Best M.2 NVMe SSDs (PC) For Gaming In 2023

SSDs are essential if you want a faster PC. With SSDs, your OS and games boot much faster, so you do not have to sit and wait for a game to load. This is particularly helpful when you play massive open-world games. In this article, we go over some of the best M.2 NVMe SSDs that you can buy for your PC build in 2023.

Best M.2 NVMe SSDs For Gaming In 2023

Seagate FireCuda 530

Capacities: 500GB – 4TB | Interface: PCIe 4.0×4 | Sequential read & write (1TB version): 7,300MB/s, 6,900MB/s | TBW (1TB version): 1,275TB | Heatsink: Yes

Seagate took its sweet time delivering a PCIe Gen4 SSD, but the FireCuda 530 is one of the best storage solutions that you can go for in 2023. You can get it with or without the heatsinks, and the capacity starts at 500GB and goes all the way up to 4TB. The drive is fast, with read speeds of up to 7300 MB/s, and writes speeds of up to 6900 MB/s/ Not only is it fast, but it is reliable as well.

The SSD and heatsink have a sleek black design that will blend in well with the rest of your parts. It is worth mentioning that the variant with the heatsinks included is a bit expensive. All things considered, the SSD offers great performance and longevity for the price.

Pros:

• Excellent all-around specs & longevity
• Warranty comes with data recovery services
• Heatsink noticeably improves thermals

Cons:

• The heatsink version is expensive

Samsung 990 PRO

Capacities: 1TB – 2TB | Interface: PCIe 4.0×4 | Sequential read & write (1TB version): 7,450MB/s, 6,900MB/s | TBW (1TB version): 600TB | Heatsink: No

Samsung is known for making some super fast and reliable storage solutions, and the 990 Pro is no exception. It has a new controller that is made by Samsung, which uses less power than the previous version. The SSD has a read speed of up to 7,450MB/s and a write speed of up to 6,900MB/s. If you are interested in spending money on an SSD, then the 2TB version of the Samsung 990 Pro is a great option.

Pros:

• World-class PCIe 4.0 transfer speeds
• Useful companion software
• Effective heatsink with RGB that fits anywhere

Cons:

• Expensive

WD Black SN850X

Capacities: 500GB – 4TB | Interface: PCIe 4.0×4 | Sequential read & write (1TB version): 7,300MB/s, 6,300MB/s | TBW (1TB version): 600TB | Heatsink: Yes

The WD Black SN850X comes with WD armor-style cooling, and while it is not as fast as some of the other drives on this list, the difference is negligible, keeping in mind the price of the SSD. You can get the SSD without the heatsink to save some money. The heatsink does help control temperature, so you should get it if you do not already have an SSD heatsink. The read speed of the drive is up to 7,300MB/s, while the write speed is up to 6,300MB/s.

Pros:

• Improved memory and overall speeds
• Broad capacity range
• Attractive gaming aesthetic

Cons:

• Gaming Mode doesn’t do much

Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus

Capacities: 500GB – 4TB | Interface: PCIe 4.0×4 | Sequential read & write (1TB version): 7,300MB/s, 6,000MB/s | TBW (1TB version): 1,275TB | Heatsink: Yes

The Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus is one of the few SSDs that have a capacity of up to 8TB. It is available with and without the heatsink and has a read speed of up to 7,300MB/s and a write speed of up to 6,000MB/s. It uses the Phison E18 controller, which is used in the majority of the Gen4 SSDs, and combines it with NAND Flash and DRAM cache. The performance of the drive is not as great as the WD Black SN850X, but it is on par with the FireCuda 520 and MSI Spatium M480.

Pros:

• Excellent speeds
• Outstanding cache
• Attractive
• Up to 8TB

Cons:

• High temperature and power consumption when stressed

SK Hynix Platinum P41

Capacities: 500GB – 2TB | Interface: PCIe 4.0×4 | Sequential read & write (1TB version): 7,375MB/s, 6,900MB/s | TBW (1TB version): 750TB | Heatsink: No

SK Hynix is not a new player in the memory market, but the P41 is its first attempt at a high-end M.2 SSD. It has the new Gen4 controller, and the onboard memory puts it on par with other high-end SSDs on the market right now. It has a read speed of up to 7,375MB/s and write speeds of up to 6,900MB/s. We can recommend the 1TB model for its raw performance.

Pros:

• Only the 990 PRO is faster overall
• Excellent long-term sustained speeds
• 1TB version has decent TBW

Cons:

• Expensive
• No heatsink

These are some of the best M.2 NVMe SSDs that we can recommend for your gaming PC build in 2023. You can also check out our recommended RX 7900 XT and RTX 4070 Ti graphics cards.