Best NVMe SSDs Compared in 2026

Compare these drives by capacity, internal versus external format, M.2 and PCIe generation, speeds and endurance where listed, and security features before buying. This group spans £38.42 to £782.02 and mixes a basic internal drive, an external enclosure and a hardware-encrypted security drive. Specification detail varies considerably, with some listings omitting PCIe generation or performance figures entirely, so treat those gaps as unconfirmed rather than assumed.

5 selected productsListing snapshot 23 October 2026Selection Editorial

Affiliate disclosure. We may earn a commission if you buy through PCHub. This does not change the price you pay. Listed prices can change, so check the retailer page before ordering.

PC Hardware Compare editorial teamProduct information editor

Winner

2-Power 2P-NB-256M.2/NVME internal solid state drive 256 GB M.2 PCI Ex

The 2-Power 2P-NB-256M.2/NVME is a sensible starting point for comparison given its low price and confirmed internal PCIe 3.0 format, not a declared overall winner.

Check price at PCHub

Product	Brand	Price	Retailers	Memory capacity	Interface	Listed product details
2-Power 2P-NB-256M.2/NVME internal solid state drive 256 GB M.2 PCI Ex	2-Power	£38.42	PCHub	256 GB	NVME	2-Power 2P-NB-256M.2/NVME internal solid state drive 256 GB M.2 PCI Express 3.0
Origin Storage Inception External SSD 512GB NVMe M.2 3D TLC 80mm with	Origin Storage	£89.13	PCHub	512GB	NVMe	Origin Storage Inception External SSD 512GB NVMe M.2 3D TLC 80mm with C-C & C-A Cable
Western Digital Black WD_BLACK™ SN850X NVMe™ SSD POWERED BY SANDISK 1	Western Digital	£99.61	PCHub	1 TB	NVMe	Western Digital Black WD_BLACK™ SN850X NVMe™ SSD POWERED BY SANDISK 1 TB. [With Heatsink]
Hypertec FirestormLite512GB M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe Gen 4x4 SSD; 2GB DRAM c	Hypertec	£123.61	PCHub	2GB	NVMe	Hypertec FirestormLite512GB M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe Gen 4x4 SSD; 2GB DRAM cache; 7100MB/s seq Read; 2600MB/s Seq write; Random 4K IOPS 423K read / 646k write; 340TB TBW
iStorage Kanguru Defender SED30™ M.2 NVMe 1TB Internal Self-Encrypting	iStorage	£782.02	PCHub	1TB	NVMe	iStorage Kanguru Defender SED30™ M.2 NVMe 1TB Internal Self-Encrypting Solid State Drive\| Internal NVMe PCIe M.2. 2280 NVMe Gen 4 x 4 \| AES-XTS 256-bit Hardware Encryption \|Ideal for Laptops. Tablets and Computers\| TAA Compliant

1. 2-Power 2P-NB-256M.2/NVME internal solid state drive 256 GB M.2 PCI Ex

Check price at PCHub

Price shown £38.42

A basic internal 256 GB M.2 drive on PCIe 3.0, with no speed, cache or endurance figures confirmed.

The 2-Power 2P-NB-256M.2/NVME is an internal 256 GB M.2 drive running on PCIe 3.0, supplied with a one year warranty.

Its listing does not state sequential speeds, cache size or endurance figures, leaving a specification gap against the more detailed Hypertec FirestormLite in this group.

Benchmark

Geekbench does not benchmark the primary function of 2-Power 2P-NB-256M.2/NVME internal solid state drive 256 GB M.2 PCI Ex. Its scores measure the processor or graphics device in the test computer, not this product.

Browse Geekbench Community Results

Storage performance testing

Compare sequential throughput with low-queue random read and write performance, then sustained writes after any cache is exhausted.

A comparable third-party result for 2-Power 2P-NB-256M.2/NVME internal solid state drive 256 GB M.2 PCI Ex is not included here. See CrystalDiskMark test description explains the relevant test or benchmark method.

At £38.42 it is the cheapest drive here by a wide margin. Sequential speeds, cache size and endurance figures are not stated, while the Hypertec listing supplies figures in all three areas.

Product specifications
Specification	Information
Brand	2-Power
Price	£38.42
Memory capacity	256 GB
Interface	NVME
Listed product details	2-Power 2P-NB-256M.2/NVME internal solid state drive 256 GB M.2 PCI Express 3.0

Compatible hardware

Check against Motherboards with M.2 storage slotsMatch the drive interface and physical length to an available M.2 slot.
Check against Laptops with upgradeable storageConfirm the laptop has a compatible free slot and supports the drive form factor.
Check against Desktop PCs with compatible M.2 slotsCheck the system service documentation for an available supported M.2 slot.

