Best Ssd for Macbook Pro & Macbook – This depends on what kind of MacBook Pro it is you are using. If it was made in 2013 or earlier, you will need a SATA SSD while those using MacBook Pros made later require PCIe SSDs. There are many in each category but above we have looked at the best. Think of what capacity it is you want and choose one that suits you from the picks above and upgrades your Mac’s storage.
We’ve selected a few of our favorite drives for Macs below; for more, check out our main list of best external hard drives and our top picks for SSDs.
ROUND UP
back to menu ↑1.Kingston 240GB A400
Features
- Fast start up, loading and file transfers
- More reliable and durable than a hard drive
OUR TAKE
back to menu ↑2.LaCie Rugged SSD Pro
Features
- Harness top Thunderbolt 3 speeds with the 1TB Seagate FireCuda NV Me SSD for playback/recording of up to 2800MB/s on 6K, 8K, and super so-so video
- Tackle any terrain with extreme IP67-rated water resistance, three-meter drop tolerance, two-ton car crush resistance, and dust resistance in a palm-sized external SSD Drive
OUR TAKE
back to menu ↑3.SanDisk SSD
Features
- Easy upgrade for faster boot up, shutdown, application load and response (As compared to 5400 RPM SATA 2.5” hard drive; Based on published specifications and internal benchmarking tests using PCMrark vantage scores)
- Boosts burst write performance, making it ideal for typical PC workloads
OUR TAKE
back to menu ↑4.Crucial MX500 1TB
Features
- Sequential reads/writes up to 560/510 MB/s and random reads/writes up to 95K/90K on all file types
- Accelerated by Micron 3D NAND technology
OUR TAKE
back to menu ↑5.480GB Premium SSD
Features
- Unirex SSDs are compatible with laptops and desktop computers of all makes, models and operating systems, whether they're a Mac or PC. They're quick and easy to install, so you can start saving what matters as soon as possible!
- Gone are the days of Hard Drive failure! Solid State Drives are faster, more efficient, and more durable. Compared to classic Disc-based hard drives, Unirex SSDs feature no moving parts that can break, faster load times and lower temperature and power consumption.
OUR TAKE
back to menu ↑6.SK hynix Gold P31
Features
- Top-tier performance – Read speeds up to 3,500 MB/s and write speeds of up to 3,200 MB/s with proprietary SK hynix HYPERWRITE cache technology
- Pioneering thermal efficiency – allowing the Gold P31 to run extremely cool while being primed for performance
OUR TAKE
back to menu ↑7.WD Blue SN550
Features
- Product 1: Boost your system's performance with next-gen NVMe SSDs
- Product 1: Over 4 times faster than our SATA SSDs
OUR TAKE
back to menu ↑8.Odyson – 512GB SSUAX
Features
- Description: 512GB SSUAX SSD (PCIe 2.0 x2)
- Compatibility: MacBookPro11,1 Late 2013 (ME864LL/A, ME866LL/A), Mid 2014 (MGX72LL/A, MGX92LL/A)
OUR TAKE
back to menu ↑9.ACASIS USB C
Features
- The inside Size is L108mm*W32mm*H13mm,please make sure your ssd is suitable for it before order.USB 3.0 Type-C nvme enclosure aluminum hard disk box for Macbook Air/Pro, transform the original Mac hard disk into a mobile hard disk.Compatible ONLY with original apple SSDs. Third-party SSDs, including OWC SSDs, are NOT compatible.
- Type-C to c 5GPs transmission, measured continuous reading and writing can read up to 452MB/s, high-speed transmission.
OUR TAKE
back to menu ↑10.Buffalo MiniStation
Features
- Perfect for creative professionals and multimedia enthusiasts
- Time Machine compatibility
OUR TAKE
back to menu ↑best ssd upgrade for macbook pro
back to menu ↑Best Ssd for Macbook Pro & Macbook – BUYER’S GUIDE
back to menu ↑SSDs vs hard drives
Cost per gigabyte is the main stumbling block. You might pay £340 for a 1TB portable SSD, whereas a 1TB external hard drive costs around £50.
That’s 34p per gigabyte in SSD land, or 5p with a hard drive.
