SATA SSDs

SATA SSD Performance & Benchmark Tests

Here you can find detailed speed performance tests of SATA 6 Gb/s SSDs. The maximum speed here, limited by the SATA III interface, is only 600 MB/s* (theoretically). In practice, a speed of up to approx. 550 MB/s is possible for reading and writing. SATA SSDs are slower compared to PCIe NVMe SSDs, which makes them cheaper. Therefore, they are usually used as a backup or data grave when the speed is not that important.

We have tested 76 S-ATA SSDs:

Product Image Capacity Read Write Score Price $/GB Test Shop
Crucial BX500 240GB CT240BX500SSD1 240 GB 550 MB/s 466 MB/s 616 23 $ 0,10 $ Performance Test
Crucial BX500 480GB CT480BX500SSD1 480 GB 550 MB/s 476 MB/s 650 35 $ 0,07 $ Performance Test
Crucial BX500 1TB CT1000BX500SSD1 1024 GB 551 MB/s 476 MB/s 695 59 $ 0,06 $ Performance Test
Crucial BX500 2TB CT2000BX500SSD1 2048 GB 551 MB/s 474 MB/s 605 115 $ 0,06 $ Performance Test
Crucial MX500 250GB CT250MX500SSD1 250 GB 551 MB/s 464 MB/s 795 35 $ 0,14 $ Performance Test
Crucial MX500 500GB CT500MX500SSD1 500 GB 550 MB/s 473 MB/s 800 40 $ 0,08 $ Performance Test
Crucial MX500 1TB CT1000MX500SSD1 1024 GB 551 MB/s 475 MB/s 784 63 $ 0,06 $ Performance Test
Crucial MX500 2TB CT2000MX500SSD1 2048 GB 551 MB/s 481 MB/s 799 120 $ 0,06 $ Performance Test
Emtec X150 Power Plus 240GB ECSSD240GX150 240 GB 549 MB/s 468 MB/s 581 20 $ 0,08 $ Performance Test
Emtec X150 Power Plus 480GB ECSSD480GX150 480 GB 530 MB/s 440 MB/s 673 30 $ 0,06 $ Performance Test
Emtec X150 Power Plus 960GB ECSSD960GX150 960 GB 540 MB/s 460 MB/s 644 59 $ 0,06 $ Performance Test
Emtec X150 Power Plus 2TB ECSSD2TX150 2048 GB 541 MB/s 471 MB/s 695 92 $ 0,04 $ Performance Test
Fikwot FS810 256GB FS810-256-EU 256 GB 550 MB/s 470 MB/s 686 21 $ 0,08 $ Performance Test
Fikwot FS810 512GB FS810-512-EU 512 GB 546 MB/s 471 MB/s 677 28 $ 0,05 $ Performance Test
Fikwot FS810 1TB FS810-1TB-EU 1024 GB 527 MB/s 396 MB/s 725 44 $ 0,04 $ Performance Test
Integral V Series Plus 512GB INSSD512GS625V2P 512 GB 536 MB/s 442 MB/s 720 28 $ 0,05 $ Performance Test
Intenso High Performance 240GB 3813440 240 GB 552 MB/s 472 MB/s 646 22 $ 0,09 $ Performance Test
Intenso High Performance 480GB 3813450 480 GB 550 MB/s 472 MB/s 641 33 $ 0,07 $ Performance Test
Intenso High Performance 960GB 3813460 960 GB 550 MB/s 462 MB/s 647 65 $ 0,07 $ Performance Test
Intenso Top Performance 256GB 3812440 256 GB 531 MB/s 465 MB/s 656 73 $ 0,29 $ Performance Test
Intenso Top Performance 512GB 3812450 512 GB 546 MB/s 441 MB/s 620 33 $ 0,06 $ Performance Test
Intenso Top Performance 1TB 3812460 1024 GB 548 MB/s 462 MB/s 632 49 $ 0,05 $ Performance Test
Intenso Top Performance 2TB 3812470 2048 GB 547 MB/s 462 MB/s 623 88 $ 0,04 $ Performance Test
Kingston A400 240GB SA400S37/240G 240 GB 550 MB/s 462 MB/s 688 27 $ 0,11 $ Performance Test
Kingston A400 480GB SA400S37/480G 480 GB 550 MB/s 473 MB/s 688 33 $ 0,07 $ Performance Test
Kingston A400 960GB SA400S37/960G 960 GB 468 MB/s 476 MB/s 715 53 $ 0,06 $ Performance Test
KIOXIA EXCERIA 480GB LTC10Z480GG8 480 GB 499 MB/s 469 MB/s 724 65 $ 0,14 $ Performance Test
KIOXIA EXCERIA 960GB LTC10Z960GG8 960 GB 470 MB/s 480 MB/s 735 140 $ 0,15 $ Performance Test
LC-Power Phoenix 960GB LC-SSD-960GB 960 GB 550 MB/s 458 MB/s 662 58 $ 0,06 $ Performance Test
Lexar NQ100 480GB LNQ100X480G 480 GB 536 MB/s 466 MB/s 636 31 $ 0,06 $ Performance Test
Lexar NQ100 960GB LNQ100X960G 960 GB 527 MB/s 424 MB/s 668 43 $ 0,04 $ Performance Test
Lexar NS100 512GB LNS100-512 512 GB 530 MB/s 443 MB/s 670 28 $ 0,05 $ Performance Test
Lexar NS100 1TB LNS100-1T 1024 GB 527 MB/s 395 MB/s 702 50 $ 0,05 $ Performance Test
Magix Alpha EVO 240GB ALPHAEVO240GB 240 GB 542 MB/s 441 MB/s 641 20 $ 0,08 $ Performance Test
Magix Alpha EVO 960GB ALPHAEVO960GB 960 GB 466 MB/s 477 MB/s 745 50 $ 0,05 $ Performance Test
