SSD speeds explained: SATA vs NVMe
What MB/s means, why NVMe beats SATA, the PS5 rule of thumb, and read-time math for our devices.
By Offerove Editorial TeamUpdated 2 min readResearch-based, not hands-on
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SSD speed is how fast a drive reads and writes data, usually quoted in megabytes per second (MB/s). SATA SSDs are capped near 600 MB/s by their interface. NVMe drives run over PCIe and go much faster, and Sony recommends 5,500 MB/s or more for a PS5 expansion drive. For most laptops, capacity matters more.
SSD speed numbers range from hundreds to thousands of MB/s. The jump matters for some jobs and barely at all for others.
Here is what the numbers mean, the PS5 rule of thumb, and some read-time math for our devices. Specs are from each maker’s official page, as of November 2026.
What SSD speed means
Short answer: SSD speed is how many megabytes per second (MB/s) a drive can read or write. Spec sheets usually quote sequential speed: one big file, start to finish.
The interface sets the ceiling. Samsung notes that SATA III, used by SATA SSDs, handles 600 MB/s.
SATA vs NVMe
Short answer: NVMe drives connect over PCIe, the fast lane between the processor and other parts. Kingston explains that SATA’s driver was built for spinning hard drives, while NVMe was built for flash. That is why NVMe drives can run several times faster.
Watch the label. Kingston points out that M.2 is a shape, not a speed, and some M.2 drives still use SATA.
Sony’s PS5 page gives a useful benchmark. For the expansion slot, it asks for a PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 NVMe drive with 5,500 MB/s or faster sequential reads.
The read-time math
Short answer: speed matters most when you move big files. Reading 100 GB takes about 200 seconds at 500 MB/s, but about 18 seconds at 5,500 MB/s. For browsing and documents, you will rarely notice.
Our math, using 1 GB = 1,000 MB:
| Drive size | At 500 MB/s (SATA class) | At 5,500 MB/s (PS5 guideline) |
|---|---|---|
| 256 GB | 8.5 minutes | 47 seconds |
| 512 GB | 17.1 minutes | 93 seconds |
| 1 TB (1,000 GB) | 33.3 minutes | 182 seconds |
That works out to 2 seconds per GB at 500 MB/s, and about 0.18 seconds per GB at 5,500 MB/s.
Speed saves seconds. Capacity saves you from deleting games. For most people, buy space first.
Storage in our devices
Short answer: our devices ship with 256 GB to 1 TB. Microsoft requires 256 GB for a Copilot+ PC, so our 256 GB laptops sit right at that line.
- 256 GB: MacBook Air 13 (M4), MacBook Air 15 (M4), Framework Laptop 13, Nintendo Switch 2.
- 512 GB: MacBook Pro 14 (M5), Surface Laptop (7th Edition), Steam Deck OLED.
- 1 TB: ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14, Lenovo Legion 5 Gen 10, Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 10, Xbox Series X.
For more on laptop specs, read how much RAM do you need and USB-C vs Thunderbolt.
The picks, side by side
| Product | Storage | Processor | Platform | Spec score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4, 8-core GPU, 16 GB, 256 GB) | 256 GB | Apple M4, 10-core CPU | Not listed | 6.7 |
| Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M4, 10-core GPU, 16 GB, 256 GB) | 256 GB | Apple M4, 10-core CPU | Not listed | 6.9 |
| Framework Laptop 13 (Ryzen AI 300, Base: Ryzen AI 5 340, 16 GB, 256 GB) | 256 GB | AMD Ryzen AI 5 340 (6 cores, 12 threads) | Not listed | 6.3 |
| Nintendo Switch 2 | 256 GB | Not listed | Nintendo Switch 2 | n/a |
| Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 16 GB, 512 GB) | 512 GB | Apple M5, 10-core CPU | Not listed | 7.3 |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop 13.8-inch (7th Edition, Snapdragon X Plus, 16 GB, 512 GB) | 512 GB | Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus (10-core, X1P64100) | Not listed | 6.9 |
| Steam Deck OLED (512 GB) | 512 GB | Not listed | SteamOS 3 | n/a |
| ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) (GA403UP-CS96, Ryzen 9 270, RTX 5070, 32 GB, 1 TB) | 1 TB | AMD Ryzen 9 270 (8 cores, 16 threads) | Not listed | 8.4 |
| Lenovo Legion 5 Gen 10 15-inch (83F00009US, Core Ultra 7 255HX, RTX 5060) | 1 TB | Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX (20 cores, 20 threads) | Not listed | 7.7 |
| Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 10 (83JE000NUS, Core i7-14700HX, RTX 5060) | 1 TB | Intel Core i7-14700HX (20 cores, 28 threads) | Not listed | 6.7 |
| Xbox Series X (1 TB, Carbon Black) | 1 TB | 8 cores at 3.8 GHz (3.6 GHz with SMT), custom Zen 2 | Xbox Series X | n/a |
Specs from each maker's official page, checked Nov 9, 2026. Spec score formula: methodology.
How we chose
We explain SSD speeds using Kingston's and Samsung's official explainers, Sony's PS5 storage page and Microsoft's requirements, then list the storage each maker states for devices in our catalog. Read times are our own arithmetic, not measurements. Research-based, not tested in person. Our methodology.
FAQ
Is M.2 the same as NVMe?
No, M.2 is a physical shape, and Kingston notes that some M.2 drives use the slower SATA interface.
What SSD speed does a PS5 need?
Sony recommends an M.2 NVMe SSD on PCIe Gen4 x4 with a sequential read speed of 5,500 MB/s or faster.
How much SSD storage do I need?
Microsoft requires 256 GB for a Copilot+ PC, and we'd treat that as the floor for a new laptop.
Why don't you list the SSD speed for each laptop?
The makers' spec pages we use list capacity but not drive speed, so we don't guess one.
Sources
- Kingston: NVMe vs SATA, what is the difference? (opens in a new tab)
- Samsung Semiconductor: SATA vs NVMe SSDs (opens in a new tab)
- PlayStation Support: How to add an M.2 SSD to a PS5 console (opens in a new tab)
- Microsoft Support: Copilot+ PCs hardware requirements (opens in a new tab)
- Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4, 8-core GPU, 16 GB, 256 GB): Apple official specs (opens in a new tab)
- Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M4, 10-core GPU, 16 GB, 256 GB): Apple official specs (opens in a new tab)
- Framework Laptop 13 (Ryzen AI 300, Base: Ryzen AI 5 340, 16 GB, 256 GB): Framework official specs (opens in a new tab)
- Nintendo Switch 2: Nintendo official specs (opens in a new tab)
- Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5, 16 GB, 512 GB): Apple official specs (opens in a new tab)
- Microsoft Surface Laptop 13.8-inch (7th Edition, Snapdragon X Plus, 16 GB, 512 GB): Microsoft official specs (opens in a new tab)
- Steam Deck OLED (512 GB): Valve official specs (opens in a new tab)
- ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) (GA403UP-CS96, Ryzen 9 270, RTX 5070, 32 GB, 1 TB): ASUS official specs (opens in a new tab)
- Lenovo Legion 5 Gen 10 15-inch (83F00009US, Core Ultra 7 255HX, RTX 5060): Lenovo official specs (opens in a new tab)
- Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 10 (83JE000NUS, Core i7-14700HX, RTX 5060): Lenovo official specs (opens in a new tab)
- Xbox Series X (1 TB, Carbon Black): Microsoft official specs (opens in a new tab)
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