Best SSDs: April 2021

A solid state drive is often the most important component for making a PC feel fast and responsive; any PC still using a mechanical hard drive as its primary storage is long overdue for an upgrade. The SSD market is broader than ever, with a wide range prices, performance and form factors.

Given the severe semiconductor shortages right now, it’s no surprise that retail SSD prices are continuing to trend upward. But the price increases have been pretty slow so far, and the impact of the shortages is more easily seen by looking at how many current models are temporarily out of stock. We are also seeing price drops in some parts of the market, most notably on some older PCIe Gen4 SSDs that can no longer hold onto flagship status.