Question Best budget 2TB SSD for a Laptop?

[pekodam]

Hey, I've recently purchased a Lenovo Legion Slim 5 and it has a SKHynix HFS512GEJ9X115N 512GB. I'm looking to expand with a budget 2TB drive to store mainly games with my budget being around the $80-$100 range.

I've done a little research and am currently looking at:

• WD Black SN770 ($100)
• Solidigm P41 Plus ($80)
• Crucial P3 Plus ($90)

If you've got any other suggestions, I would be glad to hear them, thanks!

 

[Aeacus]

Only one: Samsung 970 Evo Plus 2TB at ~99 bucks,
pcpp: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/Fv...b-m2-2280-nvme-solid-state-drive-mz-v7s2t0bam
review: https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/samsung-970-evo-plus-ssd,5608.html

I have the very same drive as my current OS drive. Solid performance and reliability.

 

[pekodam]

Only one: Samsung 970 Evo Plus 2TB at ~99 bucks,
pcpp: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/Fv...b-m2-2280-nvme-solid-state-drive-mz-v7s2t0bam
review: https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/samsung-970-evo-plus-ssd,5608.html

I have the very same drive as my current OS drive. Solid performance and reliability.

Since I've just bought the thing, should I just buy one of these and put a clean install of Windows 11 and take out the SKHynix? I have a Sabrent Rocket lying around that I could also slap in.

 

[Aeacus]

Since I've just bought the thing, should I just buy one of these and put a clean install of Windows 11 and take out the SKHynix?

Depends.

Can you have 2x M.2 drives in your laptop?
If yes, you can just add the new drive in and use it as extra storage.
If not, i'd install OS to new, bigger capacity drive, which is newer, less TBW, more reliable and better performing (if you went with 970 Evo Plus).

In my PC (Skylake build, full specs with pics in my sig), i have 2x M.2 slots. My old OS drive was Samsung 960 Evo 500GB. Bought 970 Evo 2TB since i ran out of space on my OS drive. Installed (actually cloned) my OS to my new 970 Evo Plus and i'm currently using it as my OS drive. Extra storage space on my OS drive is great, since i have all my Steam games installed on my C:/ drive as well.

You can clean install new OS if you like, but you can also clone the old OS over (if you went with Samsung drive, you can use Samsung Data Migration Tool, for easy clone). That is, if your laptop has 2x M.2 slots. In the end, your call.

 

[geofelt]

If you have two m.2 slots in the laptop, install a 2tb samsung 970 evo+ and use the samsung ssd migration app to move the original C drive to the new ssd.
Instructions and app here:

Tool & Software Download | Samsung Semiconductor Global

Download various software related to your product, including Samsung Magician, designed for use with Samsung's memory products, and find related information.

semiconductor.samsung.com

 

[pekodam]

If you have two m.2 slots in the laptop, install a 2tb samsung 970 evo+ and use the samsung ssd migration app to move the original C drive to the new ssd.
Instructions and app here:

Tool & Software Download | Samsung Semiconductor Global

Download various software related to your product, including Samsung Magician, designed for use with Samsung's memory products, and find related information.

semiconductor.samsung.com

Is Samsung's cloning software sound? I recently used Acronis True Image to clone an old SSD into a Sabrent Rocket and it died in about a month and a half.

 

[pekodam]

Depends.

Can you have 2x M.2 drives in your laptop?
If yes, you can just add the new drive in and use it as extra storage.
If not, i'd install OS to new, bigger capacity drive, which is newer, less TBW, more reliable and better performing (if you went with 970 Evo Plus).

In my PC (Skylake build, full specs with pics in my sig), i have 2x M.2 slots. My old OS drive was Samsung 960 Evo 500GB. Bought 970 Evo 2TB since i ran out of space on my OS drive. Installed (actually cloned) my OS to my new 970 Evo Plus and i'm currently using it as my OS drive. Extra storage space on my OS drive is great, since i have all my Steam games installed on my C:/ drive as well.

You can clean install new OS if you like, but you can also clone the old OS over (if you went with Samsung drive, you can use Samsung Data Migration Tool, for easy clone). That is, if your laptop has 2x M.2 slots. In the end, your call.

I've got two M.2 drives with one being occupied by the SKHynix with the OS and whatever else apps Lenovo decided to load on it. My thinking was that if I was going to get an upgrade, I should just replace the SKHynix and get a fresh install since I would be buying a faster SSD anyway.

 

[Aeacus]

Is Samsung's cloning software sound?

The best there is. Only caveat is that the target drive has to be Samsung drive. Source drive can be any. Also, copies over only the boot drive. So, can't use it to clone data drive.

I recently used Acronis True Image

I've used that too. Came bundled with my Kingston SSD. IMO, far worse than Samsung Data Migration Tool for OS cloning. But if target drive is anything else than Samsung, it is one of the few remaining options.

I've got two M.2 drives with one being occupied by the SKHynix with the OS and whatever else apps Lenovo decided to load on it. My thinking was that if I was going to get an upgrade, I should just replace the SKHynix and get a fresh install since I would be buying a faster SSD anyway.

Clean Win install would get rid of the bloatware. So, for your use, clean install would be better (unless you like bloatware).

 

[Aeacus]

Hard drives tend to have far better $/GB value

Yes, but HDDs are slower, bigger (in physical size), noisier and less reliable than SSDs. So, does the price per GB really justify all the downsides of a HDD? 🤔

 

[geofelt]

The Samsung ssd migration aid is sound.
It is a logical C drive mover that moves all you need from the C drive.
Most others are bit by bit duplicators.
Macrium reflect is one such that is good.
Download and read the instructions on the link I provided.
I have used this many times without issue.
When the move is done,you need to change to boot to the new m.2.
The original m.2 is left unchanged.
I would remove it to verify that the move was good and to have a good backup.

One problem with a windows reinstall is finding all the laptop specific drivers.
I would avoid that.
Lenovo does not seem to have much bloatware.

 

[pekodam]

One problem with a windows reinstall is finding all the laptop specific drivers.
I would avoid that.
Lenovo does not seem to have much bloatware.

Ah I didn’t even think about that, you make a good point. I’ve done a bit a research and it definitely doesn’t seem like Lenovo has too much bloateare, just McAfee and some other things. I will most likely go with the cloning method then, thanks a bunch!