The hard drive is the keystone that ensures the proper functioning of a computer. The market now offers a very specific model to improve the performance of a computer: the SSD.
But, for this to be possible, it is important to choose a model adapted to your needs. The market is full of diverse and varied models, which can make it difficult to choose an SSD suited to your needs.
The SSD is a step above its HDD predecessor. It is equipment designed to dethrone traditional hard drives. However, due to the different models available on the market, you may have difficulty finding a model that suits your needs.
To make it easier for you, we have made a selection of the best models on the market. The 1TB SSD hard drives that you will find in our comparison benefit from positive reviews on Amazon.
After consulting our comparison, you will benefit from a buying guide in which we give you useful and practical advice for choosing the best 1 TB SSD hard drive. But first, let's start at the beginning.
Comparison of the best 1TB SSD hard drives in 2020
Because the market offers a range of SSD hard drive choices, we have combed through numerous models of 1TB SSD hard drives. At the end of our various tests, we selected the models which benefited from the best reviews on Amazon. Here is our selection.
1. Samsung SSD 860 EVO, 1TB Internal SATA III 2.5
Features and Reviews
As soon as we unboxed the Samsung Evo 1TB SSD, we quickly noticed that its construction was similar to that of older models. All dressed in a black metal shell, this Vevo 1 TB SSD from Samsung displays a sober design with a featherweight of 45g. It is therefore characterized by a certain lightness, since the market generally offers 1TB 52g SSDs.
In the box, we find a circuit which integrates 2 memory chips, a controller and a cache memory chip. Samsung offers 4th generation V-Nand memory. With its 3D memory, cells are stacked together in 64 layers, not next to each other. This feature allows you to obtain a 1TB SSD with high memory capacity.
The two NAND chips integrated into the hard drive each have 522 GB. For their management, Samsung has equipped its 1 TB SSD with a Samsung MJX controller. Furthermore, the lifespan of its SSDs is an argument on which the brand considers when deploying its products. This is justified by its 5-year warranty when the standard imposes a 3-year warranty on mid-range products.
Performance
Our opinion on the performance of the To 860 EVO 1 TB SSD is quite positive. However, the device is really not progressing compared to the 850 Evo 1 TB, since its level flirts with the limit imposed by the standard. On the reading side, the To 860 EVO SSD hard drive is a step above the Crucial Mx500 as well as the Sandisk Utra 3D 1 TB. Tested in writing, these 3 products offer similar services.
2. Crucial MX500 1TB
Features and Reviews
With the release of its new MX500 1TB model, Crucial has positioned it in the high-end category. This model comes in two main formats and did not disappoint us during our test. On the contrary, the MX500 1 TB displayed speed as was the case with its younger sister MX500 1 TB.
This is reflected in its good flow rates. This feature is most noticeable when loading and using certain programs that require a lot of resources. These include HD video editing software, games or office suites.
The importance of having an SSD installed in your computer is no longer in doubt. In addition to offering ultra-high speeds, it allows more than enough storage space to save not only your operating system, but also your favorite software. Gone are the days when the first hard drive models only offered 40 GB of storage space. With this internal SSD, you will no longer need to carry an external hard drive everywhere. Its capacity is enough to do everything quickly.
Increased speed for better value for money
By purchasing this SSD hard drive, you will be able to benefit from an ultra-fast computer. In addition to helping you transfer your files at blazing speeds, the 1TB Crucial MX500 promises accelerated read and write speeds. The device works with flash memory cells characterized by their velocity.
The device is designed with state-of-the-art devices, which significantly optimizes its level of efficiency. Therefore, the Crucial MX500 SSD does not consume enough power and offers a better performance-price ratio. The Crucial MX500 1TB SSD hard drive will allow you to benefit from a quiet, fast product that consumes less energy.
Performance
If you want to benefit from the performance of a 1 TB internal hard drive which will ensure fast backup of your photos, music and videos easily and safely; Don't worry: the MX 500 SSD hard drive is made for you. The device benefits from the latest generation 3D NAND technology and has gone through thousands of hours of validation and intense qualification tests. Its reliability and advanced features have made it a renowned SSD in Crucial's SSD MX series.
Quite a few people fear opening their computer and transferring data. It's not a problem if you find this operation difficult, since the MX500 1TB SSD comes with a setup guide that details all the steps for its installation.
