Best SSD and Hard Drive for PS3 – Top 5 Picks for 2023

The finest PC improvement you can do is to upgrade to a solid-state drive. These marvelous gadgets shorten boot times, increase the responsiveness of your apps and games, and make your computer seem faster in general. However, not all solid-state drives are created equal. You may pay a lot of money to get read and write speeds that are out of this world, or you can discover top-tier SSDs that provide respectable performance without breaking the bank.

Many SSDs are 2.5-inch in size and connect to your PC using the same SATA connector as a regular hard disk. However, tiny NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) “gumstick” SSDs that fit in an M.2 connection on a modern motherboard, as well as blazing-fast PCIe 4.0 solid-state drives for compatible PCs, are becoming more common, as are SSDs that sit on a PCIe adapter and slot into your motherboard like a graphics card or sound card. Choosing the ideal SSD isn’t as easy as it once was, however amazing new drives like the SK Hynix Platinum P41 are clearly attempting to attain no-brainer upgrade status.

That is the goal of this tutorial. We evaluated multiple drives to determine the Best SSD and Hard Drive for PS3 for every application, and our top recommendations are shown below. In addition, we provide important advice on what to look for in an SSD so that you may be a more informed customer. Please keep in mind that this roundup only includes internal solid-state drives. If you’re searching for a portable storage option, such as the Samsung T7 Shield—our freshly crowned selection for the best high-performance portable SSD—consult PCWorld’s guide to the best external drives.

1. Samsung 870 EVO – Best SATA SSD

If you want to expand storage through a standard 2.5-inch SATA drive rather than a small M.2 “gumstick,” Samsung’s incredible 870 EVO is your best chance. It’s the fastest SATA SSD we’ve tested, comes in capacities ranging from 1TB to 4TB, and is quite inexpensive for its performance. Enough said—though Samsung’s excellent Magician SSD management software and lengthy warranty term deserve special mention. The EVO series is an SSD legend for a reason.

However, the SK Hynix Gold S31 is also a viable option. It trails the 870 EVO by a hair in benchmarks and costs $12 less in 1TB form, at $98. The SK drive is only available in 1TB capacities these days, but the 870 EVO varies from a 250GB unit for $60 to a gigantic 4TB goliath for $450. The 1TB model from Samsung costs $110. You can find an in-depth suggestion for Water Cooling Radiator For Water Cooled PC by simply clicking here.

Pros

• Excellent performance, particularly for minor file operations.
• Long writing, unlike the QVO, do not slow down.

Cons

• A little price

2. Crucial BX500 – Best budget SATA SSD

The Samsung 870 EVO is an enticing mix of performance and affordability, but if you want as much capacity as possible for the least amount of money, choose the Crucial BX500. Its 1TB model costs $80, which is $30 cheaper than the similar EVO, while its 480GB model costs $45. There are additional 240GB and 2TB variants available.

“We suggest this QLC drive in bigger capacities for people looking for solid daily performance at a low cost,” we said in our assessment. “The lesser capacity will almost certainly have additional slowdowns during heavy writes.” In addition, you can check the recommendations for the Power Cord for Amplifier.

Pros

• Excellent all-around performance
• Low cost per gigabyte

Cons

• When the secondary cache is depleted, the system slows dramatically.

3. PNY CS2140 – Best PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD

Sure, PCIe 4.0 SSDs scream during large file transfers, but if you’re still running an older system with PCIe 3.0, switching to an NVMe SSD improves your PC’s speed and general responsiveness significantly. Even better, you don’t have to spend a fortune to benefit. The PNY CS2140 is an excellent everyday performer, but it’s now available at a cheap price of $93 for a 1TB unit. This is due in part to the fact that this drive leverages your system memory to aid in data caching. Although it is officially a PCIe 4.0 SSD, its performance is rather poor. However, the CS2140’s PCIe 3.0 performance is sufficient to win it this award, particularly considering its low price.

PNY’s drive even comes with a five-year guarantee, however this is partially mitigated by poor TBW ratings. Overall, this drive is an excellent pick for anybody seeking for a robust daily SSD at a low price. Other good possibilities are the Crucial P5 and SK Hynix Gold P31, which cost roughly $15 to $20 more.

Pros

• Excellent all-around performance
• At the time of writing, it was quite inexpensive.

Cons

• The TBW warranty information is not readily displayed.
• PCIe 4, but only performance comparable to PCIe 3.

4. Seagate FireCuda 530 – Best PCIe 4.0 SSD

If you’re searching for a lightning-fast PCIe 4.0 SSD, the Seagate FireCuda 530 is the way to go. Its intriguing combination of high performance and blistering speed just dethroned the venerable SK Hynix Platinum P41 on our list. In both synthetic benchmarks and real-world transfers, the FireCuda 530 outperformed all competing drives. The only real drawback here is the price—not it’s cheap, but it’s the quickest thing available.

If you have a PCIe 3.0 system, this will also outperform most of the competitors in terms of speed, but you may want to look for a more cheap choice since this is two or three times the price of comparable PCIe 3.0 SSDs.

Pros

• We tested the fastest NVMe PCIe 4 SSD.
• Very high TBW (lifespan) rating
• Five-year warranty with free data recovery for three years

Cons

• On the expensive side

5. WD Black SN580X – Best PCIe 4.0 SSD runner-up

The Seagate FireCuda 530 is the greatest PCIe 4.0 SSD available, but it is far from your only choice. If you don’t mind something a touch slower but still quite fast, the WD Black SN850X delivers excellent PCIe 4.0 speeds at a somewhat reduced price. In terms of overall performance, the SN850X excels, making it a more than reasonable option. This is one of the finest SSDs on the market, but Seagate’s slightly faster speeds and substantially greater TBW (terabytes that can be written) rating led us to recommend the FireCuda 530.

