Frequently Asked Questions

Table of Contents

Which price list should I use?

All Products

Your go-to is the All Products price list. It contains products across all retailers.

Search by Brand
Search by Interface
Search by Capacity
Search by Cooling
Search by Compatibility

The other price lists are specific to particular retailers. Manufacturer direct pricing shows product sold by Manufacturer Direct outlets.

Why is pricing called estimated pricing?

Our prices are updated in batches, so the numbers reflect the moment they were last refreshed. Because affiliate prices can shift between updates, they may not always match exactly. Since our prices are meant as a guideline rather than exact figures, we now call them "estimated (Est.) pricing" to make that clearer. To keep things simple, we also removed the cents.

Where is the home button located?

Just click the diySSD logo at the top-left of any page to return to the homepage. This works the same way most websites do—the logo always takes you home. No need to hunt for a separate "home" button.

Why do some retailers hide prices until you add items to cart?

It's all about MAP (Minimum Advertised Price) policies from manufacturers. These policies set the lowest price retailers can advertise, but not necessarily what they can sell at.
By hiding the price until you add it to cart, retailers can technically sell below MAP without violating their agreements with manufacturers. It also makes it harder for competitors and price-tracking bots to monitor their actual prices.

Why retailers like it:

Circumvents MAP restrictions while staying compliant
Protects brand value and prevents a race to the bottom
Adds friction that supposedly increases purchase likelihood
Makes price comparison more difficult

Our view:

We think this practice is user-hostile. Retailers should just post their best price upfront instead of making you jump through hoops. That's why our price tracking shows you the real numbers without the games.

Why do some retail links display multiple product models?

Some retailers group similar products under a single product page—think of it like a "family page" where you can choose between different capacities, colors, or configurations.

For example, clicking a link for a 1TB Samsung T7 might land you on a page where you can also select the 2TB or 4TB version. Or a WD Black SN850X link might show options for the standard version, the heatsink version, or different storage sizes.

What this means for you:

When you click a price link from diySSD, you might need to select the specific capacity or model variant you're looking for once you reach the retailer's site. The price we show corresponds to the exact model and capacity listed, but the retailer's page may default to a different option.

Pro tip: Always double-check you've selected the right capacity before adding to cart.

How are product discounts calculated?

We calculate discounts by comparing the current price to the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP)—that's the strike-through price you see on product listings.

The math is simple:

Discount % = (MSRP - Current Price) / MSRP × 100

For example, if a drive has an MSRP of $100 and is currently selling for $75, that's a 25% discount.

Important context:

MSRP is the baseline — It's what the manufacturer says the product "should" cost, not necessarily what retailers ever actually charged.

Discounts vary by retailer — The same drive might be 20% off at one store and 35% off at another.

Bigger isn't always better — A 40% discount on an overpriced drive might still be a worse deal than a 15% discount on a competitively-priced alternative.

Our take:

Discount percentages are useful for spotting sales, but don't let them be your only decision factor. A massive discount on a mediocre SSD is still a mediocre SSD. Focus on the actual price and whether the drive meets your needs.

How are retailers selected?

Short answer: We track wherever the drive is actually available for sale.

You'll typically see prices from Amazon, B&H Photo, Best Buy, and Newegg since these are the major players that consistently stock SSDs. For specific products like Raspberry Pi accessories, we include certified retailers. And sometimes we'll link directly to manufacturer stores when they offer competitive pricing.

Our approach:

No preferential treatment — We don't prioritize one retailer over another or get paid to push you toward specific stores.
Availability drives inclusion — As resources permit, if a reputable retailer stocks the drive, we track it.
You decide where to buy — We just show you the options and current prices.

Choosing a retailer:

Don’t let the price tag be your only guide. Before you hit "buy," weigh the total value: factor in shipping fees, the ease of their return policy, and the brand's track record for support. If you already pay for a membership like Amazon Prime, the savings on shipping or the reduced "hassle factor" might make it the smarter play.

And remember: there is zero shame in using us for research and then using your preferred retailer for the final purchase.

What we don't do:

We don't include sketchy third-party marketplace sellers, gray market importers, or retailers with terrible reputations. If a deal seems too good to be true on a site you've never heard of, it probably is.

What's with the "+" in search result counts?

When the number of results exceeds the display limit, a + is appended to the total (e.g. "12+ Results"). This signifies that additional records matching your parameters exist, but aren't lincluded in those displayed. What's the remedy? Add additional parameters to provide targeted focus and a precise result. For example; instead of "2tb" > "2tb sandisk" > "2tb sandisk w/ heatsink".

What does PS5 compatibility mean?

When we tag an SSD or accessory as "PS5 compatible", it means the product is designed to work with the PlayStation 5's internal expansion slot or its external USB ports.

In practice, PS5 compatibility for internal storage comes down to a few straightforward requirements: the drive needs to be an M.2 2230 or 2280 NVMe SSD using a PCIe Gen 4 (or newer) interface, and it has to fit within the PS5's expansion bay with a heatsink attached. Most Gen 4 NVMe SSDs on the market meet these specs, even if the manufacturer doesn't explicitly call out PS5 compatibility on the box. Some manufacturers do market specific SKUs as "PS5 compatible" or bundle a heatsink sized for the console, but the underlying drive technology is the same.

Gen 5 NVMe drives will also work in the PS5's expansion slot since PCIe is backward compatible, but there are a couple of things to keep in mind. The PS5's interface tops out at Gen 4 speeds, so a Gen 5 drive won't deliver any performance advantage over a Gen 4 drive in the console — you're paying for bandwidth you can't use. Gen 5 drives also tend to run hotter than their Gen 4 counterparts, and the PS5's expansion bay has limited airflow. That extra heat with no performance benefit makes Gen 5 drives a poor value proposition for PS5 use. If you already own a Gen 5 drive and want to repurpose it, it'll work fine — just make sure you have a good heatsink. But if you're buying specifically for your PS5, a Gen 4 drive is the smarter pick.

External USB-C drives work with the PS5 too, but how you can use them depends on the type of game. PS4 games can be stored and played directly from an external drive with no issues. PS5 games are a different story — you can move them to an external drive to free up internal space, but you'll need to transfer them back to internal storage before you can play them. That makes an external drive a useful tool for managing your library, especially if you rotate between titles and want to avoid re-downloading large games.

The bottom line: don't feel locked into drives with a "PS5 compatible" sticker. If it's a Gen 4 or Gen 5 NVMe M.2 SSD that fits the expansion slot specs, it'll work. We note PS5 compatibility on our product pages to make it easy to search, but the compatibility requirements themselves are pretty broad.