1TB NVMe SSD Prices — March 2026 Comparison

Compare 13 1TB NVMe SSDs by price per TB. Cheapest new: Kingston NV3 1TB at $69.99. Gen 4 from $69.99, Gen 5 from $159.99. PS5 compatible drives included. Updated March 2026.

⚡ Quick Answer

Cheapest new 1TB NVMe: Kingston NV3 1TB$69.99
Best for PS5: WD Black SN850X 1TB — $109.99 (7,300 MB/s)
Best performance: Samsung 990 Pro 1TB — $129.99 (7,450 MB/s)

Showing 13 drives — sorted by price per TB
Updated
$/TB$/GBPriceCapacity InterfaceGenReadWrite NANDWarrantyCond.Product
$59.99 $0.060 $59.99 1 TB M.2 NVMe Gen 4 7,000 MB/s 5,000 MB/s TLC Used
$69.99BEST $0.070 $69.99 1 TB M.2 NVMe Gen 4 6,000 MB/s 5,000 MB/s QLC 3 yr New
$79.99 $0.080 $79.99 1 TB M.2 NVMe Gen 4 5,000 MB/s 4,800 MB/s QLC 5 yr New
$99.99 $0.100 $99.99 1 TB M.2 NVMe Gen 4 7,000 MB/s 6,500 MB/s TLC 5 yr New
$107.00 $0.107 $107.00 1 TB M.2 NVMe Gen 4 7,100 MB/s 6,000 MB/s QLC 5 yr New
$109.99 $0.110 $109.99 1 TB M.2 NVMe Gen 4 7,300 MB/s 6,300 MB/s TLC 5 yr New
$109.99 $0.110 $109.99 1 TB M.2 NVMe Gen 4 7,100 MB/s 6,600 MB/s TLC 5 yr New
$109.99 $0.110 $109.99 1 TB M.2 NVMe Gen 4 7,250 MB/s 6,500 MB/s TLC 5 yr New
$119.99 $0.120 $119.99 1 TB M.2 NVMe Gen 4 7,150 MB/s 6,300 MB/s TLC 5 yr New
$129.99 $0.130 $129.99 1 TB M.2 NVMe Gen 4 7,450 MB/s 6,900 MB/s TLC 5 yr New
$159.99 $0.160 $159.99 1 TB M.2 NVMe Gen 5 14,500 MB/s 11,000 MB/s TLC 5 yr New
$197.99 $0.198 $197.99 1 TB M.2 NVMe Gen 5 14,900 MB/s 12,000 MB/s TLC 5 yr New
$229.99 $0.230 $229.99 1 TB M.2 NVMe Gen 5 14,800 MB/s 12,000 MB/s TLC 5 yr New

1TB NVMe SSD Prices — March 2026

1TB NVMe SSDs are the entry point for modern solid state storage. With 13 drives tracked, new Gen 4 drives start at $69.99 and Gen 5 at $159.99. While 2TB drives offer better per-TB value, 1TB is the right choice as a dedicated boot drive, a PS5 expansion, or if you're on a tight budget and only need modest storage.

Best budget 1TB NVMe: under $80

The Kingston NV3 1TB at $69.99 is the cheapest 1TB NVMe you can buy new in March 2026. It uses a Phison E21T controller with QLC NAND, delivering 6,000 MB/s sequential reads — well above the PS5's 5,500 MB/s requirement. The 3-year warranty is shorter than competitors, but at this price point, it's hard to argue. The Silicon Power UD90 1TB ($79.99) offers identical performance with a longer 5-year warranty.

Both drives are Gen 4 and PCIe 4.0 x4 — they'll work in any motherboard with an M.2 NVMe slot, including older Gen 3 boards (at reduced speeds). They're also backwards compatible with PS5 and Steam Deck via the M.2 2230-to-2280 adapter for the latter.

