1
Gigabyte AORUS RGB AIC NVMe SSD
500GB, 1TB
Best 500GB PCIe 3.0 AIC SSDs
500GBPCIe 3.0AIC
There are 7 500GB PCIe 3.0 AIC SSDs in our database — each linked via an Amazon search on its part number. The fastest is the Gigabyte AORUS RGB AIC NVMe SSD at 3480 MB/s read. Sequential reads across the group span 2500–3480 MB/s.
Why this configuration
A 500GB PCIe 3.0 AIC 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.
500GB is a sensible OS-plus-a-few-games size.
Usually chosen for: budget builders, laptop upgraders and anyone leaving SATA behind.
Good fit: mainstream desktop and laptop builds.
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
Plextor M9Y+ AIC
250GB, 500GB, 1TB
3
Plextor M9Pe
250GB, 500GB, 1TB
4
Plextor M8PeY
128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB
5
OCZ RD400 AIC
128GB, 250GB, 500GB, 1TB
6
7
Zotac SONIX PCI-e
500GB
The parts, explained
500GB is a comfortable OS-and-games starting point.
PCIe 3.0 x4 reaches about 3,500 MB/s — plenty for everyday use and gaming, and cheaper than Gen4.
Add-in-card drives use a PCIe slot, often with a large heatsink.
Common questions
How do the links to Amazon work here?
0 of the 7 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.