When it comes to boosting your systems performance, upgrading to one of the fastest SSDs is a no-brainer. Whether youre building a gaming PC, speeding up an older laptop or simply craving lightning-fast load times, an SSD is the way to go. Unlike traditional hard drives, SSDs rely on NAND flash storage, meaning you get faster data transfer speeds, improved reliability and a more responsive experience overall.Modern SSDs are quite versatile, catering to everyone from gamers chasing the best performance to those hunting for the best budget options that still deliver solid speed. Pair a quality SSD with a powerful GPU, and youre set for seamless gaming and multitasking. Plus, with advanced firmware improving efficiency and durability, SSDs are now better than ever at handling high-intensity workloads. In this buying guide, well explore the best SSDs on the market, whether youre after raw speed, affordability or a combination of the two. Best SSDs in 2025 How we test SSDs Ive either tested or personally use daily every SSD recommended on this list. Out of our top picks, I bought four with my own money after doing about a dozen hours of research. Separately, Engadget Senior Reporter Jeff Dunn has also tested a handful of our recommendations, including the Crucial X9 Pro listed above. What to look for in a PC SSD The most affordable way to add fast storage space to a computer is with a 2.5-inch SATA drive. Its also one of the easiest if you dont want to worry about compatibility since almost every computer made in the last two decades will include a motherboard with Serial ATA connections. For that reason, the best SATA SSDs are an excellent choice if you want to extend the life of an older PC build. Installation is straightforward, too. Once youve secured the internal SSD in a drive cage, all you need to do is to connect it to your motherboard and power supply. The one downside of SATA drives is that, in terms of responsiveness, theyre slower than their high-performance NVMe counterparts, with SATA III limiting data transfers to 600MB/s. But even the slowest SSD will be significantly faster than the best mechanical drives. And with high-capacity, 1TB SATA SSDs costing about $100, theyre a good bulk-storage option. If your PC is newer, theres a good chance it includes space for one or more M.2 SSDs. The form factor represents your ticket to the fastest SSDs on the market, but the tricky part is navigating all the different standards and specs involved. M.2 drives can feature either a SATA or PCIe connection. SSDs with the latter are known as Non-Volatile Memory or NVMe drives and are significantly faster than their SATA counterparts, with Gen3 models offering sequential write speeds of up to 3,000MB/s. These drives rely on NVMe NAND technology for their superior performance and durability. You can get twice the performance with a Gen4 SSD, but youll need a motherboard and processor that supports the standard. If youre running an AMD system, that means at least a Ryzen 3000 or 5000 CPU and an X570 or B550 motherboard. With Intel, meanwhile, youll need at least an 11th or 12th Gen processor and a Z490, Z590 or Z690 motherboard. Keep in mind that Gen4 SSDs typically cost more than their Gen3 counterparts as well. More expensive still are the latest Gen5 models, which offer sequential read speeds of up to 16,000MB/s. However, even if your computer supports the standard, youre better off buying a more affordable Gen4 or Gen3 drive. At the moment, very few games and applications can take advantage of Gen3 NVMe speeds, let alone Gen4 and Gen5 speeds. Whats more, Gen5 NVMe drives can run hot, which can lead to performance and longevity issues. Your money is better spent on other components, like upgrading your GPU, for now. As for why you would buy an M.2 SATA drive over a similarly specced 2.5-inch drive, it comes down to ease of installation. You add M.2 storage to your computer by installing the SSD directly onto the motherboard. That may sound intimidating, but in practice the process involves a single screw that you first remove to connect the drive to your computer and then retighten to secure the SSD in place. As an added bonus, there arent any wires involved, making cable management easier. Note that you can install a SATA M.2 SSD into an M.2 slot with a PCIe connection, but you cant insert an NVMe M.2 SSD into a M.2 slot with a SATA connection. Unless you want to continue using an old M.2 drive, theres little reason to take advantage of that feature. Speaking of backward compatibility, its also possible to use a Gen4 drive through a PCIe 3 connection, but you wont get any of the speed benefits of the faster NVMe. One last thing to consider is that M.2 drives come in different physical sizes. From shortest to longest, the common options are 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280 and 22110. (The first two numbers represent width in millimeters and the latter denote the length.) For the most part, you dont have to worry about that since 2280 is the default for many motherboards and manufacturers. Some boards can accommodate more than one size of NVMe SSD thanks to multiple standoffs. That said, check your computers documentation before buying a drive to ensure youre picking up a compatible size. If youre buying a replacement SSD for the Steam Deck or Steam Deck OLED, things are less complicated. For Valves handheld, you will need a 2230 size NVMe. Simple. If you dont want to open your Steam Deck, its also possible to expand its storage by installing a microSD card. Engadget has a separate guide dedicated to SD card storage, so check that out for additional buying advice. I alluded to this earlier, but