The Samsung 860 EVO (opens in new tab) is your best bet if you'd like to upgrade the 2.5-inch storage in the Inspiron 15 7000 (7580 or 7570) to a solid-state drive (SSD). The laptop does also have an M.2 NVMe slot, opening up the possibility of adding a pricier but faster PCIe SSD.
Who should buy this SSD
Anyone looking to add or upgrade the 2.5-inch drive in their Inspiron 15 7580 or 7570 should definitely consider the Samsung EVO 860. It might not be quite as cheap as the competition, but the quality and performance make up for it.
Is it a good time to buy this SSD?
The 860 EVO has dropped down to about the lowest price it's ever been at, and while it might continue to drop, don't expect it to get too much cheaper while it still remains relevant. If you need to add SSD storage to your Inspiron 15 7580, it remains a great choice.
A great 2.5-inch SSD for your Inspiron 15 7580
Samsung's 860 EVO series of SSDs are extremely popular thanks for a 5-year warranty, great performance, and relatively affordable pricing. Choose from 256 GB, 500 GB, or 1 TB sizes; there are also 2 TB and 4 TB options but the Inspiron 7580 only supports up to 1 TB.
Samsung's 860 EVO is popular because of its performance, price, and warranty.
You'll get read speeds up to 550 MB/s and write speeds up to 520 MB/s with this drive, which is no doubt overall faster than the 5,400 RPM hard-disk drive (HDD) offered from Dell.
This drive will also work as an upgrade in older Inspiron 15 7570 models with FHD display and 42 Wh battery. The 4K 7570 models have a larger 56 Wh battery that covers the 2.5-inch drive bay, forcing you to upgrade the M.2 SSD instead.
Alternatives to the Samsung 860 EVO
The Inspiron 15 7000 (7580) has both a bay for 2.5-inch SATA storage and an M.2 NVMe slot for PCIe storage. Whether you'd like a cheaper 2.5-inch SSD or a faster PCIe SSD, we found some worthwhile alternatives.
If you'd like to upgrade the M.2 SSD in your Inspiron 15 7580, spend your money on Samsung's 970 PRO. It offers ridiculous speeds and comes in a 512 GB size (which is the maximum for the laptop), plus you get a 5-year warranty to back up your purchase.
With prices starting at $32 for a 120 GB SSD and going up to $160 for a 1 TB SSD (which is where the Inspiron 15 7580 maxes out), this SanDisk SSD offers great value. It's not the fastest out there and its warranty doesn't quite match up with competitors, but it is a lot cheaper.
Adding or replacing the M.2 PCIe SSD in the Inspiron 15 7580 can make a big difference to performance, and with the 500 GB WD Black you can save about $70 over the Samsung 970 PRO with similar storage size. It also comes with a 5-year warranty for some peace of mind.
Bottom line
The Samsung EVO 860 (opens in new tab) is your best bet for upgrading the 2.5-inch drive in your Inspiron 15 7000. Its performance beats out the 5,400 RPM HDD from the factory, it comes with a five-year warranty, and it's available in a few different sizes.
However, if you'd rather upgrade the M.2 drive or stick with a 2.5-inch drive that's cheaper, there are some quality alternatives available.
Cale Hunt is a Senior Editor at Windows Central. He focuses mainly on laptop reviews, news, and accessory coverage. He is an avid PC gamer and multi-platform user, and spends most of his time either tinkering with or writing about tech.
