A fully equipped rig is one that’s fast, has lots of storage, and is unfailing when you need it, and with an SSD you can tick all of these boxes, and more.
If you’re shopping for a 4TB SSD specifically, there’s a lot to think about to ensure you get the right one.
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What does an SSD do?
An SSD or solid state drive is a type of external or internal storage device for computers that relies on flash-based memory. These drives can be used on laptops or desktops and they provide faster running speeds and are more reliable than traditional hard disk storage, even if they’re more expensive.
We’ve compiled some of the best 4TB SSD drive options on the market and more about what each of them offers.
You’ll have only the best of the best to choose from and a speedy and trustworthy way to boost your gaming system.
AT A GLANCE: Our Top 5 Picks for 4TB SSDs
A 4TB SSD external or internal device can do wonders for your gaming rig, but it’s not as easy as just choosing the first one you see.
To narrow down your search and only give you the top contenders to consider, we’ve hand-picked some SSD 4TB models that go above and beyond the others.
Best Overall: Western Digital Blue SSD
- Read speed: 560MB/s
- Size: 3.95 x 2.75 x 0.28
- Compatible Devices: Desktop
Western Digital has developed their budget friendly entry for a 4TB SSD internal model with their WD Blue device. This unit is made with a 2.5-inch form factor, has sequential read and write speeds of up to 560MB per second, and is compatible with a range of desktop computers to suit any type of setup you own thanks to the WD F.I.T Lab certification.
According to their happy customers, the WD Blue is a fast way to boost storage, and people noticed that their computer was now booting in less than 15 seconds once it was installed. If you’ve been dying for a speedier gaming experience but didn’t want to spend a fortune, the WD Blue is a cheap alternative.
The quality of this SSD is another thing that sets it apart, and it's evident with the thousands of rave reviews it's received, as well as its industry-leading performance specs. With a longer mean time to failure you don’t have to worry about this SSD dying on you unexpectedly and it’ll serve you and your computer for many years to come.
On the downside though, it’s not the fastest in terms of speed when you compare it to the top performing SSDs. Although you’re getting a bargain and a cheaper SSD, you will have to compromise a little in this area. The speeds are still impressive when you stack it up against an HDD but there are other SSDs capable of so much more.
Another negative has to do with its warranty, with the older models of this SSD coming with five years coverage but the newer ones only three. There were quite a few reviewers who noticed this difference and if you were putting your trust in Western Digital because of their lengthy warranty, you’ll want to think again.
The Western Digital Blue 3D NAND SSD measures 3.95 x 2.75 x 0.28 inches making it bigger in physical size than others, but it’s still lightweight. If you want something with less space, they also make other storage sizes from 250GB through to 2TB, and with mostly the same features. The SSD rates 1.75 million hours mean time to failure and up to 600 TBs written, so it’s been built to last, and comes with the reputable name of Western Digital behind it.
The Blue SSD from Western Digital is a budget-friendly option with lots to offer, and it's available online at Amazon for the best price. With a three-year warranty and customer support from WD, it's a smart buy and comes with free downloadable software to monitor its activity. If you want to save some money but still require 4TB of storage, the WD Blue can deliver.
Runner Up: Sabrent Rocket SSD
- Read speed: to 3450 MB/s
- Size: 3.15 x 0.86 x 0.11 inches
- Compatible Devices: Laptop, Desktop
If speed is your ultimate goal for an SSD, the Sabrent Rocket lives up to its name and has one of the fastest read and write speeds of any SSD on the market today. This unit is powered with an M.2 PCIe Gen3 x 4 interface, is capable of read speeds up to 3450MB per second, and is minuscule when you compare it to the competition, measuring 3.15 x 0.86 x 0.11 inches.
The reason for the high price of the Rocket is its incredible speed, and it easily blows the competition out of the water. With a maximum read speed of 3450MB per second, it's making use of the M.2 technology and delivering swiftness as you've never seen before. With this in your laptop or desktop setup, you'll change the way you game for good.
Another bonus was the low energy usage, thanks to the 3D TLC NAND flash memory type it uses, and when you compare it to a traditional hard drive you’ll see an instant improvement. If you’re building a new computer and want an SSD that’s modern and efficient, the Rocket is one of the best.
However, it’s one of the most expensive SSDs on the market, and likely out of the reach of many builders. While you get one-of-a-kind speeds, this is the main thing you’re paying extra for, so if you don’t have the need for anything this intense, you can save a few hundred dollars and get the next best thing.
A huge disappointment with this drive aws the fact that you can’t clone from one drive to this one without a fair bit of work. Sabrent has included some software that’s meant to make the job easier but according to reviews, it was a bigger headache than it should have been. Consider how you want to use your new SSD and whether this will push you towards a better option.
