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Samsung 850 PRO - 256GB - 2.5-Inch SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-7KE256BW)
Samsung

Samsung 850 PRO - 256GB - 2.5-Inch SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-7KE256BW)

Bottom line: The Samsung 850 PRO ($85.00 on Amazon as of 2026-10-06): 550 MB/s read, 520 MB/s write — saturates the SATA III ceiling; main trade-off: SATA III caps it far below any NVMe drive's throughput.

$85.00

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Buy on Amazon — $85.00 Compare to similar ssds & storage

By , Founder & Editor-in-Chief · Listing data updated

Mike Perry — Hardware researcher since 2014. For SSDs and PC storage upgrades, synthesises manufacturer specs and independent reviews rather than first-hand lab testing. Core beat: GPU performance across gaming, rendering, and local-LLM inference.

*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated 2026-10-06. Price and availability subject to change.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • ✓ 550 MB/s read, 520 MB/s write — saturates the SATA III ceiling
  • ✓ 100,000 read / 90,000 write IOPS for random workloads
  • ✓ 10-year limited warranty, rare for any SSD tier
  • ✓ 150TBW endurance rating suits heavy write workloads

Cons

  • ✗ SATA III caps it far below any NVMe drive's throughput
  • ✗ 256GB fills fast with modern game installs
  • ✗ 2.5-inch form factor needs a bay plus SATA and power cables
  • ✗ Discontinued generation, so stock is mostly older or third-party

Manufacturer description

The Samsung 850 PRO 256GB brings SATA III performance that still holds up for boot drives, older desktops, and retro-adjacent builds. Samsung rates it at sequential reads up to 550 MB/s and writes up to 520 MB/s, with random performance reaching 100,000 read IOPS and 90,000 write IOPS — enough to boot a system in as little as 15 seconds. Driving it is Samsung's 5th-generation 3-core MEX controller, built to hold performance steady under sustained write loads rather than falling off after a short burst. Endurance is the headline. This 2.5-inch SSD carries a 150TBW rating and an…

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SpecPicks Verdict

SpecPicks scored Samsung 850 PRO using a rating × review-volume × price-fit model applied to published specs and reviews across the ssds & storage category. Samsung's ssds & storage lineup sits within the broader category mid-tier; price and specs are the deciding factors over brand loyalty here. Judge it on the specification table and the price rather than on sentiment: check the figures that decide your use case, then put it side-by-side with two or three close alternatives in the Compare tool before clicking through.

Common buyer scenarios for ssds & storage of this kind: matching it to an existing build, replacing a failing part, or upgrading from a previous-generation equivalent. Check the spec table below against your current setup — particularly socket / form-factor / power-rating fields — and confirm compatibility on the retailer's listing before purchase. Prices and stock are set by the retailer and may have moved since this page was last updated.

Key Features

  • Features sequential read and write performance up to 550 megabytes per second (MB/s) and 520MB/s respectively, and random read and write input/output operations-per-second (IOPS) up to 100,000 and 90,000 each.
  • Class-leading performance -- enables you to boot up your computer in as little as 15 seconds
  • Energy efficient - Features Device Sleep mode for Ultranotebooks and improves battery life by up to 45 minutes vs. standard hard drives
  • Worry-free data security with AES 256-bit encryption, Microsoft Bitlocker and TCG / Opal 2.0 support
  • 100-percent genuine Samsung components from the #1 memory manufacturer in the world
  • 5th-generation 3-Core Samsung MEX Controller ensures sustained performance under the most punishing conditions

Full Specifications

BrandSamsung
ColorBlack
Model Name850 Pro
Read Speed550 megabytes_per_second
Unit Count1 Count
Form Factor2.5-inch
Media Speed520 megabytes_per_second
Model NumberBPSCS27759-MZ-7KE256BW
Built-In Media2.5” (7mm) SATA III (6GB/s) SSD & User Manual
Hard-Drive Size256 GB
Mfr Part NumberMZ-7KE256BW
Number of Items1
Special FeatureSamsung SSD Magician Software| Samsung Data Migration Software
Item Part NumberMZ7KE256BW
Hardware PlatformPC
Installation TypeInternal Hard Drive
Compatible DevicesPC
Enclosure MaterialNand Flash
Additional FeaturesSamsung SSD Magician Software| Samsung Data Migration Software
Hard Disk InterfaceSerial ATA

Ready to buy?

Samsung 850 PRO - 256GB - 2.5-Inch SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-7KE256BW) is listed on Amazon. Price, availability, shipping and returns are set by Amazon and its sellers — check the listing for current terms. SpecPicks earns a small commission on qualifying purchases — thank you for supporting independent review work.

Buy on Amazon — $85.00

*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated 2026-10-06. Price and availability subject to change.

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Samsung 850 PRO - 256GB - 2.5-Inch SATA III Internal SSD (MZ-7KE256BW)
$85.00
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