Is the Samsung 870 EVO worth buying?
For any machine without a spare M.2 slot, yes. The 870 EVO is the benchmark 2.5-inch SATA SSD: 3D TLC V-NAND, the MKX controller, 250GB to 4TB, about 560 MB/s, and a 5-year warranty. It is the single best upgrade for a laptop or desktop still running a hard drive.
If your system has a free M.2 NVMe slot, an entry NVMe drive is usually similar money and much faster, so buy SATA only when you need the 2.5-inch form factor.
Capacities and endurance
| Capacity | Speed | Endurance (TBW) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500GB | 560 MB/s | 300 TBW | Laptop or desktop boot drive |
| 1TB | 560 MB/s | 600 TBW | Everyday all-rounder |
| 2TB | 560 MB/s | 1,200 TBW | Media and game storage |
| 4TB | 560 MB/s | 2,400 TBW | Large local library |
SATA versus NVMe: which do you need
- Reviving an old laptop or PC: the 870 EVO turns a hard-drive machine into a responsive one for very little money.
- Extra 2.5-inch bay or no M.2 slot: SATA is your only option, and this is the drive to get.
- Modern desktop with M.2: a WD Blue SN580 or Crucial P3 Plus NVMe is faster for similar cost; keep SATA for secondary storage.
Pros, cons and the bottom line
Bottom line: the default SATA SSD to buy. Choose it for older systems and 2.5-inch bays; if you have an M.2 slot, an NVMe drive is the better upgrade.
- Pros: rock-solid reliability, up to 4TB, excellent sustained SATA performance, 5-year warranty.
- Cons: capped at ~560 MB/s by SATA, pricier per terabyte than budget rivals.