3. Western Digital WD Blue 1TB Internal SSD Hard Drive
Features and Reviews
The 1TB WD Blue Western Digital SSD recalls the technical basis of Sandisk SSDs. This product is part of the second generation WD product range. The device sports a 2.5'' SATA plastic case with some metal touches for a weight of 58g. Its bi-material appearance gives it strong resistance to bad weather. In addition, the device is equipped with TLC memory capable of storing up to 3 bits of data for each memory cell compared to two 2 bits on the MLC and 1 single hard bit SLC. Thanks to high density, manufacturing prices are considerably reduced. A plated Marvell 88SS1074 controller helps control the different memory chips available. This controller supports 4 different channels, which gives it some versatility. This argument can also be explained by the fact that it is capable of controlling TLC, MLC 2D or 3D memory.
Ever more user-friendly writing speed
SSD 1TB WD Blue Western Digital is a hard drive with an SLC cache system. This is also the prerogative of SSDs equipped with TLC memories. The cache system is indeed effective in speeding up write processing. It acts as if it has SLC memory. Because we see a reduction in latency and the number of checks, hard disk throughput increases considerably.
The cache offers a capacity of 12 GB. So, write tasks will be accelerated if the fileset is not above 12 GB.
Performance
In terms of performance of the 1TB WD Blue, our opinion is very positive. We were pleased to know that the device offers a speed of 500 MB/s sequential reading and 476 MB/s writing. These results are quite similar to those offered by the Crucial MX300 1 TB or the Samsung 850 Evo 1 TB. The device obtains an acceptable record of 454 MB/s in manual copy reading. In this condition, it reaches 273 MB/s in writing.
In manual copying, we achieved a very good 454 MB/s reading and 273 MB/s writing. Our test involved copying a file of around thirty gigabytes, so we saturated the SLC cache. With the active cache, the practical throughput was around 400 MB/s then, after 12 GB of copy, the throughput drops to around 200 MB/s. This is a rather correct throughput, since some competing models can fall below 80 MB/s under the same conditions.
4. Samsung Internal SSD 860 QVO 2.5 SATA
Features and Reviews
This 860 QVO 1 TB SSD hard drive is a Samsung model with 2.5''. Entirely manufactured in Korea, it meets the reference MZ-76Q1T0BW. Its installation is quite simple. And to help people with no experience in this area, an installation guide will do the trick. In addition to its 2.5-inch format, the SSD hard drive has a length of 10 cm, a width of 7 cm and a thickness of 0.7 cm. Even if the 860 QVO 1 TB hard drive is at the entry level, it benefits from excellent finishes.
In addition, the Samsung 860 QVO supports “Quad Level Cell” QLC NAND Flash. More clearly, it is the 3D 4-bit MLC V-NAND of 1 gigabyte. Available at a lower cost, this flash memory theoretically offers the possibility of deploying SSDs with a large capacity, up to 1 TB at an affordable price. In return for basic performance like the TLC and MLC available in the PRO and EVO ranges. The device has a memory controller and a SATA 6Gb/s interface with 256-bit AED encryption.
Price, guarantee and availability
The warranty for this 860 QVO SSD hard drive is 3 years. This is quite a shame since most competitors offer a 5-year warranty. If the product is commercially available with a capacity of 1 GB, you will also be able to find SSD hard drives with a capacity of 2 TB and 4 TB. The model in our test is available for 150 euros.
However, you will need to plan on 300 euros and 575 euros for 2 TB and 4 TB. The price of the Samsung 860 QVO 1 TB is relatively similar to that of the Samsung 860 EVO 1 TB available at 140 euros with NAND Flash TLC. The latter is of course in the higher ranges and offers a 5-year warranty. As you will have understood, the value for money of the Samsung 860 QVO 1 TB is not as excellent as that of the 860 EVO 1 TB.
Performance
For reading, Samsung offers this product at 550 MB/s and 520 MB/s for sequential writing with active cache. However, according to user reviews, the device achieved transfer rates of 560 MB/s read and 525 MB/s write on Crystal Disk Mark. However, the SSD hard drive does not offer the same performance when transferring large files compared to the Samsung 860 EVO.
