Best SSDs Under $500
SSDs with recorded US reference prices below $500, ranked by editorial score. Reference prices are not current retailer quotes.
Ranked by the weighted Specdex score — editorial judgments on a 0–100 scale. Independent benchmark references are identified separately on product profiles.
- #1Samsung
Samsung 990 PRO 2 TB
PCIe 4.0 · 7450 MB/s · TLC
Samsung's PCIe 4.0 reference — top-tier 7,450 MB/s sequential read, V-NAND TLC, 1,200 TBW endurance and 5-year warranty. Released November 2022.
- #2Western Digital
WD_BLACK SN850X 2 TB
PCIe 4.0 · 7300 MB/s · Heatsink option
The PCIe 4.0 reference for gaming — 7,300 MB/s sequential read, BiCS5 TLC, 1,200 TBW endurance and 5-year warranty. The most-recommended NVMe drive for PS5 expansion. Released July 2022.
- #3Crucial
Crucial MX500 2 TB
SATA · 560 MB/s · TLC
The ubiquitous SATA SSD — 560 MB/s sequential, Micron 3D TLC, 700 TBW endurance, 5-year warranty. What you put in every old laptop / NAS / cache slot. Released January 23, 2018.
Head-to-head
The two highest-ranked products compared side-by-side.
Frequently asked
What is the best ssd right now? +
Samsung 990 PRO 2 TB leads our Best SSDs Under $500 list. Samsung's PCIe 4.0 reference — top-tier 7,450 MB/s sequential read, V-NAND TLC, 1,200 TBW endurance and 5-year warranty. Released November 2022.
How does Specdex rank products? +
Specdex does not run benchmarks in-house. Rankings reflect editorial judgement based on manufacturer-published specs and public reviewer consensus. See the methodology page for sources and how the verdicts are formed.
How often is this list updated? +
The list reflects the current published catalog and available editorial ratings. Source and product updates are reviewed before publication; retailer prices can change independently.