A laptop’s internal hard drive is one of the most important components when it comes to overall performance. A faster hard drive means quicker boot times, snappier application loading, and generally just a better overall experience. If you’re looking to upgrade your laptop’s internal hard drive to a solid state drive (SSD), you’ve come to the right place. Here, we’ll be taking a look at the 10 best 1TB SSDs for laptops currently on the market.
If you’re in the market for a new 1TB SSD internal hard drive for your laptop, there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind.
First, SSDs are more expensive than traditional hard drives, so you’ll need to be prepared to spend a bit more. However, the benefits of an SSD are well worth the extra cost.
SSDs are much faster than traditional hard drives, meaning your laptop will boot up and load programs more quickly.
They’re also more durable and reliable, so you won’t have to worry about losing important data if your laptop is dropped or bumped.
With all that in mind, here are our 10 picks for the best 1TB SSD internal hard drives for laptops
10 Best 1TB SSD Internal Hard Drives for Laptops
1. WD BLUE SN570 – BEST OVERALL M.2 DRIVE FOR MAINSTREAM UPGRADES
If you’re looking for an M.2 drive to upgrade your laptop with, the WD Blue SN570 is the best option for most people. It’s one of the fastest drives you can buy, and it’s affordably priced for a 1TB SSD. It’s also available in capacities up to 2TB, so you can future-proof your storage upgrade.
The SN570 is a PCIe Gen3x4 drive, meaning it has four lanes of PCI Express 3.0 connectivity. It uses the NVMe 1.3 protocol and is backward compatible with older protocols. It has a sequential read speed of up to 560 MB/s and a sequential write speed of up to 530 MB/s. It’s also one of the few M.2 drives that have rated for sustained writes at that speed; most drives can only sustain writes for a fraction of that time before performance drops off.
2. SAMSUNG SSD 870 QVO – BEST OVERALL SATA DRIVE FOR MAINSTREAM UPGRADES
If your laptop only supports SATA drives, the Samsung SSD 870 QVO is the best option for most people. It’s affordably priced for a 1TB SSD, and it’s available in capacities up to 4TB. It also has some of the best performance you’ll find in a SATA drive, with sequential read speeds of up to 560 MB/s and sequential write speeds of up to 530 MB/s.
The 870 QVO is a TLC (triple-level cell) drive, which means it stores three bits per cell. That makes it more affordable than MLC (multi-level cell) drives, but it also means that its endurance is lower. Samsung rates the 870 QVO for up to 150 TBW (terabytes written), which is lower than most MLC drives but still more than enough for most people.
3. ACER PREDATOR GM7000 – BEST OVERALL M.2 DRIVE FOR GAMING, PS5 UPGRADES
The Acer Predator GM7000 is the best overall M.2 drive for gaming and PS5 upgrades. It’s one of the fastest drives you can buy, with sequential read speeds of up to 7000 MB/s and sequential write speeds of up to 5340 MB/s. It’s also available in capacities up to 2TB, so you can future-proof your storage upgrade.
The GM7000 uses the NVMe 1.4 protocol and is backward compatible with older protocols. It has a PCIe Gen4x4 interface, meaning it has four lanes of PCI Express 4.0 connectivity. That makes it twice as fast as a Gen3x4 drive like the WD Blue SN570, but it also means it won’t work with laptops that only support Gen3 or earlier PCIe interfaces.
4. ADDLINK S70 – BEST BUDGET M.2 DRIVE FOR PCI EXPRESS 3.0 UPGRADES
If you’re looking for an affordable M.2 drive that’s still fast enough for most users, the Addlink S70 is a great option. It’s one of the cheapest 1TB drives on the market, yet it still offers solid performance thanks to its PCIe 3.0 interface and NVMe 1.3 support. Read speeds are quoted at up to 3250MB/s, while write speeds are a more modest 2250MB/s. These aren’t the fastest speeds available, but they’re more than enough for most users. And since the drive uses TLC NAND, it’s also more power-efficient than some of its pricier rivals. Overall, the Addlink S70 is a great budget option for those looking to upgrade to an M.2 drive.
5. ADATA XPG ATOM 50 – BEST BUDGET M.2 DRIVE FOR PCI EXPRESS 4.0 UPGRADES
The ADATA XPG Atom 50 is another great budget option, but it’s specifically designed for use with PCIe 4.0 motherboards. If you have a newer motherboard with a PCIe 4.0 slot, this is one of the cheapest ways to upgrade to the faster interface. The drive uses TLC NAND and offers read speeds of up to 3500MB/s and write speeds of up to 3000MB/s. Those are very impressive numbers, especially for a drive that costs less than $200. However, keep in mind that you’ll need a PCIe 4.0-compatible motherboard in order to take advantage of those speeds. If you don’t have one of those yet, you’re better off sticking with a PCIe 3.0 drive like the Addlink S70 above.
