Top 20 M.2 2TB SSD Drives Rating – Top 2025

After hundreds of hours of SSD drive testing and dozens of disassembled laptops, I came to unexpected conclusions in our rating.

The market for solid-state NVMe drives in 2025 is divided into two camps: conservative PCIe 4.0 solutions with proven architecture and aggressive PCIe 5.0 novelties that heat up like a mining farm in the midst of a crypto boom. The most interesting thing is that the difference in real-world tasks between the Samsung 990 Pro on PCIe 4.0 with its 7450 MB/s and the newfangled Sabrent Rocket 5 with its declared 12000 MB/s often fits within the statistical error.

The situation with controllers deserves special attention – if earlier all top solutions were built on Phison E18, now manufacturers are actively experimenting with their own developments. Samsung is promoting its Pascal, WD is not lagging behind with SanDisk G2, and Kingston surprised the market with its own RP2640 controller. At the same time, the temperature regime remains the Achilles heel of all high-performance stones – without active cooling, even flagship models go into throttling faster than you can run a benchmark.

Top 5 best solid state drives

• Crucial T705 2TB

Rating: 4.8/5

As someone who has been testing drives since the first SATA SSDs on SandForce controllers, I can say with confidence that the T705 is a real breakthrough in the world of data storage. Built on a bundle of the time-tested Phison E26 controller and 232-layer Micron memory, this monster squeezes the maximum out of the PCIe 5.0 bus, accelerating to cosmic 14,500 MB/s on reading. In real-world tasks, the drive shows itself in all its glory – the system boots up faster than you can blink, and 4K video is edited without a single hitch.

It heats up, of course, like a stove in a mining rig – without normal cooling, you can even get thermal throttling. But with the included radiator or under the motherboard cooling system, it keeps the temperature around 65 degrees even under load. The 220 GB dynamic cache allows you to write large files at full speed, and after it is exhausted, the speed drops to a quite decent 4000 MB/s. Over two months of testing, I have never experienced any drops or freezes – it works like a clock.

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Rating: 9.8/10

After a year of testing various NVMe drives, I can say with confidence that the Samsung 990 Pro 2TB is a true flagship among M.2 SSDs. Built on a proprietary Pascal controller with an 8-nm process technology and 176-layer 7th-generation V-NAND memory, this stone delivers a phenomenal 7450 MB/s for reading and 6900 MB/s for writing. In real tests, the drive maintains the temperature like a good be quiet! cooler – even without a radiator, a maximum of 54 ° C during stress tests, which is simply excellent for such a powerful beast.

The stability of the work was especially pleasing – 98% of the performance is maintained even under prolonged load, which is rare for modern SSDs. The 187 GB cache may seem modest compared to competitors, but Samsung’s competent algorithms do their job – even when it is exhausted, the speed does not drop below 1.3 GB/s. Over a year of active use, there was not a single failure or strange behavior in the main system, which is very rare these days[/p]

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Rating: 9.6/10

Built on a WD Black G2 controller with 112-layer BiCS5 memory, this beast delivers an impressive 7,300 MB/s for reading and 6,600 MB/s for writing – figures we could only dream of in the days of the first SSDs. The temperature regime was especially pleasing – even without a radiator, the stone stays at around 54 degrees under load, which is simply excellent for such a powerful solution.

The behavior of the SLC cache deserves special attention – after it is exhausted, the speed remains at 1.5 GB/s, which is significantly better than its predecessor. During long-term recording, the drive is able to maintain stable performance even when 80% full, which is rare for modern NVMe solutions. The only caveat is that after the TRIM command, the device may “think” for 4-5 seconds, but this is a small price to pay for such performance.

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Rating: 9.4/10

After three months of testing the Kingston Fury Renegade 2TB, I can say that this gem is definitely worth your attention. Built on a Phison E18 controller with 176-layer Micron TLC memory, the drive delivers an impressive 7,300 MB/s read and 7,000 MB/s write at peak. In real conditions, the figures are, of course, more modest – about 5,700 MB/s read and 6,000 MB/s write, but for everyday tasks this is more than enough.

