A couple of years ago, owning an SSD laptop was a luxury, especially considering that an SSD’s storage capacity is less than that of an HDD’s. But, have you ever wondered why users favor SSD drives over HDD ones now? What is SSD in laptop terms and which are the best laptops with SSD?
Top Rated Solid-State Drive Laptops
- 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
- 15.6 inches 4k (3840 x 2160) touchscreen
- 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8565U, 4.60GHz
- Best Overall
- 512GB SSD
- 16-inch Retina Display with True Tone technology
- 9th Gen 6-Core Intel Core i7 Processor, 2.6GHz
- 512GB PCIe SSD
- 15.6 inches – Full HD (1920 x 1080)
- 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8750H, up to 4.1GHz
- Best SSD: 512GB
The answer: speed, reliability, and compactness. Solid State Drives offer higher writing and reading speeds, promising up to 5 times the speed of HDDs, not to mention their reliability.
You don’t have to be a computer science laptop guru to buy an SSD laptop. If you feel uncertain about buying one, we’ll guide you through the 10 best SSD laptops in 2022, tailored for all needs.
Best Solid State Drive Laptops – Reviews
We’re now seeing more laptop manufacturers adopting SSD as the new standard storage in their lineups. Let’s explore some of the best laptop SSD options available on the market and how fast storage can boost your productivity on the go.
1. HP Spectre x360 (4WW36UA) – Best Laptop with SSD
Hardware Specifications
| Processor | 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8565U, 4.60GHz |
| RAM | 16GB DDR4-2400 SDRAM (2 x 8GB) |
| Storage | 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce MX150 (2GB GDDR5 dedicated) |
| Display | 15.6 inches 4k (3840 x 2160) touchscreen |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Size | 15.6 inches |
| Battery Life | 17.5 hours |
| Weight | 1.32 lbs |
| UPC | 889894928375 |
Top 3 Features
HP’s vision with its Spectre x360 was to build a versatile laptop that blurs the line between traditional laptops and tablets. The laptop comes with a touchscreen and an ergonomic hinge that allows you to push the display all the way to the back and get a more immersive touch interface.
The HP Spectre x360 doesn’t mess around when it comes to specs. It would be best to have a capable machine for a seamless transition between the Spectre’s two modes, and HP delivers. The laptop is powered by an 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processor with 16GB of fast DDR4 RAM and 512GB SSD.
Speaking of storage, the M.2 SSD is power-efficient and comes in a small footprint, helping the laptop maintain an overall compact size. Furthermore, the NVMe class SSD brings in a read-write speed of 2000MB per second, which comes in handy for video editors working with sizable 4k footage.
When it comes to the display, the HP Spectre x360 rocks a 15.6 inches 4k touchscreen. The extra image crispness will transform your whole computing experience, whether you use your laptop to watch movies, create content, or browse the web.
The touchscreen shines in situations where touch controls are more intuitive and time-saving—for example, scrolling through a video’s timeline while editing can be more accurate.
It’s also worth mentioning that the HP Spectre x360 comes with a Stylus, opening up new grounds for digital artists. Your laptop can double as a notebook, on which you can write down all your digital notes and brainstorm ideas for your upcoming projects.
- Powerful processor
- 512GB of SSD storage
- 4k touchscreen
- Sleek design
- Prolonged battery life
- One of the best solid state laptops you can get
- The number keypad pushes the keyboard off-center
2. Apple Macbook Pro – Best 512 GB SSD Laptop
Hardware Specifications
| Processor | 9th Gen 6-Core Intel Core i7 Processor, 2.6GHz |
| RAM | 16GB RAM |
| Storage | 512GB SSD |
| GPU | AMD Radeon Pro 5300M Graphics with GDDR6 memory |
| Display | 16-inch Retina Display with True Tone technology |
| Operating System | macOS |
| Size | 16 inches |
| Battery Life | Up to 11 hours |
| Weight | 4.30 lbs |
| UPC | 190199267961 |
Top 3 Features
The MacBook Pro leaves no place for complaints with its 2.4GHz Octa-Core i9 laptop processor and 32GB of RAM. Apple describes the 1TB SSD here as “ultrafast,” promising up to 3.2GB/s of sequential read speed.
