Best Hard Drives for Laptops and PC Desktops in 2022

Making sure that you have the correct internal hard drive ensures that you have enough storage for all of your work and that your storage is fast enough to meet your workflow. All of the hard drives in this collection are solid state drives (SSD). These don't have moving parts like hard disk drives (HDD) and as a result are faster, quieter, and more reliable. When purchasing a hard drive, make sure that the way it attaches or mounts to your computer matches your hardware setup. All that being said, here are some places to start.

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Bang for buck

This drive is reliable and has a proven track record of quality. Its 550MB/s read and 520MB/s write speeds will be enough for the majority of users. Its price has also recently dropped to make it an excellent bargain. The price listed here is for the 256GB model, but you can get up to 4TB.

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Best speed demon

This drive's ludicrous 3,500MB/s read and 2,700MB/s write speeds will meet the demands of power users. Note that the drive's speeds vary depending on the storage size. You get these speeds with the 1TB version for the price listed here. The smaller 512GB version doesn't hit the same speeds but is still quick.

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Best budget

This drive starts at just $27 but still delivers 530MB/s read and 440MB/s write speeds. It's a great option for building a budget PC or improving storage without investing a lot of money. This pricing is for the 120GB version but you can get this drive in up to 1TB.

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Best compact drive

This drive is compact and will fit into many notebooks without any issues. Its 1,600MB/s speeds will make your operating system and games zip. The price listed here is for the 120GB option. It's great for if you just need a little bit of additional storage. You can get the same drive in up to 960GB.

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Best bundle

This hard drive is both inexpensive and has options for a bundle that includes a SATA cable, USB cable, external container, MOLEX-to-SATA power converter and 2.5-3.5-inch brackets. Its 350MB/s write speeds are lower than some on this list, but it's still fast. Its 550MB/s read speeds are up there with some more expensive options. The listed price is for the bundle with the 120GB drive but you can get it in up to 960GB.

These hard drives will help you get the best performance on your laptop or desktop. The drive that's best for you depends on if you use your PC for gaming, VR, video editing, or other tasks. All of these drives are fast and come in various sizes, but the Samsung EVO 860 is the best value with read and write speeds over 500MB/s for just over $50.

Sean Endicott brings nearly a decade of experience covering Microsoft and Windows news to Windows Central. He joined our team in 2017 as an app reviewer and now heads up our day-to-day news coverage. If you have a news tip or an app to review, hit him up at sean.endicott@futurenet.com.

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