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Have you ever gotten that pesky notification that you're out of storage space? That always seems to happen right when you finish up an important project. But you won't have to worry about that if you've got an SSD. Whether you're editing videos, making PowerPoint presentations, or playing games during a break, you'll want a good SSD around just in case.
We've gathered some of the biggest back-to-school deals on SSDs for you so that you can exceed expectations in the classroom. With brands like Samsung, SanDisk, and Lexar, you can't go wrong. We'll keep adding onto this list as the weeks go by, so check back in! Students are already back in school, so this might be your last chance to grab them.
Samsung Deals
990 Internal SSD
This capable SSD is great for tasks like file transfers and gaming, with speeds of up to 7,250 MB/s for reading and 6,450 MB/s for writing. It boasts up to 38% better performance than the 990 Pro and is well optimized for everyday projects and workflows. With 2TB of storage, you won't have to worry about running out of space, as there's plenty of room for heavier projects like 4K video editing. It also comes with Samsung's Magician Software, which lets you encrypt your data and monitor the drive's condition, keeping it up to date.
Our expert, Tony Hoffman, awarded it a "Good" rating. In our in-depth review, he said, "Samsung's SSD 990 M.2 drive delivers on-point PCI Express 4.0 performance, solid management software, and robust security, but its lofty launch pricing leaves us pining for a markdown."
990 Pro Internal SSD
The Samsung 990 Pro internal SSD is faster than its predecessor, the 980 Pro. With read and write speeds that are 40% and 55% faster, respectively, you'll notice a huge jump in download speeds. The performance has improved as well, increasing by 50% due to the max PCIe 4's optimal power efficiency. This SSD also features thermal control via a nickel-coated controller, ensuring it stays cool and manageable while handling demanding tasks.
If you're taking a break to play games between homework assignments, this SSD is great as it enhances the gaming experience on both PS5 consoles and PC. It also comes with the Samsung Magician software, so you're able to monitor the SSD, as well as protect valuable data and download important updates to keep it performing at its best.
990 EVO Plus SSD
This 990 Evo Plus SSD is blazingly fast, with read and write speeds of up to 7,250 megabytes per second and 6,300 megabytes per second, respectively. That read speed is 45% more than the Evo 990's! It boasts powerful performance, capable of tackling the heaviest tasks such as video editing, animation, and game development. So if you're in these creative tech majors, this is the perfect SSD for you. The controller is covered in a nickel coating, making it more efficient by increasing MB per watt by 73% while using 16% less power than the Evo 990.
Our expert awarded the Evo 990 an "Excellent" rating. In our in-depth review, he said, "The SSD 990 Evo is an excellent-value mainstream M.2 internal SSD, with whizzy performance and the class-leading warranty, software, and security that you'd expect from Samsung."
9100 Pro Internal SSD
The Samsung 9100 Pro internal SSD boasts read/write speeds of up to 14,800MB/13,400MB per second, allowing it to handle demanding assignments. Whether you're editing a long video or high-resolution photos, this SSD puts in the work. It's also great for AI projects and large game downloads. It’s twice as fast as the 990 Pro, so it's a genuine boost in performance over the prior generation of SSDs. Internally, it has an advanced controller that makes it up to 49% more efficient, too, while keeping the temperature in check to maintain peak performance.
Our expert awarded it a “Good” rating. In our in-depth review, he said, “With blazing sequential throughput performance and a surprisingly palatable price for a premium SSD, the Samsung 9100 Pro SSD is worth considering for PC builders and PS5 owners looking to take advantage of PCIe Gen 5.0.”
T7 2TB External SSD
This Samsung T7 portable SSD is twice as fast as the T5, with read and write speeds of up to 1,050 and 1,000 MB/s, respectively. Its durable build helps protect it from impacts and overheating, so it can work hard while staying productive. Whether you're backing up your videos or uploading your photographs to its massive 2TB storage, you'll be able to do it efficiently and quickly directly on the SSD. Your content is also safe and secure with 256-bit AES hardware encryption, too.
Our expert awarded it an "Excellent" rating. In our in-depth review, he said, "Samsung's Portable SSD T7 is a crowd-pleasing, compact external drive with strong security (256-bit AES hardware encryption) and a rough-and-tumble aluminum chassis."
T9 External SSD
This Samsung T9 is a state-of-the-art SSD that boasts read and write speeds of up to 2,000 MB/s. It's speedy, helping you to be more efficient and productive while working. The SSD has an internal dynamic thermal guard, ensuring it stays cool even under heavy use. This adds to its longevity, so you won't have to waste time and money getting new ones, as this'll stick around for a while. It's also widely compatible with many gaming consoles and PCs, so whether you're working on school projects or playing games, you know that this SSD has your back.
