1
Samsung 960 PRO M.2
500GB, 1TB, 2TB
Best 1TB PCIe 3.0 MLC DRAM SSDs
1TBPCIe 3.0MLCDRAM
There are 9 1TB PCIe 3.0 MLC DRAM SSDs in our database — each linked via an Amazon search on its part number. The fastest is the Samsung 960 PRO M.2 at 3500 MB/s read. Sequential reads across the group span 1900–3500 MB/s.
Why this configuration
A 1TB PCIe 3.0 MLC DRAM SSD is an affordable NVMe step up from SATA. Gen3 is roughly six times SATA's throughput yet often costs little more, making it the easy default for a first NVMe drive or a laptop that only supports Gen3.
1TB is the capacity most single-drive builds settle on.
Usually chosen for: budget builders, laptop upgraders and anyone leaving SATA behind.
Good fit: workstation and creative loads that hammer random I/O.
Ranked list
Ranked by tier, then link type, then sequential read. Drives we hold a product link for show a price button; the rest open an Amazon search on the manufacturer part number. Stock and prices are not shown here — they change too often.
2
Samsung PRO 970 M.2
500GB, 1TB
3
Plextor M8PeY
128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB
4
Plextor M8PeG
128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB
5
6
OCZ RD400 AIC
128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB
7
Plextor M8PeGN
128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB
8
ADATA SX9000
250GB, 500GB, 1TB
9
ADATA XPG SX8000
128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB
The parts, explained
1TB is the mainstream single-drive capacity.
PCIe 3.0 x4 reaches about 3,500 MB/s — plenty for everyday use and gaming, and cheaper than Gen4.
MLC NAND is older and costs more per gigabyte, but is very durable.
An onboard DRAM cache keeps the flash mapping table on the drive, holding random performance steady under sustained load.
Common questions
How do the links to Amazon work here?
1 of the 9 drives listed have a direct product link; for the rest we link an Amazon search on the manufacturer part number, which lands on the right listing. We deliberately don't display stock or prices on this page — check both on Amazon, they change constantly.