What SSD Speed Actually Changes

The biggest difference between HDD and SSD is obvious. The jump from SATA SSD to NVMe is more subtle.

What Improves

• Install/unpack times (especially large games)
• Windows responsiveness (boot + general snappiness)
• Some open-world streaming scenarios

What Usually Does NOT Improve

• Average FPS
• Competitive latency

Games are often CPU/GPU bound, not storage bound.

When NVMe Is Worth It

• You’re buying a new drive anyway
• You want fewer "waits" for installs, patches, and file moves
• You work with big files (mods, recordings, editing)

The Smart Buy

If the price difference is small, get NVMe.

If SATA is much cheaper, SATA is still excellent for gaming.

Bonus Tip

Keep 10–20% free space on your SSD. Drives slow down when they’re packed full.