The Best Cheap SSDs for 2026

Solid-state drives (SSDs) are among the biggest real-world difference-makers among PC-component upgrades: an instant blast of speed and capacity. Plus, you don't have to get a high-end drive to see big gains over a platter hard drive or an older SSD. At PCMag, we've been reviewing SSDs since the very earliest models, subjecting each to our rigorous, repeatable benchmark testing. We evaluate drives based on speed, cost, rated endurance, warranty, bundled software, and feature set. Cheap SSDs, though, are getting scarcer: Since late 2025, internal and external SSD prices have shot up across the board, and many popular models are now unavailable or discontinued. We've tailored our picks accordingly, selecting relative bargains in this seller's market. Our current best cheap M.2 SSD for most people is the WD Blue SN5100—now sold as the Sandisk Optimus 5100—and our best cheap SATA 2.5-inch drive is Samsung's SSD 870 EVO. We've recommended additional models below for narrower use cases. Also, check out a guide to buying the right budget SSD for your specific system's needs.

Best Cheap M.2 PCI Express 4.0 SSD for Most Buyers

WD Blue SN5100

Score: 4.0

Pros & Cons

• + Exceeded its Crystal DiskMark sequential read and write speed ratings

• + Excellent 4K read benchmark results

• + Above-par PCMark 10 Overall and 3DMark 10 scores

• + Energy-efficient architecture

• + Includes downloads for Acronis True Image and Sandisk Dashboard software

• - Exceeded its Crystal DiskMark sequential read and write speed ratings

• - Excellent 4K read benchmark results

• - Above-par PCMark 10 Overall and 3DMark 10 scores

• - Energy-efficient architecture

• - Includes downloads for Acronis True Image and Sandisk Dashboard software

Why We Picked It

Sandisk's energy-efficient WD Blue SN5100 (now sold as the Sandisk Optimus 5100), available in capacities up to 4TB, performed well in our benchmark testing. It exceeded its rated sequential read and write speed in Crystal DiskMark and posted some of the highest scores in its class in both PCMark 10 and 3DMark Storage, which measure general storage aptitude and gaming prowess, respectively. DRAM-less architecture and QLC NAND flash serve to keep the SN5100's price down.

Who It's For

Gamers:The energy-efficient and cool-running SN5100 meets Sony's requirements for an SSD to fill the secondary M.2 slot in its PlayStation 5. It also posted, at the time we tested it, the second-highest score among our PCI Express 4 SSDs in the 3DMark Storage gaming-centric benchmark.

Upgraders:The SN5100 offers up to 4TB of storage at a modest price, and it is one of the best-performing PCI Express 4 SSDs we've reviewed, making it a good choice for upgraders looking for fast, high-capacity storage in a PCIe 4 stick.

Specs & Configurations

Internal or External: Internal

Internal Form Factor: M.2 Type-2280

Interface (Computer Side): M.2 Type-2280

Capacity (Tested): 2 TB

NAND Type: QLC

Controller Maker: SanDisk

Bus Type: PCI Express 4.0

NVMe Support: True

Rated Maximum Sequential Read: 7100 MBps

Rated Maximum Sequential Write: 6700 MBps

Terabytes Written (TBW) Rating: 900 TBW

Warranty Length: 5 years

Best Cheap M.2 PCI Express 3.0 SSD for Most Buyers

Crucial P3

Score: 4.5

Pros & Cons

• + Available in capacities up to 4TB

• + Low cost per gigabyte for all models

• + Includes link for Acronis True Image cloning software

• + Good benchmark results for a PCI Express 3.0 drive

• - Available in capacities up to 4TB

• - Low cost per gigabyte for all models

• - Includes link for Acronis True Image cloning software

• - Good benchmark results for a PCI Express 3.0 drive

Why We Picked It

Micron's Crucial P3 is a solid choice as a PCI Express 3.0 SSD, providing good performance at such at a modest price. The P3 offers higher capacities and much higher throughput speeds than the previous generation Crucial P2, at a lower cost per gigabyte, thanks to the company's switch from TLC to QLC flash memory for this drive. The drawback is that the change lowers the P3's write-durability rating, making it best for tasks that don't consistently write huge amounts of data to the drive. The controller lacks a DRAM cache, which causes a performance hit on some SSDs, especially with large file transfers, but the P3 generally scored well in the PCMark 10 benchmarks.

