ZEISS LD A Plan Phase Objectives with long working distance for use with inverted microscopes.

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The newest budget NVMe SSDs have undercut the pricing of mainstream drives on the slower SATA interface (which was originally designed for hard drives), but we shouldn't expect to see the end of SATA SSDs any time soon. The era of PCIe 5.0 SSDs is also upon us, propelling storage performance to new heights. Blazing-fast PCIe 5.0 M.2 SSDs, which offer up to twice the sequential speeds of the older PCIe 4.0 standard, are now supported with Intel and AMD's current platforms, like Zen 4 Ryzen 7000, Zen 5 Ryzen 9000, and 12th Gen Alder Lake through 14th-Gen Raptor Lake Refresh. It's great if your desktop system can handle a PCIe 5.0 drive, but they are still new and more expensive and certainly aren't a requirement. For example, the PCIe 4.0 Samsung 990 Pro is our current choice for the best SSD overall, and the best SSD for gaming. This drive is rated for 7,450 / 6,900 MBps of sequential read/write throughput and 1.2 / 1.55 million read/write IOPS. That means less time waiting for game levels to load or videos to transcode, not to mention a snappier experience in Windows. PCIe 5.0 SSDs still have plenty to offer. The Crucial T705 ranks as the fastest consumer SSD in the world that you can actually buy, alongside similar SSDs like the Sabrent Rocket 5, delivering up to a blistering 14.5 GB/s of sequential throughput and 1.8 million random IOPS over the PCIe 5.0 interface. That's an amazing level of performance from an amazingly compact device. While the PCIe 5.0 drives are the fastest SSDs money can buy right now, believe it or not, raw speed isn't everything. In regular desktop tasks such as web browsing or light desktop work, you may not even notice the difference between a PCIe 3.0 SSD and one with a 4.0 interface, let alone a new bleeding-edge PCIe 5.0 model. The latest PCIe 5.0 SSDs also carry a heavy price premium for now, so you're probably best suited with a PCIe 4.0 model — unless you're after the fastest possible performance money can buy, of course. If that's the case and your system supports it, go for a new PCIe 5.0 SSD. Ultimately, the best SSD for you is one that provides enough capacity to hold your data at a price you can afford. Consider that a high-end, AAA game can use more than 100GB of data, and Windows 11 all by itself may need 60GB. These days, we feel 2TB drives represent the sweet spot, with 4TB models becoming increasingly common.

Whether you’re a construction professional, framer, or DIY home renovation enthusiast, a laser level is definitely a godsend for tasks that involve leveling. It’s a must-have in your tool chest. But if you’ve ever gone online and searched for the “best laser level,” you may have faced tons of results and various types of laser levels on the market, making choosing one extremely overwhelming.

Samsung hit back at its competitors with this impressive update to the 980 Pro. New hardware and new options, including a heatsink with RGB and a 4TB variant, have allowed Samsung to retake the M.2 SSD crown. Performance is excellent across the board, setting a few new performance records, such as with 4K random read performance. In our testing, the drive was consistent, power-efficient, and cool. Samsung has also updated its software for this drive, giving it the best SSD toolbox available, and the drive is backed by a competent warranty and decent support.

Jan 14, 2024 — "Got around it not showing by opening the Spellbook and then using the Magnifying Glass to manually search for Eldritch Blast. It popped up ...

Many laptops are still stuck with PCIe 3.0 slots, and that’s fine. The T500 will be even more efficient when run at 3.0, and its benefits, aside from bandwidth potential, do not disappear. While the T500 does offer a heatsinked version, which we have in our all-around best SSD category, you’ll be going bare for a laptop. In this respect, it can even be better than DRAM-less drives, as the T500’s controller has more surface area and a metal IHS to prevent controller overheating. It’s simply the finest drive for laptops at this time unless you really want more horsepower. That’s on the menu, too, especially once the 4TB version arrives.

Some line lasers, also known as cross line laser levels, can produce horizontal and vertical lines simultaneously to create a cross-like beam. Other line laser models can project a line at 360 degrees around the room, similar to what rotary laser levels can do.

Here's the shortlist of our rankings, but we have deeper breakdowns for these drives below, along with far more picks for other categories, like PS5 SSDs, RGB SSDs, workstation SSDs, and SATA SSDs, among other categories.

Maybe you resort to the traditional method of using a pencil, ruler, and spirit level to mark a straight line on the wall. And once you’ve mounted your curtain rod, you can then erase the marking on the wall.

