Best Gen 5 NVMe SSDs in May 2026

24 Gen 5 NVMe SSDs ranked by price per terabyte. Real Amazon prices, sustained speeds, controllers, TBW endurance. Updated May 14, 2026.

24SSDs ranked
$104.75Cheapest $/TB
14,900Top read MB/s
May 14Last update

Best value

Samsung 990 EVO Plus 4TB
Cheapest per terabyte at $104.75/TB. 7,250 MB/s read without DRAM (HMB-based).
$419 · $104.75/TB
View on Amazon →

Top speed

Samsung 990 EVO Plus 4TB
7,250 MB/s sequential read — the fastest in this category. $104.75/TB.
$419 · $104.75/TB
View on Amazon →

Best balanced

Samsung 990 EVO Plus 4TB
Solid all-rounder: 7,250 MB/s, $104.75/TB, 4.6/5 customer rating, 2,400 TBW endurance.
$419 · $104.75/TB
View on Amazon →

This page ranks every Gen 5 NVMe SSD we track by price per terabyte — the metric that actually matters during the 2026 NAND shortage. All 24 drives are PCIe 5.0 x4 M.2 2280 form factor unless noted, with current Amazon US prices verified weekly.

Sequential read speeds for Gen 5 drives top out at 14,900 MB/s, but for most users (gaming, productivity, OS drive duty) the difference between a $200 mid-tier Gen 5 drive and a $400 flagship is imperceptible. Gen 5 bandwidth advantages emerge primarily in sustained sequential workloads: 8K video editing, AI dataset operations, large file transfers.

Use the table below to spot the best value picks (lowest $/TB), the top-rated drives (★ customer rating), and high-endurance options (TBW column) — most Gen 5 drives offer 600 to 2,400 TBW depending on capacity, with all major brands providing 5-year warranties.

ProductPrice$/TBReadWriteTBWRating
Samsung 990 EVO Plus 4TB★ Best $419 $104.75/TB 7,250 MB/s 6,300 MB/s 2,400 TBW ★ 4.6 Buy →
Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB $229 $114.50/TB 7,250 MB/s 6,300 MB/s 1,200 TBW ★ 4.6 Buy →
Samsung 990 EVO Plus 1TB $129 $129.00/TB 7,250 MB/s 6,300 MB/s 600 TBW ★ 4.5 Buy →
PNY CS2150 2TB $259 $129.50/TB 10,800 MB/s 9,500 MB/s 1,000 TBW ★ 4.3 Buy →
INLAND TD510 2TB $299 $149.50/TB 14,600 MB/s 12,900 MB/s 1,200 TBW ★ 4.3 Buy →
TeamGroup Z540 2TB $329 $164.50/TB 12,400 MB/s 11,800 MB/s 1,400 TBW ★ 4.4 Buy →
Crucial P510 1TB $169 $169.00/TB 11,000 MB/s 9,500 MB/s 600 TBW ★ 4.4 Buy →
Sabrent Rocket 5 4TB $739 $184.75/TB 14,000 MB/s 11,600 MB/s 2,800 TBW ★ 4.4 Buy →
Crucial T705 4TB $749 $187.25/TB 14,500 MB/s 12,700 MB/s 2,400 TBW ★ 4.5 Buy →
TeamGroup Z540 1TB $189 $189.00/TB 12,400 MB/s 11,800 MB/s 700 TBW ★ 4.4 Buy →
Samsung 9100 PRO 4TB $769 $192.25/TB 14,800 MB/s 13,400 MB/s 2,400 TBW ★ 4.7 Buy →
Sabrent Rocket 5 2TB $389 $194.50/TB 14,000 MB/s 11,600 MB/s 1,400 TBW ★ 4.5 Buy →
Crucial T705 2TB $399 $199.50/TB 14,500 MB/s 12,700 MB/s 1,200 TBW ★ 4.6 Buy →
Samsung 9100 PRO w/ Heatsink 4TB $799 $199.75/TB 14,800 MB/s 13,400 MB/s 2,400 TBW ★ 4.7 Buy →
WD_BLACK SN8100 4TB $829 $207.25/TB 14,900 MB/s 11,000 MB/s 2,400 TBW ★ 4.6 Buy →
Corsair MP700 PRO XT 2TB $419 $209.50/TB 14,900 MB/s 12,700 MB/s 1,200 TBW ★ 4.5 Buy →
Crucial T710 2TB $449 $224.50/TB 14,500 MB/s 14,000 MB/s 1,200 TBW ★ 4.7 Buy →
WD_BLACK SN8100 2TB $459 $229.50/TB 14,900 MB/s 11,000 MB/s 1,200 TBW ★ 4.7 Buy →
Samsung 9100 PRO 2TB $465 $232.50/TB 14,700 MB/s 13,400 MB/s 1,200 TBW ★ 4.7 Buy →
Samsung 9100 PRO w/ Heatsink 2TB $485 $242.50/TB 14,700 MB/s 13,400 MB/s 1,200 TBW ★ 4.7 Buy →
Samsung 9100 PRO 8TB $2046 $255.75/TB 14,800 MB/s 13,400 MB/s 4,800 TBW ★ 4.5 Buy →
Sabrent Rocket 5 1TB $259 $259.00/TB 14,000 MB/s 11,600 MB/s 700 TBW ★ 4.5 Buy →
Crucial T710 1TB $265 $265.00/TB 14,900 MB/s 12,000 MB/s 600 TBW ★ 4.6 Buy →
Samsung 9100 PRO 1TB $280 $280.00/TB 14,700 MB/s 13,400 MB/s 600 TBW ★ 4.6 Buy →

How we ranked these Gen 5 SSDs

We track Gen 5 drives that have meaningful availability on Amazon.com and at least 100 customer reviews. Pricing is updated weekly. The primary ranking is by price per terabyte, calculated as (Amazon listing price) ÷ (drive capacity in TB).

Speed specifications come from manufacturer datasheets and are verified against PCPartPicker and TechPowerUp's SSD database. Controllers are reported as the official chip name (Phison E26, Samsung Pascal, SMI SM2508, etc.). Customer rating is the Amazon aggregate score across all reviews on the product listing.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest Gen 5 NVMe SSD in May 2026?

The Samsung 990 EVO Plus 4TB is the cheapest Gen 5 SSD on a per-TB basis at $104.75/TB (current price $419). Note that SSD prices during the 2026 NAND shortage change weekly — verify pricing on Amazon before purchasing.

What's the fastest Gen 5 NVMe SSD?

The fastest Gen 5 SSD on this list is the WD_BLACK SN8100 4TB at 14,900 MB/s sequential read. For sequential write performance, check the Write column — speeds vary significantly between controllers.

Is Gen 5 worth the cost in 2026?

It depends on your workload. Gen 5 makes sense for 8K video editing, AI training, professional 3D rendering, and large dataset operations where sustained sequential bandwidth matters. For gaming (PS5 or PC), application launching, and general use, Gen 5's extra bandwidth rarely translates to user-visible speed improvements. Most buyers should consider Gen 4 instead.