Note that Crucial parent company Micron is exiting the consumer/retail SSD business (it continues to make drives for system makers and data centers), and is winding down the Crucial brand. Micron will continue to support its Crucial drives through the end of their warranty period, but know that Crucial SSDs will begin to fade from the market soon.

Who It's For

Bargain hunters:The Crucial P3 is a cost-effective SSD option for users who don't need the latest SSD speeds, thanks to its PCIe 3.0 interface and QLC NAND flash memory. Though it won't set any speed records, it performed well for a PCIe 3.0 SSD in our benchmarks.

Users with older PCs:The Crucial P3 provides good performance in a PCI Express 3.0 NVMe SSD. Its QLC NAND flash memory keeps the P3's price down while allowing capacities up to 4TB. It's a spot-on pick for upgrading older PCs that don't support PCIe 4.0.

Specs & Configurations

Internal or External: Internal

Internal Form Factor: M.2 Type-2280

Interface (Computer Side): M.2 Type-2280

Capacity (Tested): 2 TB

NAND Type: QLC

Controller Maker: Phison

Bus Type: PCI Express 3.0 x4

NVMe Support: True

Rated Maximum Sequential Read: 3500 MBps

Rated Maximum Sequential Write: 3000 MBps

Terabytes Written (TBW) Rating: 440 TBW

Warranty Length: 5 years

Best Cheap 2.5-Inch SATA SSD for Most Buyers

Samsung SSD 870 EVO

Score: 4.5

Pros & Cons

• + Record-setting 4K results for SATA drives

• + Strong write-durability rating

• + Samsung Magician is the gold standard of SSD management software

• - Record-setting 4K results for SATA drives

• - Strong write-durability rating

• - Samsung Magician is the gold standard of SSD management software

Why We Picked It

When it comes to SSDs, it may seem like an M.2 world, but SATA drives still have their place, anchoring legacy systems and providing cheap storage while being much faster than spinning hard drives. The Samsung SSD 870 EVO, our SATA champ, is available in capacities up to 4TB. It did great in our benchmarking, rivaling some PCI Express 3.0 M.2 SSDs in the PCMark 10 Overall benchmark, which measures general storage aptitude.

Who It's For

Upgraders of older computers:For upgrading the SSD in a legacy computer, the Samsung SSD 870 EVO is the best SATA drive we have encountered. It did particularly well in the PCMark 10 Overall general-storage benchmark for tasks like booting Windows, loading game levels, and launching creative programs like Adobe with simulated projects housed inside. It can also give you a boost in capacity, up to as much as 4TB.

Desktop users seeking extra capacity:If your desktop computer lacks a spare M.2 slot, you can boost its capacity by adding a SATA drive such as the SSD 870 EVO, connecting its data and power cables to their appropriate motherboard sockets. Another option is to put the 870 EVO in an inexpensive SATA drive enclosure, effectively turning it into an external drive that can be connected via a USB cable to your computer.

Specs & Configurations

Internal or External: Internal

Internal Form Factor: 2.5-Inch

Interface (Computer Side): SATA

Capacity (Tested): 4 TB

NAND Type: TLC

Controller Maker: Samsung

Bus Type: Serial ATA

NVMe Support: False

Rated Maximum Sequential Read: 560 MBps

Rated Maximum Sequential Write: 530 MBps

Terabytes Written (TBW) Rating: 2400 TBW

Warranty Length: 5 years

Best Cheap PCI Express 5.0 SSD

Addlink G55H

Score: 3.5

Pros & Cons

• + Reasonably priced for a PCIe 5.0 SSD

• + Also available in a version without a heatsink

• + Fits the PlayStation 5's spare M.2 slot

• - Reasonably priced for a PCIe 5.0 SSD

• - Also available in a version without a heatsink

• - Fits the PlayStation 5's spare M.2 slot

Why We Picked It

The energy-efficient Addlink G55H's DRAM-less architecture, bolstered by a Phison E31T Gen 5-optimized controller, keeps its price down compared with other PCI Express 5 SSDs. It ships with an aluminum heatsink that is compact enough to fit in a PlayStation 5. (The SSD is also available sans heatsink, as the Addlink G55.)

Who It's For

Sony PS5 upgraders:The G55H's heatsink is compact enough to fit the drive in a PS5's spare M.2 slot, and it meets Sony's recommended M.2 specs for the PlayStation. One caveat: The PS5's compatibility is limited to PCI Express 4. So, you can use the G55H with your console, but it will max out at PCIe 4 speeds.