The behavior of the drive under load was especially pleasing – even with long-term recording of large files, the speed remains stable, without the dips that many competitors suffer from. The temperature regime is also at its best – the graphene radiator copes with it with flying colors, keeping the stone at around 55 degrees even during stress tests. But with compatibility with the PS5, everything is not so rosy – it is not recommended to use it without an additional radiator, otherwise thermal throttling is guaranteed.

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Rating: 9.7/10

It’s been a while since I’ve seen such an interesting stone as the Sabrent Rocket 5 2TB. Built on the Phison PS5026-E26 controller with five cores (two Cortex-R5 plus three RISC-V) and 232-layer Micron B58R memory, this beast delivers phenomenal 14,000 MB/s for reading and 12,000 MB/s for writing. In real tests, the drive shows a record 1.46 million IOPS for random reading – figures we could only dream of in the days of the first SSDs.

Thermal deserves special attention – despite high performance, the stone keeps the temperature in check even without active cooling. The 210 GB SLC cache provides a stable write speed of 12.4 GB/s for 18 seconds, and after its depletion, the speed remains at 4.5 GB/s – the best indicator among all PCIe 5.0 drives. The proprietary I/O+ technology allows you to load games 60% faster while reducing the load on the processor by 99%.

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Rating: 9.5/10

Built on the Phison PS5025-E25 controller with 232-layer Micron B58R memory, this little guy delivers an impressive 7400 MB/s for reading and 7000 MB/s for writing. In real tests, the drive maintains the temperature like a good be quiet cooler – even without a radiator, a maximum of 55 degrees during stress tests, which is just great for such a powerful beast. We were especially pleased with the 210 GB SLC cache, which provides stable performance even during long write operations.

The single-sided layout deserves special attention – now this stone can be installed without problems even in the thinnest laptop or PlayStation 5. At the same time, the performance on random operations reaches 1.18 million IOPS for reading and 1.44 million IOPS for writing, which puts it on par with top PCIe 5.0 drives. And Crucial’s proprietary technology for optimizing gaming loads really speeds up level loading – the difference is especially noticeable in heavy titles like the latest shooters.

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Rating: 4.5 out of 5

The Silicon Power XS70 2TB is a high-performance M.2 NVMe SSD equipped with a PCIe 4.0 x4 interface and capable of reaching read speeds of up to 7300 MB/s and write speeds of up to 6800 MB/s. Thanks to the use of 3D TLC NAND memory and the Phison PS5018-E18 controller, this drive provides reliable and fast operation suitable for gamers and professionals working with resource-intensive applications. The built-in aluminum heatsink effectively dissipates heat, preventing overheating and maintaining stable performance even under prolonged loads. Compatibility with PlayStation 5 expands the possibilities of using this SSD.

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Rating: 9.3/10

After several months of testing the ADATA Legend 960 2TB, I can say that the stone turned out to be just right. On board is a Silicon Motion SM2264 controller with a 12-nm process technology and four Cortex R8 cores, working in conjunction with 176-layer Micron memory. In real tests, the drive delivers a stable 7400 MB/s for reading and 6800 MB/s for writing, which makes it one of the fastest PCIe 4.0 solutions on the market.

The temperature conditions were especially pleasing – even without a radiator, the stone stays around 54 degrees under load, and with the included graphene radiator, the temperature does not rise above 50°C. The 115 GB SLC cache allows you to write data at a speed of about 6 GB/s, and after it is exhausted, the speed remains at 1.7 GB/s – a very decent indicator for TLC memory. At the same time, even when filled to 80%, the drive maintains stable performance, which is rare for modern NVMe solutions.