Our expert awarded it an "Outstanding" rating. In his in-depth review, he said, "The Samsung Portable SSD T9 achieves blazing throughput speeds when connected to a compatible PC, making it a go-to external SSD for content creators."
870 EVO Internal SSD SATA
This Samsung 870 EVO SATA SSD gives you 2TB of storage and maximizes the SATA interface limit with 560MB per second sequential speeds for high performance. If you have heavy workloads or just want to play games in your spare time away from classes, this SSD is able to handle up to 8K video computing, as well as the intensity that comes with high-end PCs and NAS workstations. Classes can be fast-paced and stressful, and the last thing you want to do is worry about an SSD. You can rest assured you’re being taken care of with the five-year warranty.
PCMag's senior security analyst Chris Stobing awarded it an "Outstanding" rating. In our in-depth review, he said, "The Samsung SSD 870 EVO offers the peak of Serial ATA SSD performance, and moves so fast in 4K random read and write operations you'd almost be forgiven for confusing it with PCI Express 3.0."
Crucial Deals
BX500 Internal SSD
This SSD has good read and write speeds of up to 540MB and 500MB per second, respectively, which is about 300% faster than your typical hard drive, allowing you to get back to work faster. It also has a longer battery life, as it's said to be 45 times more energy-efficient than the typical hard drive. This SSD is perfect for those who are on a budget, and with this deal, the price is even more enticing. There's also a three-year warranty to back up this SSD, so you can rest assured you're covered.
Our expert, Chris Stobing, awarded it a "Good" rating. In our in-depth review, he said, "The Crucial BX500 is a solid, budget-friendly 2.5-inch SATA SSD with a value bent, but at our test capacity, the company's own MX500 is a better choice for most."
WD Deals
Black SN770M SSD
If you're commuting to school, it's a good idea to carry a gaming handheld device such as the Steam Deck and ROG Ally to keep yourself entertained while you're sitting in the back of a car and on the bus or train. This small internal SSD is the perfect thing to put in them, as you can install games quickly in its 2TB storage. Its compact form factor has deceptively fast speeds of up to 5,150MB per second, so you can get back to gaming as soon as possible! This SSD is quite versatile outside of handhelds as well, as it can also be placed in ultrathin PCs and is compatible with Windows 10, 11, and 8.1 operating systems. This SSD comes with a five-year warranty too, so you can rest assured knowing that you're covered.
Our expert awarded the NVMe version an "Excellent" rating. In our in-depth review, he said, "The WD Black SN770 is a nice-priced PCIe 4.0 NVMe internal SSD that aced many of our benchmarks, especially for program loading and file copy. Our only quibbles? Hardware-based encryption and a snap-on heat spreader would complete this package."
Kingston Deals
A400 SATA 3 Internal SSD
This SSD is quite compact, but don't let that fool you. It's fast and efficient, with up to 500 MB/s read speeds and 450 MB/s write speeds. It's only about 7 millimeters, so you can place it in slimmer devices like notebooks to give them the boost that they need. The SSD is also shock-absorbent, allowing it to withstand falls or bumps, which can come in handy when you're walking across campus and might bump into other people.
Check out our other Kingston SSD reviews, including the XS1000 External and the Fury Renegade.
Lexar Deals
NM790 NVMe SSD
This Lexar NM790 SSD works well with both business and pleasure. So whether you're looking to upgrade your gaming performance or working on a large edit for your class, this SSD will provide the necessary power. It has fast read and write speeds of up to 7,400MB and 6,500MB per second, respectively, letting you work efficiently and effectively. It also uses up to 40% less power than DRAM cache-enabled Gen 4 SSDs, while simultaneously offering a smooth experience. It's compatible with the PS5, and it's a great fit for content creators
Our expert awarded it an "Excellent" rating. In our in-depth review, he said, "The Lexar NM790 internal SSD provides good value, notching above-par benchmark results and coming in at capacities up to 4TB, making it worth considering for a cost-effective storage upgrade."
NM1090 Pro Gen 5 SSD
With blistering speeds of up to 14,000MB/13,000MB per second read/write speeds, you'll be able to get plenty of work done. It accelerates load times by 200% by eliminating bottlenecks, using AI model training, and processing real-time data, making sure that you can get back to finishing your homework assignments. It also works incredibly well with gaming, as it's compatible with Microsoft DirectStorage, which boosts game loads and minimizes delays to give you a smoother gaming experience. With the Lear DiskMaster SSDD Management tool, you'll also be able to perform firmware updates and monitor the drive's health to keep it in top shape.