Upgraders seeking a cheap PCIe 5 option for PCs:The G55H is a good budget Gen 5 SSD for a mainstream system that supports the standard. It ships with its own heatsink, and, thanks to its DRAM-less architecture, its price is moderate compared with most other PCIe 5 drives.

Specs & Configurations

Internal or External: Internal

Internal Form Factor: M.2 Type-2280

Interface (Computer Side): M.2 Type-2280

Capacity (Tested): 2 TB

NAND Type: TLC

Controller Maker: Phison

Bus Type: PCI Express 5.0

NVMe Support: True

Rated Maximum Sequential Read: 10300 MBps

Rated Maximum Sequential Write: 9000 MBps

Terabytes Written (TBW) Rating: 1200 TBW

Warranty Length: 5 years

Best Cheap High-Capacity External SSD

Crucial X10

Score: 4.0

Pros & Cons

• + Highly portable

• + Available in 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 6TB, and 8TB capacities

• + Low cost per gigabyte, especially at higher capacities

• + New highs in two of our benchmark tests

• + Dust-proof and water-resistant, with IP65 rating, and drop-proof to 9.8 feet

• - Highly portable

• - Available in 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 6TB, and 8TB capacities

• - Low cost per gigabyte, especially at higher capacities

• - New highs in two of our benchmark tests

• - Dust-proof and water-resistant, with IP65 rating, and drop-proof to 9.8 feet

Why We Picked It

A tiny yet highly capable external SSD, the Crucial X10 scored well in our benchmark testing and comes in capacities up to 8TB. It's reasonably priced in today's market, particularly at its higher capacities. Its interface supports the USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 standard, which will give users with compatible computers a speed boost, although it should work with any computer with a USB-C port. The X10's basic ruggedization features protect it from tumbles and meteorological threats while you're traveling.

Note that Crucial (a brand subsidiary of memory giant Micron) is no longer issuing new drives. (As you may have heard, Micron is exiting the retail memory and SSD market, though it continues to make drives for system makers and data centers.) The company will continue to support its drives, however, and they are often good deals while they remain in sales channels.

Who It's For

Frequent travelers:The Crucial X10 is a great device thanks to its lightweight, compact design. It is reasonably rugged (certified drop-proof up to 7.5 feet) and has an IP65 ingress protection rating, which indicates protection against dust and water. Note, though, that it lacks AES encryption, so you might want to avoid storing sensitive documents on it when you travel. It is reasonably priced in today's market, particularly at higher capacities.

Anyone in need of fast, high-capacity external storage:The X10's native exFAT format makes it compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux machines as well as Android, iOS, and ChromeOS devices. As a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 device, it should work with almost every modern computer with a USB-C connection, and give you an extra boost of speed when paired with a 2x2-compatible device. Factor in capacities up to 8TB and basic ruggedization, and you can't go too wrong with the X10. Based on original list pricing, it is relatively cost-effective on a per-gigabyte basis at its higher capacities, and can hold a sizeable game, video, or photo library.

Specs & Configurations

Internal or External: External

Internal Form Factor: Not Applicable

Interface (Computer Side): USB-C

Capacity (Tested): 4 TB

NAND Type: TLC

Controller Maker: Silicon Motion

Bus Type: PCI Express 3.0 x4

NVMe Support: True

Rated Maximum Sequential Read: 2100 MBps

Rated Maximum Sequential Write: 2000 MBps

Warranty Length: 5 years

Best Cheap External SSD for Simple Backups

Synology BeeDrive

Score: 3.5

Pros & Cons

• + Provides real-time backup to selected files on a computer

• + Lets you sync folders between computers

• + Allows you to back up and store files from your mobile device

• + Available in capacities up to 4TB

• - Provides real-time backup to selected files on a computer

• - Lets you sync folders between computers

• - Allows you to back up and store files from your mobile device

• - Available in capacities up to 4TB

Why We Picked It

The Synology BeeDrive, when paired with the company's BeeDrive software, lets you smoothly and consistently back up files from your computer or mobile device and sync them between devices. Although the BeeDrive performed well in this role in our testing, it also proved slow compared with other USB 3.2 Gen 2 external SSDs. So, it's best suited for the role of dedicated backup hub.

