Which type of SSD is best for video editing?

When it comes to video editing, having fast and reliable storage is crucial for smooth workflow and efficiency. SSDs (solid state drives) are becoming increasingly popular among video editors as they offer much faster read/write speeds compared to traditional hard disk drives (HDDs). But with different types of SSDs available, which one should you choose for video editing purposes? In this article, we dive into the key factors to consider when choosing an SSD for video editing and explore the advantages and disadvantages of SATA vs. NVMe SSDs.

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Quick answers

NVMe SSDs are the best choice for video editing currently due to their blazing fast sequential read/write speeds. Top NVMe SSDs can reach over 7000 MB/s sequential read and 5000 MB/s sequential write speeds. This allows for smooth playback of high resolution footage and fast exporting/rendering of projects.

SATA SSDs are still a good option, offering 4-5x speed improvements over HDDs. But their maximum sequential speeds are capped at around 560 MB/s due to interface limitations. This makes them better suited for general computing vs high bandwidth video editing tasks.

Key factors to consider are interface (NVMe vs SATA), sequential read/write speeds, endurance rating, form factor, and cost per GB. NVMe offers faster maximum speeds but SATA provides a better value if on a tight budget.

For professional/high resolution video editing, NVMe SSDs are recommended. For hobbyists/casual Full HD editing, SATA SSDs can suffice. HDDs should be avoided for video editing if possible.

Introduction

With video resolutions and bitrates increasing exponentially in recent years, video editing workflows have become extremely demanding on storage devices. Reading and writing high resolution footage in real-time requires storage with fast sequential read/write speeds and low latency. This is where Solid State Drives (SSDs) come in.

SSDs have revolutionized storage with their fast access times, high sequential throughput, and reliability. The two major types of SSDs on the consumer market are:

SATA SSDs
NVMe SSDs

SATA SSDs have been around for over a decade now and offer a significant speed boost over traditional hard disk drives (HDDs). NVMe SSDs are the newer, blazingly fast kid on the block. They leverage the ultra high bandwidth PCIe interface to deliver sequential speeds up to 7-8x faster than SATA SSDs.

For video editing, storage speed plays a huge role in impacting playback smoothness, rendering timelines, and export times. Video editors need to carefully assess their workflow requirements and choose the SSD storage solution that best matches their bandwidth and latency needs.

In this guide, we will do a comparative analysis between SATA vs NVMe SSDs for video editing usage. You will get answers to key questions like:

What are the key specs to look for in a video editing SSD?
What kind of real-world speed difference exists between SATA and NVMe SSDs?
Is an NVMe SSD overkill for my needs?

Which provides a better value proposition – high capacity SATA or lower capacity NVMe?
Should I use an SSD for scratch disks and footage or only for project files?

Let’s get started!

Factors to Consider when Choosing a Video Editing SSD

When choosing an SSD for video editing, you need to look at a combination of factors like:

1. Interface – NVMe vs SATA

The interface plays a huge role in determining the maximum sequential read/write speeds supported by the SSD. Let’s look at the key differences:

NVMe SSDs – Use the PCIe gen3 or gen4 interface and the NVMe protocol. This allows them to offer up to 7000+ MB/s sequential read and 5000+ MB/s sequential write speeds.

SATA SSDs – Limited to the maximum bandwidth of the SATA III interface, which caps out around 560 MB/s.

Clearly, NVMe SSDs blow SATA SSDs out of the water in terms of theoretical transfer rates. The PCIe interface provides upto 6-8x more bandwidth for NVMe SSDs to leverage.

2. Sequential Read/Write Speeds

While NVMe SSDs win out on interface bandwidth, you need to look at the actual sequential speeds of a particular SSD model. Two key indicators are:

Sequential Read Speed – Governs how fast the video footage can be accessed and loaded by your editing software without lag or stuttering.
Sequential Write Speed – Determines the speed at which render files can written and project exports can be completed.

For video editing purposes, you want an SSD with high read AND write speeds. Top-of-the-line PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSDs now exceed 7000 MB/s sequential reads and 5000 MB/s sequential writes. Even budget NVMe drives offer 2-3x higher sequential speeds than the fastest SATA SSDs.

3. Endurance Rating

Endurance is a measure (in terabytes written or TBW) of how much data can be written to an SSD within its warranty period before the drive dies. This becomes critical for video editing SSDs which have to endure heavy read/write loads.

