How to buy an SSD in 2020: the essential guide for PC gamers

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It’s hard to believe that one of the most exciting PC hardware performance boosts of recent years has centred around storage, but that’s what’s happened. With processors and memory getting ever faster, the notion of pairing the latest silicon with an ancient, platter-based paperweight became intolerable, especially when it meant loading into a multiplayer game after everyone else had already started.

Fortunately, SSDs – aka ‘solid state drives’, a form of computer memory which doesn’t wipe when the power is disconnected – have proliferated. What’s more, capacities have increased, prices have dropped and performance has accelerated. However, the technology can still be confusing, with multiple form-factors and connection technologies causing compatibility headaches. The good news is that, in 2020, buying an SSD has become much simpler, especially for gamers.

Gaming is so much nicer with a speedy SSD.

Gaming is so much nicer with a speedy SSD. (Image credit: Samsung)

What are the main types of SSD in 2020?

source: gamezpot.com