the best buying advice I can offer is dont get too caught up about being on the bleeding edge of storage tech. The sequential read and write speeds you see manufacturers list on their drives are theoretical and real-world performance benchmark tests vary less than you think. If your budget forces you to choose between a 1TB Gen3 NVMe and a 512GB Gen4 model, go for the higher-capacity one. From a practical standpoint, the worst thing you can do is buy a type of SSD thats too small for needs. Drives can slow dramatically as they approach capacity, and you will probably end up purchasing one with a larger storage capacity in the future. What to look for in portable and USB flash drives Portable SSDs are a somewhat different beast to their internal siblings. While read and write speeds are important, they are almost secondary to how an external drive connects to your PC. You wont get the most out of a model like the SanDisk Extreme Pro V2 without a USB 3.2 Gen 2 x 2 connection. Even among newer PCs, thats something of a premium feature. For that reason, most people are best off buying a portable drive with a USB 3.2 Gen 2 or Thunderbolt connection. The former offers transfer speeds of up to 10Gbps. The best external hard drives also allow you to transfer data from your Windows PC to a Mac, or other device, if compatible. Be sure to consider this beforehand if you plan to use your portable drive across multiple devices. Additionally, if you plan to take your drive on trips and commutes, its worthwhile to buy a model with IP-certified water and dust proofing. Some companies like Samsung offer rugged versions of their most popular drives with a high endurance rating. For additional peace of mind, 256-bit AES hardware encryption will help prevent someone from accessing your data if you ever lose or misplace your external SSD. Some of the same features contribute to a great thumbstick drive. Our favorite picks for best budget external SSD models feature USB 3.0 connections and some form of hardware encryption. A note on console storage Seagate If PC gaming isnt your thing and you own an Xbox Series X|S or PS5, outfitting your fancy new console with the fastest possible storage is far more straightforward than doing the same on PC. With a Series X or Series S, your options are limited to options from Seagate and Western Digital. The former offers 512GB, 1TB and 2TB models, with the most affordable starting at a not-so-trivial $90. Western Digitals Expansion Cards are less expensive, with pricing starting at $80 for the 512GB model. The good news is that both options are frequently on sale. Your best bet is to set an alert for the model you want by using a price tracker like CamelCamelCamel. With Sonys PlayStation 5, upgrading the consoles internal storage is slightly more involved. Instead of employing a proprietary solution, the PS5 uses NVMe storage. Thankfully, there arent as many potential configurations as you would find on a PC. Engadget maintains a comprehensive guide to the best SSDs for PS5; in short, your best bet is a high-capacity Gen4 drive with a built-in heatsink. Check out that guide for a full list of gaming SSD recommendations, but for a quick go-to, consider the Corsair MP600 Pro LPX I recommend above. It meets all the memory specifications for Sonys latest console and you wont run into any clearance issues with the heatsink. Corsair offers 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB and 8TB versions of the drive. Expect to pay about $110 for the 1TB variant and about $200 for 2TB. For those still playing on a previous generation console, you can get slightly faster game load times from a PlayStation 4 by swapping the included hard drive to a 2.5-inch SSD, but going out of your way to do so probably isnt worth it at this point and youre better off saving your money for one of the new consoles. SSD FAQs What size SSD is best? There is no one size fits all rule for SSDs, but we generally recommend getting at least a 1TB SSD if youre looking to upgrade PC or game console storage, or looking to add an external drive to your toolkit. A 1TB drive will be plenty for most people who need extra storage space for photos, documents and programs. If youre a hardcore gamer, you may want to invest in even more storage considering many high-profile titles today can take up a ton of space. Is a 256GB SSD better than a 1TB hard drive? The short answer is that it depends on what you need your drive for. In general, SSDs are faster and more efficient than HDDs, but HDDs are usually cheaper. We recommend springing for an SSD for most use cases today upgrading a PC, saving important photos and documents, storing games long term, etc. But if youre focused on getting the most amount of extra space possible (and sticking to a budget), an HDD could be a good option for you. Does bigger SSD mean faster? Getting a bigger SSD doesnt always translate into a faster drive overall. A bigger SSD will provide a higher storage capacity, which means more space for storing digital files and programs. To understand how fast an SSD will be, youll want to look at its read/write speeds: read speeds measure how fast a drive can access information, while write speeds measure how fast the drive can save information. Most SSDs list their approximate read/write speeds in their specs, so be sure to check out those numbers before you make a purchase.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/best-ssds-140014262.html?src=rss

2024 in AI: ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Apple Intelligence

LG has announced its second-generation smart appliances, including a refrigerator with a fully-transparent screen.