As a reference, a high endurance NVMe SSD like Samsung 980 Pro offers a 1200 TBW rating. Comparable capacity SATA SSDs max out around 600-700 TBW. Go for the highest endurance SSD that fits your budget.

4. Form Factor

Consumer SSDs come in two major form factors:

M.2 – Compact, slip-into-a-slot form factor used by NVMe SSDs.
2.5-inch – Standard rectangular shape used by SATA SSDs. Require cable connections.

M.2 NVMe SSDs are smaller, easier to install, and eliminate cable clutter. However, 2.5-inch SATA SSDs allow for larger capacities at lower costs currently.

5. Cost per GB

SSD pricing has been steadily falling but NVMe SSDs still demand a premium over SATA drives. You are paying extra for that bleeding edge PCIe interface bandwidth.

For equivalent capacities, SATA SSDs provide around 2-4x better value in terms of cost per GB. However, if your video editing demands top speeds, it is worth splurging on NVMe.

SATA vs NVMe SSDs – Comparative Analysis

Now that we’ve looked at the key factors to consider, let’s do a detailed comparison between SATA and NVMe SSDs for video editing:

Sequential Read/Write Speeds

This is where NVMe SSDs have a clear edge. The PCIe interface allows NVMe drives like the Samsung 980 Pro to reach blazing fast sequential speeds of 7000/5000 MB/s (reads/writes).

The best SATA SSDs max out around 560/550 MB/s, which is still excellent but lags the latest gen NVMe drives by 10x!

SSD Type	Sequential Read	Sequential Write
Samsung 980 Pro (NVMe PCIe 4.0)	7000 MB/s	5000 MB/s
Samsung 870 Evo (SATA III)	560 MB/s	530 MB/s

For video editors working with high bitrate 6K-8K RAW footage or 4K/8K H.264/H.265 codecs, those blazing NVMe speeds make a huge difference. You can smoothly scrub through complex timelines and fly through exports much faster.

Endurance Ratings

Good endurance gives an SSD the longevity needed to endure repeated video editing workflows. Here modern TLC and QLC based NVMe SSDs have achieved parity with SATA drives.

The Samsung 980 Pro (NVMe) and 870 Evo (SATA) both carry ~600 TBW endurance ratings for their 1TB models. You can expect a usable lifespan of 5+ years from both under heavy video editing loads.

Cost per GB

This is the one area where SATA SSDs still maintain an advantage. The mature SATA technology allows manufacturers to offer excellent value in terms of cost per GB.

A 1TB Samsung 870 Evo SATA SSD retails for around $100 currently. The equivalent capacity Samsung 980 Pro NVMe drive costs around $180.

You are paying an 80% premium for the NVMe drive. If you need multiple terabytes of storage, SATA SSDs provide much better bang for the buck.

Boot Drive Usage

An SSD used as the boot drive for your video editing workstation also benefits from NVMe speeds. Your OS, applications and project files load much quicker. Boot times can reduce from 30+ seconds with SATA down to under 10 seconds with a blazing fast Gen4 NVMe SSD.

Multi-Tasking Workflows

The ultra-low latency and parallelism of PCIe also helps NVMe SSDs with handling multi-tasking workflows. You can apply effects and export a project while still smoothly scrubbing through 4K footage on the timeline. SATA SSDs work fine for basic workflows but may choke up under heavy multi-tasking.

Verdict – Which is Better for Video Editing?

So which type of SSD is better for your video editing needs?

For professional editors working with 6K-8K RAW video or advanced codecs, NVMe SSDs are strongly recommended. Their screaming fast sequential speeds will give you a smooth responsive timeline and drastically accelerate export times.

Casual Full HD editors on a budget can get by with a SATA SSD. While not blazing fast, it is still leagues ahead of a hard drive. Stick to trusted brands and ensure the endurance rating is solid.

One final option is getting the best of both worlds – a large, affordable SATA SSD for your media/footage and a smaller NVMe drive as the boot/applications/project drive. This gives you fast OS boots, app launches, and project access while still getting tons of inexpensive storage.

In the future, DirectStorage API will allow leveraging NVMe SSD speeds even for footage access. But for now, a mixed SATA + NVMe workflow provides an excellent price-to-performance ratio.

Those were our tips for choosing the best SSD for your video editing needs. Let us know if you have any other questions!