There are a lot of Solid State Drives or SSD’s in the market each with a different company and a different name. It gets confusing for an average consumer, this is why I have created a list of all the budget and mid-range SSD’s available in Pakistan.
If you do not see an SSD on this list, it is because I do not think anyone should buy that SSD or it is not available in Pakistan at the time of writing this article. I only recommend the SSD’s given in this list. An example of an SSD I do not recommend is WD Green.
This article is going to cover all the basic details a newbie needs to make an SSD purchase.
If you are only interested in the list. Click on the first SSD from the table of contents below.
- Do Not Buy a QLC SSD!
- What Disk Space Should One Choose?
- Sequential VS Random Performance?
- SSD Life or Durability:
- Is DRAM Buffer Important?
- 12) Hikvision C100
- 11) Adata SU 650
- 10) Lexar NS 100
- 9) Addlink S20
- 8) Adata SU750
- 7) Gigabyte UD Pro
- 6) Gigabyte 256GB SSD
- 5) Adata SU800
- 4) Transcend 230s
- 3) Adata SU900
- 2) Adata XPG SX 950/950U
- 1) Samsung 860 EVO:
- Recommendations:
Do Not Buy a QLC SSD!
If you are buying an SSD in disk space less than 1TB, do not even consider a QLC SSD. If you are not sure what is a QLC SSD, this is for you:
Types of SSD’s and QLC explained
All of the SSD’s in this list is going to be either TLC or MLC since I am going to recommend SSD’s with around 250 GB disk space. For disk space less than 1 TB, TLC SSD is the sweet spot for price/performance.
A QLC SSD starts suffering from low speed and performance when it is filled more than 50% while a TLC SSD starts this at 80% on average.
So, please do not buy SSDs like Adata SU630 in less than 1 TB disk space.
What Disk Space Should One Choose?
An SSD performance and durability change drastically from 120GB to 240GB. Even the theoretical numbers posted on the SSD official specifications indicate a huge performance difference between 128GB and 256GB versions.
The performance difference between 256GB and 512GB also exists but not as much as from 128GB to 256GB.
Let’s look at some specification sheets to understand this. Look at the highlighted boxes in the images of the specification sheet below.
As you can see in the above image, the speed in random read/write is significantly lower for a 128GB SSD compared to the 256GB version. The difference between 256GB and 512GB SSD is not that huge.
Now let’s look at another example, as this is true for 90% SSDs on the market. The rest of the 10% SSDs fall in the premium category.
Even the life and durability of an SSD changes with its flash memory size.
Therefore, anyone looking to buy an SSD should choose at least 240GB or 256GB version of any TLC or MLC type SSD.
Sequential VS Random Performance?
Most of the numbers you see on the box of SSDs are Sequential read/write numbers, which are more or less above 500 MB/s for every SSD.
But the Sequential Read/Write is only important for copying and pasting large files from one location to second or some other basic tasks.
The Real-Life performance is indicated by Random Read/Write speeds of an SSD. Random speeds are measured in IOPS (Input-Output Operations Per Second).
This is the reason why the High-End SSDs have the same Sequential Performance to Budget SSDs while their Random Read/Write performance is a lot better.
So look at the Random Read/Writes instead of Sequential for an SSD.
Fun Fact: The Sequential speed of an SSD is 3-4 times of a Hard Drive while the Random Speed of an SSD is like 200 times more than a Hard Drive.
If you want to understand IOPS and Storage Performance more, I have written a complete article on storage performance. Go to the Heading “Smartphone Storage Performance” in the following “Storage Performance Importance” article to understand IOPS.
SSD Life or Durability:
SSD life is predicted by Terabyte Written (TBW) and official warranty. In the case of Samsung 860 EVO, Samsung says either 5 years warranty or 150 TBW, whichever comes first.
But in Pakistan, we only get 10 months warranty, so this does not apply here. We have to rely on TBW and a puny 10 months or 1-year warranty.
Terabyte Written (TBW) means how many Terabytes (1TB= 1000GB in this case) you can write on an SSD before it dies. So the more TBW means more life.
