1TB SATA SSD Prices — May 2026

Compare 1TB SATA SSDs sorted by price per TB. Cheapest new from $62.99. Includes 2.5" and M.2 SATA options. Updated May 4, 2026.

⚡ Quick Answer

Cheapest new 1TB SATA: Kingston A400 1TB$62.99
Best performance: Crucial MX500 1TB — $84.99 (560 MB/s, 5yr warranty)
Best brand: Samsung 870 Evo 1TB — $89.99 (560 MB/s, 5yr warranty)

Showing 4 drives — sorted by price per TB
✓ Updated May 4, 2026
$/TB$/GBPriceCapacity InterfaceGenReadWrite NANDWarrantyCond.Product
$62.99 $0.063 $62.99 1 TB 2.5 SATA SATA 500 MB/s 450 MB/s TLC 3 yr New
$79.99 $0.080 $79.99 1 TB M.2 SATA SATA 560 MB/s 520 MB/s TLC 5 yr New
$84.99 $0.085 $84.99 1 TB 2.5 SATA SATA 560 MB/s 510 MB/s TLC 5 yr New
$89.99 $0.090 $89.99 1 TB 2.5 SATA SATA 560 MB/s 530 MB/s TLC 5 yr New

1TB SATA SSD Guide — May 2026

SATA SSDs max out at ~550 MB/s — about 8× slower than Gen 4 NVMe sequential reads. However, for older laptops, desktops without M.2 slots, and NAS upgrades, SATA is the only option. Real-world performance differences for everyday tasks (boot, web, office) are minimal vs NVMe.

When to choose SATA over NVMe

Kingston A400 vs Crucial MX500 vs Samsung 870 Evo

The Kingston A400 1TB ($62.99) is the cheapest. The Crucial MX500 1TB ($84.99) and Samsung 870 Evo 1TB ($89.99) are established standards with 360 TBW and 600 TBW respectively — significantly better for heavy workloads.

SATA SSD vs NVMe: which should I buy?

If your system supports NVMe M.2 (most PCs and laptops from 2018+), buy NVMe. The Kingston NV3 1TB at $69.99 is only $7 more than the Kingston A400 SATA and 10× faster sequentially.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is SATA SSD faster than HDD?
Yes — dramatically. A SATA SSD delivers ~550 MB/s sequential reads and 50,000–100,000 random IOPS. A 7200 RPM HDD does ~150 MB/s sequential and ~100 random IOPS.
What's the cheapest 1TB SATA SSD?
The Kingston A400 1TB at $62.99 is the cheapest new 1TB SATA SSD. For better endurance and reliability, the Crucial MX500 1TB at $84.99 is worth the extra $22.
Can I use a SATA SSD in my laptop?
Most laptops from 2012–2020 have a 2.5" SATA bay. Check that your laptop isn't a thin-and-light with a proprietary SSD form factor. If it has an M.2 slot, verify whether it's NVMe or SATA — they look identical but are not interchangeable.
SATA SSD vs NVMe: which should I buy?
If your system supports NVMe M.2 (most PCs and laptops from 2018+), buy NVMe — it's faster and often similarly priced. Only choose SATA if NVMe isn't an option.