The Best 5Reviewed by Mike Hun·May 20, 2026

Best SSDs for PS5 Upgrade

Top 5 NVMe SSDs for PS5 internal storage expansion reviewed and ranked.

Quick answer

WD_BLACK SN850X with Heatsink is our top pick for ssds for ps5 upgrade — an averaged 4.8/5 across 1 published review at about $150. Runner-up: Crucial T500 1TB (~$90).

Read the WD_BLACK SN850X with Heatsink review →$150 · Check Price on Amazon

At a glance

Tap any product for the full review

#	Product	Rating	Price	Best for
1	WD_BLACK SN850X with HeatsinkTop Score	4.8 (1 source)	$150	PS5 owners who want zero installation hassle	$150 · Check Price on Amazon
2	Crucial T500 1TB	4.6 (1 source)	$90	budget PS5 upgraders willing to buy a heatsink separately	$90 · Check Price on Amazon
3	Samsung 990 Pro with Heatsink	4.7 (1 source)	$130	PS5 users who want top-of-spec performance and Samsung reliability	$130 · Check Price on Amazon
4	Lexar NM790 1TB	4.4 (1 source)	$85	budget-aware PS5 upgraders who already have or will buy a heatsink	$85 · Check Price on Amazon
5	Seagate FireCuda 530R 1TB	4.6 (1 source)	$130	heavy gamers who download and delete games constantly	$130 · Check Price on Amazon

1WD_BLACK SN850X with HeatsinkTop Score

4.8

(1 source)

$150Best for: PS5 owners who want zero installation hassle

$150 · Check Price on Amazon

2Crucial T500 1TB

4.6

(1 source)

$90Best for: budget PS5 upgraders willing to buy a heatsink separately

$90 · Check Price on Amazon

3Samsung 990 Pro with Heatsink

4.7

(1 source)

$130Best for: PS5 users who want top-of-spec performance and Samsung reliability

$130 · Check Price on Amazon

4Lexar NM790 1TB

4.4

(1 source)

$85Best for: budget-aware PS5 upgraders who already have or will buy a heatsink

$85 · Check Price on Amazon

5Seagate FireCuda 530R 1TB

4.6

(1 source)

$130Best for: heavy gamers who download and delete games constantly

$130 · Check Price on Amazon

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Reviews aggregated from

EngadgetTom's HardwareTechRadarGamesradar

The full ranking

How we rank →

#1 · Top Score

Best for: PS5 owners who want zero installation hassle

WD_BLACK SN850X with Heatsink

4.8

from 1 source$150

The SN850X with Heatsink is the best-overall PS5 SSD pick. Sony-compliant heatsink pre-installed plus 7,300 MB/s reads makes it the easiest PS5 upgrade. Best for users who want to install once and forget it.

Strengths

— 7,300 MB/s sequential read — exceeds Sony's 5,500 MB/s PS5 requirement comfortably
— Pre-installed heatsink meets Sony's 11.25mm M.2 size requirement

Watch-outs

— Slightly more expensive than non-heatsink versions
— 1TB feels limiting for modern AAA games at 100+ GB each

$150 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →vs. Crucial T500 1TB →

Best for: budget PS5 upgraders willing to buy a heatsink separately

Crucial T500 1TB

4.6

from 1 source$90

The T500 is the value pick. Same 7,300 MB/s spec sheet as the WD SN850X at meaningful savings. Trade-off is sourcing a separate heatsink. Best for budget-conscious PS5 upgraders willing to buy parts separately.

Strengths

— $90 (frequently on sale at $60) — cheapest pick in this lineup
— 7,300 MB/s sequential read matches the WD SN850X

Watch-outs

— Heatsink is an extra ~$20 add-on
— Slightly higher operating temps under sustained load than the SN850X

$90 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →vs. WD_BLACK SN850X with Heatsink →

Best for: PS5 users who want top-of-spec performance and Samsung reliability

Samsung 990 Pro with Heatsink

4.7

from 1 source$130

The 990 Pro with Heatsink is the fastest pick. 7,450 MB/s edges out the WD SN850X on raw spec. Best for users who want top-of-spec performance and don't mind paying Samsung's premium.

Strengths

— 7,450 MB/s sequential read — fastest in this lineup
— Heatsink with RGB lighting (visible through PS5 expansion slot)

Watch-outs

— RGB lighting requires Samsung Magician software on PC to customize (one-time setup)
— Slightly higher price than WD SN850X with heatsink

$130 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →vs. WD_BLACK SN850X with Heatsink →

Best for: budget-aware PS5 upgraders who already have or will buy a heatsink

Lexar NM790 1TB

4.4

from 1 source$85

The NM790 is the budget speed pick. Spec-sheet performance matches Samsung 990 Pro at almost half the price — useful when you'll source a heatsink separately. Trade-off is DRAM-less design.

Strengths

— 7,400 MB/s sequential read at budget pricing
— DRAM-less design but uses host memory buffer (HMB) effectively

Watch-outs

— No heatsink — must buy separate Sabrent or ElecGear ($20)
— DRAM-less design has slightly slower mixed-workload performance

$85 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →vs. WD_BLACK SN850X with Heatsink →

Best for: heavy gamers who download and delete games constantly

Seagate FireCuda 530R 1TB

4.6

from 1 source$130

The FireCuda 530R is the endurance pick. Highest TBW (terabytes written) in this lineup — useful for heavy gamers who download/uninstall constantly. Trade-off is no heatsink in the box. Best for heavy-use PS5 setups.

Strengths

— Best-in-class endurance — 1,275 TBW for the 1TB model
— 7,300 MB/s sequential read

Watch-outs

— Heatsink is a separate purchase
— Endurance rating is higher than typical gamer needs

$130 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →vs. WD_BLACK SN850X with Heatsink →

Spec comparison

5 products

Spec	WD_BLACK SN850X with Heatsink	Crucial T500 1TB	Samsung 990 Pro with Heatsink	Lexar NM790 1TB	Seagate FireCuda 530R 1TB
Capacity	1TB	1TB	1TB	1TB	1TB
Read Speed	7,300 MB/s	7,300 MB/s	7,450 MB/s	7,400 MB/s	7,300 MB/s
Heatsink	Pre-installed	Optional add-on	Pre-installed RGB	None	None
Warranty	5-year	5-year	5-year	—	—

Frequently asked questions

What is the best ssds for ps5 upgrade?

WD_BLACK SN850X with Heatsink is our top pick for ssds for ps5 upgrade, with an averaged rating of 4.8/5 from 1 published reviews. The SN850X with Heatsink is the best-overall PS5 SSD pick. Sony-compliant heatsink pre-installed plus 7,300 MB/s reads makes it the easiest PS5 upgrade. Best for users who want to install once and forget it.

Is there a cheaper alternative worth considering?

Lexar NM790 1TB (around $85) rates 4.4/5 in our analysis. The NM790 is the budget speed pick. Spec-sheet performance matches Samsung 990 Pro at almost half the price — useful when you'll source a heatsink separately. Trade-off is DRAM-less design.

How does Verdict rank these products?

Every rating on Verdict is the numerical average of scores published by independent review sites, YouTube reviewers, and Reddit buyer reports. No editor adjusts the order — the ranking is whatever the source data produces. See our methodology page for the full process.

When was this guide last updated?

This guide was last re-checked in May 2026. We re-run our research pipeline for each category on a rolling basis so prices and rankings reflect current market reality.

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