MTBF or Mean Time between Failures is also given in the SSD Specs but this unit is more useful for a Hard Drive, as there are no moving parts in an SSD.
Is DRAM Buffer Important?
0ne of the most confusing question is how much a DRAM matter in an SSD. The simple answer is, it is nice to have but it is by no means compulsory.
What is a DRAM?
A DRAM is an extra memory of 256MB or 512MB separate to the 240GB or 256GB specified on the SSD. It is usually 1MB for each GB of space, so a 1TB SSD would normally have 1GB DRAM.
What does a DRAM do?
A DRAM stores a map of all of the data on the SSD flash. So if we need to access some data stored on the SSD, the operating system would first access the DRAM on the SSD to locate the data first and then direct the CPU to that data location.
Without a DRAM, the operating system stores this map on the SSD Nand flash itself which is relatively slower than DRAM and also increases the usage of memory cells of an SSD which in turn reduces life span.
A DRAM is really beneficial if you need really good Random Read/Writes or you are going to use the SSD space more than 85%. After 85%, without a DRAM, the SSD slows down a lot.
One more benefit of having a DRAM buffer is that the drive does not need to use the memory cells as often to locate the data. This enhances the life of an SSD.
The performance of an SSD is almost the same even without a DRAM,
The list is in ascending order.
Let’s start the list now.
12) Hikvision C100
Hikvision is not a very renowned name when it comes to SSD’s. There are two SSD’s of Hikvision in the market. E100 and C100 are the names of the two SSD’s.
The Hikvision E100 seems more appealing at first glance due to the 256GB variant, unlike the Hikvision C100 240GB variant. But do not let the disk space fool you, the Hikvision C100 is a lot better in performance than Hikvision E100.
The Hikvision is a lot better than WD Green or Maxtor Z1 for sure too. If you can find this SSD for a good price, do not hesitate to buy it.
This SSD belongs in a budget computer of around 50-70K.
| Specifications: | Hikvision C100 |
|---|---|
| Storage | 240 GB |
| Sequential Read | 550 MB/s |
| Sequential Write | 502 MB/s |
| Random Read | |
| Random Write | |
| TBW | |
| DRAM | No |
| Price | 5200-6800 PKR |
| Official Distributor in Pakistan | Daraz.pk |
Hikvision Specifications and Data Sheet Link:
Rating:
Where to Buy:
TechGlobe.pk Link
Techmen.com Link
MegaComputer.pk Link
Daraz.pk Link
Galaxy.pk Link
11) Adata SU 650
Adata SU 650 is widely available in Pakistani Stores and is a really decent SSD for its price. This SSD should be the bare minimum if you plan to buy an Adata SSD.
The Adata SU 630 is a QLC, so do not even think about that. You should only consider a QLC SSD once you get to 1TB or 2TB disk space. The Adata SU 650 is a TLC but does not have a DRAM as it is a budget SSD.
You should consider this SSD if you are not sure what SSD to buy, want to upgrade an old laptop or PC, and you have a tight budget. Otherwise, I recommend a minimum of Adata SU 800 is the Adata SSD line.
This SSD also belongs in a computer costing less than 70K.
| Specifications: | Adata SU 650 |
|---|---|
| Storage | 240 GB |
| Sequential Read | 520 MB/s |
| Sequential Write | 450 MB/s |
| Random Read | 40 K (IOPS) |
| Random Write | 75 K (IOPS) |
| TBW | 140 TB |
| DRAM | No |
| Price | 6500-7000 PKR |
| Official Distributor in Pakistan | Daraz.pk, myshoponline, PakDukaan |
Data or Spec Sheet for Adata SU 650:
Rating:
Where to Buy:
PakDukaan.com Link
MegaComputer.pk Link
MyShop.pk Link
Daraz.pk Link
10) Lexar NS 100
Lexar is a known brand in storage but not so much in Pakistan, they do not even have an Official Distributor in Pakistan. This SSD Lexar NS 100 is really good for its price.