Featuring a 16-inch Retina Display with very slim bezels and a 3072 x 1920 resolution, the laptop is very immersive for gaming or video editing. Backed up by the AMD Radeon Pro 5000M Series GPU with 8GB of VRAM, the GPU’s horsepower is very competent for graphics-intensive tasks like UHD video rendering.
We couldn’t stop ourselves from talking about the Magic Keyboard. This keyboard has an improved response time compared to the infamous Butterfly keyboard, featuring a Touch Bar on the top for intuitive shortcuts based on the app you’re running. Also, you get Touch ID for biometric security, and the trackpad supports multitouch gestures to speed up the workflow.
Weighing 4.3 pounds, it’s slightly heavier than HP’s Spectre x360. However, the 100Wh battery allows for up to 11 hours of wireless web browsing or video playback. Besides being kind to your back, this SSD laptop provides a long-lasting battery life.
The connectivity suite has room for 4 Thunderbolt 3 USB Type-C ports for charging and DisplayPort connectivity. Moreover, it has an indispensable headphone jack. As you’ve probably guessed, if we had something to complain about, it would be the high price tag the MacBook Pro carries. Moreover, at this price point, we wished for a 4K display.
- Flagship processor
- 1TB of SSD storage
- Immersive Retina Display
- Great audio experience
- Magic Keyboard
- Prolonged battery life
- Hefty price
- No 4K resolution
3. Dell XPS 9570 – Solid-State-Drive Laptop with Best Display
Hardware Specifications
| Processor | 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8750H, up to 4.1GHz |
| RAM | 16GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 512GB PCIe SSD |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti |
| Display | Full HD (1920 x 1080) |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
| Storage | 16 GB, expandable with a MicroSD card |
| Size | 15.6 inches |
| Battery Life | 14 hours |
| Weight | 4.41 lbs |
| UPC | 884116298359 |
Top 3 Features
Getting a laptop with a larger screen comes at the expense of having a bulkier form factor. This isn’t always the case, as Dell XPS 9570 strikes the right balance between screen size and portability with its InfinityEdge FHD display.
The screen is pushed towards the edges, only leaving a bezel of 5.7mm, giving you a 15.6-inch screen in a chassis closer to the size of a 14-inch laptop. The display also supports 100% Adobe RGB color space, showcasing more natural and life-like colors, ideal for creators and artists.
The package won’t be complete without an equally impressive performance to go along with the stunning display technology. The Dell XPS 9570 comes with an 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processor capable of turbo boosting to 4.1GHz.
You’ll notice that all your programs run faster across the board thanks to the laptop’s 512GB of PCIe SSD. The storage technology also brings in faster boot and resume times, so you can jump right back into your work without having to stare at a loading screen endlessly.
Powered by NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti, you get a smooth, high-fidelity gaming experience on the go. The 16GB of DDR4 RAM is also a welcome addition that allows you to run all the latest games, in addition to streamlining workflows that lean heavily on multitasking.
Finally, the XPS 9570 strives to take an environmentally friendly approach to choose the materials that go into the laptop. It’s nice to see that around 90% of the device’s weight can be easily recycled, paving the way for potential improvement with Dell’s next iterations.
- High-end performance
- Suitable for gaming
- 512GB of fast SSD Storage
- Excellent battery performance
- The fan can get noisy at times
4. ASUS VivoBook S410 – Best Value SSD Laptop
Hardware Specifications
| Processor | 8th Generation Quad-Core, Intel Core i7-8550U, up to 4.0GHz |
| RAM | 8GB DDR4 RAM |
| Size | 14 inches |
| Storage | 256GB PCIe SSD |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce MX150 graphics 2GB |
| Display | Full HD (1920 x 1080) |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
| Battery Life | 7 Hours |
| Weight | 3.20 lbs |
| UPC | 889349881705 |
Top 3 Features
This gold SSD laptop rocks an 8th Gen Core i7 processor with a humble 8GB of DDR4 RAM. Like our other high-end choices, the VivoBook S410 has a PCIe NVMe SSD with 256GB of storage.
It has a 14-inch FHD display with an ultrathin bezel featuring a wide viewing angle of 178 degrees so that colors won’t appear washed out. Thanks to the NVIDIA GeForce MX150 GPU with 2GB of GDDR5 VRAM, the display’s vibrancy comes to life.
The trackpad is a little bit large for a 14-inch device, which is always a plus, giving you more room to use multi-finger gestures for seamless navigation conveniently. The laptop also comes with a built-in fingerprint sensor right into the trackpad, making your computer more secure than ever.
