Best SSD for Z690 Motherboard

The Z690 motherboards are designed for Intel 12th Gen Alder Lake-S and 13th Gen Raptor Lake-S desktop processors. Z690 motherboards are more expensive than B660 motherboards. Looking for recommended SSDs for Intel Z690 motherboards ? We have tested and reviewed latest SSDs, and below are top recommended ones for Z690 motherboards:

1. SAMSUNG 990 PRO PCIe 4.0 M.2 Internal SSD – Check Price at Amazon/B&H Photo Video/Newegg

The new released Samsung 990 PRO PCIe 4.0 M.2 Internal SSD is currently fastest and best selling SSD for Z690 motherboards. It offers an M.2 2280 form factor and a PCIe 4.0 x4 / NVMe 2.0 interface to deliver sequential read speeds of up to 7450 MB/s and sequential write speeds of up to 6900 MB/s. Compared to 980 PRO, you can enjoy up to 50% improved performance, plus optimal power efficiency with max PCIe 4.0 performance. Also, with Samsung’s own nickel-coated high-end controller delivers effective thermal control and prevents sudden performance drops from overheating.

Features:

• M.2 2280 Form Factor
• PCIe 4.0 x4 / NVMe 2.0 Interface
• Sequential Reads up to 7450 MB/s
• Sequential Writes up to 6900 MB/s
• Up to 1200TB TBW (Total Bytes Written)
• Samsung V-NAND Flash Technology
• AES 256-Bit Encryption

2. WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe Internal Gaming SSD – Check Price at Amazon/B&H Photo Video/Newegg

 

Like Samsung 990 PRO, the WD_BLACK SN850X SSD is WD’s newest SSD released in 2022. Also one of the most popular SSDs for Z690 motherboards. It feature with max read speed at 7300 MB/s, and write speed at 6600 MB/s, which is about 4% faster than a regular SN850 drive. With random read and write speeds of 1,200,000 IOPS and 1,100,000 IOPS, respectively, demanding games and applications load in a flash. Game Mode 2.0 pushes Windows gaming performance even further with features such as load prediction.

Features:

• M.2 2280 Form Factor
• PCIe 4.0 x4 Interface
• Up to 7300 MB/s Sequential Read Speed
• Up to 6300 MB/s Sequential Write Speed
• 1.75 Million Hours MTTF

3. Samsung 980 PRO PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 Internal SSD – Check Price at Amazon/B&H Photo Video/Newegg

The old Samsung 980 PRO PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 Internal SSD is still a best selling SSD for Intel Z690 motherboards. Built using their V-NAND 3-bit MLC flash technology and Elpis controller, the Samsung 980 PRO PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 Internal SSD offers an M.2 2280 form factor and a PCIe 4.0 x4 / NVMe 1.3 interface to deliver sequential read speeds of up to 7000 MB/s and sequential write speeds of up to 5000 MB/s. Users will also have access to encryption via TCG/Opal 2.0 and MS eDrive, while a TBW (Total Bytes Written) rating of 600TB helps ensure a long operational life.

Features

• Sequential reads of up to 7000 MB/s and sequential writes of up to 5000 MB/s with a PCIe 4.0 interface which is 2x faster than PCIe 3.0 and 12x faster than Samsung SATA SSDs.
• Intelligent TurboWrite 2.0 maximizes PCIe 4.0 write performance with enlarged TurboWrite regions
• The Samsung 980 PRO provides an endurance rating of up to 600TB
• A nickel-coated controller and a heat spreader label help the 980 PRO effectively dissipate the heat
• Samsung Dynamic Thermal Guard technology maintains the 980 PRO’s temperature at optimal level
• Power efficiency (performance/watt) is improved by up to 65% vs. the 970 EVO Plus
• The 980 PRO comes in a compact M.2 2280 form factor and is backward compatible with PCIe 3.0

4. WD_Black SN850 Gaming Internal NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD – Check Price at Amazon/B&H Photo Video/Newegg

Similar as Samsung 980 Pro, the WD_Black SN8850 is another great SSD for Intel Z690 motherboards. Long load times are obsolete with the WD_Black SN850 Gaming Internal NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD, which uses PCIe 4.0 x4 technology to deliver read speeds of up to 7000 MB/s and write speeds of up to 5300 MB/s. Optimized for top-tier gaming, this SSD also features random read speeds of up to 1,000,000 IOPS and random write speeds of up to 720,000 IOPS to help ensure you don’t lag while playing next-gen games. Also featured is an M.2 2280 form factor, a 1.75 million hours MTTF (mean time to failure), an endurance of 600TB, and 3D NAND flash memory.