This is because hard drives use relatively cheap spinning platters to store data. SSDs employ NAND memory chips. They are pricier, but also faster and allow for much smaller enclosures.
If you decide in favour of hard drives, see our roundup of the best Mac hard drives.
back to menu ↑2.5in or ultra-portable?
SSD performance varies from around 300-500MB/s read speeds all the way up to 3000MB/s, but there are three basic physical forms of SSD. And two can be considered portable.
‘Naked’ SSD boards plug directly into PCIe or SATA interfaces. These are the kind you might use to replace the SSD in a laptop, or add to a desktop. They are not really portable.
2.5in SSDs offer a mix of portability and internal use, and are the cheapest way to get a portable drive. They have a plastic casing, avoiding damage to the components, but use SATA connectors rather than USB.
You can buy an enclosure to get more protection and that all-important USB or Thunderbolt interface, or even just use a SATA-to-USB cable. We use one of these cables in the office to ferry around test files on a 2.5in SSD.
For the ultimate portable experience you need a ‘pocket’ SSD, though, not one based on 2.5in drive dimensions. These are designed to be used with USB or Thunderbolt connectors, not those found inside a Mac or MacBook.
You’ll mostly find this kind below. They are incredibly small and convenient. However, they are more expensive than 2.5in-style drives, so you may want to consider the larger type if lower spend is a top concern.
back to menu ↑Shock-proof, and rugged?
SSDs are more durable than hard drives. They have no moving parts, and won’t be damaged if they are moved or knocked while writing data. While modern hard drives have some level of shock protection, it’s still a big issue.
You can treat an SSD pretty mean before it starts complaining.
Some portable SSDs even offer water resistance. You can also get ruggedisation in a specialised drive enclosure, if you choose to go down the 2.5in drive route.
This is a huge portability benefit. But if they are sat still all day, are SSDs more reliable than HDDs? Hard drives tend to fail mechanically. For example, the motor that spins the platters might burn out. SSDs’ memory cells age, which can lead to failure. Both kinds require specialist recovery. As ever, back up important data.
However, for our purposes, as people who occasionally have to fling drives in rucksacks and plug them in while sat in an airplane seat, SSDs are the clear winner.
back to menu ↑Matching SSD performance to your connectors
How fast can you expect SSD file transfers to be? The top external SSDs can read and write at up to around 550MB/s.
However, to get these speeds you need a port on your Mac or MacBook that can handle this bandwidth.
If you’ve got a recent model with a Thunderbolt 3 USB-C port, you’re set. While external SSDs use USB 3.1 standards rather than Thunderbolt, the port also supports USB 3.1 Gen 1 and Gen 2, which is what we’re after.
Have an older machine with USB 3.0 or USB 2.0 ports? You’ll see some speed compromise.
USB 3.0 can hack most of an external SSD’s speed, with theoretical max of 625MB/s, or a chunk lower in real-world use. Think twice if your computer is rather old, say a 2011 MacBook Pro, and only has USB 2.0 ports. These max out at 60MB/s, which just can’t do justice to these ultra-fast SSDs. In that case, consider a hard drive instead.
back to menu ↑Frequently Asked Questions
back to menu ↑How much storage do I need?
Recent external SSDs tend to come in three or four capacities: 250GB, 500GB, 1TB and in some cases 2TB.
You’ll want to think carefully about the capacity you need, as the cost difference between 500GB and 1TB models is usually stark. There aren’t the same relatively minor price leaps seen in 1-4TB hard drives.
We can’t answer this one for you, but it’s a good idea to do a quick mental calculation. For example, 4K footage from a Panasonic Lumix GH4 camera eats up 4GB every five minutes. Video editors who work in 4K need a lot of storage.
back to menu ↑WRAP UP
If you’re constantly saving documents, photos, or videos to your MacBook Pro, it’s likely to fill up quickly. Since we all depend on our computers for work, school, and entertainment, expanding your storage space is essential if you want to maximize use of your Mac. If so, a great option to free up room on your hard drive is to add a solid-state drive (SSD). An SSD is a storage device for your computer, similar to a USB— but with much more space.
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