Who It's For

Computer users seeking a non-cloud backup solution:The BeeDrive is an effective alternative to subscription-based cloud services, automatically backing up selected folders on your computer whenever the drive is connected. It also lets you sync files between multiple computers (say, home and work). Of course, it can also be used alongside a cloud backup regimen to provide redundancy.

Users seeking a photo repository:Mobile users can use the BeeDrive to back up images from up to five devices via the BeeDrop feature. iPhone and iPad users can opt to store images as JPEGs instead of the HEIF format Apple uses.

Specs & Configurations

Internal or External: External

Internal Form Factor: Not Applicable

Interface (Computer Side): USB-C

Capacity (Tested): 2 TB

Bus Type: PCI Express 3.0 x2

NVMe Support: None

Rated Maximum Sequential Read: 1050 MBps

Rated Maximum Sequential Write: 1050 MBps

Warranty Length: 3 years

Best Cheap M.2 PCI Express 4.0 SSD for Gamers

Addlink AddGame A93

Score: 4.5

Pros & Cons

• + Moderately priced for an elite PCI Express 4.0 SSD

• + Comes in capacities up to 4TB

• + Compatible with PlayStation 5

• + Includes compact heatsink

• + Strong benchmark results and good durability ratings

• - Moderately priced for an elite PCI Express 4.0 SSD

• - Comes in capacities up to 4TB

• - Compatible with PlayStation 5

• - Includes compact heatsink

• - Strong benchmark results and good durability ratings

Why We Picked It

The modestly priced Addlink AddGame A93, a DRAM-less PCI Express 4 SSD with TLC NAND, is available in capacities up to 4TB. It produced solid benchmark scores compared with other PCIe 4 drives in our testing. The A93 ships with an aluminum heatsink attached, and is compatible with the Sony PlayStation 5.

Who It's For

Sony PS5 users:The AddGame A93's aluminum heatsink is compact enough to fit in the secondary M.2 slot in a PlayStation 5, and meets all of Sony's guidelines for a PS5-friendly SSD. Meanwhile, the drive—which comes in capacities up to 4TB—posted competitive numbers in the gaming-centric 3DMark Storage benchmark.

Budget-strapped PC gamers:The A93 is a viable replacement for an older PCI Express 4 SSD. Its DRAM-less architecture keeps its price down across all capacities, and it put up good numbers in our benchmark testing.

Specs & Configurations

Internal or External: Internal

Internal Form Factor: M.2 Type-2280

Interface (Computer Side): M.2 Type-2280

Capacity (Tested): 4 TB

NAND Type: TLC

Controller Maker: Maxio Technology

Bus Type: PCI Express 4.0

NVMe Support: True

Rated Maximum Sequential Read: 7400 MBps

Rated Maximum Sequential Write: 6500 MBps

Terabytes Written (TBW) Rating: 3000 TBW

Warranty Length: 5 years

Are you a buyer with basic needs, looking to upgrade a traditional platter hard drive in a laptop or desktop with something faster? These days, it's a safe strategy to check prices on recent SSD models and pick the most affordable drive with the capacity and interface you need from a name-brand maker you trust with your data. (Also, see our primer  SSD Versus HDD: What's the Difference? )

If you want to go deeper, we'll detail many of these considerations below to help you make the smartest choice—ensuring you get the fastest, potentially longest-lasting drive within your budget. (The first item below is essential, regardless.)

What Form Factor of SSD Should I Get?

SSDs are no longer only traditional 2.5-inch drives, the same size and shape as the 2.5-inch hard drives once found in most laptops. Indeed, 2.5-inch drives are now considered "old" technology.

If you have a recent slim laptop or 2-in-1, it probably uses a gumstick-shaped M.2 drive. (That is, if you can upgrade the drive in the laptop at all; many have the internal storage soldered down.) For deep details about those drives and the best models we've tested, check out our more specific SSD buying guide,  The Best M.2 Solid-State Drives , for a great deal of background and advice on this kind of SSD.

M.2 is not only a laptop thing: All recent generations of desktop PCs and their motherboards have a slot or slots for M.2 drives, as well. In our product picks, we have included some of our favorite budget-minded M.2 SSDs to provide quick-pick guidance for this type of drive. But M.2 drives have a lot of subtleties around them, so if you're not up to speed, hit the link above for a lot more info about M.2.