What we like

Lowest price in this group
PCIe 3.0 interface confirmed
Internal M.2 format

What we don't like

No sequential or random speed figures stated
Cache and endurance figures not confirmed

Check price at PCHub

2. Origin Storage Inception External SSD 512GB NVMe M.2 3D TLC 80mm with

Check price at PCHub

Price shown £89.13

A 512 GB external NVMe drive in an 80 mm enclosure, supplied with both USB-C and USB-A cables.

The Origin Storage Inception external SSD houses a 512 GB NVMe M.2 drive with 3D TLC memory inside an 80 mm enclosure.

It includes both USB-C and USB-A cables for connectivity, but its external format makes it unsuitable as a direct internal upgrade unlike the other drives in this group.

Benchmark

Geekbench does not benchmark the primary function of Origin Storage Inception External SSD 512GB NVMe M.2 3D TLC 80mm with. Its scores measure the processor or graphics device in the test computer, not this product.

Browse Geekbench Community Results

Storage performance testing

Compare sequential throughput with low-queue random read and write performance, then sustained writes after any cache is exhausted.

A comparable third-party result for Origin Storage Inception External SSD 512GB NVMe M.2 3D TLC 80mm with is not included here. See CrystalDiskMark test description explains the relevant test or benchmark method.

At £89.13 it sits above the 2-Power on price but offers double the capacity, though it is not a direct internal upgrade like the other four drives here.

Product specifications
Specification	Information
Brand	Origin Storage
Price	£89.13
Memory capacity	512GB
Interface	NVMe
Listed product details	Origin Storage Inception External SSD 512GB NVMe M.2 3D TLC 80mm with C-C & C-A Cable

Compatible hardware

Check against Motherboards with M.2 storage slotsMatch the drive interface and physical length to an available M.2 slot.
Check against Laptops with upgradeable storageConfirm the laptop has a compatible free slot and supports the drive form factor.
Check against Desktop PCs with compatible M.2 slotsCheck the system service documentation for an available supported M.2 slot.

What we like

512 GB capacity in an external enclosure
3D TLC memory stated
Both USB-C and USB-A cables included

What we don't like

Its 80 mm enclosure makes this an external portable option rather than an internal M.2 drive
PCIe generation and speed figures not stated

Check price at PCHub

3. Western Digital Black WD_BLACK™ SN850X NVMe™ SSD POWERED BY SANDISK 1

Check price at PCHub

Price shown £99.61

A 1 TB internal NVMe drive supplied with a heatsink and a gaming-oriented product description.

The WD Black SN850X is a 1 TB internal NVMe SSD supplied with a heatsink and marketed with a gaming-oriented description.

No transfer speed figures are given in the listing, leaving a specification gap against the Hypertec FirestormLite, which states detailed sequential and random performance numbers.

Benchmark

Geekbench does not benchmark the primary function of Western Digital Black WD_BLACK™ SN850X NVMe™ SSD POWERED BY SANDISK 1. Its scores measure the processor or graphics device in the test computer, not this product.

Browse Geekbench Community Results

Published measurements for WD Black SN850X 1TB.

PassMark Disk Rating: 46,564
Sequential read average: 6,280 MB/s
Sequential write average: 5,177 MB/s

View PassMark drive results. PassMark reports 10,716 submitted results for the 1TB model. These are database averages, not a measurement of the PCHub unit, and performance varies by host and test conditions.

At £99.61 it costs £10.48 more than the Origin Storage external drive while offering double its capacity in an internal format with a bundled heatsink.

Product specifications
Specification	Information
Brand	Western Digital
Price	£99.61
Memory capacity	1 TB
Interface	NVMe
Listed product details	Western Digital Black WD_BLACK™ SN850X NVMe™ SSD POWERED BY SANDISK 1 TB. [With Heatsink]

Compatible hardware

Check against Motherboards with M.2 storage slotsMatch the drive interface and physical length to an available M.2 slot.
Check against Laptops with upgradeable storageConfirm the laptop has a compatible free slot and supports the drive form factor.
Check against Desktop PCs with compatible M.2 slotsCheck the system service documentation for an available supported M.2 slot.

What we like

1 TB internal capacity
Heatsink included
Gaming-oriented product positioning

What we don't like

No transfer speed figures stated in the listing
Endurance rating not confirmed

Check price at PCHub

4. Hypertec FirestormLite512GB M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe Gen 4x4 SSD; 2GB DRAM c

Check price at PCHub

Price shown £123.61

An internal PCIe Gen 4 drive with a 2 GB DRAM cache and the most complete performance and endurance figures in this group.

