Best 500GB PCIe 3.0 M.2 SSDs
There are 127 500GB PCIe 3.0 M.2 SSDs compared here. The fastest is the Samsung 960 PRO M.2 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 1450–3500 MB/s at 500GB.
Why this configuration
A 500GB PCIe 3.0 M.2 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.
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
The top 20 of 127 are listed. The full SSD catalogue filters on every spec.
Speeds on this page are the manufacturer's 500GB ratings where published (32 of 127 drives), not the family headline figure. 6 of the 127 are rated slower at 500GB than at their fastest capacity. Rated writes at 500GB run 940–3200 MB/s.
| # | Model | Tier | Controller | Read MB/s (at 500GB) | TBW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Samsung 960 PRO M.2 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | Top-tier | SAMSUNG POLARIS CONTROLLER (5-Core | 3500* | 1200 | Check price on Amazon |
| 2 |  Samsung PRO 970 M.2 500GB, 1TB | Top-tier | SAMSUNG PHOENIX CONTROLLER (5-Core | 3500* | 1200 | Find on Amazon |
| 3 |  Seagate IRONWOLF 510 250GB, 500GB, 960GB, 1.92TB | Top-tier | Phison PS5012-E12DC | 3150* | 3500 | Find on Amazon |
| 4 |  Intel ® OPTANE™ 905P 500GB, 380GB, 960GB, 1.5TB | Top-tier | INTEL EAUO8D15 SLL3D (POSSIVELMENT | 2600* | 27370 | Find on Amazon |
| 5 |  Samsung EVO PLUS 970 M.2 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | High-end | SAMSUNG PHOENIX CONTROLLER (5-Core | 3500 | 1200 | Check price on Amazon |
| 6 |  Samsung PM981A 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | High-end | — | 3500* | — | Check price on Amazon |
| 7 |  Samsung EVO 970 M.2 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | High-end | SAMSUNG PHOENIX CONTROLLER (5-Core | 3400 | 600 | Check price on Amazon |
| 8 |  Samsung 960 EVO 250GB, 500GB, 1TB | High-end | Samsung Polaris Controller (5-Core | 3200 | 400 | Check price on Amazon |
| 9 |  Samsung PM981 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | High-end | SAMSUNG PHOENIX CONTROLLER "S4LR02 | 3200* | — | Check price on Amazon |
| 10 |  ADATA XPG SX8100 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | High-end | Realtek RTS5762 (2-Core, 8-Canais, | 3500* | 1280 | Find on Amazon |
| 11 |  ADATA XPG SX8200 PRO 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | High-end | SM2262ENG | Silicon Motion SM2262G | 3500* | 1280 | Find on Amazon |
| 12 |  ADATA XPG SX8800 PRO 500GB, 1TB | High-end | Realtek RTS5762 (2-Core, 8-Canais, | 3500* | 640 | Find on Amazon |
| 13 |  ADATA XPG GAMMIX S11 PRO 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 960GB | High-end | Silicon Motion SM2262EN (2-Core 62 | 3500* | 1280 | Find on Amazon |
| 14 |  Addlink X70 RGB 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | High-end | Phison PS5012-E12 (4-Core, 8-Canai | 3500* | 2000 | Find on Amazon |
| 15 |  Addlink S70 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | High-end | Phison PS5012-E12 (4-Core, 8-Canai | 3500* | 2000 | Find on Amazon |
| 16 |  Hikvision CRIUS HIKVISION E2000 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | High-end | Phison PS5012-E12 | 3500* | 1280 | Find on Amazon |
| 17 |  Hikvision CRIUS HIKVISION C2000 PRO 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | High-end | Phison PS5012-E12 / Silicon Motion | 3500* | 1280 | Find on Amazon |
| 18 |  Hikvision CRIUS HIKVISION C2000 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | High-end | Phison PS5012-E12 | 3500* | 1280 | Find on Amazon |
| 19 |  HP EX950 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | High-end | Silicon Motion SM2263EN (2-Core, 4 | 3500* | 1300 | Find on Amazon |
| 20 |  Kingston KC2500 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | High-end | Silicon Motion SM2262EN (2-Core 62 | 3500 | 1200 | 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.
The M.2 form factor plugs straight into the motherboard with no cables.