# PCMag SSD rankings and awards

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/pcmag-ssd-rankings-and-awards
> Updated: 2026-07-28T17:50:13.000Z. Sources: 2. Developments: 2.

In mid‑July 2026 PCMag published its budget SSD roundup, naming the WD Blue SN5100 (branded as the SanDisk Optimus 5100) as the best low‑cost M.2 drive and the Samsung 870 EVO as the top inexpensive SATA option. Both guides highlighted a sharp rise in SSD prices since late 2025, which narrowed affordable choices and stressed the importance of matching drive form‑factor and bus type for laptop upgrades.

Two weeks later PCMag’s Lab Awards identified the fastest internal solid‑state drives after testing more than 100 models. The Western Digital Black SN8100 earned the PCIe 5.0 champion title, while the Black SN850X won for PCIe 4.0 performance; both are also sold under the SanDisk brand. In the external‑SSD category, LaCie’s Rugged SSD Pro5 took the top spot. The awards review again noted the ongoing memory shortage’s impact on pricing and highlighted modern connectivity standards such as USB4 and Thunderbolt 4/5 as key to achieving peak speeds.

## Timeline

### 2026-07-28: Western Digital, LaCie Claim Top PCMag Lab Awards for SSD Speed

PCMag Lab Awards named Western Digital’s WD Black SN8100 and SN850X the fastest internal SSDs and LaCie’s Rugged SSD Pro5 the quickest external SSD, based on extensive benchmark testing.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/western-digital-lacie-claim-top-pcmag-lab-awards-for-ssd-speed

### 2026-07-13: WD Blue SN5100 Tops 2026 Budget SSD Rankings

PCMag names WD Blue SN5100 (SanDisk Optimus 5100) as the top cheap M.2 SSD and Samsung 870 EVO as the best budget SATA drive for 2026, with guidance on laptop upgrade compatibility.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/wd-blue-sn5100-tops-2026-budget-ssd-rankings

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Cite as: PCMag SSD rankings and awards. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/pcmag-ssd-rankings-and-awards