Laptop251 is supported by readers like you. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Learn more.
Earlier we posted about a comparison between SSD vs HDD and concluded that the SSD Laptops are much faster than ones that come with an HDD. In response to our post, many of our readers asked us to suggest a good quality notebook that comes with a reliable Solid State Drive.
We believe it’s safe to say that SSDs are one of the most important inventions that impacted the world of computing. Thanks to these safer, faster, and reliable drives, we have snappy, lightweight laptop devices. Compared to the traditional HDDs, they offer better read/write speeds and booting-up times.
An SSD drive alone does not make it the perfect laptop. You can find different types of storage, such as PCI-Express, NVMe SSDs, etc. Regardless of the specific purpose, these devices have been made for. You shall expect good performance and transfer speeds.
Those Apple MacBooks and Ultrabooks that boot up in a few seconds owe a lot to super-fast SSD storage technology. Long story short, getting an SSD-based laptop can save you a lot of time, allow you to do more on your current system.
Whether you need a laptop with minimum specifications or recommended specifications depends on other aspects like the target purpose. For instance, if you are looking for a laptop for animation, 3D modeling, machine learning, GIS software, you should have features like dedicated graphics and a high-resolution screen.
You could be a student pursuing engineering, medical school, law school, or art studies, and your college may have suggested buying a laptop that can run several relevant software. It’s always advisable to prefer laptops that come with SSD. Similarly, if you are a business owner or a data scientist who keeps and retrieve a lot of data from repositories, you should have something like 1TB of SSD storage.
Therefore, it is up to you to make the final decision. All we can do is to give you some potential laptop models out there. That said, our experts at Laptop251 have enlisted minimum and recommended laptop specs that you should take into consideration. Unless you do some gaming, video editing, CAD modeling, and audio production, you can opt for a machine with an integrated GPU and a decent processor.
Minimum & Recommended System Requirements
| CPU | 8th Gen Intel Core i5 | 9th Intel Core i7 |
| RAM | 8GB | 16GB |
| Storage | 256GB SSD | 512GB SSD |
| Display | 13.3-inch FHD IPS [1920 x 1080] | 15.6-inch FHD IPS [1920 x 1080] |
| Battery | Up to 4 hours | Up to 8 hours |
| GPU | Intel Integrated UHD 620 | 2GB NVIDIA GeForce MX350 or better |
| Weight | Less than 8 pounds | Less than 5 pounds |
9 Best SSD Laptops in 2022
| ASUS VivoBook S |
| ||
| Dell XPS 9570 |
| ||
| Apple MacBook Pro |
| ||
| HP Spectre x360 15T |
| ||
| Lenovo Legion Y520 |
| ||
| ASUS ZenBook Flip 14 |
| ||
| ASUS ZenBook 14 |
| ||
| Dell Inspiron Flagship |
| ||
| Acer Swift 3 |
|
Now that you’ve enough idea of system specifications, you shall go through our list and choose the best-suited machine for your needs. Rest assured, as we always do; we have picked the laptops based on extensive research, considering major aspects like popularity, brand value, and overall performance. In addition, we also took a look at the type of SSD drive being used. So, shall we begin?
- CPU: 1.8GHz Intel Core i7-8550U
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD
- Display: 15.6-inch FHD [1920 x 1080]
- GPU: Integrated Intel HD 620
- Battery: Up to 6 Hours
VivoBook S from ASUS is one of the most popular devices from the line-up, sure. One of the reasons for that is how it combines effortless performance and affordable pricing. The best part? It does not compromise the high specifications you normally expect. Powering the system is an Intel Core i7, clocked at 4GHz. This would be more than enough for most of your daily computing needs and even some tougher jobs.
There is nothing revolutionary about RAM allocation. 8GB of DDR4 RAM is a quality-rich option when it comes to multitasking or having dozens of tabs open on Google Chrome. However, in the storage section, ASUS has done a great job of combining a 128GB SSD and a 1TB HDD. This means you have enough space to store your files without giving up the extra speed and booting speeds.
Keeping the expectations right, ASUS has included a 15.6-inch Full HD panel for the display. This panel, which has a top resolution of 1920 x 1080 and comes with a NanoEdge display from ASUS. At the end of the day, we are talking about amazing viewing angles and immersive experiences. Of course, doing justice to how it’s a price, the system is using an Intel Integrated graphics card instead of something dedicated.