If I had a budget of around 6500 Rs and I needed an SSD for basic needs, this is the SSD that I would choose. The Lexar NS 100 beats every other SSD in its price range.
| Specifications: | Lexar NS100 |
|---|---|
| Storage | 256 GB |
| Sequential Read | 520 MB/s |
| Sequential Write | 520 MB/s |
| Random Read | |
| Random Write | |
| TBW | 128 TB |
| DRAM | No |
| Price | 6400-7200 PKR |
| Official Distributor in Pakistan | N/A |
Lexar NS 100 Specifications Link:
Rating:
Where to Buy:
Daraz.pk Link
Galaxy.pk Link
Industech.pk Link
Shingpoint.com Link
9) Addlink S20
Addlink is another new name among SSD storage companies but still, they managed to release a decent SSD name Addlink S20.
This SSD also do not have any DRAM Cache as it is also a budget SSD. This SSD is really good but due to its price, it not the best among DRAM less SSDs. If this was priced around 6500 rs in Pakistan, there would be no competition for this drive.
| Specifications: | Addlink S20 |
|---|---|
| Storage | 256 GB |
| Sequential Read | 510 MB/s |
| Sequential Write | 400 MB/s |
| Random Read | |
| Random Write | |
| TBW | 130 TB |
| DRAM | No |
| Price | 7100-7700 PKR |
| Official Distributor in Pakistan | N/A |
Addlink S20 SSD official page link:
Rating:
Where to Buy:
PakDukaan.com Link
Eitimad.com Link
Industech.pk Link
8) Adata SU750
Adata SU750 is an SSD that is just to fill all the price segments, I think. This SSD is a little bit better than Adata SU650 and is inferior to Adata SU800.
Adata SU750 also do not have a DRAM buffer, don’t be fooled by their advertisement. It says in their specification sheet that Adata SU750 has a DRAM but it does not.
Still, the performance is not too shabby, this is definitely better than Addlink S20 or Lexar NS100. The Adata SU750 is one of the best budget SSDs in this range.
This SSD belongs in a PC under 100k.
| Specifications: | Adata SU750 |
|---|---|
| Storage | 256 GB |
| Sequential Read | 550 MB/s |
| Sequential Write | 520 MB/s |
| Random Read | 65K (IOPS) |
| Random Write | 75K (IOPS) |
| TBW | 200 TB |
| DRAM | No |
| Price | 7000-7500 PKR |
| Official Distributor in Pakistan | Daraz, Pakdukaan, Myshoponline |
Adata SU750 Specification Sheet:
Rating:
Where to Buy:
Galaxy.pk Link
Pakdukaan.com Link
Techbrandstore.com Link
Czone.com Link
7) Gigabyte UD Pro
Gigabyte UD Pro is an overhyped SSD by Gigabyte and it costed equal to Crucial MX 500 back in 2018. For that price, this is not a good deal at all.
But now that the price has settled down, and for 8000 Rs, it is a decent SSD with a DRAM Buffer of 256 DDR3. This is one of the few SSDs in this range that contains a DRAM cache.
The Gigabyte UD Pro performs on par with budget or mid-tier SSDs but under heavy parallel load, it can beat any Budget SSD without a DRAM buffer.
Do not confuse the Gigabyte UD Pro 256GB (GP-GSTFS30256GTTD) with Gigabyte 256GB SSD (GP-GSTFS31256GTND), they are separate.
This SSD belongs in a PC of 100-130K price range.
| Specifications: | Gigabyte UD Pro |
|---|---|
| Storage | 256 GB |
| Sequential Read | 530 MB/s |
| Sequential Write | 500 MB/s |
| Random Read | 70K (IOPS) |
| Random Write | 40K (IOPS) |
| TBW | 100 TB |
| DRAM | 256 MB DDR3 |
| Price | 7800 PKR |
| Official Distributor in Pakistan | Easetec.com.pk |
Gigabyte UD Pro Specifications Link:
Rating:
Where to Buy:
Shophive.com Link
Industech.com Link
Rocket.pk Link
6) Gigabyte 256GB SSD
This is a nameless SSD from Gigabyte. This SSD is a different one and a little bit newer than Gigabyte UD Pro. This SSD is DRAMless but it is a lot better in speed than the Gigabyte UD Pro for some strange reason.
