An SSD upgrade is the most common job in our workshop at BudgetLappy, and the one that makes customers happiest – a laptop that took two minutes to boot suddenly starts in seconds. But SSD prices have jumped in 2026 (1 TB NVMe drives now cost roughly ₹12,000–₹21,000), so buying the right one matters more than ever.
Step 1: Know which SSD your laptop takes
- 2.5-inch SATA – older laptops with a hard disk bay.
- M.2 SATA – some 2015–2018 laptops (check the slot’s “key”).
- M.2 NVMe (PCIe) – most laptops from about 2018 onwards.
Search “[your model] SSD slot” or open the bottom panel. My SSD upgrade guide explains the steps.
Best NVMe SSDs for laptops
- ✓ Trusted brand
- ✓ Fast
- ✗ Prices fluctuate a lot
- ✓ Western Digital reliability
- ✓ Efficient – good for laptop battery
- ✗ Not the fastest Gen4
- ✓ Very fast
- ✗ Gen4 speed only matters if your laptop supports Gen4
- ✓ Good price for Gen4
- ✗ Fewer reviews than P310
- ✓ Lowest price for 1 TB
- ✗ Lesser-known brand
- ✗ Gen3
Best SATA SSDs (for older laptops)
- ✓ Easy HDD replacement
- ✗ —
- ✓ Low price
- ✗ Lesser-known brand
- ✓ Cheapest way to speed up an old laptop
- ✗ 256 GB fills up quickly
Gen3 vs Gen4 – does it matter?
For most laptops, you won’t feel much difference in daily use – boot and app loading are already instant on Gen3. Gen4 helps for large file transfers and video editing. Buy Gen4 only if your laptop supports it; it will work in a Gen3 slot but at Gen3 speed.
Don’t forget
As an Amazon Associate BudgetLappy earns from qualifying purchases.
Buying a laptop from BudgetLappy? Every laptop already comes with an SSD, and you can pick a 1 TB upgrade at checkout. See laptops.
How to check what your laptop supports (Windows)
- Open Device Manager → Disk drives to see your current drive model; search it online to see if it’s SATA or NVMe.
- Check your laptop’s specification sheet or service manual for “M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe” or “2.5-inch SATA”.
- For Gen4 support, the spec sheet will say “PCIe 4.0”.
DRAM cache, HMB and why some SSDs slow down
Many affordable NVMe SSDs don’t have their own DRAM cache and use a slice of your system RAM (HMB). For normal laptop use – booting, apps, documents – they perform great. Where they slow down is long, continuous writes, like copying 100 GB of video. If you edit video regularly, a higher-end drive helps; for everyone else, a reputable budget NVMe is enough.
Warranty and TBW
Look at two numbers on the box: warranty years (3–5 years is good) and TBW (terabytes written – how much data the drive is rated to write). For a normal laptop user writing 20–30 GB a day, even a 300–600 TBW drive lasts many years.
Why SSD prices went up in 2026
NAND flash and DRAM prices rose sharply from late 2025 because manufacturers shifted capacity to AI servers. If your laptop has a hard disk, though, an SSD is still the single best upgrade – even a 256 GB SATA drive transforms an old laptop.
Cloning or fresh install?
I prefer a fresh Windows install on the new SSD – it removes years of clutter. If you want to keep everything as it is, clone using the SSD brand’s tool and a USB enclosure. Most laptops activate Windows automatically after a fresh install because the licence is stored in the motherboard.
More FAQs
Can I use a Gen4 SSD in a Gen3 laptop?
Yes, it works at Gen3 speed.
Do I need a heatsink?
Not in most laptops – there’s usually no space. Heatsinks are for desktops and PS5.
Which is more important: SSD or RAM upgrade?
If you have a hard disk, SSD first. If you already have an SSD and 8 GB, add RAM.
– Vishal Jethwani, Founder, BudgetLappy. Amazon links are affiliate links.