How to Choose Consumer-Grade SATA SSDs After Samsung’s Exit? 2025 High-Cost-Effectiveness List & Old PC Upgrade Guide

While NVMe SSDs have become the mainstream for PC builds, consumer-grade SATA SSDs are far from obsolete. In particular, after Samsung announced the complete termination of its SATA SSD production lines, a supply gap has gradually emerged in the market. Instead of fading away, these "legacy-interface drives" have become an essential upgrade option for tens of millions of users with existing PCs, thanks to their excellent compatibility and cost-effectiveness. Whether you want to speed up a 3–5-year-old laptop or expand storage space for a desktop, SATA SSDs remain a hassle-free and budget-friendly choice. This guide will walk you through the key points of selection and top-rated models.

• Unmatched Compatibility: Available in 2.5-inch and M.2 SATA form factors, they are compatible with old laptops, legacy desktops, and even mini PCs without requiring PCIe support on the motherboard. They can directly replace mechanical hard drives in a plug-and-play manner.
• Outstanding Cost-Effectiveness: A 1TB drive is priced between 300 and 600 yuan, 30%–50% cheaper than a same-capacity NVMe SSD. The 240GB version starts at only 169 yuan, making it easily affordable for budget-conscious users.
• Precise Scenario Adaptation: Fully capable of handling light usage scenarios such as daily office work, web browsing, and video storage. With low power consumption (≤5W) and minimal heat generation, it delivers rock-solid stability during long-term use, while avoiding the compatibility issues often associated with NVMe SSDs.

• Opt for Well-Known Brands, Western Digital, Kingston, and Great Wall. These brands offer strict quality control and comprehensive after-sales service, with most providing a 3–5 year warranty for worry-free ownership.
• Choose Drives with Clearly Marked TLC NAND Flash: TLC flash is the top choice for consumer use, boasting a lifespan of 5–10 years (sufficient for over 5 years of use with 100GB of daily writes). Avoid QLC flash drives, which only last 2–3 years and suffer from severe speed drops when the cache is exhausted.
• Look for Sufficient Warranty and TBW: Pay attention to the Total Bytes Written (TBW) rating. For a 1TB drive, select a model with TBW ≥ 300TB and a warranty of over 3 years for long-term peace of mind.

• Don’t Buy Cheaper No-Name Drives: Beware of suspiciously low-priced counterfeit products. Most of them use recycled or downgraded flash chips, leading to not only lag and speed degradation but also potential data loss.
• Don’t Buy Cache-Less QLC Drives: QLC drives without SLC cache experience a drastic drop in write speed to below 100MB/s once the cache is full, resulting in severe lag when transferring large files.
• Don’t Buy "Used Server Pulls" or Products from Unverified Sources: "Enterprise-grade used drives" sold by individual sellers may have exhausted their service life and lack official warranty, making it difficult to claim compensation in case of failure.

• Back Up Important Data Before Installation to prevent data loss during the hard drive replacement process.
• Laptop users should prioritize 2.5-inch SATA SSDs. Desktop users can choose between 2.5-inch and M.2 SATA form factors based on available interfaces (note the difference between M.2 SATA and NVMe protocols to avoid purchasing the wrong type).
• After purchasing, use CrystalDiskInfo to check the flash type and drive health, and run AS SSD Benchmark to test read/write speeds to ensure they match the manufacturer’s specifications.

SATA SSDs are not "outdated products"—they are a "practical choice" in the consumer market. Especially after Samsung’s exit, users with actual needs can take advantage of existing inventory to make a purchase before potential price hikes. If your device only supports SATA interfaces or you are looking for a cost-effective upgrade, SATA SSDs are still the best solution.