Regarding portability, this SSD laptop weighs 3.2 pounds with a slim profile of 0.7 inches at the thickest point. The rather small 42Wh battery achieves 7 hours of video playback on high brightness.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t support charging via the USB Type-C port, although the battery life could be better. Lastly, as this is the best budget SSD laptop on our list there are some compromises and you will find the display is dim compared to its peers.
- Flagship processor
- PCIe NVMe SSD
- ScreenPad 2.0
- Lightweight
- Low battery life
- No charging via USB Type-C
5. Lenovo Legion – Best SSD for Gaming Laptop
Hardware Specifications
| Processor | 7th Gen Quad-Core, Intel Core i7-7700HQ, up to 3.8GHz |
| RAM | 16GB DDR4 SDRAM |
| Size | 15.6 inches |
| Storage | 256GB PCIe SSD |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Graphics 6GB |
| Display | Full HD (1920 x 1080) |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Battery Life | Around 4 hours |
| Weight | 5.2 lbs |
| UPC | 191200483301 |
Top 3 Features
With its striking design and red backlit keyboard, the Lenovo Legion Y520 celebrates the look of a gaming laptop. The aesthetics are only one half of the story! A Quad-Core i7 processor powers the laptop, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 dedicated graphics card, and 16GB of DDR4 RAM, all optimized specifically for gaming.
Though the Y520 comes with a limited 256GB of storage, it benefits from SSD technology to instantly load your games’ assets and take you to the next level with minimal load times. You can still expand your storage down the line, so you don’t need to worry about running out of space.
Unlike the Dell XPS 9570, which is also capable of delivering high-quality gaming, the Lenovo Legion Y520 comes with a short battery life of only 4 hours of usage compared to 14 on its counterpart. So, you’ll have to keep your laptop plugged into a wall outlet during extended gaming sessions.
Finally, the 15.6 inches display comes with IPS technology, giving you a wide range of viewing angles. This ensures you get a great experience when sharing the screen with a friend for local multiplayer games.
- Affordable
- Gaming aesthetics
- Decent performance
- Fast SSD storage
- Limited storage
- Poor battery life
6. ASUS ZenBook 14 (UX433FN-IH74) – Most Versatile
Hardware Specifications
| Processor | 8th Gen Quad-Core, Intel Core i7-8565U, up to 4.6GHz (8MB cache) |
| RAM | 16GB LPDDR3 RAM |
| Size | 14 inches |
| Storage | 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce MX150 |
| Display | Full HD (1920 x 1080) |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
| Battery Life | 13 hours |
| Weight | 2.60 lbs |
| UPC | 192876129685 |
Top 3 Features
The ZenBook 14 is packed with handy features for convenience and versatility. The backlit keyboard supports ASUS’s ErgoLift hinge, automatically adding a subtle 3 degrees tilt to the keyboard for a more desktop-like writing experience. It also features a touch screen integrated into the trackpad to display a numeric keypad for fast data entry.
The ZenBook 14 accommodates an 8th Gen Core i7 processor with 16GB of RAM. It has a PCIe NVMe SSD but with a storage capacity of 512GB.
The 14-inch FHD display enjoys what ASUS calls the NanoEdge design, a nearly bezel-free design with the screen stretching towards the very edges, relying on a frameless lid construction. Additionally, the panel has a wide viewing angle of 178 degrees, and the color reproduction is crisp.
The area where this solid-state drive laptop excels is compactness and durability. The ZenBook 14 is among the most lightweight options on the market, weighing just 2.4 pounds and measuring only 0.6 inches at its thickest point.
ASUS boasts about the 50Wh battery here with an impressive 13 hours of battery life. The ZenBook 14 offers humble connectivity options with an HDMI port, USB 3.1 Type-A and USB-C 3.1 ports, an audio jack, a USB 2.0 port, and a MicroSD card reader.
