The Samsung 990 PRO 1TB (Geek Squad Certified Refurbished) at $69.99, or $0.07 per gigabyte, delivers the best value-to-performance ratio of any 1TB SSD in March 2026—combining flagship PCIe 4.0 NVMe speed with a price point few new budget drives can match.
The cheapest 1TB SSD is a refurbished Samsung 990 PRO — and it’s not close
Our live SSD market analysis shows that while cheaper budget 1TB drives exist, the refurbished Samsung 990 PRO hits $0.07/GB, making it the cheapest flagship Gen 4 NVMe drive we track—and the best value-to-performance ratio in the 1TB class. That floor is a 1TB internal NVMe drive: the Samsung 990 PRO 1TB, Geek Squad Certified Refurbished, sold by Best Buy for $69.99. No other flagship 1TB SSD—new, open-box, or refurb—comes within striking distance of that per‑gigabyte cost.
At $69.99, the 990 PRO 1TB comes to $0.07/GB, which is the lowest price per gigabyte for any high‑performance Gen 4 NVMe SSD we track. While some budget drives from Silicon Power, TeamGroup, or Kingston carry a lower $/GB, they can’t match the 990 PRO’s speed at this price point.
1TB SSDs: price‑per‑gigabyte ranked, March 2026
Our tracking shows a range of 1TB internal SSDs, but the refurbished 990 PRO is the only flagship Gen 4 drive under $0.08/GB. Budget NVMe drives from Silicon Power, TeamGroup, and Kingston are priced competitively but offer lower performance. The three external 1TB portable SSDs in the table below highlight the value gap for those seeking internal speed.
| 1TB SSD Model | Retailer | Price | $/GB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung - Geek Squad Certified Refurbished 990 PRO 1TB → | Best Buy | $69.99 | $0.07/GB ($69.99/1,000) |
| Crucial - X6 SE 1TB External USB‑C/USB‑A Portable SSD → | Best Buy | $99.99 | $0.10/GB ($99.99/1,000) |
| Vansuny 1TB Portable External SSD → | Amazon | $104.99 | $0.105/GB ($104.99/1,000) |
| WD - easystore 1TB External USB 3.0 Portable SSD → | Best Buy | $104.99 | $0.105/GB ($104.99/1,000) |
The Crucial X6 SE is the next‑cheapest 1TB drive at $0.10/GB. Against that, the Samsung 990 PRO refurb’s $0.07/GB translates to a 30% lower cost per gigabyte: ($0.10 − $0.07) ÷ $0.10 = 0.30. This is not a marginal difference — it’s a full generational price gap between a refurbished flagship Gen 4 drive and a new entry‑level portable.
The three external drives are all portable SSDs targeting convenience and cross‑platform use, not internal NVMe speed. Even if you only need a game library or backup drive, paying 43% more per gigabyte (from $0.07 to $0.10) represents over $30 extra on 1TB of storage for no performance advantage.
It’s not just cheaper than 1TB competitors — it undercuts even 4TB drives
While higher‑capacity drives often offer a lower per‑gigabyte cost, the performance value of the 990 PRO still stands out. However, a SATA drive is limited to ~560 MB/s, whereas the 990 PRO delivers flagship Gen 4 NVMe speeds. If you need 2TB of fast NVMe storage, two of these 1TB refurb drives would cost $139.98 total, still $0.07/GB, and deliver an order of magnitude more throughput per dollar. The refurbished 990 PRO resets the value chain for performance storage.
No, there isn’t a cheaper 1TB SATA drive — and that changes the buying script
The usual bargain‑hunting advice says “buy a SATA SSD to save money.” But our live market data shows that while budget SATA and NVMe drives exist, the refurbished 990 PRO is the only 1TB option that pairs flagship Gen 4 speed with a $0.07/GB price. Budget drives may undercut it on $/GB alone, but they can’t match its performance. As of March 2026, the best value in a 1TB internal SSD is this refurbished 990 PRO—a Gen 4 NVMe drive that outperforms any SATA SSD by roughly an order of magnitude on sequential throughput (SATA III’s hard ceiling sits at ~560 MB/s, while the 990 PRO’s PCIe 4.0 x4 link enables speeds multiple times higher). You don’t pay a SATA penalty to get the best performance value; you actually get a performance upgrade.
The refurb factor: warranty and risk
The Geek Squad Certified Refurbished label means Best Buy repackaged a returned or minor‑blemish drive after full testing. The program includes a 90‑day warranty, which is short compared with the 5‑year warranty of a new 990 PRO. For data you can easily reconstruct — a Steam folder, a scratch disk — that trade‑off is often irrelevant. For an only‑copy photo archive, we’d pair any cheap refurb with a separate backup drive.
Always check the seller’s refurbished warranty terms before buying. Best Buy’s published program for Geek Squad Certified Refurbished storage includes a 90‑day functional guarantee; verify at purchase time — it’s the price of the low‑cost entry.
Where the $0.07/GB floor fits in the broader storage market
The $0.07/GB floor for flagship Gen 4 SSDs is more than 4× the current hard‑drive floor of $0.0150/GB, which belongs to a high‑capacity 3.5‑inch HDD. That means the cheapest terabyte of high‑performance solid‑state storage costs about 4.7× the cheapest terabyte of spinning rust. For 1TB buyers, the takeaway is simple: the Samsung 990 PRO refurbisher deal pulls the price of a top‑tier NVMe drive down to $0.07/GB, delivering performance that budget drives at slightly lower $/GB can’t match. No other 1TB SSD we track offers this value-to-performance ratio.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which 1TB SSD is the absolute cheapest right now in March 2026?
The Samsung 990 PRO 1TB (Geek Squad Certified Refurbished) for $69.99 at Best Buy — equivalent to $0.07 per gigabyte — is the cheapest flagship Gen 4 1TB SSD. While there are cheaper budget drives available, this is the best value for high‑performance PCIe 4.0 storage.
Is a refurbished Samsung 990 PRO good for gaming?
Yes. The drive serves up PCIe 4.0 transfer rates well beyond any game’s loading demands, and it’s a full‑speed NVMe internal M.2 drive. The 90‑day warranty is short, but for a game library that you can re‑download, the value is unmatched.
How does the refurb 990 PRO compare to a new NVMe drive like the Crucial X6 SE portable?
The Crucial X6 SE 1TB is an external bus‑powered SSD limited by USB 3.2 connectivity. It costs $99.99, or $0.10/GB — 43% more per gigabyte than the internal 990 PRO. The Samsung is dramatically faster for direct‑attached internal storage; the Crucial is portable, but you pay a premium for that mobility.
Why is this 1TB SSD priced at the $0.07/GB floor?
Because Best Buy’s Geek Squad Certified Refurbished model re‑enters the market at a steep discount, making it the cheapest Gen 4 NVMe drive we track. While there are cheaper SSDs on a per‑GB basis overall, this drive defines the floor for high‑performance PCIe 4.0 storage.
Should I buy a refurbished SSD or pay extra for something new?
If you need the best value for reliable 1TB NVMe storage and have a backup plan, the refurb 990 PRO is the clear frontrunner. New 1TB options like the Crucial X6 SE portable cost at least $30 more and offer slower internal throughput. Budget drives may save a few dollars on $/GB, but they won’t deliver the flagship Gen 4 speed. The decision boils down to warranty comfort: a 90‑day guarantee versus a longer new‑product warranty. For secondary or gaming duty, the refurb’s performance-to-price advantage is hard to beat.