Patriot Burst Elite 240GB PBE240GS25SSDR 240 GB 543 MB/s 454 MB/s 640 19 $ 0,08 $ Performance Test
Patriot Burst Elite 480GB PBE480GS25SSDR 480 GB 526 MB/s 474 MB/s 714 27 $ 0,06 $ Performance Test
Patriot Burst Elite 960GB PBE960GS25SSDR 960 GB 518 MB/s 422 MB/s 643 42 $ 0,04 $ Performance Test
Patriot Burst Elite 1.88TB PBE192TS25SSDR 1920 GB 513 MB/s 385 MB/s 679 83 $ 0,04 $ Performance Test
Patriot P210 256GB P210S256G25 256 GB 538 MB/s 420 MB/s 607 19 $ 0,07 $ Performance Test
Patriot P210 512GB P210S512G25 512 GB 490 MB/s 468 MB/s 754 28 $ 0,05 $ Performance Test
Patriot P210 1TB P210S1TB25 1024 GB 520 MB/s 431 MB/s 595 42 $ 0,04 $ Performance Test
Patriot P210 2TB P210S2TB25 2048 GB 516 MB/s 385 MB/s 691 83 $ 0,04 $ Performance Test
PNY CS900 250GB SSD7CS900-250-RB 250 GB 550 MB/s 467 MB/s 716 25 $ 0,10 $ Performance Test
PNY CS900 480GB SSD7CS900-480-PB 480 GB 473 MB/s 315 MB/s 698 55 $ 0,11 $ Performance Test
PNY CS900 960GB SSD7CS900-960-PB 960 GB 481 MB/s 466 MB/s 718 79 $ 0,08 $ Performance Test
PNY CS900 1TB SSD7CS900-1TB-RB 1024 GB 477 MB/s 480 MB/s 736 45 $ 0,04 $ Performance Test
Samsung 860 EVO 500GB MZ-76E500B 500 GB 550 MB/s 486 MB/s 805 97 $ 0,19 $ Performance Test
Samsung 860 EVO 2TB MZ-76E2T0B/EU 2048 GB 550 MB/s 486 MB/s 802 240 $ 0,12 $ Performance Test
Samsung 870 EVO 250GB MZ-77E250B/EU 250 GB 549 MB/s 483 MB/s 810 44 $ 0,18 $ Performance Test
Samsung 870 EVO 1TB MZ-77E1T0B 1024 GB 550 MB/s 485 MB/s 811 95 $ 0,09 $ Performance Test
Samsung 870 EVO 2TB MZ-77E2T0B 2048 GB 549 MB/s 484 MB/s 802 166 $ 0,08 $ Performance Test
Samsung 870 QVO 1TB MZ-77Q1T0BW 1024 GB 549 MB/s 486 MB/s 808 100 $ 0,10 $ Performance Test
Samsung 870 QVO 2TB MZ-77Q2T0BW 2048 GB 549 MB/s 481 MB/s 792 144 $ 0,07 $ Performance Test
SanDisk SSD Plus 240GB SDSSDA-240G-G26 240 GB 530 MB/s 421 MB/s 397 30 $ 0,13 $ Performance Test
SanDisk SSD Plus 480GB SDSSDA-480G-G26 480 GB 547 MB/s 471 MB/s 550 37 $ 0,08 $ Performance Test
SanDisk SSD Plus 1TB SDSSDA-1T00-G26 1024 GB 526 MB/s 487 MB/s 789 64 $ 0,06 $ Performance Test
SanDisk Ultra 3D 500GB SDSSDH3-500G-G25 500 GB 356 MB/s 489 MB/s 798 53 $ 0,11 $ Performance Test
SanDisk Ultra 3D 1TB SDSSDH3-1T00-G25 1024 GB 525 MB/s 483 MB/s 801 83 $ 0,08 $ Performance Test
SanDisk Ultra 3D 2TB SDSSDH3-2T00-G25 2048 GB 381 MB/s 484 MB/s 790 119 $ 0,06 $ Performance Test
Silicon Power Ace A55 256GB SP256GBSS3A55S25 256 GB 551 MB/s 407 MB/s 525 50 $ 0,20 $ Performance Test
Silicon Power Ace A55 512GB Ace A55 512 GB 550 MB/s 465 MB/s 601 35 $ 0,07 $ Performance Test
Silicon Power Ace A55 1TB SP001TBSS3A55S25 1024 GB 505 MB/s 470 MB/s 755 46 $ 0,04 $ Performance Test
Silicon Power Ace A55 2TB SP002TBSS3A55S25 2048 GB 544 MB/s 454 MB/s 633 79 $ 0,04 $ Performance Test
TeamGroup T-Force Vulcan Z 1TB T253TZ001T0C101 1024 GB 503 MB/s 453 MB/s 727 46 $ 0,04 $ Performance Test
Transcend SSD220Q 500GB TS500GSSD220Q 500 GB 550 MB/s 460 MB/s 606 73 $ 0,15 $ Performance Test
Transcend SSD220Q 1TB TS1TSSD220Q 1024 GB 524 MB/s 473 MB/s 672 75 $ 0,07 $ Performance Test
Verbatim Vi550 S3 256GB 49351 256 GB 550 MB/s 466 MB/s 536 25 $ 0,10 $ Performance Test
Verbatim Vi550 S3 512GB 49352 512 GB 535 MB/s 466 MB/s 636 32 $ 0,06 $ Performance Test
Verbatim Vi550 S3 1TB 49353 1024 GB 522 MB/s 421 MB/s 654 88 $ 0,09 $ Performance Test
Verbatim Vi550 S3 2TB 49354 2048 GB 550 MB/s 462 MB/s 658 120 $ 0,06 $ Performance Test
Western Digital WD Blue 3D 1TB WDS100T2B0A 1024 GB 474 MB/s 483 MB/s 805 76 $ 0,07 $ Performance Test
Western Digital WD Green 120GB WDS120G2G0A 120 GB 532 MB/s 314 MB/s 198 59 $ 0,49 $ Performance Test
Western Digital WD Green 480GB WDS480G3G0A 480 GB 547 MB/s 474 MB/s 549 45 $ 0,09 $ Performance Test
Western Digital WD Green 1TB WDS100T3G0A 1024 GB 436 MB/s 348 MB/s 281 77 $ 0,08 $ Performance Test
Western Digital WD Green 2TB WDS200T2G0A 2048 GB 542 MB/s 451 MB/s 422 122 $ 0,06 $ Performance Test