- Flagship processor
- PCIe NVMe SSD
- ErgoLift hinge
- ScreenPad 2.0
- Lightweight
- Low battery capacity
- No charging via USB Type-C
7. HP Pavilion (15-512GB) – Best SSD HP Laptop
Hardware Specifications
| Processor | 10th Gen Quad-Core, Intel Core i7-1065G7, 1.3GHz – 3.9GHz |
| GPU | Intel Graphics Coprocessor |
| RAM | 16GB DDR4 SDRAM (non-upgradable) |
| Size | 15.6 inches |
| Storage | 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics 515 |
| Display | Full HD (1920 x 1080) |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Pro |
| Battery Life | 10 hours |
| Weight | 4.08 lbs |
| UPC | 192545180207 |
Top 3 Features
HP Pavilion checks all the right boxes that define an excellent business laptop. It comes with Intel’s latest 10th Gen Core i7 processor, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, and 512GB SSD, combining to deliver a buttery smooth experience with fast loading and data transfer times.
Wi-Fi 6 technology is here! The ultrafast Giga-Bit connection will boost everything you do online, whether it’s checking emails, joining video meetings, or browsing the web. As you’ll be spending more time online, you want to make sure your activity on the web is private and secure. Here comes Windows 10 Pro with its anti-malware and anti-ransomware tools.
Our only complaint is the lack of a dedicated GPU. The Intel Graphics Coprocessor doesn’t live up to the standards set by graphics cards from NVIDIA and AMD. This shouldn’t be an issue, though, as most business-related software isn’t graphically demanding by any means.
Finally, the HP Pavilion comes with a decent battery life of 10 hours and keeps a manageable form factor at around 4 pounds. The battery performance and lightweight ensure you can slip from one meeting to the next with zero hassles.
- Flagship processor
- Wi-Fi 6 technology
- 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD
- Windows 10 Pro with anti-ransomware features
- Non-upgradable RAM
8. Dell Inspiron 7000 – Top SSD Under $700
Hardware Specifications
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 2500U Quad-Core, 2.0GHz – 3.60GHz |
| RAM | 8GB DDR4 2400 memory |
| Size | 13.3 inches |
| Storage | 256 PCIe SSD |
| GPU | AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 |
| Display | Full HD (1920 x 1080) touchscreen |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
| Battery Life | 7.5 hours |
| Weight | 3.8 lbs |
| UPC | 603882180855 |
Top 3 Features
Just like the HP Spectre x360, Dell’s Inspiron 7000 comes with flexible hinges that allow the display to bend to the back, a touchscreen, and a fast PCIe SSD.
However, the Dell Inspiron 7000 sets to deliver a budget yet capable laptop; that’s why we see some compromises to the performance than its HP Spectre counterpart. The laptop comes with a humble 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD storage, and a less powerful CPU and GPU.
Such specs are enough for most people. So, before spending big bucks on the flagship laptop, assess your usage scenarios, and see if you can save yourself some money and go with the laptop under $700.
- Affordable
- Ergonomic hinge design
- PCIe SSD
- Versatile collection of ports
- Short battery life
- Limited storage
9. Acer Swift 3 – Cheapest SSD Laptop
Hardware Specifications
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 4700U, Octa-Core Mobile Processor (Up to 4.1 GHz) |
| RAM | 8GB LPDDR4 memory |
| Size | 14 inches |
| Storage | 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD |
| GPU | Radeon Graphics |
| Display | Full HD (1920 x 1080) |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
| Battery Life | 12-13 hours |
| Weight | 2.56 lbs |
| UPC | 193199796288 |
Top 3 Features
The polished silver finish gives a business look to the Acer Swift 3. It actually compares well with the other business SSD laptop entry on our list: the HP Pavilion. They both come with Wi-Fi 6, Alexa voice assistant, and 512GB of PCIe NVMe SSD.
When it comes to the processor, the Acer Swift goes with AMD instead of Intel. It’s powered by an Octa-Core processor, compared to a Quad-core in the HP Pavilion. However, the Pavilion takes the lead in terms of RAM; you get 16GB instead of only 8GB on the Swift 3. So, you can expect better multitasking on the Pavilion’s side.
Just like the ASUS VivoBook S410, the Acer Swift 3 fits a 14-inch display in a 13-inch laptop chassis. This way, you get more screen real estate on the same portable form factor.
Furthermore, the performance here is top-notch; you get up to 13 hours on a single charge. This is more than just enough to get you through a full day of meetings and presentations.
The Acer Swift 3 takes a well-balanced approach with all its specs and features to deliver a compelling SSD laptop package at an affordable price.