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It has the same downsides as other ultra-fast drives - namely, high power consumption and poor power efficiency. Idle power consumption in a desktop PC, which is the most likely destination for the drive, remains quite high. The Rocket 5 can also put out a lot of heat when it’s pushed. If you can provide an ample heatsink, though, this drive will run cool enough even under sustained workloads without any throttling. This makes it one of the fastest overall drives on the market, and the absolute fastest in extended heavy workloads.

WD took its popular Black SN850 SSD and turned it up to 11, but luckily for value seekers, the price isn't nearly as extreme. The current $156 price on Amazon for the 2TB model is a great deal, even if it's now $25 more than it cost last year. The Black SN850X uses an improved controller and newer flash to get the most out of the PCIe 4.0 interface, thus delivering excellent performance with the Sony PlayStation 5. WD improved performance across the board, and the drive comes with a heatsink option at 1TB and 2TB capacity points. WD also supports the SSD with a solid five-year warranty that will let you game with peace of mind. This drive is made for the PlayStation 5, and while it can be a bit pricier than budget options, overall, it's still our top pick for the PS5. It's also fast for gaming on a PC, particularly with DirectStorage starting to become useful, so this drive is plenty attractive. WD has taken the course of releasing an officially licensed SN850P SSD. That drive is a glorified heatsinked SN850X and you should only pick it if you want the heatsink at 4TB. Even then, it's far cheaper to get a bare SN850X and add your own heatsink. Read: WD Black SN850X Review

Want the functions of both a dot laser level and a line laser level? Have the best of both worlds with a combination laser level.

The M.2 Black SN850X was a bit pricey at launch, however, with a daunting MSRP, but those prices have largely come down. The touted Game Mode 2.0 feature felt incomplete in our testing, although WD ensures us that this will improve with future firmware updates. All-in-all, this is a good compromise if you can’t find the Samsung 990 Pro.

This construction laser is much like a cross line laser level, save for the fact that it projects both lines and dots independently or simultaneously in horizontal or/and vertical modes. For professionals who need both kinds of reference beams, a combination laser level is the best choice.

Restrained by the SATA interface, but still need the absolute highest endurance and performance you can get? As the pinnacle of SATA performance inside and out, Samsung’s 860 PRO is the SSD to buy.

At first glance, the Adata Legend 960 Max seems like just another drive among many. That’s true, as there are better drives in almost every category. There’s faster drives, drives with more IOPS, more efficient drives, etc. What the Legend 960 Max does right is typically of little interest to desktop users: it has good sustained performance and runs cool while maintaining that speed. It also has DRAM, living in a world where DRAM-less drives are becoming more popular and are affordable but aren’t always ideal for heavier workloads.

Time-saving, reliable, and accurate, a self-leveling laser level offers convenience and better results. The only drawback is that it tends to be more expensive than a manual laser level.

A manual laser level is exactly what it sounds like. You have to manually level this construction laser and line up the bubble inside its built-in vial. To do this, you need to turn its knob or reposition the laser level itself.

Red laser levels are a common choice for DIY leveling tasks. They produce red beams and are as accurate as green laser levels. They are, however, a cheaper option. Plus, red laser levels require less battery power, and they’re compatible with most laser detectors.

by F Lei · 1993 · Cited by 12 — Measurement of the numerical aperture and f-number of a lens system by using a phase grating. F. Lei and L. K. Dang. A simple method for measuring both the ...

Pipe laser levels are the perfect tool for professionals working on tunnels, manholes, mines, sewers, trenches, and pipelines. These laser levels can help with alignment, piping layout, and excavation tasks, among others.

4TB has become a more attractive capacity point for SSDs as time has gone on. While there are now many options available, most come with compromises of one sort or another. You may have to settle for QLC, a weaker controller, no DRAM, unreliable hardware, etc. This is not always a big deal, especially if the drive is intended to be a secondary gaming drive. In the PlayStation 5, however, extra cooling is beneficial, so it’s convenient to have a heatsink option available. At the same time, laptops favor bare drives and especially single-sided drives, the latter of which have been very rare with TLC until recently.

If there’s one type of laser level that’s often found on job sites, it’s the line laser level. A line laser generates a horizontal or vertical beam at 180 degrees onto a flat surface.

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But how does a rotary laser level work? Also known as a rotating laser level or a spinning laser, it produces a single dot, rather than a line, and spins that dot at over 1,000 rotations per minute. That allows it to project a solid plane-like beam vertically or/and horizontally.