The specifications aside, the ASUS VivoBook S is a wonderful ultra-thin laptop you can have. It packs a well-built backlit keyboard and a dedicated fingerprint reader. As far as connectivity is concerned, we are talking about several USB ports and a full-sized HDMI port. Also, the hinge mechanism used in the laptop makes a lot of sense. ASUS doesn’t say how much the battery can last but the laptop weighs 3.7 pounds.
- Ultra-thin design
- Hybrid storage
- Brilliant display
- Extended connectivity
- CPU: 2.2GHz Intel Core i7-8750H
- RAM: 32GB
- Storage: 1TB SSD
- Display: 15.6-inch 4K UHD [3840 x 2160]
- Graphics: 4GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
- Battery: Up to 6 hours
One of the high-end laptops from Dell, Dell XPS 9570 is a great option if you want the goodness of SSD along with other competitive hardware specs. At the core of the device, we can find an Intel Core i7 processor at a maximum clock speed of 4.1GHz. Dell has chosen one of the more powerful variants this time, offering even impressive task management in the end.
The XPS 9570 packs 32GB of DDR4 RAM onboard, which is just awesome. This means you don’t have to think twice before running multiple resource-intensive tasks at the same time or playing a few super-heavy games such as Overwatch, Fortnite, Skyrim, etc. As far as storage is concerned, you are getting a 1TB PCIe Solid State Drive, ensuring one of the high transfer rates and reliability. And you have enough space to store your files.
Probably the star of the package is the 4K Ultra HD display. The 15.6-inch display has a top resolution of 3840 x 2160. Customers also have the option to go for a non-touch display if they want something less glossy. This touch screen display is further enriched by NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, which has a GDDR5 VRAM of 4GB. This means a considerable amount of resources for most of the graphics-intensive tasks.
Performance apart, the Dell XPS 9570 is a wonderful device to have in 2022. The design is innovative and yet accommodates enough connectivity options, including 2 USB 3.1 ports and a fingerprint scanner. A fully-fledged backlit keyboard also adds value to the whole package. Although this won’t be the most lightweight laptop, 4lbs sounds okay for most needs. However, Dell doesn’t make any promises regarding battery life.
- High-performance
- Ample RAM allocation
- Touchscreen 4K display
- Extensive connectivity
- Graphics-friendly
- CPU: 2.3GHz Intel Core i9-9880H
- RAM: 16GB
- Storage: 1TB SSD
- Display: 16-inch FHD IPS Retina [3072 x 1920]
- GPU: 4GB AMD Radeon Pro 5500M
- Battery: Up to 10 hours
Apple MacBook Pro 16 is hands down one of the best SSD-based laptops you can purchase now. It packs so much performance that it’s the recommended choice of thousands of content creators. Powering this beast laptop is a 9th Gen Intel Core i9 processor with a base clock speed of 2.3GHz and up to 4.8GHz when Turbo Boost is enabled.
The 16GB of DDR4 RAM included in the MacBook Pro 16 is more than enough for most people. And, we are talking about multi-track editing and rendering here. To ensure that your files are saved securely and accessed quickly, the device has 512GB of full SSD storage. Compared to other SSD laptops in the market, Mac devices offer better transfer speeds and quick-wake functions.
Coming to the display department, you would spot a fully-fledged 16-inch Full HD Retina Display. As you may know, retina displays are known for their color accuracy and sharpness and this one is not an exception. It has a maximum resolution of 3072 x 1920 pixels. On the graphics side, the AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 4GB of GDDR6 VRAM does a great job of boosting your rendering speeds.
Be it photo editing, graphics designing, 3D rendering, or podcasting, this laptop can perform it all. Many professionals prefer macOS for its innovative features, smoothness, and perfect balance between power and portability. That said, this MacBook Pro 16 turns out to be one of the best work-based laptops.
The MacBook Pro 16” could be the most connectivity-friendly laptop from Apple now. This device has 4 Thunderbolt 3 ports [USB-C] to use for data transfer, secondary display, and charging. A well-designed body and backlit keyboard are two features that you always love in MacBooks. Last but not least, this 4.3 pounds laptop provides you a maximum battery life of up to 10 hours, which is bonkers.