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Rating: 9.4/10

Built on a 12nm Maxio MAP1602 controller and 232-layer YMTC memory, the drive delivers an impressive 7,400 MB/s read and 6,500 MB/s write. In real-world testing, the 195 GB SLC cache was particularly impressive, maintaining a steady write speed of around 5.9 GB/s, and once the cache was exhausted, the speed remained at 2.6 GB/s – an excellent result for a quad-channel DRAM-less solution.

What’s really impressive is the energy efficiency of this little guy. At peak loads, the temperature doesn’t rise above 70°C even without active cooling, making it ideal for laptops. The single-sided layout and support for HMB 3.0 with a 32MB buffer show excellent results in everyday tasks – whether it’s starting Windows or loading heavy games. And the ability to work with PS5 makes this drive a universal solution for all platforms.

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Rating: 9.5/10

TeamGroup MP44 2TB is a real surprise on the NVMe drive market. On board is a Maxio MAP1602 controller without DRAM cache and 232-layer YMTC memory, which allows you to squeeze out an impressive 7400 MB/s for reading and 7000 MB/s for writing. In real conditions, the stone holds about 5600 MB/s in pSLC mode and 2500 MB/s in TLC, which is simply incredible for a DRAM-less solution. The temperature regime is especially pleasing – even under load, the temperature does not rise above 60 ° C thanks to the proprietary graphene sticker-heatsink less than a millimeter thick.

What’s really impressive is the power efficiency of this little guy. At maximum performance, it consumes less power than any competitor in its class, making it an ideal choice for laptops and consoles. The 240GB SLC cache ensures stable operation even when the drive is 80% full. The only caveat is that when the cache is exhausted, the speed may drop below 900 MB/s, but it quickly recovers after a short pause.

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Rating: 9.8/10

Wow – we’ve finally waited for a real PCIe 5.0 monster! Apacer AS2280F4 2TB with the declared 12000 MB/s for reading and 11800 MB/s for writing – these are not just marketing figures, but real performance that was squeezed out thanks to an advanced controller and 232-layer memory. In games and heavy applications, the difference with PCIe 4.0 drives is noticeable to the naked eye – loading levels is one and a half times faster, and video rendering flies like never before.

The main feature of this stone is active cooling with a custom cooler, which reduces the temperature by 25% compared to passive solutions. Even under long loads with sequential reading at 12 GB/s, the temperature remains around 70°C, which is simply incredible for a Gen5 drive. The SLC cache works like a clock, providing stable performance even when filled to 80%. The only caveat is that it is better not to install such a beast in a laptop, after all, active cooling requires normal ventilation.

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Rating: 9.3/10

Now that’s what I call a budget rock with character! Crucial P3 2TB on a Phison PS5021-E21T controller with three Cortex-R5 cores and 176-layer QLC memory delivers a stable 3500 MB/s for reading and 3000 MB/s for writing. In real conditions, the drive shows itself to be a real workhorse – the temperature does not rise above 55°C even without a radiator, and the average power consumption is only 2.3 W, which makes it an ideal choice for laptops.

The SLC cache size is especially impressive – as much as 550 GB of dynamic buffer provides a stable write speed of about 2.9 GB/s even during long operations. Yes, this is QLC memory with a limited resource of 440 TBW, but at a price of about $ 110 for 2 TB – this is a real find for a home computer or workstation. The only caveat is that the speed drops to 100 MB/s after the cache is exhausted, but for everyday tasks this is not critical.

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Rating: 9.4/10

Samsung has released an interesting hybrid stone – 990 EVO 2TB with a Piccolo controller, which can operate in both PCIe 4.0 x4 and PCIe 5.0 x2 modes. In real conditions, the drive delivers a stable 5000 MB/s for reading and 4200 MB/s for writing, which is quite decent for a DRAM-less solution. The energy efficiency is especially impressive – thanks to the nickel coating of the controller and Dynamic Thermal Guard technology, the temperature is kept at around 50 ° C even under load, and energy consumption has decreased by 70% compared to its predecessor.