Best performance 1TB NVMe: $100–$130

The mid-range is where 1TB NVMe gets interesting. The SK Hynix Platinum P41 ($99.99) is arguably the best value TLC drive — Tom's Hardware praised its combination of speed, endurance, and price. It uses SK Hynix's own 176-layer TLC NAND and delivers 7,000 MB/s reads with a 5-year warranty.

The WD Black SN850X 1TB ($109.99) and Samsung 990 Pro 1TB ($129.99) are the fastest Gen 4 drives available. The 990 Pro edges ahead in peak sequential speed (7,450 MB/s) and random I/O, while the SN850X offers better value at $20 less. Both are excellent for a primary boot/gaming drive. The newer WD Black SN7100 ($109.99) uses an updated in-house controller and is WD's latest Gen 4 flagship.

1TB NVMe for PS5

Sony's PS5 requires an M.2 NVMe SSD with PCIe Gen 4 interface and minimum 5,500 MB/s sequential read speed. A heatsink is mandatory — some drives include one (check the listing), otherwise budget $8-15 for a compatible heatsink. Every Gen 4 drive in our comparison meets PS5 requirements. The Kingston NV3 1TB ($69.99) is the cheapest PS5-compatible option. The WD Black SN850X 1TB ($109.99) is the popular "sweet spot" pick for PS5 gamers. Note that Gen 5 NVMe SSDs work in PS5 but provide no benefit — the console's interface is Gen 4.

Gen 5 at 1TB: the worst value tier

Gen 5 1TB drives range from $159.99 (WD Black SN8100) to $229.99 (Samsung 9100 Pro). At $160-230/TB, this is by far the worst price-per-TB segment in our comparison. For context, you can buy a 2TB Gen 4 NVMe for $119.99 — double the capacity for less money. Gen 5 at 1TB only makes sense if you have a very specific workload that benefits from 14,000+ MB/s sequential bandwidth and 1TB is truly all you need.

Used 1TB NVMe: the hidden gem

The Samsung 980 Pro 1TB goes for $59.99 used — a flagship Gen 4 TLC drive with 7,000 MB/s reads for less than the cheapest new QLC option. It's an outstanding deal if you're comfortable buying used. Check S.M.A.R.T. data after purchase: the 980 Pro's 600 TBW endurance rating means a lightly used unit still has years of life left. Used prices are volatile — check our main comparison page for current listings.

Why 1TB costs more per TB than larger drives

Every SSD has fixed costs — the PCIe controller chip, PCB, firmware development, packaging, and retail margin — regardless of capacity. On a 1TB drive, these costs are spread over just one terabyte. On a 4TB drive, the same fixed costs are spread over four times as much storage. This is why the Kingston NV3 costs $69.99/TB at 1TB but $60.00/TB at 2TB. According to TrendForce, raw NAND flash accounts for only 40-60% of an SSD's bill of materials — the rest is controller, DRAM cache, and overhead.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cheapest 1TB NVMe SSD in March 2026?
The cheapest new 1TB NVMe SSD is the Kingston NV3 1TB at $69.99 ($69.99/TB). Used Samsung 980 Pro 1TB goes for $59.99.
Is 1TB enough for a gaming PC in 2026?
1TB is tight for gaming in 2026 — after Windows and apps, you'll have roughly 800GB for games. With AAA titles averaging 80-150GB, that's 5-10 games. Consider 2TB for a better experience, or use 1TB as your OS/boot drive alongside a larger storage drive.
1TB NVMe for PS5 — which drive should I buy?
For PS5, you need Gen 4 with at least 5,500 MB/s reads. Best picks: WD Black SN850X 1TB ($109.99, 7,300 MB/s), Samsung 990 Pro 1TB ($129.99, 7,450 MB/s). The Kingston NV3 at $69.99 works too at 6,000 MB/s. Don't forget a heatsink.
Why is the price per TB higher for 1TB than 2TB drives?
Smaller capacity drives have worse $/TB ratios because fixed manufacturing costs (controller, PCB, packaging) are spread over less storage. The Kingston NV3 1TB costs $69.99/TB vs $60.00/TB for the 2TB version. If budget allows, 2TB or 4TB gives better value.