The Sabrent Rocket SSD works with SMART and TRIM commands and is compatible with ONFi 2.3, 3.0, 3.2, and 4.0. If you're not after 4TB of space but still like what the Rocket has to offer, they make other sizes including 256GB, 512GB 1TB, and 2TB, however, they also come with the high price tag this brand is known for.
To get your hands on the Sabrent Rocket SSD and see what speeds this M.2 unit has to offer, head to Amazon for the best deal. They’ll ship it to your door for free, and Sabrent covers it with an impressive five year warranty, so there’s no need to second guess its quality. Although a costly option, it delivers where it counts, and if speed is your goal, the Sabrent Rocket is our favorite pick.
Alternative: Corsair MP510
- Read speed: 3,480MB/s
- Size: 3.15 x 0.87 x 0.14 inches
- Compatible Devices: Desktop, Laptop
Corsair is no stranger when it comes to fast and efficient computer parts and their high-speed MP510 from the Force Series is a serious option.
This SSD delivers 3,480MB per second sequential read speeds and 2,000MB per second write speeds and is made with an NVMe PCIe Gen3 x 4 M.2 interface that makes it a top contender. The MP510 is compatible with most desktops and is a 3D TLC NAND drive.
The coolest thing about this laptop, other than its speeds, was the free software that comes with it. The Corsair SSD Toolbox Software is made available for all of their units and it gives you a central place to monitor usage, erase data securely, and get automatic firmware updates whenever they’re released. This in itself sets the Corsair apart from others and if you want a hands-on drive for your computer, you’ll appreciate the finer details.
Corsair is a trusted name and that's what makes this a top choice for so many, and the quality of its build and specs are evident as soon as you install it. Although it's costly, it's also one of the longer lasting pieces you'll invest in for your computer, and customers were thrilled to find just how superior its quality was.
For an M.2 interface SSD, the write speeds are a little lackluster, and when you compare it to others on our list, you're missing out on about 1000MB per second. If you're after something strong and swift in write speeds, there are other ways to get it without spending this much money.
Another negative of this SSD is the price, and it’s easily the most expensive option of all that we’ve reviewed. This would only be a smart choice for those with cash to spend and people committed to Corsair brand. While it does have a great reputation, if you want a 3D TLC NAND unit, there are cheaper ways to get it.
The unit itself measures 3.15 x 0.87 x 0.14 inches and is made with the compact M.2 2280 form factor, so you can place it into a laptop or motherboard without a fuss. Corsair makes other sizes of their Force Series drives including a smaller 240GB option with the 4TB being their largest. They also create add-ons like power supply and additional storage that can be used with this SSD, and it works out cheaper if you buy them together through Amazon.
If you want to kit out your rig with only the finest in drives, the Corsair MP510 from their Force Series is one of a kind. Amazon has it available for the best price and free shipping, and the manufacturer covers this unit with a five year warranty that makes the higher cost worth it. For those with money to spend, you’ll get everything you were hoping for and more with the MP510 SSD from Corsair.
Alternative: Sabrent Rocket Q4
- Read speed: 4900MB/s
- Size: 3.15 x 0.86 x 0.11 inches
- Compatible Devices: Desktop
The Sabrent Rocket Q4 SSD is the upgraded and updated version of their previous SSD, with better read speeds of 4900MB per second and a more energy-efficient but powerful performance.
This SSD uses the NVMe M.2 PCIe Gen4 x4 Interface and is compliant with both NVMe 1.3 and PCI 4.0, as well as featuring a power management system to ensure it’s efficient and speedy without costing you anything in performance.
There are lots of extra features that make this a standout, so if you're looking for bang for your buck, the Rocket Q4 can deliver. This SSD features advanced wear-leveling, error correction code, over provision, and bad block management, which all work in the background over the life of the SSD to keep it working at its best.
The Sabrent Rocket Q4 tops the competition in terms of speed with 4900 MB per second on offer, which is around 1000MB faster than their last version. For these faster speeds, you might be surprised to find that it's still reasonably priced, so if you're looking for a good performance versus costs ratio, it's one of the best.
Some people noted issues with compatibility and found that they had to reinstall various pieces of software to get the Sabrent Rocket to start working. This isn’t something you’d expect to deal with in such an expensive piece of hardware and it might be enough to turn potential customers off completely.
Another point to note is that the SSD heats up more than most, and although Sabrent has tried to minimize this with a thermal sticker, it might not get the job done. Some people have found adding a thermal pad was enough to cool it down so consider doing this before you go ahead with the installation.
