Already running out of SSD-space, need some buying advice

[1Sascha]

I'm currently running a Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1TB as my system drive in my MSI Tomahawk's D1-slot (CPU slot). It's a bit of a waste up there since the drive only supports 3x, and that slot would support 4x, but hey... I'm not about to switch my system drive around and that thing seems plenty fast as is.

 

I also have an SATA SSD, which is the old system drive from my last PC (gotta find a way to get rid of the old Windows-installation folder on there), which is a 500 GB Samsung 850 Evo. Both these drives are kinda getting full already and since my mobo still has three M.2 slots free, I started looking around for another 1TB M.2 to use as a dumping ground for my game-installations.

 

I was thinking something cheaper, like the WD Blue series, but since I really like the convenience of Samsung's Magician software and have had nothing but good experiences with Samsung SSDs, I'm kinda stuck with the brand I guess? AFAIK non-Samsung drives aren't supported by the suite, but I could be wrong? Or will it still generally work as a maintenance tool for other brands with only a few features not being available?

 

I'm currently looking at the plain Samsung 980  for just under 90€

https://geizhals.de/samsung-ssd-980-1tb-mz-v8v1t0bw-a2485468.html?hloc=at&hloc=de

 

980 Pro would be bit more expensive at ~€110, but it does support 4x

https://geizhals.de/samsung-ssd-980-pro-1tb-mz-v8p1t0bw-a2361123.html?hloc=at&hloc=de

 

or, if I ignore the Magician issues:

 

the WD Blue 1TB for under €80

https://geizhals.de/western-digital-wd-blue-sn570-nvme-ssd-1tb-wds100t3b0c-a2614238.html?t=v&hloc=at&hloc=de&va=b

 

Thoughts and/or recommendations?

 

 

S.

 

 

 

 

 

[=RS=Stix_09]

In my experience for gaming you just need a sata ssd, often cheaper than the NVME drives (and they run cooler).

Difference will only impact load times slightly in my experience , doesn't justify the extra cost (if they are more expensive) and marginal load time decrease, and has almost no impact on fps (sata ssd vs NVME ssd).  But its really not a big deal, if u have free slots and good cooling on the NVME drives.

 

Myself I have a 2TB samsung evo 870 sata ssd for some games and 250GB sata samsung 860 evo for windows install (and western digital sata drives for everything else)

 

https://www.pcpartguide.com/nvme-vs-sata-ssd-for-gaming/

 

You really will not notice dif in load time between the Samsung 980 and the 980 Pro or the WD drive (All have 5 yr warrranties)
Not much experience with WD ssd, but I think they are ok.

All the drives you listed would be fine.

Edited August 18, 2022 by =RS=Stix_09

[1Sascha]

1 hour ago, =RS=Stix_09 said:

In my experience for gaming you just need a sata ssd, often cheaper than the NVME drives (and they run cooler).

Yeah, that's what I'd normally do (go for an SATA), but: It was hard enough already to plug the existing SATA one in (mounted on the rear of the mobo-tray and the power cable was *just* long enough to reach it there). I'd like to avoid having to re-do my cable-management. With an M.2, all I have to do is remove the mobo's heat-spreader, plop the drive in there and put the spreader back on.

 

Plus prices aren't that different from what I can tell. Samsung 870 Evo SATA is just under 100 € for the 1TB version.

 

S.

[dburne]

If I had more available m.2 slots I would much rather use those, currently have my two available m.2 slots occupied with two Samsung 1TB drives and have one additional Samsung 1TB SATA SSD as well. Hoping I can get by with this until I do a new build, but also would be easy enough for me to add another SATA SSD if really needed.

[sevenless]

I use a 2TB Sabrent Rocket Q Internal SSD as D:/ for data storage 

 

2TB M.2 Sabrent Rocket Q Internal

 

and a 1TB Samsung MZ-V7S1T0BW SSD 970 EVO Plus as C:/ system drive

 

1 TB M.2 Samsung MZ-V7S1T0BW SSD 970 EVO Plus

 

on a ASUS Maximus XI Hero mobo.

 

ASUS Maximus XI Hero mobo

 

Both M.2 drives and mobo are 2 years old, rock solid and lightning fast. If I would have to buy a new ssd drive today I´d propably go with a 4TB Sabrent M2 as data drive or alternatively a 4TB Samsung SSD 870 EVO as SATA III if no M.2 slot is available.

 

If your budget is limited around 100EUR I´d go for the cheapest Samsung. You wont notice a difference in performance between 980 and 980 Pro unless you measure them with tools (CrystalDiskMark).

Edited August 18, 2022 by sevenless

[Jaws2002]

It doesn't hurt to go straight to 2TB drive. Larger SSD's are faster as well. The SSD's are not that pricy these days.

I have a 2TB Aorus Gen4 drive complemented by a 1TB gen3 Samsung Evo. Both NVMe M.2 drives. I had them for a bit over two years and I don't have any storage issues.

Edited August 18, 2022 by Jaws2002

[=RS=Stix_09]

ya my point is base it less on speed of ssd , more on other factors like size, reliability and cost
Any of the drive you listed is fine. Personally I would get at least a 2TB ssd though.