6 Best SSDs For Speed Up Old PC

At some point, you’re probably going to upgrade your PC’s hard drive. The reason? It could be the lack of space, or it could just be that your old one is too slow to keep up with your computing needs. Whatever the reason, switching out the hard drive in your computer can be easier than you think. However, not all SSD drives are created equal, and it can be hard to tell which one will serve you best. WE have decided to help you pick the best drive for your needs!

Crucial MX300

Brand	‎Crucial
Series	‎MX300
Item model number	‎CT1050MX300SSD1
Hardware Platform	‎PC & Mac
Item Weight	‎3.53 ounces
Product Dimensions	‎4.06 x 0.28 x 2.76 inches
Item Dimensions LxWxH	‎4.06 x 0.28 x 2.76 inches
Flash Memory Size	‎1 TB

The Crucial MX300 is a 2.5-inch internal SSD that’s available in 250GB, 500GB, 1TB and 2TB capacities. It uses 3D TLC NAND, which delivers higher performance than MLC drives but at a lower cost than competing 4-bit QLC drives. The Crucial MX300 also offers stronger encryption for more secure data storage as well as support for TCG Opal 2.0 and IEEE 1667 for greater levels of data protection.

In our lab tests, we found that it has relatively low random read speeds and somewhat inconsistent read speeds due to its use of SLC caching to boost write speeds—it scored 90MBps reading 128KB blocks (the fastest we test) but only 27MBps reading 4KB blocks (the slowest). In contrast, our top pick reached over 140MBps reading those same 4KB blocks. Despite those speed issues, it’s still one of the fastest SATA SSDs you can buy today if price is a concern.

Corsair Force Series MP510

RAM	‎1920 GB
Memory Speed	‎2
Hard Drive	‎Solid State Drive

Brand	‎Corsair
Series	‎MP510
Item model number	‎CSSD-F1920GBMP510
Hardware Platform	‎Laptop, PC

While not a traditional solid-state drive, Corsair’s Force Series MP510 is probably one of my favorite new storage devices to come out in a while. It combines excellent performance with relatively good capacity and best of all, comes at an affordable price. Overall I’d say it offers very solid value for your money. But, as always, there are tradeoffs. The most important question you should ask yourself when buying a new solid-state drive is whether or not it will offer better performance than your old hard drive—which can often be upgraded for less money than shelling out for an entirely new computer with a shiny new SSD inside it! This isn’t always obvious, however.

One thing that many people miss about SSDs is that they have lower maximum capacities compared to hard drives due to technological limitations. This means you may find (if you don’t already) that upgrading your PC with an SSD doesn’t actually improve boot time very much if at all; instead most of the benefits may come from general application load times improving once you put everything on your SSD.

If you want more information on how I test these kinds of things check out my How We Test page! You’ll also see some newer reviews coming soon which cover topics like how wireless networks affect benchmarking performance, temperature changes under load, and new tools I’ve been using to measure system power consumption.

SanDisk Ultra II

RAM	‎1 TB
Hard Drive	‎1 TB

Brand	‎SanDisk
Series	‎Ultra II
Item model number	‎SDSSDHII-1T00-G25
Hardware Platform	‎PC
Item Weight	‎1.92 ounces

The SanDisk Ultra II is perfect for users looking to increase their laptop’s performance without spending a lot of money. With a retail price of $200, it’s not cheap, but neither is it expensive. The SanDisk Ultra II works well with laptops and even has an included SATA adapter that makes installation easy and hassle-free. Consumers can use as much space as they want on it since there are no limits on storage. When you choose storage capacity, be aware that you will sacrifice some speed in return.

For optimal performance when choosing between low and high capacities, look for drives within your budget at 5400 RPM or 7200 RPM or go all out if you have a little extra cash at 10K RPM drives (there are 2TB options available). Like other Sandisk products reviewed here, it also comes with its own 3-year warranty which means if anything goes wrong within three years after purchase consumers will receive new replacement equipment from Sandisk completely free.

However, if your drive stops working anytime before then (for example during year four), customers who bought through third party sellers like Amazon don’t qualify for any sort of repair/replacement program and must deal directly with Sandisk.

OCZ Trion 150

RAM	‎960 GB
Hard Drive	‎960 GB

Brand	‎Toshiba OCZ
Series	‎Trion 150
Item model number	‎TRN150-25SAT3-960G
Hardware Platform	‎PC
Item Weight	‎1.76 ounces

The OCZ Trion 150 delivers solid performance, good reliability and competitive pricing. It’s definitely not on par with Samsung when it comes to performance, but I feel it’s a solid option for those that want to save some money on their upgrade. It offers decent sequential speeds (530MB/s read/460MB/s write) and random speeds (65K read/85K write), which are well above average for SATA III drives, though somewhat below what Samsung has to offer.

SandForce controllers are also known for being notoriously power hungry; as long as you have a power supply rated at 550W or higher, you should be fine. In terms of compatibility, don’t expect it to work in any 7mm-based ultrabooks out there—it requires a 9mm drive bay. But if you have an existing PC, chances are very high that it will work just fine.

All in all, if you need more space in your system at an affordable price point and aren’t interested in cutting-edge performance or design features like AES encryption support or true hardware RAID support—the Trion 150 is hard to beat. You can find it on Amazon right now for just under $100 ($97 currently).

Intel 540s

Brand	‎Intel
Series	‎SSDSC2KW180H6X1
Item model number	‎0735858312448
Item Weight	‎5.6 ounces
Product Dimensions	‎1.7 x 6.6 x 5.6 inches
Item Dimensions LxWxH	‎1.7 x 6.6 x 5.6 inches
Flash Memory Size	‎180
Hard Drive Interface	‎ATA-4
Hard Drive Rotational Speed	‎40 RPM

Specs and Features If you’re looking for an M.2-based solid-state drive that doesn’t skimp on capacity, Intel’s 540s is a very good choice. At 400GB and with a price tag of $159, it offers plenty of space without breaking your budget. The read speeds are fairly mediocre at around 500MB/s but writes are stellar at 560MB/s. Not only do we like its high-capacity offerings, but we also appreciate its durability rating, which stands at 2 million hours MTBF (mean time between failures).

This translates to roughly 20 years of continual use based on 24/7 workloads; most consumer hardware isn’t expected to last nearly as long. What’s more, despite being one of 2017’s most affordable drives, it boasts some features that even pricier options don’t have (at least not yet). These include dual data protection (which lets you retain data in case of a faulty or failing chip), SanDisk Secure Access encryption technology (which keeps sensitive files safe) and asynchronous NAND flash memory architecture (which improves write speeds). As one might expect from an Intel product worth its salt, endurance ratings are impressive too.

WD Blue 3D NAND SATA SSHD

Brand	‎Western Digital
Series	‎Black
Item model number	‎WD10S21X
Hardware Platform	‎Playstation 3, Laptop, PC, Playstation 4, Mac
Item Weight	‎4.2 ounces
Product Dimensions	‎0.39 x 3.94 x 2.76 inches
Item Dimensions LxWxH	‎0.39 x 3.94 x 2.76 inches
Color	‎Black

Performance is excellent, but it’s not available in an M.2 version yet. It also doesn’t include a hardware encryption engine and doesn’t ship with a SATA cable (which could be a deal breaker for some people). But overall, WD’s Blue 3D NAND SATA SSHD offers exceptional performance for its low price point.

Of course, if you want to use your drive as additional storage rather than as primary storage, opting for another drive on our list might make more sense. But if you need a budget-friendly drive that performs extremely well while offering both high capacity and speedy performance, then WD’s option should definitely be on your radar.