Question Best second M.2 SSD for a LAPTOP?

[kavun]

The laptop is DELL XPS 15 (9520); it has one 512GB SSD pre-installed, where the OS and apps are, and one empty M.2 slot. I am considering adding one more SSD to store media and files for data science. 1 or 2TB.

Both M.2 slots support 2230/2280 drives up to PCIe 4.0 x4 (source). I saw some flagship SSDs like Samsung 980PRO, but I am not sure they are worth it as a secondary drive. It might make sense to prioritize power efficiency, lower working temperatures, and reliability. However, I'm not too hardware-tech-savvy, so I probably miss something.

Not looking for the cheapest crap but interested in the best bang for the buck to serve me for years. What SSD would you recommend?

Many thanks,
Andrii

 

[Aeacus]

Regarding M.2 NVMe SSDs, Samsung is the best. Both reliability and performance wise. E.g 980 Pro, 980, 970 Evo Plus. (My OS drive is 970 Evo Plus 2TB.)

But for other options, further reading: https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-ssds,3891.html
E.g SK Hynix Gold P31 seems the best for laptops,
review: https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/sk-hynix-gold-p31-m2-nvme-ssd-review

 

[USAFRet]

I agree with the above.
1-2 TB Samsung 970 EVO Plus would be my go to choice.

 

[Math Geek]

at $159 for the 2 TB 970 evo plus is very hard to not recommend.

other decent options that would save a few bucks but for the money it's hard to pass on.