The highlight of this drive is its 226GB smart SLC cache (216GB dynamic + 10GB static), which provides stable performance of about 1.8GB/s even after the buffer is exhausted. HMB technology uses 64MB of system memory for caching, which, combined with Samsung’s optimization algorithms, makes this drive an ideal choice for laptops and compact systems. TCG Opal 2.0 support and a 5-year warranty with a 1200TBW resource only add to the attractiveness of this stone.

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Rating: 9.7/10

Sabrent once again proves that it can make top stones. The new Rocket 4 Plus 2TB on the Phison E18 controller with updated B47 firmware and 176-layer Micron B47R memory delivers phenomenal 7100 MB/s for reading and 6600 MB/s for writing. In real conditions, the drive stably holds about 2.5-3 GB/s even during long operations, which is simply incredible for TLC memory. The work with the cache is especially impressive – the 50 GB SLC buffer provides a stable write speed of about 6.45 GB/s, and after it is exhausted, the speed remains at 1.44 GB/s.

Sabrent engineers worked not only on speed, but also on temperature conditions. The double-sided layout with a nickel-plated controller and a copper heatsink provides effective cooling even under load. At a memory frequency of 1600 MT/s (800 MHz), the drive delivers an impressive 650K IOPS for random reading and 750K IOPS for writing with a queue depth of 32. And a resource of 1400 TBW with a 5-year warranty makes this stone an excellent choice for enthusiasts and professionals.

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Rating: 9.1/10

An interesting budget stone from WD on the Polaris MP16 controller with 112-layer BiCS5 memory. In synthetics, it produces the declared 3500 MB/s for reading and 3500 MB/s for writing, but there is one significant nuance – the SLC cache is only 15 GB, after which the speed drops to 500 MB/s, like a regular Satoshi washer. The temperature mode pleased – even without a radiator, the controller does not heat up above 60 ° C thanks to the 16-nm TSMC process technology.

In real-world tasks, the drive shows itself to be worthy until it hits the cache – the system and games load quickly, smaller files fly as they should. But this stone is not suitable for working with large amounts of data – you will have to be patient or pay extra for a more advanced model. But the power consumption of only 4.5 W on average makes it an excellent choice for laptops, where every watt counts.

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Rating: 9.6/10

What a find – a budget gem with flagship characteristics! Addlink AddGame A93 2TB on the Maxio MAP1602 controller and 232-layer YMTC memory delivers an impressive 7400 MB/s for reading and 6500 MB/s for writing. In real-world tasks, the drive shows itself to be a real monster – Windows boots up like a charm, and games start faster than you can sip an energy drink. The temperature regime is especially pleasing – the proprietary aluminum radiator with a mesh design reduces heating by 20%, keeping the temperature around 60°C even under serious load.

Despite the lack of DRAM cache, HMB technology copes with its tasks perfectly, using system memory. SLC cache works like a clock, providing stable performance even when the drive is 80% full. Compatibility with PS5 deserves a special mention – the 8.75 mm high radiator fits perfectly into the console, and the speeds more than cover Sony’s minimum requirements of 5500 MB/s. For this kind of money, this is just a gift for gamers and enthusiasts.

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Rating: 9.7/10

What a surprise from the former Sony division! Nextorage NEM-PA 2TB on the Phison E18 controller with five Cortex-R5 cores and 176-layer TLC memory delivers phenomenal 7300 MB/s for reading and 6900 MB/s for writing. In real-world tasks, this stone maintains stable performance while writing more than 625 GB of data thanks to the huge dynamic SLC cache, which occupies a third of the total volume. For comparison, the top Samsung 990 Pro runs out of steam after 230 GB.