- Elegant design
- Thin and lightweight
- Performance-friendly
- Thunderbolt 3 support
- Long battery life
- CPU: 1.8GHz Intel Core i7-10510U
- RAM: 16GB
- Storage: 1TB SSD
- Display: 15.6-inch UHD 4K IPS [3840 x 2160]
- GPU: 2GB NVIDIA GeForce MX330
- Battery: Up to 8 hours
Laptops with sufficient SSD storage capacity are hard to manufacture, courtesy of the higher costs associated with the solid-state modules, PCIe drives, M.2 modules, or even NVMe-powered units. Amidst the lack of choices, the new and improved HP Spectre x360 15T comes forth as a resourceful convertible, allowing you to experience the perfect balance between power, performance, and productivity.
At the helm, HP features the Intel Core i7-10510U chipset, which is best known for the highest possible clock speeds of up to 4.9GHz. Despite being the low-power, U-series mobile SoC, the existing processing component excels when single-threaded tasks like spreadsheet management, Illustrator designing, and other processes are concerned.
Besides, the mid-range, quad-core processor is also a capable resource for photo and video editors, courtesy of the inclusion of the MX330 GPU. Surprisingly, the existing graphics card, paired with 2GB VRAM, exhibits better clock speeds than the MX350, allowing designers and geographers to render graphics with utmost clarity.
When tested across diverse parameters, it is the dual-socketed, 16GB RAM that impressed us the most. The existing chunk of system memory is good enough for each of your diverse web browsing and multitasking preferences. Then again, the 1TB SSD steals the show, courtesy of the NVMe-support and the ultrafast file and app loading speeds.
Contrary to popular belief, HP succeeds in keeping the price of the Spectre x360 15T within permissible standards, despite housing the massive solid-state drive. The SSD boot drive is also good enough for booting up the Windows 10 Pro OS in almost no time. When it comes to the display, there aren’t many laptops that can match up to the HP Spectre x360 15 T’s visual brilliance.
The laptop features a 15.6-inch UHD screen, boasting micro-edge paneling and an overall resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels. The featured touchscreen also brings forth the power-efficient, WLED-backlit display, which also features stylus compatibility. As far as productivity is concerned, this convertible accommodates a backlit keyboard, gesture-supported HP ImagePad, and a B&O quad-speaker arrangement.
HP doesn’t cut corners when professional productivity is concerned. The Spectre x360 15t brings in the FHD TrueVision webcam with a dedicated privacy shutter followed by the studio-grade webcam and a nifty fingerprint scanner to secure the on-premise dataset and files. The connectivity suite is as diversified as it can get with the Spectre x360 15T, including Thunderbolt 3 slots, Type-C port, Wi-Fi AX support, and other relevant standards.
From a structural perspective, the 360-degree layout stands out in addition to the aesthetic, gem-cut footprint. At less than 5 pounds, the HP Spectre x360 15t is a portable device, owing to the long-lasting battery backup of almost 8 hours. Overall, this 2-in-1 makes room for an extended specs sheet and can be considered as the best purchase decision if you have a penchant for ultrafast and sizable SSDs.
- Low-power processor
- Doesn’t heat up at all
- Wi-Fi 6 support
- 1TB SSD
- Thunderbolt 3 ports
- Fingerprint scanner
- Heavier for one-handed usage
- Not meant for hardcore gamers
- CPU: 2.8GHz Intel Core i7-7700HQ
- RAM: 16GB
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Display: 15.6-inch FHD [1920 x 1080]
- GPU: 3GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060
- Battery: Up to 4 hours
In case you are looking for a high-performance gaming laptop without spending a huge amount, you should be considering what Lenovo Legion Y520 has to offer. We are looking at a well-powered laptop that runs on an Intel Core i7 with a base clock speed of 2.8GHz. With Turbo Boost enabled, of course, you can get the CPU up to 3.8GHz as well. This should be well enough for most of the moderate games out there.
16GB of DDR4 RAM seems to be a great place to start when you are committed to gaming. Unless you are planning to play some futuristic games, this would be enough. To keep things snappy and reliable at all times, the Lenovo Legion Y520 comes with 512GB SSD storage. A quicker SSD storage system can have a noticeable difference in how you play.
We are seeing a non-fancy yet standard display in this package. Lenovo has done a great job of including the 15.6-inch Full HD display. It also comes with a standard maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080, as expected. To make things visually more appealing, however, an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 with 3GB of VRAM is added to the package. This is not so great if you are going for high-end games, though.
Connectivity is another area where the Lenovo Legion Y520 sticks to the standards. You get plenty of USB 3 ports including a Type C port. The board also consists of an SD card reader and a full HDMI port. As expected, battery life isn’t that great but 4 hours feels okay for a gaming laptop. Also, keeping up with the expectations, the device weighs 5.29 pounds, which is portable enough.
