Best 250GB SATA TLC DRAM SSDs
There are 46 250GB SATA TLC DRAM SSDs compared here. The fastest is the HP S700 PRO at 570 MB/s read, and the highest-rated for endurance is the Seagate IronWolf 110 (7000 TBW). Sequential reads across the group span 500–570 MB/s at 250GB.
Why this configuration
A 250GB SATA TLC 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.
250GB covers an OS and core apps with little room for a large game library.
Usually chosen for: reviving older machines, cheap capacity upgrades and second drives.
Good fit: everyday all-rounder use, from OS drive to game library; workstation and creative loads that hammer random I/O.
Look elsewhere for: large-file creative work where NVMe pulls ahead.
Ranked list
The top 20 of 46 are listed. The full SSD catalogue filters on every spec.
Speeds on this page are the manufacturer's 250GB ratings where published (20 of 46 drives), not the family headline figure. 3 of the 46 are rated slower at 250GB than at their fastest capacity. Rated writes at 250GB run 500–550 MB/s.
| # | Model | Tier | Controller | Read MB/s (at 250GB) | TBW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Samsung 850 PRO 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | Top-tier | Samsung 3-core 400MHz MHX Controll | 550* | 450 | Check price on Amazon |
| 2 |  Seagate IronWolf 110 250GB, 500GB, 960GB, 1.92TB, 3.84TB | Top-tier | Seagate 500021768 | 560* | 7000 | Find 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 750 EVO 128GB, 250GB, 500GB | High-end | Samsung MGX Controller | 540 | 100 | Check price on Amazon |
| 9 |  Samsung 850 EVO M.2 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | High-end | Samsung MGX Controller (2-Core, 8- | 540 | 150 | Check price on Amazon |
| 10 |  OCZ TRION 150 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 960GB | High-end | Toshiba TC58NC1000 (Phison PS3110- | 550* | 240 | Find on Amazon |
| 11 |  Gigabyte SSD UD PRO 250GB, 500GB | High-end | Phison PS3110-S10 (4-Core, 55nm CM | 530* | 200 | Find on Amazon |
| 12 |  HyperX Savage SSD 250GB, 500GB, 960GB | High-end | Phison PS3110-S10 (4-Core, 55nm CM | 520* | 681 | Find on Amazon |
| 13 |  Crucial MX500 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | Mid-range | Silicon Motion SM2258H (1-Core, 4- | 560 | 700 | Check price on Amazon |
| 14 |  ADATA SU800 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | Mid-range | Silicon Motion SM2258G (1-Core, Cl | 560* | 1600 | Check price on Amazon |
| 15 |  Kingston KC600 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | Mid-range | Silicon Motion SM2259 | 550* | 1200 | Check price on Amazon |
| 16 |  HP S700 PRO 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | Mid-range | Silicon Motion SM2258 | 570* | 650 | Find on Amazon |
| 17 |  Crucial MX500 M.2 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | Mid-range | Silicon Motion SM2258H (1-Core, 4- | 560 | 360 | Find on Amazon |
| 18 |  ADATA ULTIMATE SU800 M.2 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | Mid-range | Silicon Motion SM2258 | 560* | 800 | Find on Amazon |
| 19 |  TeamGroup DELTA MAX RGB 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | Mid-range | Silicon Motion SM2258 | 560 | 240 | Find on Amazon |
| 20 |  TeamGroup VULKAN 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | Mid-range | Silicon Motion SM2258G | 560 | 240 | Find on Amazon |
* family rating — the manufacturer does not publish a 250GB figure for this drive.
The parts, explained
250GB fits an OS plus core apps.
SATA III tops out around 550 MB/s, but it is the cheapest interface and fits any 2.5-inch bay or older laptop.
TLC NAND is the mainstream choice — a solid balance of endurance, speed and cost.
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.