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SSD price per gigabyte tells you how much a drive costs for each gigabyte of its advertised capacity. It is a useful first-pass way to compare storage costs, but it is not a score for speed, compatibility, endurance, or overall value. Calculate it to narrow your options, then check whether the drive fits your device and suits the way you will use it.
How to calculate SSD price per gigabyte
Divide the listed price by the drive’s advertised capacity in gigabytes:
Listed price ÷ advertised capacity in GB = price per advertised GB
For example, a hypothetical drive listed at $100 with 1,000GB of advertised capacity costs $0.10 per advertised GB. This illustrates the calculation; it is not a current offer or a market benchmark.
#1 Best Overall
- MEET THE NEXT GEN: Consider this a cheat code; Our Samsung 990 PRO Gen4 SSD helps you reach near max performance with lightning-fast speeds; Whether you’re a hardcore gamer or a tech guru, you’ll get power efficiency built for the final boss
- REACH THE NEXT LEVEL: Gen4 steps up with faster transfer speeds and high-performance bandwidth; With a more than 55% improvement in random performance compared to 980 PRO, it’s here for heavy computing and faster loading
- THE FASTEST SSD FROM THE WORLD'S FLASH MEMORY BRAND: The speed you need for any occasion; With read and write speeds up to 7450/6900 MB/s you’ll reach near max performance of PCIe 4.0 powering through for any use
- PLAY WITHOUT LIMITS: Give yourself some space with storage capacities from 1TB to 4TB; Sync all your saves and reign supreme in gaming, video editing, data analysis and more
- IT’S A POWER MOVE: Save the power for your performance; Get power efficiency all while experiencing up to 50% improved performance per watt over the 980 PRO; It makes every move more effective with less consumption
The denominator matters: manufacturers advertise capacity using their stated conventions, and the space available to use can differ. GIGABYTE says its capacity notation uses 1GB = 1 billion bytes and notes that actual usable capacity may vary (GIGABYTE product specifications).
What the ratio helps you compare
Price per advertised GB normalizes the price of drives with different capacities. It can show that a larger drive costs less per gigabyte than a smaller one. That is useful when comparing options in the capacity and specification range you actually need.
Rank #2
- Ideal for high speed, low power storage
- Gen 4x4 NVMe PCle performance
- Up to 6,000MB/s read, 4,000MB/s write
- Includes Acronis cloning software
- 5-year limited warranty
It does not mean the larger drive is automatically the better buy. A lower unit cost cannot tell you whether you will use the extra space, whether the SSD works in your device, or whether its performance and warranty suit your needs. Compare compatible drives on a like-for-like basis rather than treating the ratio as a universal ranking.
What price per gigabyte leaves out
Compatibility and physical fit
SSDs differ in interface and form factor. Check your device’s supported interface, the drive’s physical size and length, and any clearance requirements before buying. For example, GIGABYTE lists one 1TB model as M.2 2280, PCI-Express 3.0 x4, and NVMe 1.3. Those are specifications for that model, not requirements shared by every SSD (GIGABYTE product specifications).
Rank #3
- SPEED UP PROJECTS. Launch creator applications fast with uncompromising PCIe 4.0 read speeds up to 7,100MB/s,[2] (1TB and 2TB[1] models) and write speeds up to 6,700MB/s[2] (1TB[1]-4TB[1] models).
- CREATE AND STORE MORE. Make more room for your 4K videos and high-resolution images with capacities from 500GB[1] up to 4TB[1] on M.2 2280 built with our trusted 8th generation SANDISK BiCS QLC 3D CBA NAND.
- IT GOES WHERE YOU GO. With an all-new power efficient design, your drive delivers high performance with low power, giving you more time to be productive while on the go.
- UNCOMPROMISED RELIABILITY. With up to 1,200 TBW[3] (4TB[1] model) endurance rating, your drive is designed for creators.
- KEEP YOUR DRIVE UPDATED. Monitor your SSD’s performance and check for updates with the downloadable SANDISK Dashboard application.[5]
Performance for your workload
The price ratio says nothing about read or write speed. Even headline sequential-speed figures do not describe every workload or guarantee the same result in every system. For its cited model, GIGABYTE rates sequential reads at up to 2,500 MB/s and sequential writes at up to 2,100 MB/s, and says, “Actual performance may vary,” depending on firmware and system hardware or configuration (GIGABYTE product specifications). Treat manufacturer ratings as model-specific figures, not a direct prediction of your experience.