- Good performance
- Extensive connectivity
- Reasonable weight
- Affordable
- Low battery life
- Limited graphics
Whether you are a college student looking for a laptop for computer science, civil, or even mechanical engineering, or if you’re an accountant or a finance major who needs to run software like QuickBooks, the ASUS ZenBook Flip 14 is the perfect option for you!
- CPU: 1.8GHz Intel Core i7-8550U
- RAM: 16GB
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Display: 14-inch FHD [1920 x 1080]
- GPU: 2GB NVIDIA GeForce MX150
- Battery: Up to 13 Hours
The ASUS ZenBook Flip 14 is a superb option if you are looking for a flexible design and a sufficient level of performance. Coming from the reputed ASUS ZenBook series, this notebook is known for its sleek design and 360-degree flexibility, and stylus support.
To start with, the Intel Core i7 processor with a maximum clock speed of 4GHz does an impressive job of offering good speeds. As we go down further, 16GB of LPDDR3 RAM has been dedicated to multitasking needs mainly. The LPDDR3 set also helps in keeping the battery usage as low as possible.
Coming to storage, there is 512GB of trusty PCIe SSD, which offers awesome transfer speeds and launch boosts. The amount of storage seems quite enough for most people unless you keep all the RAW files inside.
In terms of display, the ASUS ZenBook Flip 14 offers the standard you expect. The 14-inch display has a top resolution of 1920 x 1080 and comes with touchscreen capability. ASUS even packs a dedicated stylus that makes it highly suited for tasks like drawing and sketching.
On the graphics side, the device is equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce MX150, which offers a not-so-bad VRAM of 2GB. Coming to the I/O sector, the ASUS ZenBook Flip 14 is a super-star. It packs almost all the ports one might need without adding too much to the weight. You even get a Fingerprint scanner along with full support for Windows Hello.
We should also note that the keyboard is pretty good for most use-case scenarios there. Last but not least, the laptop weighs a minimal 3.3lbs, which is a steal.
- Lightweight design
- High performance
- Touchscreen display
- Extensive I/O
Although this laptop isn’t suitable for running 3D modeling software like Blender, Revit, Cinema 4D, it is surely more than enough to run a lot of medium resource-intensive software such as Adobe Photoshop, Google Chrome, etc.
- CPU: 1.8GHz Intel Core i7-8565U
- RAM: 16GB
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Display: 14-inch FHD [1920 x 1080]
- GPU: Integrated Intel UHD 620
- Battery: Up to 14 hours
Many people look for an ultra-thin laptop that doesn’t compromise performance. If you don’t want to go to the Mac side, ASUS ZenBook 14 is a worthwhile consideration.
Just like the previous products we have covered, powering this laptop is an Intel Core i7 processor, with a maximum speed of 4.1GHz when you have enabled Turbo Boost. This gets the job done for most needs.
As to the memory scenario, the 16GB of LPDDR3 does a commendable job in enabling a smooth multitasking experience. Even when there are dozens of tabs open in multiple windows, you will feel no pressure. As far as storage is concerned, ASUS has used a 512GB NVMe SSD, which offers one of the highest transfer speeds, among other things.
The display may not be the best thing about the ASUS ZenBook 14, though. ASUS has included a 14-inch Nano-bezel display, with incredible sharpness and a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080. We should also mention that the rugged build of the laptop complements the display aesthetics to a great extent. However, this one does not have dedicated graphics but is instead powered by Integrated.
Apart from extensive connectivity, there are a few features that make the ASUS ZenBook 14 a suitable pick for most business needs. There is a backlit keyboard with good travel and you can convert the main trackpad into a touch-sensitive number-pad. Despite weighing a minimal 2.6lbs in total, the laptop packs a huge enough battery to provide backup up to 14 hours, which lasts for more than a day.
- High battery life
- Thin design
- Lightweight
- CPU: 2.5GHz Intel Core i5-7200U
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 256GB SSD
- Display: 15.6-inch HD LED [1366 x 768]
- Graphics: Integrated Intel HD 620
- Battery: Up to 5.5 hours
This Dell Inspiron Flagship is almost like the typical sub-$800 laptops you find in the market. That having said, there are a few features that make it a good deal. First things first, the laptop is powered by an Intel Core i5 processor, which is clocked at 2.5GHz. With Turbo Boost, you can reach further, but the base clock is good enough for most computing needs. And, we’re not even talking about gaming here.
