Best Hard Drives & SSDs for Laptop Upgrade — Ranked by Price Per GB (2026)
SATA and NVMe SSDs for upgrading laptop storage. Updated March 2026.
As of March 2026, the best hard drives & ssd for laptop upgrade on BuyPerUnit is the WD - easystore 18TB External USB 3.0 Hard Drive - Black at $0.0217/GB ($389.99 total) from bestbuy. We compared 843 products matching laptop upgrade requirements across Amazon, Best Buy, and Newegg.
What to Look For
Upgrading your laptop's storage to an SSD is one of the most impactful performance improvements you can make. Most modern laptops use M.2 NVMe drives, while older models may need 2.5-inch SATA SSDs. Check your laptop's specifications before purchasing. The drives below include both NVMe and SATA options, all ranked by price per gigabyte to help you find the best value upgrade.
Top 10 Products
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my laptop supports NVMe or SATA?
Check your laptop's specifications or manual for the M.2 slot type. M.2 B-key slots support SATA only, M-key supports NVMe, and B+M key supports both. Most laptops from 2018 onward support NVMe.
Can I upgrade storage on any laptop?
Most laptops allow storage upgrades, but some ultrabooks and MacBooks have soldered storage. Check your specific model before purchasing. iFixit teardowns are a great resource for upgrade compatibility.
Will upgrading to an SSD make my old laptop faster?
Yes — replacing an HDD with an SSD is the single biggest performance upgrade for older laptops. Boot times, app launches, and file operations can improve by 5-10x even on older SATA interfaces.
What is the best hard drives & ssd for laptop upgrade right now?
As of March 2026, the WD - easystore 18TB External USB 3.0 Hard Drive - Black offers the best value at $0.0217/GB ($389.99 for 18 TB) from bestbuy. We compared 843 products matching laptop upgrade requirements.