Furthermore, the hard drive offers increased compatibility with Samsung Magician software of 28 MB. It will also be compatible with Samsung Data Migration Software of 37 MB. You can download these different software from the manufacturer's website.
5. Sandisk Extreme SSD 1TB (External SSD)
Features and Reviews
To store your data or secure the most important documents from your computer to another medium, support will be your best ally. The brand offers its Extreme S To SSD drive for professional photographers and anyone wishing to improve the performance of their computer.
Known for its reliability, this SSD hard drive will come in handy if you need to work on professional tasks. By taking advantage of a write and read speed of up to 550 MB/s, you will be able to save a lot of time during data transfer.
In terms of design, this SSD drive has an aluminum casing perfect for weather resistance. That said, it is completely waterproof and does not allow water and dust to pass through. Meeting the IP55 standard, this device will remain safe from any danger, even if dropped from a height of 2 meters.
Furthermore, this Sandisk Extreme 1TB SSD hard drive will offer you a completely secure experience. It benefits from 256-bit AES encryption and is very robust. In addition, the 1 TB SSD is equipped with a useful carabiner for attaching the device to many supports: backpack or belt. This feature makes it a practical product that you can take with you everywhere.
Design and design
Sandisk's Extreme model is not as compact as that of its competitors like the Samsung T5 SSD. With its 8.85 mm, this model is quite thin. Its size will allow you to put it comfortably in the back of your pocket. In addition, its small footprint (50 x 96.2 mm) makes it much smaller than most recent smartphones.
Perfect for an audience likely to use the device outdoors, this SanDisk drive features a rubber chassis as well as an orange plastic loop at the top right that can be used to securely attach it to an item. Although its edges are smooth, the top and bottom surfaces are textured, making the player easier to handle.
Hardware and performance
The Sandisk Extreme external SSD has a USB 3.1 port. This port is best used with a supplied Type-C to Type C cable, which will allow it to reach up to 550 MB/s performance.
The hard drive includes a copy of Sandisk's Secure Access 3.02 software allowing you to create a password-protected folder or a private space, where only you will have access by typing a password. The system offers 128-bit AES encryption mode.
The brand says it uses BiCS Flash developed by Western Digital (WD) and Toshiba, probably the 64-layer version, and not the 96-layer version released in 96 layers. With the three-dimensional nature of BiCS Flash, the Sandisk Extreme SSD 1 TB hard drive will thus offer the possibility of boosting the performance of the computer.
What does 1 TB mean?
You should already know that the byte is the unit of measurement of a computer's capacity. We use the term “TB” to designate the terabyte. 1 TB represents the equivalent of 1000 GB (Gigabyte). More clearly, 1 TB is equal to 8 smartphones with a capacity of 128 GB, or 4 computers with a memory of 256 GB.
Even though the terabyte is the most widely used unit of measurement of computer capacity, the megabyte and gigabyte have long been around on the market. What can you really store with 1TB?
Indeed, having an idea of the number of documents, photos and 4K video that can be stored in a terabyte is not easy. But after our multiple tests, we understood that it was possible to store more than 250,000 photos captured with a 12 MP camera.
Such memory capacity will also allow you to save up to 500 hours of HD video or 250 films. Regarding documents, the number may be limited to 6.5 million, whether in office or PDF format. This number represents 1300 hard paper archiving cabinets.
What is an SSD hard drive?
If you want to know what an SSD hard drive really is, you will have an easier time choosing better equipment to optimize the performance of your computer. In SSD hard drive, "SSD" stands for Solid-State Drive.
The SSD is different from the classic hard drive. However, from its appearance, we could compare it to a classic hard drive, apart from the fact that it is less thick. Like traditional hard drives, SSDs have mounting screws at the ends.
What makes the difference between an SSD hard drive and a traditional hard drive lies in the technology used. Indeed, the classic hard drive is equipped with a certain number of disks. On the disks, there is a read and write head that takes care of reading and writing the data from the disk, while traveling through it at the speed of light.
On the other hand, SSD drives are not equipped with actual disks; but rather a flash memory that is also used in the design of SD cards. In real time and in one section, a flash memory reads and writes the data present in an SSD hard drive. This feature makes the SSD drive much faster than the traditional hard drive.
How does an SSD hard drive work?