6. SAMSUNG SSD 980 – BEST HIGH-PERFORMANCE M.2 DRIVE FOR PCI EXPRESS 3.0 UPGRADES
If you’re looking for top-of-the-line performance, the Samsung SSD 980 is one of the best M.2 drives on the market right now. It’s based on the company’s second-gen V-NAND platform and offers read speeds of up to 7000MB/s and write speeds of up to 5300MB/s—numbers that are simply unmatched by any other consumer SSD on the market right now (with the possible exception of Samsung’s own PM981). The only downside is that all that speed comes at a price; at $500, this is one of the most expensive 1TB SSDs currently available. But if money is no object and you demand the absolute best performance from your storage devices, the Samsung SSD 980 is definitely worth considering.”
7. WD BLACK SN850 NVME SSD
The WD Black SN850 NVMe SSD is one of the best high-performance M.2 drives on the market. It’s perfect for PCI Express 4.0 upgrades, and offers excellent speeds of up to 3400MB/s. It also comes with a heatsink to help dissipate heat, making it one of the coolest-running M.2 drives available.
8. SABRENT ROCKET Q
The Sabrent Rocket Q is one of the best M.2 drives for maximum capacity. It’s available in sizes up to 2TB, and offers excellent speeds of up to 3400MB/s. It’s also one of the most affordable M.2 drives on the market, making it a great value for your money.
9. MSI SPATIUM M480 HS
The MSI Spatium M480 HS is one of the best M.2 drives for PC modders. It’s available in sizes up to 1TB, and offers excellent speeds of up to 3200MB/s. It also comes with a unique white RGB LED, making it a great choice for those who want to add a bit of style to their PCs.
10. TEAMGROUP T-FORCE DELTA MAX WHITE RGB SSD
The TeamGroup T-Force Delta Max White RGB SSD is one of the best SATA drives for PC modders. It’s available in sizes up to 1TB, and offers excellent speeds of up to 560MB/s. It also comes with a unique white RGB LED, making it a great choice for those who want to add a bit of style to their PCs.
FAQs on Best 1TB SSD Internal Hard Drive for Laptop
What is an SSD and why should I get one?
An SSD, or solid state drive, is a type of storage device that uses integrated circuit assemblies to store data persistently, typically using flash memory. SSDs are a newer technology and offer several advantages over traditional hard disk drives (HDDs), including much faster data access and lower power consumption. If you’re looking for a laptop with snappy performance, an SSD is definitely the way to go.
How much space do I need?
How much space you’ll need depends on how you plan to use your laptop. If you only plan to use it for light tasks like browsing the web and checking email, a smaller drive will suffice. However, if you want to store lots of photos, videos, or music files, you’ll need a larger drive. A good rule of thumb is to get at least 128GB if you can afford it.
What’s the difference between SATA and NVMe?
The two most common types of SSDs are SATA and NVMe (or non-volatile memory express). SATA drives are the older technology and tend to be cheaper, but they’re also slower than NVMe drives. NVMe drives are the newest technology and offer the fastest data transfer speeds. If speed is important to you, go with an NVMe drive; if price is your main concern, go with a SATA drive.
What brand should I buy?
There are lots of different brands of SSDs out there, but some of the most popular ones include Samsung, WD (Western Digital), and SanDisk. All three brands offer high-quality products, so it really comes down to personal preference.
Should I get a bigger capacity hard drive even if I don’t need all that space?
It’s generally a good idea to err on the side of caution and get a bigger capacity hard drive than you think you’ll need. This way, you won’t have to worry about running out of space down the road. Plus, larger capacity drives tend to be more affordable per gigabyte than smaller ones.
Do I need an external hard drive?
If you plan on storing lots of large files (like video files) or backing up your laptop regularly, then an external hard drive is a good idea. External hard drives are larger and can hold more data than internal ones; they’re also easy to plug in and use when needed. However, they’re not as fast as internal hard drives, so keep that in mind when making your decision.
How do I install an SSD in my laptop?
Installing an SSD in your laptop is generally pretty easy; most laptops have a slot for an SSD on the inside somewhere (usually underneath the battery). Just make sure you have the right kind of screwdriver for your laptop before getting started—a Phillips head screwdriver will usually do the trick—and follow any instructions that come with your SSD. Also, be sure to back up your data before installing the new drive! Once everything is backed up, just unscrew the old HDD (if there is one), insert your new SSD into the slot (again following any instructions that come with it), screw it in place, and then boot up your computer from a USB flash drive or CD/DVD containing your operating system installer (Windows 10 or whatever version of macOS/OS X you’re using). After that’s done, just restore your data from the backup you made earlier—voila! You now have a snappier-performing laptop thanks to your new solid state drive!
Conclusion on Best 1TB SSD Internal Hard Drive for Laptop:
No matter what your budget or needs are, there’s sure to be an SSD on this list that’s perfect for your laptop upgrade project! So what are you waiting for? Pick out your new hard drive today!
Hopefully this guide has been helpful in demystifying the process for you and helping you make an informed decision about whether or not upgrading to an SSD is right for you.