Features:

• M.2 2280 Form Factor
• PCIe 4.0 x4 Interface
• Up to 7000 MB/s Sequential Read Speed
• Up to 5300 MB/s Sequential Write Speed
• 1.75 Million Hours MTTF
• 600TB Endurance
• 3D NAND Flash Memory

5. Samsung 980 PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 Internal SSD – Check Price at Amazon/B&H Photo Video/Newegg

Built using their V-NAND 3-bit MLC NAND flash technology and Pablo controller, the Samsung 980 PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 Internal SSD offers an M.2 2280 form factor and a PCIe 3.0 x4 / NVMe 1.4 interface to deliver sequential read speeds of up to 3500 MB/s and sequential write speeds of up to 3000 MB/s. Users will also have access to encryption via AES 256-bit, TCG/Opal 2.0, and MS eDrive, while a TBW (Total Bytes Written) rating of 600TB helps ensure a long operational life. This SSD also features a smart thermal solution to effectively manage heat, as well as a nickel coating and a heat spreader. Additionally, thanks to Full Power Mode, which is enabled through Samsung’s Magician software, the 980 can run with no latency, so you can easily switch between interfacing with large, intensive work files or graphics-heavy games.

Features:

• M.2 2280 Form Factor
• PCIe 3.0 x4 / NVMe 1.4 Interface
• Sequential Reads up to 3500 MB/s
• Sequential Writes up to 3000 MB/s
• Up to 600TB TBW (Total Bytes Written)
• Samsung V-NAND 3-Bit MLC NAND
• Pablo Controller
• AES 256-Bit Encryption
• TCG/Opal 2.0, MS eDrive Encryption

6. Sabrent Rocket NVMe PCIe 4.0 M.2 2280 Internal SSD – Check Price at Amazon/B&H Photo Video

Sabrent Rocket NVMe PCIe 4.0 M.2 Internal SSD is another great SSD for Z690 motherboards. Featuring Toshiba’s BiCS4 96L TLC NAND Flash memory and PCIe 4.0 bandwidth, the drive has a maximum read speed of 5000 MB/s and a 4400 MB/s write speed when installed onto a compatible motherboard. It’s backward compatible with PCI 3.0 motherboards, which will deliver read speeds of up to 3400 MB/s and 3000 MB/s write speeds.

Features:

• M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 x4 Form Factor
• TLC NAND Flash Memory
• Up to 5000 MB/s Read Speed
• Up to 4400 MB/s Write Speed
• Backward Compatible with PCIe 3.0
• Built-In Power Management
• ONFi 2.3, 3.0, 3.2 & 4.0 Interface
• Works with SMART and TRIM Commands

7. Samsung 970 EVO Plus NVMe M.2 Internal SSD – Check Price at Amazon/B&H Photo Video/Newegg

Built using their V-NAND 3-bit MLC flash technology for reliable performance, the 1TB 970 EVO Plus NVMe M.2 Internal SSD from Samsung offers enhanced bandwidth, low latency, and power efficiency. Designed for tech enthusiasts, high-end gamers, and 4K & 3D content designers, it delivers sequential read speeds of up to 3500 MB/s, sequential write speeds of up to 3300 MB/s, an endurance of up to 600 TBW, up to 1.5 million hours MTBF, AES 256-bit encryption, and support for both SMART and TRIM.

Features:

• INNOVATIVE V-NAND TECHNOLOGY: Powered by Samsung V-NAND Technology, the 970 EVO Plus SSD’s NVMe interface (PCIe Gen 3.0 x4 NVMe 1.3) offers enhanced bandwidth, low latency, and power efficiency ideal for tech enthusiasts, high end gamers, and 4K & 3D content designers
• BREAKTHROUGH READ WRITE SPEEDS: Sequential read and write performance levels of up to 3,500MB/s and 3,300MB/s, respectively; Random Read (4KB, QD32): Up to 600,000 IOPS Random Read. Operating Temperature-0 – 70 ℃ Operating Temperature
• PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATION AND DATA SECURITY: Seamless cloning and file transfers with Samsung Magician Software, the ideal SSD management solution for performance optimization and data security with automatic firmware updates
• SUPERIOR HEAT DISSIPATION: Samsung’s Dynamic Thermal Guard automatically monitors and maintains optimal operating temperatures to minimize performance drops