As we go further, the combination of the 8GB DDR4 RAM and 256GB storage makes sense. While it is true that the computer has a lower-end processor, Dell has compensated for the same by adding some additional RAM and storage space. 256GB of SSD storage means additional speed and peace of mind, no matter what you are doing.
There are a few disappointing factors about this Dell Inspiron laptop and the screen quality takes up the first position in the list. Even though you would love the 15.6-inch screen, the HD resolution of 1366 x 768 rarely makes it suitable for sharpness. And, the fact that you do not get a dedicated graphics card with the laptop makes the visual real estate not so great.
You can expect all the standard features you’d expect in terms of connectivity. This laptop packs several USB ports that you can use, along with full HDMI connectivity. We should warn you that this laptop is not a dedicated ultra-thin one. Instead, you are looking at an affordable laptop. Compared to other devices on the list, it is also very bulky, weighing 4.8 pounds. The company has not specified the battery life either.
- Affordable
- Good performance
- Extensive connectivity
- Higher storage
- Poor display quality
- Bulky
- CPU: 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-8250U
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 256GB SSD
- Display: 14-inch FHD IPS [1920 x 1080]
- GPU: Integrated Intel UHD 620
- Battery: Up to 12 Hours
Acer Swift 3 is another awesome option if you don’t want to spend a huge amount on an SSD laptop. Though not as performance-friendly as the previous products, this laptop does a good job with its Intel Core i5 CPU. The processor has a maximum clock speed of 3.4GHz when you have enabled Turbo Boost. This seems to be a good amount of performance for most students and professionals.
Even in the memory sector, the Acer Swift 3 has kept things minimal yet functional. 8GB of DDR4RAM is the usual deal and it offers a good base for your multitasking needs other than overall speed. It’s also good that you are getting a whole 256GB of SSD storage with this package. It should also be noted that the laptop is priced quite reasonably, making 256 seem quite bigger.
Despite the lower price tag, it comes with, the Acer Swift 3 is equipped with a 14-inch Full HD display panel. This panel is capable of providing crystal-clear visuals at a top resolution of 1920 x 1080. One thing you will note is the presence of bezels. Acer could have done something about the bezels, considering that the laptop does not even have a dedicated graphics card in the first place.
Connectivity is a good forte of the laptop, truth be told. The best part is that it accommodates a USB Type C port along with the two USB 3.1 ports and an HDMI port. There are also some great additions such as the backlit keyboard and fingerprint reader. But, the most important one would be an extensive battery life of up to 12 hours, which is pretty amazing for a laptop that weighs just 3.2 pounds.
- Lightweight design
- Good connectivity
- Long battery life
- High storage
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, they are. When compared to Hard Disk Drives, SSDs are faster, snappier, and more reliable. As a result, the laptop would be able to process information quickly and handle data more efficiently. This results in better booting time.
Other things apart, Solid State Drives are more expensive than the old-school HDDs. This is because the SSDs are made with caution and are designed to provide the best speed and durability. In case you didn’t know, an SSD is less likely to corrupt your data.
Well, it depends on the perspective. Hybrid storage laptops are good in the sense that you can store all the important data in the SSD and the not-so-important data in HDD. This way, you can access games and apps very quickly while saving a lot of money in the long run.
Once again, you have to consider your purpose into consideration. While it’s true that SSD makes everything quicker and more reliable, you may want to think about the pricing a bit. If you want a lot of storage but cannot spend thousands on a laptop, you may have to settle for dual storage options.
Yes. When compared to Hard Disk Drives, SSDs make the better choice for gaming needs. A full-speed SSD translates to good transfer speeds among other things. And, if you have a laptop with a nice screen and dedicated graphics card, you’re good to go.
The Verdict
We hope we helped you pick the best SSD laptop on the market. As we have said, you should consider a set of factors before making the final choice. While it’s true that any SSD is better than an HDD drive, you have to think about your requirements and the budget. For instance, Apple is known for using some of the high-speed SSDs in their laptops — thereby offering good transfer speeds and data security.
Similarly, if you are concerned about storage space taking up a lot of money, you can consider laptops that offer a dual system of SSDs and HDD. If you ever wondered how much storage you need for your laptop, see this article. At the end of the day, what matters is whether your intended purpose is done with the highest quality.