For example, just because your laptop or desktop has an M.2 slot doesn't mean a given M.2 drive will work in it. You have to make sure that the host system will accept a drive of that physical size (M.2 drives come in different lengths and even thicknesses) and that the bus type (Serial ATA versus PCI Express) of the SSD is supported by the system slot into which you're installing it. Furthermore, different systems support different generations of PCI Express (PCIe 3.0 versus PCIe 4.0, with PCIe 5.0 becoming more common, mostly in desktops), which can affect the peak speeds you'll see. Again, hit the link above for much more detail.

MLC, TLC, and QLC Memory: What's the Difference?

Beyond the bus type and interface, the most significant technical consideration shoppers will face when opting for a budget SSD is the type of solid-state memory it uses.

The first letter in each type of flash memory denotes the number of bits that each memory cell on the drive can store. The "M" in MLC stands for "multi," meaning (in this case) that the memory can host two bits per cell. The "T" in TLC stands for "triple," or three bits per cell, and the "Q" is "quad"/four bits per cell. In a drive with many millions of cells, having an extra bit per cell for storage adds up quickly, allowing TLC or QLC drives (in the simplest sense) to hold more data than MLC drives with the same amount of silicon. This also lowers production costs, since fewer physical modules are needed to store the same amount of data.

Though TLC tech was originally much slower—specifically when writing data to the SSD—and considered less reliable than MLC in heavy data-writing scenarios, those concerns have waned over time. TLC drives are now the mainstream choice for general computing use. Plus, the emergence of "3D" versions of TLC NANDs (the chips upon which SSDs are built) has allowed SSD makers to deliver more capacity in less space by building memory modules in both vertical and horizontal ("planar") orientations.

Because TLC module manufacturing reduces overall costs and delivers decent performance, most manufacturers have jumped on the TLC NAND bandwagon. For most users, TLC drives' performance is perfectly acceptable. MLC is not a factor in cheap or even mainstream SSDs these days.

As mentioned above, TLC-memory-based SSDs can have slower write speeds than MLC SSDs. The primary reason is that TLC flash (and the newer QLC) simply has more bits to deal with on a per-cell level. Manufacturers have been able to sidestep this limitation, however, with clever caching technology that treats a portion of the drive as if it were a much faster type of flash memory (SLC, or "single-layer cell"). Under this approach, write operations are initially cached in this speedier buffer. Then, when the system is idle, the buffer transfers the data to the slower NAND.

The limitation of this approach is that the buffer is small (usually between 6GB and 10GB), as it must be small enough not to significantly reduce overall drive capacity or increase costs. So, on TLC or QLC drives, if you try to copy a chunk of data larger than the buffer, you may see a major drop-off in write performance. Most mainstream users won't do this kind of thing often, so it's not really a problem. But be mindful of this issue when considering a TLC or QLC drive, particularly if you're a content creator or power user who handles massive files or constantly moves large chunks of data on and off your drive.

Also, to keep costs low, some manufacturers of SSDs with TLC and QLC NAND make drives whose controllers omit the usual DRAM cache, instead using your PC's own memory as a host memory buffer (HMB). DRAM-less drives we have reviewed have generally performed well for everyday tasks, though sustained transfers of very large files tend to expose their DRAM-less nature. Also, while they are fine for mainstream use in desktops and laptops, we don't recommend them for use with the Sony PS5 in its SSD slot.

What Do SSD Longevity Numbers Mean?

The other knock against TLC and QLC NAND flash is that it generally has a shorter rated lifespan than more traditional MLC-based flash memory. This trait is backed up by SSD makers' specifications, not just conjecture. The relevant spec is the terabytes written, or TBW, rating, expressed as the total number of terabytes the drive should be able to write over its lifetime before the drive electronics have to start decommissioning cells. The TBW rating also correlates to a manufacturer's warranty, but we'll get into that a bit more in another section below.

Every time your PC triggers a new write operation for a memory cell containing data, that data must be erased first; only then can new data be written to the cell. Because this erase/write process slows overall operation, the SSD controller strives to write to "fresh" cells (those that don't need pre-erasing) when possible. But it has to start erasing previously used cells and writing to them at some point.

An SSD can repeat this routine of erasing and writing to a cell only so many times before the cell weakens and can no longer hold data. In MLC drives, a typical cell can take roughly 5,000 write/erase cycles before it's likely no longer functional. On a TLC drive, this falls to around 1,000 cycles. This seems like a dramatic difference between the two memory types, but this problem is mitigated by a process called "over-provisioning." In it, a chunk of the drive is kept hidden and unused, only to be brought online when other cells begin to wear out.