In general, the SSD hard drive uses the controller as well as the memory cells to ensure data storage. The device responsible for intermediary between the SSD and the host computer is the controller. It is thanks to the latter that reading and writing requests from the host computer will be possible.
Thanks to the disk controller, the information that is saved on the hard disk will be saved. The latter also performs numerous tasks such as error control and management, and the implementation of Wear leveling which will extend the lifespan of memory cells. Also note that there are two types of SSD hard drives on the market: the external SSD hard drive and the internal SSD drive.
Buying guide: how to choose the right 1TB SSD hard drive?
SSDs are fast and efficient, but that doesn't mean you should choose just any model. What you need to know is that manufacturers use several technologies to design high-end models or not. Taking certain things into account when choosing an SSD hard drive is essential. Among the criteria to consider, there is the format and type of SSD, the storage capacity and the speeds offered in reading and writing.
SSD hard drive types and formats
Like HDD hard drives, SSD hard drives come in two main variants. These are the external SSD hard drive and the internal SSD hard drive. By opting for an external hard drive, you can benefit from a USB 3.0 port, which ensures file transfers up to 10 times faster than if you favor 2.0 models. The advantage of an external SSD hard drive is that it can help you store data on multiple media. In addition, there is the external hard drive, which can be connected in two ways: PCI if you have a tower type desktop computer or SATA for laptops.
Compatibility
As we said above, the choice of an SSD hard drive is not made at random. If you want to choose an external or internal hard drive, first make sure it is compatible with your computer's operating system. It is always important to check the main specifications of your computer to know what connections are available as well as the main locations. If your computer has an M.2 interface, it is better to look at the interface of the SSD whether it is SATA or NVMe. If you have a laptop with a 2.5'' drive, a 2.5'' SATA SSD hard drive will be ideal.
Storage capacity
Storage capacity is also an aspect we look at when choosing an SSD hard drive. Just like traditional hard drives, SSDs also benefit from storage space of a certain capacity.
We now find models on the market that can go up to 4 TB, i.e. 4000 GB. In our comparison, we have made a selection of the best 1 TB SSDs in 2020. If you are looking for the best models of this category, you are in the right place. Our selection will certainly allow you not to waste time in choosing a suitable model.
However, it is important to point out that the choice of your storage capacity depends mainly on the use you wish to make of it. If you want to choose a hard drive for storing movies, it is best to opt for a storage capacity of 2 TB. However, 250 GB will be more than enough for basic use.
Possible read/write speeds
When it comes to SSD hard drives, throughput represents the speed of data transfer. By the way, manufacturers indicate two kinds of speed: reading speed and writing speed. The velocity depends on certain parameters such as the type of hard drive connection. This could be the PCI connection or the SATA connection.
Internal SATA III drives offer speeds ranging from 450 to 600 MB/s for reading or writing. On the other hand, internal SSD hard drives in PCI offer a speed oscillating between 600 and 1700 MB/s in writing and 1400 to 2500 MB/s. the performance between SATA and PCI can be 4 times higher if you have a computer Office.
The market also houses several other technologies namely IOPS which is the number of input output per second. This allows you to measure the number of things that the SSD is able to do simultaneously. Although we strongly recommend MLC flash memory, it is also important to know that there is SLC NAND and TLC NAND flash memory.
Some SSDs also feature SMART and TRIM control technology. The first allows you to anticipate possible errors and repair potential disk failures. The second technology provides SSDs with indications of data spaces not yet used, which makes it possible to improve the space while ensuring a certain speed in terms of data access.
Which brand to choose?
In the SSD market, there are reputable brands and others that are not. Among the best-known brands, we note Sandisk and Samsung. These brands are known for the performance and reliability of their device. Every year, they continue to design new models in order to satisfy their most demanding customers.
However, you should know that just because a brand is less well-known does not mean its products are of lower quality. Taking the criteria set out below into account when choosing your SSD is an important thing to do. This way, you will be able to benefit from an SSD hard drive that is perfectly suited to your needs.
Comparison of the best 1TB SSD: conclusion
Choosing an SSD is not done lightly. In addition to taking into account the main technologies requested by the manufacturer, it is important to consider storage space. In this article, we looked at SSD hard drives with storage space of 1 TB or 1000 GB. The market is crowded with models, but we have proceeded to select the best products for sale on the store in Amazon.