Recommended by Our Editors
Our expert awarded it a "Good" rating. In our in-depth review, he said, "The Lexar NM1090 Pro has blazing sequential throughput speeds, but its overall performance is lower than some of its less-expensive PCIe 5.0 SSD competitors."
SL300 Portable SSD
This portable SSD claims to be 9.5x faster than most hard disk drives, and has read and write speeds of up to 1,050MB/1,000MB per second, respectively. It's quite a durable SSD, too, as it's built to withstand drops of up to two meters. If you're walking through campus, you won't have to worry about its internals getting damaged! It's just as strong inside, too, thanks to Lexar's DataShield, which is a 256-bit AES encryption that helps protect your files. And with Lexar Recovery Tool3, you can restore files you accidentally delete. It also has internal thermal dissipation technology that keeps it cool so that it can perform optimally even with big workload transfers.
Our expert awarded it an "Excellent" rating. In our in-depth review, he said, "The Lexar SL500 is a slim, attractive, and highly portable external SSD with AES encryption, up to 4TB of storage, and blazing speed—the last, if you have the right port to support it."
Joiot Deals
Internal SATA III SSD
The Joiot internal SATA III SSD delivers solid performance with speeds up to 550MB and 450MB per second for reading and writing, respectively. It's a good all-rounder for creators, gamers, and media-savvy workers. You'll be able to switch between apps and games seamlessly without any issues. Plus, it has heat dissipation capabilities that prolong its longevity, even under heavy workloads. The SSD is shock-resistant, so even if you drop it, you won't have to worry about the internals getting ruined.
Juanwe Deals
Internal SSD SATA III
If you're looking for a budget SSD that just gets the job done, this Juanwe SSD is for you. It has speeds of up to 280MB per second for reading and 250MB per second for writing, letting it work smoothly without issues. With 64GB of storage, you'll be able to work with smaller class projects on a variety of platforms, including Windows, Linux, and MacOS. It's not just for work, either, as it can also perform when it comes to gaming and video editing.
SanDisk Deals
Extreme Pro Portable SSD
If you're looking for a rugged SD to take with you outside the classroom, the SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD is ideal. It offers up to 2,000 MB/s read and write speeds for powerful performance, plus 4TB of storage, so you'll feel like you have endless room for all your files. It's rated IP55, so it's both water- and dust-resistant, making it suitable for outdoor use. It's just as durable on the inside as on the outside, thanks to its 256-bit AES hardware encryption, which protects your data. The built-in carabiner loop also lets you hook it to bags, making it easy to carry. There's a five-year warranty, so you can feel confident that the manufacturer has your back.
Our expert, Rod Scher, awarded it a "Good" rating. In his in-depth review, he said, "From its silicone-wrapped aluminum case to its blazing data transfer speeds, SanDisk's Extreme Pro Portable SSD has a lot to offer."
Desk Drive USB- Type-C External SSD
This SanDisk Desk Drive provides 8TB of storage, which should be more than enough space to house your videos, photos, projects, and assignments. It has read speeds of up to 1,000MB, letting you transfer your files faster, which is a big boon when you're trying to finish your homework. It’s incredibly easy to use as you only need to plug in an USB type-C cable to your device to get started with it. And with automatic backup functionality, you can be assured that your content will stay safe in case something happens. There's nothing worse than knowing that all your hard work is gone! It also comes with a three-year warranty for extra peace of mind.
Our expert awarded a similar model a "Good" rating. In our in-depth review, he said, "It's pricey per gigabyte and requires its own power source, but SanDisk's puck-shaped Desk Drive delivers loads of fast external solid-state storage to desktop and laptop users."
PNY Deals
CS900 Internal SSD SATA
This PNY CS900 SATA SSD is a budget-friendly internal SSD with 250GB of storage, which provides plenty of space for your assignments and projects. It sports reliable performance with 535MB and 500MB per second read and write speeds, respectively. This allows for faster boot times compared to HDDs, so you can get back to excelling in class. This SSD also supports Native Command Queuing, meaning that it optimizes the order of tasks to complete instead of doing them in sequential order. This way, it works more efficiently and reduces delays.
Check out our reviews of other PNY SSDs, including the RP60 Portable and the XLR8 CS3150.
More SSD Deals
- Kingston XS2000 2TB USB-C Portable External SSD — $349.99 ($558.99) Save $209.00
- Seagate One Touch SSD 1TB Portable External SSD — $229.00 ($329.99) Save $100.99
- WD Blue SA510 1TB 2.5" SATA III Solid-State Drive — $179.99 ($199.99) Save $20.00
- Kingston A400 960GB SATA-III Internal Solid State Drive — $185.99 ($215.99) Save $30.00
Be sure to check out our other back-to-school deals, including desktops, laptops, and monitors.
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