- Flagship processor
- 512GB of NVMe SSD
- Lightweight
- Clean design
- Limited RAM
10. Dell XPS 15 9570
Hardware Specifications
| Processor | 8th Gen 6-Core, Intel Core i7-8750H, up to 4.1GHz, 9MB cache |
| RAM | 32GB DDR4 2666MHz RAM |
| Size | 15.6 inches |
| Storage | 1TB M.2 PCIe SSD |
| GPU | 4GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Graphics |
| Display | 4k UHD (3840 x 2160) |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Pro |
| Battery Life | 6 hours |
| Weight | 3.97 lbs |
| UPC | 884116298359 |
Top 3 Features
The Dell XPS 9570 is a fitting wrap-up for our list, powered by a 6-core 8th Gen Core i7 processor with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage. Unlike SATA-based SSDS, the PCIe SSD here connects directly to the motherboard, allowing for faster signaling compared to the average SSD that uses cables.
Featuring a razor-sharp InfinityEdge touch 4K display, this display gets its vibrancy from the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti with 4GB of GDDR5 VRAM. The GPU is so powerful it can endure a multitude of graphically-demanding tasks like rendering or 4K gaming.
This 3.97-pound SSD laptop falls in the middle of the spectrum regarding portability, especially that it achieves up to 6 hours of battery life.
Despite all the bells and whistles, the XPS 9570 has short battery life. Moreover, the stereo speakers aren’t as loud as we expected. Another minimal yet inconvenient drawback is the webcam’s placement in the display chin.
- 6-core processor
- 1TB of storage
- PCIe-based SSD
- 4K display
- Fingerprint scanner
- Short battery life
- Weak speaker volume
- Inconvenient webcam placement
SSD Laptop Buyers Guide
Solid State Drives (SSDs) have already revolutionized the way we store files on our computers. Since the main memory of a computer is now solid state, there is no longer a need for a moving mechanical disk to store and retrieve data. There are many benefits to using a solid state drive instead of a conventional hard drive.
Solid state drives (SSDs) are the best internal storage device for laptop computers. They are far superior to traditional hard disk drives (HDDs) with spinning disks and mechanical arms. While hard drives can store more data and cost less per gigabyte, they’re also less reliable, heavier and slower. So let’s take a look at what’s in our SSD buying guide.
Storage
Solid-state hard drive laptops are for people who prioritize speed over storage space, which is why they’re generally more costly than HDD ones. They fall into two main categories: SATA SSDs, utilizing cables to connect to peripherals, and PCIe SSDs, which connect directly to the motherboard, accordingly running at fast write and read speeds.
RAM
Let’s assume that 8GB of RAM is the standard. Anything below that is considered to be entry-level and low-performing. Additionally, most users find 16GB of RAM adequate, whereas power users and hardcore gamers go for a future-proof 32GB.
Battery Life
For batteries, battery capacity doesn’t always reflect battery life. Most manufacturers conduct tests under certain settings for brightness and resolution to brag about how their batteries discharge slower than competitors.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an SSD?
An SSD or Solid State Drive stores data securely in integrated circuit assemblies. In other words, they’re storage units similar to flash memories. An SSD operates with no moving parts, which contributes to its fast read-write speeds and compact form.
Is SSD Better Than HDD?
YES! An SSD drive for laptops is faster than their HDD equivalents. This is because HDDs have to move mechanical parts and magnetic tape, which might throttle the speed of reading and writing data to the drive. We have an in-depth article on the pros and cons of SSD’s vs HDDs.
Which SSD is Faster?
PCIe NVMe SSDs are way faster than their SATA lll counterparts. You can get over three times faster read and write speeds. Surprisingly, the two SSD technologies are priced around the same range, so make sure you pick the higher-performing ones.
Why are SSD Laptops Expensive?
Laptops with an SSD drive are generally more expensive than other models that use HDD. The price tag goes up as we add the extra cost of the SSD itself. Nevertheless, such laptops always come with more powerful specs to go together with the fast storage, pushing the price even higher.
Conclusion
By the time you read this, you’ll have formed a good idea of the best SSD for your laptop based on your usage. It’s good news you’re considering an upgrade since SSD laptops blaze a trail in both speed and reliability.
I personally favor the HP Spectre x360 for its fine blend of performance and features, no matter what type of user you are. If you prioritize power and are willing to spend the extra cash, then the Apple MacBook Pro is at your disposal to endure the most daunting tasks.