Pros

• Outstanding performance
• Given its speed, it is reasonably priced.
• Up to 4TB are available.
• For 1/2TB versions, an optional heatsink is available.

Cons

• Expensive per gigabyte
• TBW ratings that are rather conservative

NVMe SSD setup: What you need to know

Before you invest in NVMe disks, make sure you understand what they provide. Standard SATA SSDs already improve boot and loading speeds for PCs, and at a far lower cost. NVMe drives, whether in an M.2 form factor like the Samsung 980 Pro or a PCIe drive, will be most useful if you often transmit data, particularly in big numbers. NVMe SSDs aren’t worth the price increase until you do this.

If you opt to get an NVMe SSD, ensure sure your PC is capable of handling it. Because this is a new technology, you’ll only find M.2-connection motherboards from the last few years. For the most part, think AMD Ryzen and standard Intel CPUs from the 6th generation forward. NVMe SSDs installed on PCIe adapters were common in the early days of the technology, before M.2 use grew, but they’re becoming more scarce. Before purchasing an NVMe SSD, make sure you can really utilize it, and keep in mind that it requires four PCIe lanes to function properly. To fully use a PCIe 4.0 SSD, you’ll need a newer Ryzen 3000- or 5000-series CPU, or an Intel 11th- or 12th-generation CPU. PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSDs will operate at PCIe 3.0 speeds in a PCIe 3.0 machine.

You want to run your operating system on an NVMe drive to get the most out of it, therefore you must have a system that detects the drive and can boot from it. PCs bought within the last year or two should have no trouble starting from an NVMe SSD, however support for this may be limited on older motherboards. Search for your motherboard on Google to discover whether it supports booting from NVMe. A BIOS upgrade for your board may be required. If your gear cannot boot from an NVMe SSD, it should still be usable as a secondary drive.

What to look for in an SSD

Of course, capacity and pricing are essential considerations, and a good warranty may assuage concerns about data loss. Most SSD manufacturers provide a three-year warranty, with some higher-end versions providing a five-year warranty. However, unlike older SSDs, current drives will not wear out with typical consumer use, as Tech Report demonstrated years ago with a demanding endurance test.

The most important factor to consider is the technology utilized to connect the SSD to your PC. In our guide on which kind of SSD to purchase, we go into further depth and provide purchasing suggestions.

SATA: Both the connection type and the transfer protocol used to connect most 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch hard drives and SSDs to your PC are referred to as SATA. SATA III speeds can reach 600MBps, and most—but not all—modern SSDs are capable of doing so. (More on this in the next section.)

PCIe: This interface uses four of your computer’s PCIe lanes to outperform SATA speeds by roughly 4GBps over PCIe gen 3. These kinds of mind-blowing speeds go well with supercharged NVMe disks. Both the PCIe lanes and the M.2 slot on your motherboard may be wired to support the PCIe interface, and adapters that enable you to slide “gumstick” M.2 drives into a PCIe lane are available. PCIe 4.0 SSDs are much quicker, however they need an AMD Ryzen 3000-series or Intel Core 11th-gen (or newer) CPU, as well as a PCIe 4.0 motherboard.

NVMe: Non-Volatile Memory Express technology takes use of PCIe’s abundant bandwidth to produce blisteringly fast SSDs that outperform SATA-based devices. For a further breakdown, see PCWorld’s “Everything You Need to Know About NVMe.”

M.2: Now comes the tough part. Many people believe that all M.2 drives employ NVMe technology and PCIe speeds, however this is not the case. M.2 is only a form factor. While most M.2 SSDs utilize NVMe, some still use SATA. Do your research. M.2 storage is used in several contemporary Ultrabooks.

U.2 and mSATA SSDs: While mSATA and U.2 SSDs are available, motherboard support and product availability are limited. Before M.2 became popular, some earlier Ultrabooks featured mSATA, and SSDs are still available if needed.

Of course, speed is important, but as previously said, most contemporary SSDs overload the SATA III interface. But not all of them.

SSDs vs. hard drives

Do you need an SSD? “Need” is a harsh term, but we strongly advise everyone to upgrade to an SSD. Solid-state drive speeds outperform even the fastest mechanical hard drives. Simply replacing the hard disk in your old laptop or desktop with an SSD may make it seem like a whole new system—and a blazingly fast one at that. Purchasing an SSD is undoubtedly the finest computer improvement you can make.

SSDs, on the other hand, cost more per gigabyte than mechanical hard drives and are consequently seldom available at ultra-high capacities. If you want both speed and storage space, you may purchase a limited-capacity SSD and use it as your boot drive, then install a regular hard drive as secondary storage in your PC. Put your applications on the boot drive, your media and other data on the hard drive, and you’re good to go.

Final Words

We evaluate SSDs using a combination of synthetic benchmarks (such as CrystalDiskMark 6’s numerous tests) and real-world tests, such as 48GB transfers that demonstrate how a drive performs in everyday workloads and a tough 450GB transfer test that pushes an SSD’s cache performance to the limit.

Windows 10 64-bit was used for the PCIe 3 tests, which were done on a Core i7-5820K/Asus X99 Deluxe system with four 16GB Kingston 2666MHz DDR4 modules, a Zotac (Nvidia) GT 710 1GB x2 PCIe graphics card, and an Asmedia ASM2142 USB 3.1 card. For the 48GB read and write testing, it also includes a Gigabyte GC-Alpine Thunderbolt 3 card and SoftperfectRamdisk 3.4.6.

The PCIe 4 testing was carried out on an MSI MEG X570 motherboard, which was equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 8-core CPU with the identical Kingston DRAM, cards, and software. All testing is done on an empty or almost empty hard disk. As the drive fills full, performance will suffer.