Compare 500GB NVMe SSDs by price per GB. Cheapest new from $39.99. Ideal for boot drives, Steam Deck upgrades, and budget builds. Updated Apr 8, 2026.
Cheapest 500GB NVMe: Kingston NV3 500GB — $39.99
Best TLC option: WD Blue SN580 500GB — $49.99 (4,150 MB/s TLC, 5-yr warranty)
| $/TB | $/GB | Price | Capacity | Interface | Gen | Read | Write | NAND | Warranty | Cond. | Product |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $79.98BEST | $0.080 | $39.99 | 500 GB | M.2 NVMe | Gen 4 | 6,000 MB/s | 4,000 MB/s | QLC | 3 yr | New | Kingston NV3 500GB |
| $99.98 | $0.100 | $49.99 | 500 GB | M.2 NVMe | Gen 4 | 4,150 MB/s | 4,150 MB/s | TLC | 5 yr | New | WD Blue SN580 500GB |
500GB NVMe SSDs are the most affordable entry point for NVMe storage. They're ideal as a dedicated Windows boot drive, a Steam Deck upgrade, or a secondary fast drive alongside a larger HDD. Note: 1TB drives offer double the storage for $30 more — 500GB only makes sense for specific use cases.
The Kingston NV3 500GB ($39.99, QLC, 3yr) and WD Blue SN580 500GB ($49.99, TLC, 5yr) are the two mainstream options. The SN580 is the better buy for $10 more: TLC NAND means better endurance and more consistent write speeds.
The Steam Deck uses an M.2 2230 form factor — not the standard 2280. Both the Kingston NV3 and WD Blue SN580 are available in 2230 variants (check listings carefully). 500GB is enough for 5–10 games at Steam Deck's typical file sizes.
Unless budget is the hard constraint, buy the 1TB NVMe instead. The Kingston NV3 1TB ($69.99) is only $30 more and gives you double the storage. 500GB makes sense only as a boot drive alongside another storage option.