Tencent and ByteDance seriously outspent the likes of Google, Meta and Amazon.

Forms of compensation like restricted stock units and performance shareswhereby executives receive a batch of stock from their companies after meeting a performance targethave some key advantages relative to employee stock options.Theyre more straightforward than stock options, and the associated taxes are less complex and often better aligned with gains. That said, employee stock options can be a key source of wealth for some households. That means if options are part of your compensation package, its worth your while to get familiar with how they work generally, as well as how your company handles stock options specifically.Employee stock option basicsWhen employees receive stock option grants, they have the opportunity to exercise the options at some later date at a predetermined price, called the strike price or exercise price.Assume that Sharon received 100 shares of her employer stock in 2014, when it was trading at $2.35 per share, with a strike price of $10 per share and an expiration date of Dec. 31, 2023. If the stock were trading at $20 per share when Sharon wanted to exercise her options toward the end of 2023, the options would be in the money, meaning that the strike price is below the stock price at the time of exercise. Her profit would be on the difference between her $1,000 exercise price (her 100 stock options multiplied by the $10 strike price) and $2,000, the shares value at the time of exercise. She could either continue to hold the stock after exercise in the hope that it would go higher, or sell and pocket her profit.Taxes? It dependsThere are two key types of employee stock options: incentive stock options and nonqualified stock options. That distinction has a big impact on the tax treatment, which in turn may affect the strategy you employ with the options.Nonqualified stock options (NSOs) are taxed at the investors ordinary income tax rate at the time of exercise.Incentive stock option (ISO) gains, by contrast, arent taxed as ordinary income at the time of exercise (unless the ISO holder sells the stock at the same time). Instead, theres a tax benefit to holding the stock after exercise in order to qualify for the lower long-term capital gains rate on the profits from the sale.In order to do so, however, the employee must meet two criteria: 1) they must have held the options more than two years beyond the grant date; and 2) they must hold the stock more than one year after exercise.Mitigating company-specific riskAs with restricted stock, employees with hefty options grants risk having too much of their economic wherewithal riding on their companies. Minding diversification argues for divesting the shares as soon as is practical while balancing that against tax considerations and the companys valuation (especially undervaluation).One way to mitigate the risk of exercising options at precisely the wrong time is to exercise a portion of a grant at a time. Much like dollar-cost averaging into a stock or fund, conducting multiple exercises of multiple lots of options can help ensure that an employee exercises at a variety of price points. Exercising over a period of years rather than all in one go will also enable the employee to spread out the tax costs related to the options. Here again, its helpful to obtain advice from a tax or financial advisor whos well-versed in options to determine the best course of action.By Christine Benz of Morningstar.

Insurance companies that stopped providing home coverage to hundreds of thousands of Californians in recent years as wildfires became more destructive will have to again provide policies in fire-prone areas if they want to keep doing business in California under a state regulation announced Monday.The rule will require home insurers to offer coverage in high-risk areas, something the state has never done, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Laras office said in a statement. Insurers will have to start increasing their coverage by 5% every two years until they hit the equivalent of 85% of their market share. That means if an insurer writes 20 out of every 100 state policies, theyd need to write 17 in a high-risk area, Laras office said.Major insurers like State Farm and Allstate have stopped writing new policies in California due to fears of massive losses from wildfires and other natural disasters.In exchange for increasing coverage, the state will let insurance companies pass on the costs of reinsurance to California consumers. Insurance companies typically buy reinsurance to avoid huge payouts in case of natural disasters or catastrophic loss. California is the only state that doesnt already allow the cost of reinsurance to be borne by policy holders, according to Laras office.Opponents of the rule say that could hike premiums by 40% and doesnt require new policies to be written at a fast enough pace. The state did not provide a cost analysis for potential impact on consumers.This plan is of the insurance industry, by the insurance industry, and for the industry, Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog, said in a statement.The requirement is under review by the Office of Administrative Law before it takes effect within 30 days.Californians deserve a reliable insurance market that doesnt retreat from communities most vulnerable to wildfires and climate change, Lara said in a statement. This is a historic moment for California.The new rule is part of Laras effort to persuade insurers to continue doing business in the nations most populous state. He unveiled another rule earlier this month to let insurers consider climate change when setting their prices. Insurance companies had said that because they cant consider climate change in their rates, many opted to either pause or restrict new business in the state. The new rule to include climate change in rates will take effect later this week.The ultimate goal of the new rules is to get homeowners out of the California Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) Plan, which often serves as the last resort when insurance companies stop providing coverage for those living in areas threatened by wildfires, Laras office said. The plan could help a homeowner fulfill insurance requirements imposed by mortgage companies, but it is mainly designed as a temporary safety net with basic coverage until