In the real world, tech professionals and consumers will seldom be in danger of writing a drive to death unless they are using it to run a server or some other task where the system is powered up and accessed almost constantly. So, unless you plan on using your SSD as your primary drive for 10 years or more (which would make little sense, given how much SSD capacities and speeds increase in a decade), drive endurance is only a secondary issue for most folks.

Still, that shouldn't be an excuse not to back up your important data. SSDs are not spinning hard drives, but any SSD can still fail randomly due to a defect, a power surge, or some other unforeseen event. You may be able to replace a drive if it's under warranty, but the new drive won't have your old data on it.

How Should I Evaluate an SSD's Supporting Software?

Though many seasoned enthusiasts and SSD vets don't find bundled storage software or utilities the reason to buy or not buy a given SSD, some manufacturers offer a software package with their SSDs that can be surprisingly useful. Samsung kicked off this trend years ago by pairing its drives with robust utilities that let you examine every facet of the drive, including its overall health, the amount of data written to it, and whether your system is set up to extract maximum performance from the SSD. The software sophistication has grown from there.

The usefulness of these free tools can vary, from slick and feature-rich to garish and only marginally useful. Some drives include a simple utility that lets you update the drive's firmware and does little else. Generally, a firmware update shouldn't be necessary unless there's a performance issue.

If you're the type to tinker, our advice is to purchase a drive that includes robust utility software, but read up on the included program first. To our eyes, Samsung provides among the best software packages with its drives, though Crucial/Micron (now exiting the market), Sandisk/Western Digital, and ADATA/XPG are all good bets on the software front, too.

Likewise, if you're upgrading from a drive in an existing PC rather than installing a new OS from scratch, you may want to look for a drive that includes a drive-cloning utility (such as a version of  Acronis TrueImage ). The lowest-priced drives lack these niceties, but free programs can get the job done, too. We've had luck using the free Home version of  EaseUS's Disk Copy .

What's a Good SSD Warranty?

Check the warranty terms before purchase. Many budget SSDs we've tested feature a three-year warranty, rather than the longer plans of pricier premium models. With its watershed  SSD 850 EVO  model, Samsung was an early leader in raising the warranty bar for budget-minded SSDs, opting for a five-year warranty. Samsung made advancements in its TLC flash, combining it with the company's vertically stacked V-NAND to create low-cost drives with endurance comparable to pricier MLC drives. Consider a five-year coverage plan a gold star for any budget SSD, though many drives still settle at three years or at the drive's TBW limit, whichever comes first.

The Key Metric: Evaluating Cost per Gigabyte

Without doing a little math, it's tricky to figure out the bottom-line cost of one SSD versus another when capacities vary, or when you're looking at SSDs on sale versus regular price. The four main capacity classes you will see, from drive to drive, are:

• 120GB or 128GB

• 240GB, 250GB, or 256GB

• 480GB, 500GB, or 512GB

• 960GB or 1TB

SSDs bigger than 2TB aren't really budget-class drives these days; you can find some PCI Express 4.0 SSDs and SATA drives retailing from $200 to $300 in their 2TB models. As a rough measure, it's fine to compare prices from drive to drive within the same capacity class.

However, at a more precise level, the best way to judge what you are paying is to divide the price by the number of gigabytes in the SSD. So, for example, a $50 240GB drive yields a cost per gigabyte of 20.8 cents. A $50 256GB drive, in contrast, comes in at 19.5 cents per gig. The least-expensive budget drives you'll see these days hover around 10 cents per gigabyte. Generally, the higher an SSD's capacity, the lower its cost per gigabyte, at least for SSDs up to 4TB. In absolute terms, we would not consider a 4TB stick a budget drive, but we will call it out if it has a rock-bottom cost per gig. Use this math to calculate your bottom-line price when comparing a host of drives. That's especially important in these days of lofty SSD prices.

Ready to Buy the Right Cheap SSD for You?

In this guide, we've chosen our favorite lower-priced PCI Express M.2 drives and 2.5-inch Serial ATA SSDs that we have tested. The system you are upgrading will dictate what you can actually install.

Important to note: All of these drives are also available in capacities different than the ones we tested. So dig into each review for the details on alternate capacities, if you want a drive bigger or smaller than what you see in our specs. For more storage picks, check out our roundups of the  best external SSDs and the  best SSDs for upgrading your laptop , as well as the  best external hard drives .

This story has been produced in partnership with our sister site, Computer Shopper.

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