Best SSDs for Laptops

Swapping a laptop's old hard drive for an SSD is the single most dramatic upgrade you can make: boot times drop to seconds and apps open instantly. It breathes years of life into an aging machine.

Check compatibility first

Laptops use different SSD form factors. The two main types are the 2.5-inch SATA SSD, which fits older laptops, and the M.2 NVMe stick, which fits newer ones. Check which your laptop accepts before buying.

SATA vs NVMe

• SATA SSDs: cheaper, fit older laptops, speeds around 500 MB/s
• NVMe SSDs: faster, fit newer laptops, speeds of 3,000 MB/s and up

An NVMe drive is several times faster than SATA, but your laptop must have an M.2 NVMe slot. For an older machine, a 2.5-inch SATA SSD is the right upgrade.

What to buy

For most upgrades, a 500GB to 1TB SSD is the sweet spot, giving enough room for the OS, apps, and files. The upgrade is easy on most laptops and pays off immediately.

Check your laptop's slot type, then buy a 500GB to 1TB SSD to match. It's the best money you can spend on an old laptop.