policyholders find a more permanent option. The number of people on Californias FAIR plan more than doubled between 2020 and this year, reaching nearly 452,000 policies.Wildfires have always been part of life in California, where it only rains for a few months out of the year. But as the climate has gotten hotter and dryer, it has made those fires much larger and more intense. Of the top 20 most destructive wildfires in state history, 14 have occurred since 2015, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.The 2018 fire in Paradise, California, killed 85 people and destroyed about 11,000 homes, and some residents have struggled to find home insurance since.Steve Crowder, the towns mayor, lost his house and business. Since then, his family has rebuilt their home but struggled to find insurance. The Crowders were forced to enroll in FAIR Plan earlier this month. Despite paying roughly $5,000, the mayor said his home is insured for roughly $100,000 less than its value and the houses contents are only half-covered.You couldnt rebuild what you got for what its insured for, he said.His constituents face similar problems. With policies skyrocketing from roughly $1,200 annually before the Camp Fire to $5,000 nowor even up to $20,000 a year for large homessome have abandoned attempts to find coverage altogether.In the years after the Camp Fire, Crowder said the town has successfully brought back some insurers after enacting new ordinances with high standards to keep structures safe, such as rules regarding clearances, vegetation and fences.While the mayor welcomed the states new rules, he said he and his constituents are skeptical things will improve.Anything that will help get insurance in California, period, is helpful, he said, but added: Lets wait and make sure it happens before we get excited.By Trn Nguyn and Stefanie Dazio, Associated Press

Cybercriminals who hacked Rhode Islands system for health and benefits programs have released files to a site on the dark web, a scenario the state has been preparing for, Gov. Daniel McKee said Monday.The state has an outreach strategy to encourage potentially impacted Rhode Islanders to protect their personal information, according to a press release from McKees office. The governor said it wasnt yet clear if all of the files stolen from RIBridges have been posted to the dark web, a part of the internet hosted within an encrypted network and accessible only through specialized anonymity-providing tools.Right now, IT teams are working diligently to analyze the released files. This is a complex process and we do not yet know the scope of the data that is included in those files, according to a statement from McKees office.McKee said in an afternoon press conference that Deloitte, the company that built and maintains RIBridges, has been in contact with the cybercriminals.The state is working with Deloitte to generate the list of impacted individuals, officials said. Letters will be sent to those individuals with instructions on how to access free credit monitoring.State programs that rely on RIBridges include Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program known as SNAP, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Childcare Assistance Program, Rhode Island Works, Long-term Services and Supports, the At HOME Cost Share Program and health insurance purchased through HealthSource RI.While this data has been compromised, that does not mean it has been used for identity theft purposesyet, the statement added.McKee urged Rhode Islanders to take a series of steps to protect their financial information including: reaching out to all three credit reporting agenciesEquifax, Experian, and TransUnionto freeze their credit; contacting one of the reporting agencies to order a free credit report; and requesting a fraud alert be placed on credit files.Residents should also use multifactor authentication instead of just one password to access their information and be on the lookout for fake emails, phone calls, or texts that look legitimate.Law enforcement officials are also investigating the data breach, McKee said, although he said the chances of apprehending those responsible is daunting given the nature of the crime.

More often than not, technology is not merely a tool but also a medium for expression. No wonder, themed and limited edition gadgets attract so much attention from demanding geeks. Gamification is the new trend that brings the best of both worlds and makes your boring accessories filled with a refreshing function that actually gets you to perform the intended action for a better lifestyle.This electric bike concept envisioned for mobilitylabs.ai wants to cash in on the trend, transforming your every ride in the city into a gamified experience. The idea is to empower your daily commuter as a medium to engage with the outside world creatively.Designer: Evgeniy VakulichDubbed TRONTENDO (an amalgam of Tron and Nintendo) the e-bike has built-in interactive elements including gamified riding mechanics and charge level indicators adapted from game HUDs. In particular, the Nintendos retro and current line-up of titles. Evgeniy sees every bike rider as the hero of their digital universe, and the bike is a projection of that sentiment with an appealing retro-futuristic vibe. It is a peppy creation that bridges the gap between the past, present, and the future. More than that, the electric bike reflects the commitment towards minimalism, functionality, and emotional engagement. To its core, the unique motorcycle design is a visually appealing synergy between the digital aesthetics of the Tron bike and the playful innovation of Nintendo.The clean lines, sharp contours, and bold color blocks are the true emulation of the retro Nintendo consoles in their glorious evolution. Combine those eye-popping pixelated graphics with the sleek, modern form of a two-wheeler that the young generation would fancy as their mode of expression, is guaranteed to grab attention. The designer has mixed the visual elements of the Nintendo color themes with the digital display, HUD and vital indicator elements. Imagine riding this thing to your daily commute (especially in the dark hours) with all the gamified elements coming to life. On-lookers would give this thing more than just a glance!The post This Nintendo + Tron themed e-bike is an expression of your gamified lifestyle first appeared on Yanko Design.

