The 11 best SSD for video editing
Solid-state drives (SSDs) have become increasingly popular in recent years due to their faster performance and reliability compared to traditional hard disk drives (HDDs). When it comes to video editing, an SSD can make a significant difference in the speed and efficiency of the editing process. The best SSD for video editing should have a high read and write speed, a large storage capacity, and a reliable build.
One of the most important factors to consider when choosing an SSD for video editing is the read and write speed. The faster the drive can read and write data, the quicker your videos will load and the faster your edits will be saved. Look for an SSD with a minimum read speed of 550MB/s and write speed of 500MB/s.
Storage capacity is another important factor to consider. Video files can be quite large, and you’ll want to make sure you have enough storage space to keep all your projects and footage. A 1TB SSD should be sufficient for most video editors, but if you’re working on large projects or have a large collection of footage, you may want to consider a larger drive.
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Samsung T5
Capacities: 500 GB, 1/2 TB; Features: drop protection
Sequential Read/Write (Up to): 540 / 520 MB/s
Interface / Protocol: USB-C / USB 3.1 Gen 2
The Samsung T5 has a slim profile, making it easy to slip into a pocket. The drive uses a USB Type-C connection and also works with full-sized USB-A ports (both cables are included). Thanks to TurboWrite technology, the T5 does not experience significant performance drops when writing large files, despite its claimed 540MB/s data transfer rate. It has the advantage of outperforming the newer Samsung T7. Moreover, the T5 can be used as an external storage device for Black Magic Pocket Cinema Cameras as well. In addition to Black, Samsung T5 Portable SSD is available in Red, Blue, and Gold colors. The rugged metal case can withstand drops of up to two meters. Data is kept secure with the AES 256-bit hardware encryption feature.
Pros:
Lightweight and ultraportable
Performance was decent
Support for hardware encryption
Most USB-equipped devices are compatible with this device
Cons:
Black is the only color available for the 2TB version
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SanDisk Extreme V2
Capacities: 500 GB, 1/2 TB; Features: IP55 rating, drop protection
Sequential Read/Write (Up to): 1050 / 1000 MB/s
Interface / Protocol: USB-C / USB 3.2 Gen 2
As a result of its rugged design and solid performance, the SanDisk Extreme V2 offers almost double the speed of reading and writing compared to the first version. In addition, SanDisk has upgraded its hardware encryption to 256 bits for better security, from 128 bits. In addition to IP55 water and dust resistance (which means the drive is able to withstand rain and spills but not being submerged), the drive has protection against drops up to 2 meters. This hard drive has a rubberized case that is durable and easy to grip. SanDisk Extreme can be easily clipped to a bag using a carabiner, so you can use it on the go.
Pros:
Waterproof and dustproof
Speedy data transfer
In the hand, it feels sturdy
Cons:
Cables are only provided in short lengths
Activity light is not present
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Samsung X5
Capacities: 500 GB, 1/2 TB; Features: drop protection
Sequential Read/Write (Up to): 2800 / 2300 MB/s
Interface / Protocol: Thunderbolt 3 only
It is one of the fastest portable SSDs on the market. A Thunderbolt 3 interface and a 970 EVO NVMe SSD in the Samsung X5 allow you to read at 2800 MB/s and write at 2300 MB/s in serial mode. When X5 is used intensively, the controller frequency is slowed down by Dynamic Thermal Guard to prevent overheating. In real life, average readings can be slower. The ability to transmit gigabytes in a matter of seconds, however, is impressive. It can withstand drops from heights up to two meters, but it is not backwards compatible with Thunderbolt 2 or USB.
Pros:
Speeds that are unbeatable
The performance of hardware encryption is unaffected
High-quality construction
Cons:
Supports Thunderbolt 3 only
Due to heating, performance drops over time
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ADATA SE800~Best Budget SSD for video editing
Capacities: 500 GB, 1/2 TB; Features: IP68 rating, drop/shock protection
Sequential Read/Write (Up to): 1000 / 1000 MB/s
Interface / Protocol: USB-C / USB 3.1 Gen 2
The manufacturer claims the ADATA SE800 will perform up to 1000MB/s of sequential writing. In reality, its sequential writing speeds exceed 950MB/s and its fast speed drops to 700-600MB/s. It has an IP68 rating for dust and water protection, so the drive will continue to function even after 30 minutes at a depth of 1.5 meters. The drive is very compact and lightweight, and the brushed metal surface feels more premium. If you’re on a budget, the 512GB model might be a good choice. Just make sure the rubber flap covering the USB Type-C port is in place.
