Best 500GB PCIe 3.0 Intel SSDs
There are 7 500GB PCIe 3.0 Intel SSDs compared here. The fastest is the Intel INTEL® SSD 670P SERIES at 3500 MB/s read, and the highest-rated for endurance is the Intel INTEL® OPTANE™ 905P (27370 TBW). Sequential reads across the group span 1800–3500 MB/s at 500GB.
Why this configuration
A 500GB PCIe 3.0 Intel 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. Intel specifically tends to be chosen here for its firmware track record and warranty support.
500GB is a sensible OS-plus-a-few-games size.
Usually chosen for: budget builders, laptop upgraders and anyone leaving SATA behind.
Good fit: mainstream desktop and laptop builds.
Ranked list
| # | Model | Tier | Controller | Read MB/s (at 500GB) | TBW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Intel ® OPTANE™ 905P 500GB, 380GB, 960GB, 1.5TB | Top-tier | INTEL EAUO8D15 SLL3D (POSSIVELMENT | 2600* | 27370 | Find on Amazon |
| 2 |  Intel ® OPTANE™ 900P 500GB, 280GB | Top-tier | INTEL EAUO8D15 SLL3D | 2500* | 5110 | Find on Amazon |
| 3 |  Intel OPTANE MEMORY H10 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | High-end | Silicon Motion SM2263 + Intel SLL3 | 2400* | 300 | Find on Amazon |
| 4 |  Intel ® SSD 670P SERIES 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | Mid-range | Silicon Motion SM2265 (Dual Core 3 | 3500* | 740 | Find on Amazon |
| 5 |  Intel ® SSD 760P SERIES 128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | Mid-range | Silicon Motion SM2262G (2-Core 575 | 3230* | 576 | Find on Amazon |
| 6 |  Intel ® SSD 660P SERIES 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | Value | Silicon Motion SM2263EN (2-Core, 4 | 1800* | 400 | Find on Amazon |
| 7 |  Intel OPTANE MEMORY H20 500GB, 1TB | — | Silicon Motion SM2265 (Dual Core 3 | 3300* | 370 | Find on Amazon |
* family rating — the manufacturer does not publish a 500GB figure for this drive.
The parts, explained
500GB is a comfortable OS-and-games starting point.
PCIe 3.0 x4 reaches about 3,500 MB/s — plenty for everyday use and gaming, and cheaper than Gen4.
Staying with Intel means consistent firmware, tooling and warranty handling across the range.