Yes, if you need a SATA SSD, the 870 EVO is still the best choice. While NVMe drives dominate new builds, SATA SSDs remain valuable for HDD upgrades, older systems, and secondary storage. The 870 EVO offers maximum SATA performance, proven reliability, and good value. However, check if your system supports NVMe — if it does, NVMe drives now offer similar $/TB with much faster speeds.

870 EVO for boot drives and active storage; 870 QVO for bulk media storage. The EVO uses TLC NAND with better endurance and sustained write speeds — ideal for frequently-written data. The QVO uses QLC NAND with lower endurance but higher capacities (up to 8TB) and lower $/TB — ideal for storing movies, music, and archives. For most users: EVO for your main drive, QVO if you need maximum capacity on a budget.

Get NVMe if your system supports it. NVMe SSDs are 5-10x faster than SATA and now cost similarly per TB. For boot drives and gaming, NVMe offers noticeable benefits. Get the 870 EVO if: your system doesn't have an M.2 slot, you're upgrading an older laptop, you need a 2.5" form factor, or you're adding secondary storage where the speed difference doesn't matter. Check our NVMe SSD guide.

Yes, the 870 EVO is great for gaming — much better than any HDD. Game load times on SATA SSD are significantly faster than HDD. However, NVMe SSDs can be slightly faster for games that stream assets from storage. For most games, the difference between SATA SSD and NVMe is minimal — you'll have a great gaming experience with the 870 EVO. The bigger upgrade is going from HDD to any SSD.

The 870 EVO should last 10+ years under normal use. A 1TB model is rated for 600 TBW (TeraBytes Written). Writing 50GB per day (heavy use), that's over 30 years of endurance. Most users write far less. Samsung's 5-year warranty provides additional confidence. SSDs don't have moving parts like HDDs, so they're inherently more durable. The 870 EVO is built to outlast most systems it's installed in.

PS4: Yes, as internal or external storage. PS5: External only. The PS4 can use SATA SSDs as internal upgrades — the 870 EVO dramatically improves load times. For PS5, the internal expansion slot requires NVMe (see PS5 SSDs). However, PS5 can use the 870 EVO in an external USB enclosure for storing PS4 games and media (not for playing PS5 games directly).

Both are excellent — 870 EVO has slight edge in performance, MX500 often wins on price. The 870 EVO is marginally faster in benchmarks and has Samsung's software ecosystem. The Crucial MX500 offers nearly identical real-world performance at a lower price point. For most users, buy whichever is cheaper. If you value Samsung's brand, warranty reputation, and Magician software, the 870 EVO is worth a small premium.

1TB is the minimum recommended for boot drives; 2TB+ for game storage. 250GB/500GB are tight for modern use — Windows + apps can consume 100GB. 1TB gives comfortable breathing room. For game storage alongside an NVMe boot drive, 2TB or 4TB offers good value. Price per TB is often similar across capacities, so buying larger usually makes sense unless budget is very tight.