This is the best DRAMless SSD in the Pakistani Market right now. So if you are looking for a fast and cheap SSD, this should be your choice. But keep in mind, that a DRAMless SSD becomes really slow after it is 90% full.
This SSD normally comes in 240GB, the 240GB is still faster than UD Pro 256GB version. But I recommend the 256GB version of this SSD which is blazing fast compared to UD Pro or Adata SU750.
Do not confuse the Gigabyte UD Pro 256GB (GP-GSTFS30256GTTD) with Gigabyte 256GB SSD (GP-GSTFS31256GTND), they are separate.
This SSD belongs in a 100K price range PC.
| Specifications: | Gigabyte UD Pro |
|---|---|
| Storage | 240-256 GB |
| Sequential Read | 520 MB/s |
| Sequential Write | 500 MB/s |
| Random Read | 80K (IOPS) |
| Random Write | 85K (IOPS) |
| TBW | 100 TB |
| DRAM | No |
| Price | 6800-7500 PKR |
| Official Distributor in Pakistan | Easetec.com.pk |
Gigabyte 256GB SSD Specifications Official Page Link:
Rating:
Where to Buy:
PcFanatics.pk Link
Shopperspk.com Link
Galaxy.pk Link
Shophive.com Link
5) Adata SU800
This SSD is a mid-range SSDs and does not cost a lot. Adata has a lot of SSDs and official distributors in Pakistan, so it makes a lot of sense to buy from them.
Adata SU800 also has a DDR3 Ram Buffer which would help in longevity and performance in the long run.
If you have a PC above 150k, you should buy this SSD at least and refrain from budget SSDs like Adata SU650, Kingston A400, or WD Green.
| Specifications: | Adata SU800 |
|---|---|
| Storage | 256 GB |
| Sequential Read | 560 MB/s |
| Sequential Write | 520 MB/s |
| Random Read | 80K (IOPS) |
| Random Write | 85K (IOPS) |
| TBW | 200 TB |
| DRAM | 512 MB DDR3 |
| Price | 7600-9000 PKR |
| Official Distributor in Pakistan | Daraz, Pakdukaan, Myshoponline |
Where to Buy:
Pakdukaan Link:
LaptopSpares.pk
Megacomputer.pk
Daraz.pk Link
4) Transcend 230s
I was really shocked by the performance of Transcend 230s SSD, it easily rivals any other Midrange SSD in the price range of about 8000 Rs.
It comes with 256MB DDR3 Cache too. The performance, durability, and price/performance ratio value for this SSD is really good for the price.
This is my recommendation for anyone who just wants to go and buy a good SSD without researching for hours. This SSD belongs in a 150K price range PC in Pakistan.
| Specifications: | Transcend 230s |
|---|---|
| Storage | 256 GB |
| Sequential Read | 530 MB/s |
| Sequential Write | 400 MB/s |
| Random Read | 65K (IOPS) |
| Random Write | 85K (IOPS) |
| TBW | 140 TB |
| DRAM | 256 MB DDR3 |
| Price | 7800-8000 PKR |
| Official Distributor in Pakistan | Daraz, Shophive, Ishopping, Homeshopping |
Transcend 230s SSD product specifications Page:
Rating:
Where to Buy:
Pakdukaan Link
Shopperspk.com Link
Eitimad.com Link
Galaxy.pk Link
3) Adata SU900
The Adata SU900 was released in 2017 instead of 2018 like most of the SSDs on this list. Due to this SSD being old, it is an MLC instead of a TLC. An MLC Nand Flash is only found in High-End SSDs like Samsung 860 Pro.
The Adata SU900 being an MLC Flash SSD would last longer than any of your other PC components (excluding CPU). This is one of a kind considering the price is around 9000 Rs, which is mind-blowing for an MLC.
Read this to understand the benefits of MLC types of SSDs better.