The Sabrent Rocket Q4 includes the free Sabrent Acronis True Image for Sabrent Software, designed to help with cloning. You’ll also be able to choose whether you want 512 bytes or 4K bytes for the sector and this can be done during setup and installation. The unit is quite small at 3.15 x 0.86 x 0.11 inches and is compatible with most computers, but you’ll need a PCIe Gen4 motherboard to take advantage of its top speeds.
If you want the best that Sabrent has to offer and don’t mind doing your own thermal protection, the Q4 Rocket is a great option. With a massive five year warranty, free shipping, and free returns when you shop through Amazon, it’s a smart and safe option for your new SSD and will deliver top speeds when you need them most.
Alternative: Crucial X6 SSD
- Read speed: 800MB/s
- Size: 2.72 x 0.43 x 2.52 inches
- Compatible Devices: Desktop, Laptop, Gaming Console, Smartphone, Tablet
Crucial’s X6 SSD is our alternative choice for an SSD drive 4TB model and it features 800MB per second of read speeds, compatibility with all of your devices, and a 2.5-inch form factor. On this single SSD, you can store up to 100 hours of video plus more, and it’s a portable device that measures 2.72 x 0.43 x 2.52 inches in total.
The biggest advantage that this SSD holds over the rest is that it works with everything, and not just your gaming PC, including smartphones, tablets, and gaming consoles. Although they're expensive, this portability and versatility mean you can use them just about anywhere, and without a hassle.
The other major selling point is the speed of this SSD, with Crucial claiming it can read at around 800MB/s, but reviewers claiming it goes even faster at close to 950MB/s. If you hate waiting around and have little patience when it comes to gaming or using your computer, you’ll appreciate the lightning-fast speed that this solid state drive offers.
Crucial knows what its customer wants so they’ve protected this small SSD with a shock proof case which people raved about. You can drop it up to 6.5 feet and it won’t feel a thing, thanks to shock and vibration proofing they’ve built into it.
There were some minor downsides that customers mentioned as well, including the fact that this little unit can get overheated if you use it for too long and the design meant there was no avoiding this on your fingers. With this in mind, it's not intended to be a permanent solution to storage but rather a temporary fix, otherwise, you'll need to be careful about overheating.
Customers also noted that the read speeds of this unit were a lot more than the write speed, and depending on how you plan on using it, this could be a bit of a bother. If you’re looking for something that trumps in write speeds instead, there are likely others that beat it in this area.
Crucial by Micron also creates other sizes of this SSD include 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB, but if your storage needs are larger, the 4TB is the way to go. This device is compatible with PC and Mac, as well as other systems including PS4, Xbox One, and Android, and if you’re using a USB-A connection, you’ll need to purchase an adapter for it separately.
The Crucial X6 SSD is our favorite pick for a 4TB external SSD and it offers the absolute best in speed, size, and versatility. You'll get an impressive three year warranty covering the SSD and ongoing customer support from Crucial by Micron, one of the most trusted names in flash storage. You can find this drive on Amazon for the best price, but it's still a costly
4TB SSD FAQs
Storage is everything when it comes to an efficient and speedy computer, and with the right SSD in yours, you’ll notice an immediate difference.
If you still want to know more about SSDs before you dive in, we’ve answered some popular FAQs that can give you the basics.
Are 4TB SSDs Worth It?
A 4TB SSD is usually as much storage as you'll get with this type of drive, and if you don't have the need for that amount of space, you might be able to choose a cheaper and smaller option.
However, if you do require a 4TB SSD, it's an incredibly high-speed device that will make a noticeable difference.
Which Type Of SSD Is Fastest?
New SSDs are being developed all the time with updated technology that makes them more efficient than the last, and the M.2 type is considered the fastest.
The Samsung 980 Pro holds the current title for fastest SSD on the market but there are always competitors following close behind.
Which SSD Brand Most Reliable?
Choosing a reputable brand when it comes to finding an SSD is important, so look for popular names like Samsung, Corsair, Crucial, Sabrent, Intel, and Adata.
As the part of the computer responsible for storage, speed, and smooth performance, you want a name you can rely on.
What Is The Full Name Of SSD?
SSD stands for solid state drive and this refers to the physical nature of the device.
A solid state drive is in a solid state as it has no moving parts, and it uses integrated circuits to store data, unlike an HDD which has a moving read/write head.
A Quick Boost to Any Gaming Rig
The SSD has become the drive of choice in most modern laptops and gaming systems, thanks to its super-fast speeds and reliability, and you can do a whole lot with this one device.
To ensure you equip your rig with the right storage, any of our picks for the best 4TB SSD will serve you well.
