Best 1TB SATA DRAM SSDs
There are 41 1TB SATA DRAM SSDs compared here. The fastest is the HP S700 PRO at 570 MB/s read at 1TB, and the highest-rated for endurance is the Samsung 860 PRO (4800 TBW). Sequential reads across the group span 500–570 MB/s at 1TB.
Why this configuration
A 1TB SATA DRAM SSD is a budget and compatibility choice. SATA won't win benchmarks, but it's the cheapest way to add solid-state speed and fits essentially any PC or laptop with a 2.5-inch bay.
1TB is the capacity most single-drive builds settle on.
Usually chosen for: reviving older machines, cheap capacity upgrades and second drives.
Good fit: workstation and creative loads that hammer random I/O; budget upgrades, older PCs and second drives.
Look elsewhere for: large-file creative work where NVMe pulls ahead.
Ranked list
The top 20 of 41 are listed. The full SSD catalogue filters on every spec.
Speeds on this page are the manufacturer's 1TB ratings where published (41 of 41 drives), not the family headline figure. 1 of the 41 are rated slower at 1TB than at their fastest capacity. Rated writes at 1TB run 450–560 MB/s.
| # | Model | Tier | Controller | Read MB/s (at 1TB) | TBW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Samsung 860 PRO 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | Top-tier | SAMSUNG MJX CONTROLLER (3-Core, 8- | 560 | 4800 | Check price on Amazon |
| 2 |  Samsung 850 PRO 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | Top-tier | Samsung 3-core 400MHz MHX Controll | 550 | 450 | Check price on Amazon |
| 3 |  Samsung EVO 870 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | High-end | Samsung MKX "Metis" Controller (3- | 560 | 2400 | Check price on Amazon |
| 4 |  Samsung 860 EVO 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | High-end | SAMSUNG MJX CONTROLLER (3-Core, 8- | 550 | 2400 | Check price on Amazon |
| 5 |  Samsung EVO 860 M.2 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | High-end | SAMSUNG MJX CONTROLLER (3-Core, 8- | 550 | 1200 | Check price on Amazon |
| 6 |  Samsung 850 EVO 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | High-end | Samsung MGX Controller (2-Core, 8- | 540 | 300 | Check price on Amazon |
| 7 |  Samsung 840 EVO 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 750GB | High-end | Samsung's 3-Core 400MHz MEX Contro | 540 | — | Check price on Amazon |
| 8 |  Samsung 850 EVO M.2 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | High-end | Samsung MGX Controller (2-Core, 8- | 540 | 150 | Check price on Amazon |
| 9 |  Crucial MX300 1TB, 2TB, 275GB, 525GB, 750GB | High-end | MARVEL 88SS1074 (2-Core, 4-Canais, | 530 | 400 | Check price on Amazon |
| 10 |  ADATA SU900 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | High-end | Silicon Motion SM2258H (1-Core, 4- | 560 | 1600 | Find on Amazon |
| 11 |  Crucial MX200 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | High-end | Marvell 88SS9189 | 550 | 320 | Find on Amazon |
| 12 |  Crucial MX300 M.2 1TB, 275GB, 525GB | High-end | MARVEL 88SS1074 (2-Core, 4-Canais, | 530 | 360 | Find on Amazon |
| 13 |  Samsung QVO 870 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 8TB | Mid-range | Samsung MKX Controller (3-Core, 8- | 560 | 2880 | Check price on Amazon |
| 14 |  Crucial MX500 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | Mid-range | Silicon Motion SM2258H (1-Core, 4- | 560 | 700 | Check price on Amazon |
| 15 |  ADATA SU800 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | Mid-range | Silicon Motion SM2258G (1-Core, Cl | 560 | 1600 | Check price on Amazon |
| 16 |  Samsung QVO 860 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | Mid-range | SAMSUNG MJX CONTROLLER (3-Core, 8- | 550 | 1440 | Check price on Amazon |
| 17 |  Kingston KC600 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | Mid-range | Silicon Motion SM2259 | 550 | 1200 | Check price on Amazon |
| 18 |  HP S700 PRO 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | Mid-range | Silicon Motion SM2258 | 570 | 650 | Find on Amazon |
| 19 |  Crucial MX500 M.2 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | Mid-range | Silicon Motion SM2258H (1-Core, 4- | 560 | 360 | Find on Amazon |
| 20 |  Western Digital RED SA500 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | Mid-range | MARVEL 88SS1074 (2-Core, 4-Canais, | 560 | 2500 | Find on Amazon |
The parts, explained
1TB is the mainstream single-drive capacity.
SATA III tops out around 550 MB/s, but it is the cheapest interface and fits any 2.5-inch bay or older laptop.
An onboard DRAM cache keeps the flash mapping table on the drive, holding random performance steady under sustained load.
Common questions
Is SATA fast enough in 2026?
For an OS, apps and most games you won't notice the difference versus NVMe in daily use. NVMe pulls ahead mainly on large file transfers and load-heavy creative work.