Types of SSD’s and QLC explained
This is definitely not the fastest SSD on the list. It is actually a little bit slower than Adata SU800 but the MLC durability makes up for it in the long run. But it the most responsive SSD on the list.
This is available in some stores only as the stock might run out in a year. So buy it quickly if you plan on buying an MLC SSD.
| Specifications: | Adata SU900 |
|---|---|
| Storage | 256 GB |
| Sequential Read | 560 MB/s |
| Sequential Write | 520 MB/s |
| Random Read | 80K (IOPS) |
| Random Write | 90K (IOPS) |
| TBW | 200 TB |
| DRAM | 256 MB DDR3 |
| Price | 8300-9500 PKR |
| Official Distributor in Pakistan | Daraz, Pakdukaan, myshoponline |
Adata SU900 official Specification sheet:
Rating:
Where to Buy:
TechGlobe.pk Link
Galaxy.pk Link
Pakdukaan Link
Shopperspk.com Link
Shophive Link
2) Adata XPG SX 950/950U
I have combined SX 950 and SX 950U under this heading. They are not the same SSDs by any means. The Adata XPG 950 is an MLC Flash SSD and is a little bit older than the 950U.
The Adata XPG SX 950U is a TLC Flash SSD and is a little bit faster than SX 950. The reason for combining these two is the availability, only one or the other is available at certain stores and they are both comparable.
This SSD is definitely the fastest on this list without any doubt even beating Samsung 860 Evo in most of the tests.
This SSD belongs in a High-End Gaming PC like in the price range of around 200K.
| Specifications: | Adata XPG SX 950 |
|---|---|
| Storage | 240 GB |
| Sequential Read | 560 MB/s |
| Sequential Write | 520 MB/s |
| Random Read | 80K (IOPS) |
| Random Write | 90K (IOPS) |
| TBW | 200 TB |
| DRAM | 256 MB DDR3 |
| Price | 7200-9000 PKR |
| Official Distributor in Pakistan | Daraz, Pakdukaan, myshoponline |
Adata XPG SX 950 Specification Page:
Adata XPG SX 950U Specification Page:
Rating:
Where to Buy:
For XPG SX 950:
TechGlobe.pk Link
Shopperpk.com Link
MyShop.pk Link
For XPG SX 950U:
Megacomputer.pk Link
Shophive.com Link
1) Samsung 860 EVO:
This should not be a surprise to anyone, the Samsung EVO series has been the budget SSD champion for a long time now.
The Samsung 860 EVO has a freaking 512 MB DDR4 in a 250 GB capacity which is unheard of in a 250 GB model.
The Samsung 860 EVO is not very fast in sequential Speeds, it is rather average when it comes to Sequential Speeds. But the Random Read/Write speeds on this SSD is better than any other SSD on the list.
Another reason as to why the Samsung 860 EVO is praised so much is because of consistent performance throughout its life. Under a lot of parallel threads and heavy load, no SSD comes close to delivering the performance of 860 EVO.
One thing to note that there is no official distributor of Samsung in Pakistan. I would have loved to get that 5 years warranty. But instead, we only get a measly 10-month warranty.
That being said, even for a budget SSD, this SSD is expensive for a lot of people. But trust me, it is worth every penny.
This SSD belongs in PC of price range around 200K.
| Specifications: | Samsung 860 EVO |
|---|---|
| Storage | 250 GB |
| Sequential Read | 550 MB/s |
| Sequential Write | 520 MB/s |
| Random Read | 98K (IOPS) |
| Random Write | 90K (IOPS) |
| TBW | 150 TB |
| DRAM | 512 MB DDR4 |
| Price | 8900-9500 PKR |
| Official Distributor in Pakistan | N/A |
Samsung 860 EVO official Specifications Page:
Rating:
Where to Buy:
Shopperspk.com Link
Czone.com.pk Link
Citys.pk Link
Pcfanatics.pk Link
Sktech.pk
Recommendations:
First some tips for buyers:
Now I am going to give some personal recommendations for my favorite picks from the list.