The cooling system deserves special attention – the proprietary aluminum radiator with a black alumite coating effectively dissipates heat even under maximum loads. The kit includes 2 GB of DDR4-2666 memory for caching and an advanced controller with fourth-generation LDPC, which effectively combats bit errors. And the declared resource of 1400 TBW with a 5-year warranty makes this drive an excellent choice for both PS5 gamers and PC enthusiasts.

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Rating: 9.5/10

An interesting stone from WD, which is essentially a pumped-up version of the Black SN750 with an increased resource. On board is a proprietary SanDisk controller with 96-layer BiCS4 TLC memory, producing a stable 3400 MB/s for reading and 2900 MB/s for writing. In real-world tasks, the drive shows itself as a real workhorse – even with intensive writing operations, the temperature is kept at around 70 ° C, although without a radiator it heats up like a stove in a mining rig.

The main feature of this drive is an increased resource of 2500 TBW, which is three times higher than that of regular consumer SSDs. The double-sided layout with 2 GB of DDR4 cache provides stable performance even when filled to 80%. The only serious drawback is the lack of protection against power loss, which looks strange for a NAS-oriented drive. But for a home server or workstation, this is not critical, especially considering the five-year warranty and impressive safety margin.

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Rating: 9.3/10

An interesting stone from Silicon Power on the Phison E12S controller with 96-layer BiCS4 memory. In synthetics, it produces stable 3400 MB/s for reading and 3000 MB/s for writing – impressive figures for a PCIe 3.0 solution.

The main feature of this drive is a single-sided layout and a thin aluminum radiator, which reduces the temperature by 20% compared to bare brothers. In real conditions, the temperature is kept at about 69 ° C even when writing 500 GB of data, which is 6 degrees below the throttling point.

The record-breaking 1600 TBW resource deserves special attention – this is more than the Samsung 980 Pro at 400 TB with lower factory overprovisioning (7.4% versus 10%). The 52 GB SLC cache provides stable performance in everyday tasks, although the speed is expected to drop during long-term recording. The proprietary SP Toolbox software allows you to monitor the health of the drive and perform diagnostics, which is especially important with such an impressive resource.

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Which M.2 2TB SSDs are Best for Gaming PCs

For gaming computers in 2024-2025, the following M.2 2TB SSD models are optimal:

The Samsung 990 Pro 2TB stands out as the best gaming drive thanks to its Pascal controller and 7450/6900 MB/s speeds. It’s great for demanding games and has effective cooling.

The WD Black SN850X 2TB delivers excellent gaming performance with 7300/6600 MB/s. It has a dedicated gaming mode to optimize loading.

The Kingston Fury Renegade 2TB offers a great price/performance balance with a claimed 7300/7000 MB/s and good cooling.

ADATA Legend 960 2TB is a worthy alternative to flagships with 7400/6800 MB/s. At the same time, it is cheaper than top models, but provides comparable performance in games.

For most gaming tasks, the difference between PCIe 4.0 and 5.0 drives will be minimal, so there’s no need to overpay for the newer standard.

The following high-performance M.2 2TB SSDs are optimal for laptops:

Samsung 990 EVO 2TB is the best choice due to its low power consumption (2.9 W) and effective cooling without a heatsink. Read/write speeds reach 5000/4200 MB/s in PCIe 4.0 mode.

The WD Black SN850X 2TB is ideal for mobile systems thanks to its optimized PCB design and temperatures up to 54°C even under load. Delivers speeds of 7300/6600 MB/s.

Crucial P3 2TB is an energy-efficient solution with a power consumption of only 2.3 watts and a temperature of up to 55°C. Ideal for thin laptops.

WD Blue SN570 2TB is a budget option with low power consumption of 4.5 W and good performance for everyday tasks.

The WD Red SN700 2TB stands out as an optimal choice for NAS due to the following features:

The Seagate IronWolf 525 2TB is also well suited for NAS systems thanks to:

When choosing an SSD for NAS, stability and reliability are more important than peak read/write speeds.