Inventory constraints have been impacting M4 Mac mini ship times, with some configurations expected to deliver as late as March. But this Late 2024 M4 spec with an upgrade to an ample 2TB of storage is $100 off and in stock with free expedited shipping.The 2TB M4 Mac mini is eligible for a triple-digit discount.This particular configuration that's eligible for a limited-time $100 cash discount features Apple's M4 chip that includes a 10-core CPU and GPU. Measuring at just 5 inches x 5 inches x 2 inches, that's a lot of power in such a compact chassis. But to make this M4 Mac mini stand out further, it also has an upgrade to a 2TB SSD, offering ample storage in such a small package.Buy for $1,399 Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Cool FindsArchaeologists Discover Rare Clay Commander Among Thousands of Life-Size Terra-Cotta Soldiers in ChinaThe 2,000-year-old military general figurine is the tenth of its kind to be excavated from the emperor Qin Shi Huangs tomb, which may hold up to 8,000 clay statues The terra-cotta warriors were constructed in the third century B.C.E. Zossolino via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA 4.0Among the famedterra-cotta warriors in the sprawling tomb of the ancient Chinese emperorQin Shi Huang, archaeologists have excavated a rare decorated statue. Judging by the figures features and location, they think it depicts a high-ranking military officeronly the tenth of its kind ever excavated.Qin Shi Huang ruled between 221 and 210 B.C.E., and he was the first leader to unite China under one empire. At more than 20 square miles, his tomb inChinas Shaanxi province contains an estimated 8,000 life-size clay statues of soldiers known as the terra-cotta army.The terra-cotta warriors are armed with spears, swords and crossbows, and they were meant to protect the emperor in the afterlife. While most of the carved figures wear simple armor, the recently discovered figures armor is colorfully painted and carved with detailed patterns, ribbons and floral knots, according to the Chinese news site the Global Times.These adornments on the high-ranking officers indicate how special they are,Xiuzhen Janice Li, an archaeologist at theUniversity of Oxford who worked at theEmperor Qin Shihuangs Mausoleum Site Museum, tellsLive Sciences Pandora Dewan. The style and color of the adornments featured the aesthetic taste and social status symbols [of the time].Roughly 2,000 clay warriors have been unearthed from Qin Shi Huangs tomb since the site was discovered in 1974, but only ten of these have been statues of military leaders.The recently discovered statue was found alongside the remains of two chariots, three statues of horses and two other human figures. As excavation leader Zhu Sihong tells the Global Times, the decorated statue is the first senior military figure found in the pit since formal excavations began in 1994.Based on its location, we believe this figure was likely the highest-ranking military commander of this unit, Zhu adds.Excavations of this particular section began in 2015, and since then researchers have found buried formations of cavalry, crossbowmen and chariots. They say the tombs buried chariots are usually accompanied by four horses and three soldiers. The clay army's military leaders are generally identified by their headdresses, decorated armor and the position of their hands. Shankar S. via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY 2.0The arrangement of the high-ranking officers in the military formation reflected the military strategy, such as [the] commanding system in the Qin dynasty, Li tells Live Science.According to the state broadcasterChina Central Television (CCTV), terra-cotta generals are often distinguished by headdresses, ribbon-decorated armor and the placement of their handsclasped together in front of their abdomens.While the statue was found broken into pieces, its layers of paint have been preserved by surrounding sediment. As one researcher tells CCTV, Silt provides a relatively stable humidity and temperature, which is beneficial for preserving the colors.Researchers labeled the statues pieces in situ before transporting them to a laboratory for further analysis. While its discovery offers new information about the hierarchy of Qin Shi Huangs army, much is still unknown about the terra-cotta warriors. As Li tells Live Science, The major question is, Who is the top general to control the whole terra-cotta army?Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.Filed Under: Archaeology, Artifacts, Asian History, China, Chinese Art, Cool Finds, Death, History, Military, Military Leaders, Sculpture, Statues, Warfare