Pros:
Gigabytes per dollar are a good value
Rating IP68
Compact in size
Cons:
Waterproofing requires sealing the rubber end
Cables supplied are short
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Samsung 970 EVO Plus
SAMSUNG 970 EVO Plus SSD 1TB NVMe M.2 Internal Solid State
Capacities: 250/500 GB, 1/2 TB; Form Factor: M.2 2280
Sequential Read/Write (Up to): 3500 / 3200 MB/s; Warranty: 5 Years
Interface/Protocol: PCIe 3.0 x4 / NVMe 1.3; Endurance (Up to): 1200 TBW
One of Samsung’s first SSDs, the 970 EVO Plus uses 96-layer memory TLC 3D V-NAND. If your motherboard supports PCI-Express 3.0 x4, it can write at speeds of up to 3.2-3.3 GB/s. As important as the sustained speeds that exceed 1.5 GB/s for large video files is the hardware-based encryption offered with 970 EVO Plus. The drive does not overheat. You can copy your data from your old drive easily using branded software that utilizes Dynamic Thermal Guard technology.
Pros:
Reliable and fast
Per gigabyte cost that is reasonable
Software bundles that are useful
Cons:
Saturation of the buffer results in a performance drop
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Crucial MX500
Capacities: 250/500 GB, 1/2 TB; Form Factor: 2.5″ / M.2 2280
Sequential Read/Write (Up to): 560 / 510 MB/s; Warranty: 5 Years
Interface/Protocol: SATA 3 / AHCI; Endurance (Up to): 700 TBW
The Crucial MX500 is available in M.2 as well as 2.5-inch form. The 2.5-inch version is the cheapest option when upgrading your PC or laptop. It reads and writes at 560/510 MB/s and is a good performer for a SATA drive. As far as durability goes, it’s 40% slower than the mentioned Samsung 970 EVO Plus when it comes to Terabytes Written (TBW). Meanwhile, the 2TB version can store 380GB of data a day for five years. Thus, it is generally recommended that you buy the largest capacity you can afford for your drive.
Pros:
Price-to-quality ratio is excellent
In its class, it performs well
Two versions of SATA are available: 2.5-inch and M.2
Cons:
Endurance rating below average
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Samsung SSD 860 PRO
Samsung SSD 860 PRO 2TB 2.5 Inch SATA III
Capacities: 256/512 GB, 1/2/4 TB; Form Factor: 2.5″
Sequential Read/Write (Up to): 560 / 530 MB/s; Warranty: 5 Years
Interface/Protocol: SATA 3 / AHCI; Endurance (Up to): 4800 TBW
As a result, Samsung 860 PRO SSD is capable of handling heavy workloads. The drive is equipped with MLC V-NAND chips with a much better write endurance than TLC chips (for instance, 1200 TBW for one TB model). SATA interfaces limit write speeds to 530MB/s, but they remain constant for long writes. Despite its high price, it can be installed in nearly any PC or Mac due to its 2.5-inch form factor. Professionals who work with 4K videos understand that additional costs will also increase reliability.
Pros:
Reliability beyond compare
Speeds that are consistent throughout the memory
Up to 4TB of storage capacity
Cons:
Per gigabyte, the cost is high
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ADATA XPG Gammix S50 Lite
Capacities: 1/2 TB; Form Factor: M.2 2280
Sequential Read/Write (Up to): 3900 / 3200 MB/s; Warranty: 5 Years
Interface/Protocol: PCIe 4.0 x4 / NVMe 1.4; Endurance (Up to): 1480 TBW
With a price that is highly competitive, the XPG Gammix S50 Lite is an entry-level NVMe drive that supports PCIe Gen4 and offers maximum speeds of 3.9/3.2 GB/s. With the 2TB option, you’ll only notice this when writing large files from 350GB, but once the SLC cache has been filled, performance drops to 450 MB/s. In most scenarios, S50 Lite works just as well as more expensive SSDs. A 256-bit AES encryption algorithm is also supported on the drive. The aluminum heat spreader lets the drive run cooler under load, resulting in a 20% drop in temperature.
