand, this is possible. An internal expansion of the memory is usually more worthwhile. If you have already exhausted this possibility, an external SSD can still be useful.

Advantages

• Optimized for PlayStation 5
• Extremely fast read speeds
• Robust metal housing

Disadvantages

• PS5 games cannot be started directly from the hard drive
• high price

Upcycling: How to reuse your old hard drive

You have finally replaced your old hard drive with a faster model and don’t know what to do with the old memory? With just a few simple steps, you can turn it into an external storage medium, for example. This not only ensures less electronic waste, but can also save you money under certain circumstances.

Anyone with an internal 2.5 inch SSD external housing combined, is often cheaper than buying new comparable hardware. However, you should pay attention to the right interface. The USB standard is not only important for reasons of compatibility, but also affects the transmission speed. A USB 2.0 housing unnecessarily gives away potential here, which absolutely does not have to be the case. So when you buy it, make sure that your hard drive housing at least one USB 3.0 interface owns.

Also important: The hard drive should definitely be formatted before being used in the new housing in order to guarantee full functionality.

If, on the other hand, you are looking for a stationary solution, it might be one docking station something for you. A 3.5 or 2.5 inch hard drive can be installed in this. Thanks to “Plug & Play”, it works with every common operating system and there is no need to install additional software. You can also install both HDDs and SSDs, which gives you maximum flexibility. While HDDs are simply too slow for most applications these days, there are cases where it is still worth using. In particular, saving backups or swapping out files that you rarely need are good examples of this.

This is how we selected the recommendations

We conduct intensive research for every article of this type so that we can then pass on the knowledge we have gained to our readers in a compact and, above all, understandable way. Likewise, all listed products are always selected with care and different applications and price segments are taken into account.

I myself have been enthusiastic about video games and the necessary hardware since my childhood. I assembled my first own gaming computer in 2012 and since then numerous others have followed. So over the years I have acquired all the knowledge I have about (PC) hardware myself – often to the delight of my family or friends. There I am usually the first point of contact when it comes to repairing something or advising you on the purchase of new equipment.

How we test at GIGA and why you trust our judgement we have explained here:

You can find more information about Solid State Drives and how they work in the related article:

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