Best 128GB PCIe 3.0 TLC SSDs
There are 26 128GB PCIe 3.0 TLC SSDs compared here. The fastest is the Samsung PM961 at 2800 MB/s read at 128GB, and the highest-rated for endurance is the Gigabyte NVMe SSD (1600 TBW). Sequential reads across the group span 560–2800 MB/s at 128GB.
Why this configuration
A 128GB PCIe 3.0 TLC SSD is an affordable NVMe step up from SATA. Gen3 is roughly six times SATA's throughput yet often costs little more, making it the easy default for a first NVMe drive or a laptop that only supports Gen3.
At 128GB this is really a boot or cache drive rather than a main library.
Usually chosen for: budget builders, laptop upgraders and anyone leaving SATA behind.
Good fit: everyday all-rounder use, from OS drive to game library.
Ranked list
The top 20 of 26 are listed. The full SSD catalogue filters on every spec.
Speeds on this page are the manufacturer's 128GB ratings where published (20 of 26 drives), not the family headline figure. 18 of the 26 are rated slower at 128GB than at their fastest capacity. Rated writes at 128GB run 400–1600 MB/s.
| # | Model | Tier | Controller | Read MB/s (at 128GB) | TBW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Samsung PM961 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | Mid-range | Samsung Polaris Controller "S4LP07 | 2800 | — | Find on Amazon |
| 2 |  Mushkin PILOT 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | Mid-range | Silicon Motion SM2262 | 2710* | — | Find on Amazon |
| 3 |  Integral M Series M.2 2280 128GB, 250GB, 500GB | Mid-range | Silicon Motion SM2263XT (2-Core, 4 | 1800 | 256 | Find on Amazon |
| 4 |  Intel ® SSD 760P SERIES 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | Mid-range | Silicon Motion SM2262G (2-Core 575 | 1640 | 576 | Find on Amazon |
| 5 |  Biostar M500 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | Mid-range | Possivelmente Silicon Motion SM226 | 1500 | — | Find on Amazon |
| 6 |  Patriot P300 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | Value | Silicon Motion SMI 2263XT / Phison | 1600 | 320 | Check price on Amazon |
| 7 |  TeamGroup MP33 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | Value | Silicon Motion SM2263XT | Phison P | 1500 | 1000 | Check price on Amazon |
| 8 |  HP EX900 128GB, 250GB, 500GB | Value | Silicon Motion SM2263XT (Remarcado | 2100* | 200 | Find on Amazon |
| 9 |  ADATA XPG SX6000 Lite 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | Value | Realtek’s RTS5763DL | 1800 | 480 | Find on Amazon |
| 10 |  Corsair MP300 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 960GB | Value | Phison PS5008 | 1600* | — | Find on Amazon |
| 11 |  Apacer AS2280 P2 128GB, 250GB, 500GB | Value | Phison PS5008-E8 | 1580* | 240 | Find on Amazon |
| 12 |  Transcend 110S 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | Value | Silicon Motion SM2263XT (2-Core, 4 | 1500 | 400 | Find on Amazon |
| 13 |  ADATA XPG GAMMIX S10 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | Value | Silicon Motion SM2260 (Dual ARM Co | 660 | 640 | Find on Amazon |
| 14 |  ADATA XPG GAMMIX SX7000 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | Value | Silicon Motion SM2260 (Dual ARM Co | 660 | 640 | Find on Amazon |
| 15 |  Galax GAMER 120-M.2 128GB | Value | PHISON PS3111-S11-13 (1-Core 40nm, | 560* | — | Find on Amazon |
| 16 |  Patriot SCORCH M.2 128GB, 250GB, 500GB | Low-end | Phison PS5008-E8-10 | 1700 | 300 | Find on Amazon |
| 17 |  Gigabyte NVMe SSD 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | Low-end | Phison's PS5008-E8T | 1550 | 1600 | Find on Amazon |
| 18 |  TeamGroup MP32 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | Low-end | Phison PS5008-E8 | 1350 | 800 | Find on Amazon |
| 19 |  Gigabyte M.2 PCIe SSD 128GB, 250GB, 500GB | Low-end | Phison's PS5008-E8T | 1100 | 400 | Find on Amazon |
| 20 |  Toshiba BG4 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | — | Controlador Toshiba(Proprietário) | 2000 | — | Find on Amazon |
* family rating — the manufacturer does not publish a 128GB figure for this drive.
The parts, explained
128GB suits a boot drive or a light secondary disk.
PCIe 3.0 x4 reaches about 3,500 MB/s — plenty for everyday use and gaming, and cheaper than Gen4.
TLC NAND is the mainstream choice — a solid balance of endurance, speed and cost.