Pros:
Performing well in all areas
Price that is affordable
Heatsink included
Cons:
Long-form writing slows down
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WD Black SN850~BestSSD for Gamers
WD_BLACK 2TB SN850 NVMe SSD
Capacities: 250/500 GB, 1/2 TB; Form Factor: M.2 2280
Sequential Read/Write (Up to): 7000 / 5300 MB/s; Warranty: 5 Years
Interface/Protocol: PCIe 4.0 x4 / NVMe 1.4; Endurance (Up to): 1200 TBW
The WD Black SN850 has the fastest write speed on the market. In terms of sequential read performance, WD’s flagship NVMe SSD reaches 7GB/s and writes at 5.3GB/s (1TB model). PCIe 4.0 is much closer to being fully utilized. This drive is excellent for handling large files, but gets hot under load. Thermal throttling does not occur, though a beefier heat spreader would be helpful. While designed for gamers, the SN850 is also great for creative professionals. Through the WD Dashboard software, the RGB-enabled heatsink can be activated for maximum performance.
Pros:
Fastest in the world
PCIe Gen 4 standard is future-proof
Features that are friendly to gamers
Cons:
Incapable of supporting hardware encryption
Buyer’s Guide
There are several things to consider when choosing a storage device for video editing. An SSD is faster than an old hard drive in every day use.
How to Choose a Suitable SSD
Internal SSDs
Depending on your laptop or motherboard specification, you will need to use a different hardware connection and software interface for internal SSDs. They come in several standardized sizes called form factors:
2.5-inch SATA:
Using an adapter, these drives can be mounted in either 2.5″ or 3.5″ bays, because they look like normal hard drives. With a SATA interface, the sequential read speed is 560 MB/s and the sequential write speed is 530 MB/s.
M.2:
Compact SSDs have become the standard for laptops, but M.2 slots are also found in desktop motherboards. M.2 SSDs can be over SATA or PCI Express interfaces, with size specifications specifying the drive’s size in four- or five-digit codes, such as M.2 2280 or M.2 2242. Drives of this type are only 22mm wide and up to 80mm long. They are much faster and typically support NVMe, an SSD-specific protocol.
Check your device’s manual before purchasing a drive for your M.2 slot to find out if it supports both SATA and NVMe drives.
An add-in card (AIC) is installed in a PCIe expansion slot on the motherboard. Due to their large size, AICs can be used to install more memory chips and provide good cooling, so they are the ideal choice for applications that need a high capacity and maximum data transfer rate under prolonged load. However, the high price and limited space make these SSDs niche products.
This form factor is typically used in enterprise NVM drives and produces high-performance, high-capacity drives.
External SSDs
The Thunderbolt 3 SSDs of today are more powerful than USB 3 SSDs when connected to compatible devices. However, when connected to devices that support Thunderbolt 3, they are substantially faster than USB 3 SSDs.
The Difference Between SLC, MLC, TLC, and QLC Flash Memory
In SSDs, flash memory is used, also known as NAND (or 3D V-NAND if multiple planar layers are stacked one over another). It is possible for each cell to store not one but several bits (1 or 0) simultaneously. There are four types of memory. As the number of bits increases, the information density goes up, but the memory resource also drops.
There is only one bit of data stored in each SLC cell, resulting in a very fast and reliable data transfer rate. Due to its low density, these types of memory units have been pushed aside by newer storage devices due to their decreased density.
There are two bits of information stored in each MLC cell, providing great endurance and long-term performance. Samsung uses MLC cells in certain of their drives. They provide two bits of information, and the advantages are strong endurance and long-term performance.
As a result of its high density, TLC (Triple-Level Cell) memory allows for relatively inexpensive, high-capacity solutions. Manufacturers solve lower speed compared to MLC in different ways. SLC cache, for example, is used when a small amount of memory is stored in single bit format. Despite the fact that the Kioxia Exceria Plus SSD and the flagship PCIe Gen 4 drives remain fast even with TLC mode when the cache is full.
The Quad-Level Cell (QLC) will lead to an even more capacious and affordable SSD by storing four bits per cell. However, QLC drives are typically slower, and they will degrade more rapidly with continuous use (as in video editing).
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SSD VS HDD for Video Editing
It will take almost no time to render when you move from a hard drive to an SSD, but you’ll be able to load the program faster, export videos more quickly, and transfer files from the camera much faster. When you have multiple streams of footage, a faster SSD will provide more responsive scrubbing and easier timeline navigation. In addition to being useful as a scratch disk, SSDs can also be used by professionals to store temporary data. In addition, high-capacity HDDs are still a good option for storing projects once you have finished editing them.
What is SSD Endurance?
The Terabytes Written (TBW) parameter is usually specified in the specifications by manufacturers. A SSD can write terabytes of data before it is considered to fail. SSDs often exceed this limit, but for video editing storage, a higher TBW value is better. You should consider Samsung drives with 2 bit MLC memory if you work with huge amounts of data.