NAND type, cache, and sustained writes
The kind of flash memory and the drive’s write-caching design can help explain differences in cost and sustained-write behavior, but the price-per-GB calculation does not reveal either. A 2018 Shrout Research analysis, commissioned by Intel and focused on the Intel SSD 660p, describes QLC flash as storing 33% more data per cell than the comparison it discusses, with a potential cost-per-gigabyte advantage and an endurance tradeoff. It also describes slower QLC writes after the SLC cache is depleted. These findings belong to that dated analysis and product context; they should not be assumed to describe every QLC SSD (Shrout Research’s Intel SSD 660p analysis).
Rank #4
- HUGE SPEED BOOST: Get random read/write speeds that are 40%/55% faster than 980 PRO; Experience up to 1400K/1550K IOPS, while sequential read/write speeds up to 7,450/6,900 MB/s reach near the max performance of PCIe 4.0*
- BREAKTHROUGH POWER EFFICIENCY: Use less power and get more performance; Enjoy up to 50% improved performance per watt over 980 PRO, plus optimal power efficiency with max PCIe 4.0 performance**
- SMART THERMAL CONTROL: Samsung's own nickel-coated controller delivers effective thermal control; With its slim size, 990 PRO is a perfect fit for desktops and laptops that meet the PCI-SIG D8 standard***
- THE CHAMPION MAKER: Up to 65% improvement in random performance enables faster loads for an ultimate gaming experience on PS5 and DirectStorage PC games****
- SAMSUNG MAGICIAN SOFTWARE: Get the most out of your SSD with Samsung Magician's advanced yet intuitive optimization tools; Monitor drive health, protect valuable data, and receive important updates for your 990 PRO
Write endurance and warranty
Check the exact model’s rated total bytes written (TBW) and warranty terms, including whether either has conditions. As a product-specific example, GIGABYTE lists a limited warranty of five years or 1,600TBW, whichever comes first, for the cited 1TB model. Its specification page says TBW is evaluated under a JEDEC workload standard; this is not a category-wide warranty promise (GIGABYTE product specifications).
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Current price and availability
Price per gigabyte changes whenever the listed price changes. A ratio is only useful as a price comparison when it uses current prices from the same market and time frame. MaxMyBuild says its comparison guide’s prices refresh daily, which means its displayed values are time-sensitive rather than permanent benchmarks (MaxMyBuild NVMe SSD comparison guide). No market-wide current price-per-GB benchmark is established here.
Best Value
- This product has been replaced by our latest generation. Please search for the SANDISK Optimus GX 7100 NVMe SSD
- HIGH-OCTANE GAMING. Experience speeds up to 7,250MB/s read and 6,900MB/s write (1-2TB models), with up to 35% faster performance than previous generation.
- PURPOSE-BUILT. Designed for serious on-the-go gamers, with a PCIe Gen4 interface and SANDISK’s next generation TLC 3D NAND.
- MORE TIME TO CLEAR THAT CHECKPOINT. Built with laptops and handheld gaming devices in mind, with up to 100% more power efficiency over the previous generation.
- DO MORE WITH DASHBOARD. Ensure your drive is optimized for prime performance with the downloadable WD_BLACK Dashboard (Windows only).
A practical way to compare SSDs
- Confirm compatibility. Check the device maker’s documentation for supported interfaces and form factors. Confirm the SSD’s physical length and required clearance as well.
- Choose the capacity you will use. Estimate your storage needs first. Do not buy more capacity solely because its unit price looks lower.
- Compare performance for the workload. Consider the tasks you care about, and read manufacturer speed figures as model-specific ratings rather than guarantees.
- Review NAND and cache details where disclosed. These can affect cost and sustained writes, but claims about a particular design should not be generalized across all drives.
- Check endurance and warranty for the exact capacity and model. Compare TBW and the warranty’s duration and limits.
- Calculate price per advertised GB from a dated listing. Use it as a unit-cost comparison among compatible options in the capacity and specification range you need.
Price per gigabyte is best used as an opening filter: it makes capacity costs easier to compare, while the rest of the decision depends on fit, workload, endurance, warranty, and the price available when you shop.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