*) The SATA Express (SATAe) successor with 8 and 16 Gbit/s has also been available since 2013, but it did not succeed because of the faster M.2 interface.

When does a SATA SSD make sense?

here are actually only two applications where a SATA drive still makes sense: 1. in older laptops that do not have an M.2 slot and 2. as a fast storage expansion in a desktop PC.
Regarding 1): often, older laptops still have a mechanical 2.5" HDD installed, which is connected to the SATA port. You can achieve a significant and noticeable speed increase by removing the mechanical HDD and installing a SATA SSD instead.
Regarding 2): the use of an M.2 SSD is absolutely recommended for desktop PCs. If your mainboard does not have an M.2 slot, you can also use a PCI Express adapter to use an M.2 SSD. The operating system and programs should definitely be installed on the fast M.2 SSD. Here, 256 or 512 GB are often sufficient. If you need more storage space (for MP3s, photos or videos), you can buy a cheap SATA SSD. SATA disks are a bit cheaper than M.2 disks with about 0.10 Euros per gigabyte.

SATA and X570 = Bad Performance

After testing several SATA disks, and none of them achieved write rates over 460 MB/s (although the manufacturers had specified 530 MB/s), I became a bit suspicious whether this could be due to my test system. I connected the disks to different SATA ports of my mainboard and performed several tests with different programs (AS SSD, ATTO, CDM). The resulting values were poor every time (especially in the 4K test).

I then did some research online and came across an article of a Reddit user, which also showed this problem and was able to trace it back to the AMD X570 chipset. The same SATA disk delivers much better transfer rates on a B550 motherboard.

However, since my test system (see home page below) uses an X570 motherboard (only this currently supports M.2 SSDs of Gen. 4), it does not make sense to test more SATA SSDs here, since it is not the SSD that is the bottleneck, but the AMD chipset . I hope that a future BIOS firmware update will fix this problem. Until then, I will post the tests here (status: December 2020).