The Hypertec FirestormLite is an internal M.2 2280 NVMe drive on PCIe Gen 4x4 with a 2 GB DRAM cache, rated at 7100 MB/s sequential read and 2600 MB/s write.

Its listing also states 423K random read and 646K write IOPS alongside a 340 TBW endurance rating, the highest detail level stated among the five drives here.

Benchmark

Geekbench does not benchmark the primary function of Hypertec FirestormLite512GB M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe Gen 4x4 SSD; 2GB DRAM c. Its scores measure the processor or graphics device in the test computer, not this product.

Browse Geekbench Community Results

Storage performance testing

Compare sequential throughput with low-queue random read and write performance, then sustained writes after any cache is exhausted.

A comparable third-party result for Hypertec FirestormLite512GB M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe Gen 4x4 SSD; 2GB DRAM c is not included here. See CrystalDiskMark test description explains the relevant test or benchmark method.

At £123.61 it costs £23.99 more than the WD Black SN850X while being the only drive here to state sequential, random and endurance figures together.

Product specifications
Specification	Information
Brand	Hypertec
Price	£123.61
Memory capacity	2GB
Interface	NVMe
Listed product details	Hypertec FirestormLite512GB M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe Gen 4x4 SSD; 2GB DRAM cache; 7100MB/s seq Read; 2600MB/s Seq write; Random 4K IOPS 423K read / 646k write; 340TB TBW

Compatible hardware

Check against Motherboards with M.2 storage slotsMatch the drive interface and physical length to an available M.2 slot.
Check against Laptops with upgradeable storageConfirm the laptop has a compatible free slot and supports the drive form factor.
Check against Desktop PCs with compatible M.2 slotsCheck the system service documentation for an available supported M.2 slot.

What we like

Detailed sequential and random performance figures stated
340 TBW endurance rating listed
2 GB DRAM cache confirmed

What we don't like

Higher price than the three lower capacity drives in this group
No hardware encryption feature stated

Check price at PCHub

5. iStorage Kanguru Defender SED30™ M.2 NVMe 1TB Internal Self-Encrypting

Check price at PCHub

Price shown £782.02

A 1 TB internal PCIe Gen 4 drive built around AES-XTS 256-bit hardware encryption and TAA compliance.

The iStorage Kanguru Defender SED30 is an internal M.2 2280 NVMe drive on PCIe Gen 4x4 with AES-XTS 256-bit hardware encryption and TAA compliance.

No sequential or random speed figures are stated for this drive, unlike the Hypertec FirestormLite, which lists detailed performance figures but no encryption feature.

Benchmark

Geekbench does not benchmark the primary function of iStorage Kanguru Defender SED30™ M.2 NVMe 1TB Internal Self-Encrypting. Its scores measure the processor or graphics device in the test computer, not this product.

Browse Geekbench Community Results

Storage performance testing

Compare sequential throughput with low-queue random read and write performance, then sustained writes after any cache is exhausted.

A comparable third-party result for iStorage Kanguru Defender SED30™ M.2 NVMe 1TB Internal Self-Encrypting is not included here. See CrystalDiskMark test description explains the relevant test or benchmark method.

At £782.02 it is by far the most expensive drive here, reflecting its hardware encryption feature rather than any stated speed advantage over the Hypertec FirestormLite.

Product specifications
Specification	Information
Brand	iStorage
Price	£782.02
Memory capacity	1TB
Interface	NVMe
Listed product details	iStorage Kanguru Defender SED30™ M.2 NVMe 1TB Internal Self-Encrypting Solid State Drive\| Internal NVMe PCIe M.2. 2280 NVMe Gen 4 x 4 \| AES-XTS 256-bit Hardware Encryption \|Ideal for Laptops. Tablets and Computers\| TAA Compliant

Compatible hardware

Check against Motherboards with M.2 storage slotsMatch the drive interface and physical length to an available M.2 slot.
Check against Laptops with upgradeable storageConfirm the laptop has a compatible free slot and supports the drive form factor.
Check against Desktop PCs with compatible M.2 slotsCheck the system service documentation for an available supported M.2 slot.

What we like

AES-XTS 256-bit hardware encryption stated
TAA compliance listed
1 TB internal capacity

What we don't like

Highest price in this group
No sequential or random speed figures stated

Check price at PCHub

Prices shown reflect the available listing details and can change. Check stock, delivery, compatibility and full product specifications with PCHub before ordering.