The Crucial P310 came as a bit of a surprise, but a welcome one. M.2 2230 SSDs have ratcheted up in popularity ever since Valve’s Steam Deck launched, and now there are more portable gaming systems than ever. There’s also Microsoft’s Surface Pro line and some laptops that take M.2 2230 or M.2 2242 - this drive can be extended up to M.2 2280 if needed - which used to mean going to eBay for OEM options like the WD SN740. This hasn’t been the case in a while, but finding a decent 2TB drive has remained difficult. The P310 handles that challenge like a champ.

What makes this drive good for workstations is that it has a powerful, eight-channel controller with DRAM, in an era when four-channel DRAM-less drives are becoming more popular. PCIe 5.0 SSDs still carry too much of a premium. The MP600 Pro LPX also has tried-and-tested hardware that’s mature and reliable, which isn’t the case with some IG5236-based drives like some Silicon Power XS70s. Corsair also offers this drive from 500GB up to 8TB, which gives a ton of flexibility to suit your needs. It’s not power-efficient by today’s standards, but this isn’t a huge factor for workstations and HEDTs, making it a safe choice.

Introducing one nanometre axis resolution, the new MX7 ULTRA machine's performance can maintain less than +/- 0.002mm line form accuracy of any profile which ...

When it first launched in late 2021, the Kingston KC3000 was one of the fastest SSDs around. Today, it doesn’t necessarily stand out on its own, using common hardware that’s been a PCIe 4.0 SSD staple for quite some time. Today, it doesn’t necessarily stand out on its own, using standard hardware that’s been a PCIe 4.0 SSD staple for quite some time — it has a Phison E18 SSD controller paired with 176-layer Micron TLC NAND. However, this mature platform performs very well in the PS5, but you'll likely want to add your own heatsink. The KC3000 comes in a wide range of capacities, from 512GB (why bother?) to a beefy 4TB model. That should be enough for most gamers, though if you want an 8TB drive, we suggest looking into the Inland Gaming Performance Plus that comes in that capacity — and costs $859, ouch! The KC3000 may not sparkle and shine like the newest PCIe 4.0 SSDs, this drive is a good value for PS5 and desktop gaming. The SN850X and 990 Pro might be slightly faster in some metrics, with the SN850X getting the edge thanks to slightly lower pricing. There are a lot of other drives with the same hardware combination that we've tested under Windows 11, but we haven't yet tested most of these with the PS5. These include the Corsair MP600 Pro LPX, Corsair MP600 Pro XT, Inland Gaming Performance Plus, Kingston Fury Renegade, Netac NV7000, PNY CS3140, Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus-G, Seagate FireCuda 530, Silicon Power XPower XS70, and Teamgroup A440 Pro. Of these, the Inland Gaming Performance Plus 2TB at $139 and the Silicon Power XS70 2TB at $139 currently have a slightly lower price, though we haven't tested those with the PS5 due to no longer having the SSDs in our inventory, which is why the KC3000 gets the nod — but the drives are all basically the same. Newer drives are more power efficient, like the Lexar NM790 and Crucial T500. Those also come in heatsink-optional flavors, though we think it’s worth investing in cooling for the PS5 for long-term use. While it's not our top pick, the Kingston KC3000 hardware provides solid pricing, great performance consistency, it's readily available, and it has good support. Read: Kingston KC3000 SSD Review

Now that Crucial has finally brought out the 4TB SKU for the T500, it can replace the T700 on our best SSDs list for the best 4TB SSD alternative. The T700 is still a good choice for this, but the T500 is better for a few reasons. While both drives have a heatsink option, the T700 requires one, while the T500 can work bare in a laptop. The T500 is also more power-efficient but doesn’t skimp on performance by omitting DRAM. And while the T700 is PCIe 5.0 capable, many machines — including laptops and the PS5 — won’t benefit from that extra bandwidth.

Because of their relatively simple construction, manual laser levels offer a cheaper alternative to self-leveling laser levels, making the former a perfect choice for DIY projects. They also require less battery power than a self-leveling unit. And if you know how to set them up properly, they can help you create perfectly straight reference lines.

You can get a SATA drive in the M.2 form factor, but most SATA drives are 2.5-inch models, which allows them to drop into the same bays that hold laptop hard drives. SATA drives are the cheapest.

With the growing popularity of M.2 2230 SSDs, it was only a matter of time before we saw retail 2242 options. The Sabrent Rocket Nano 2242 is one of these, alongside the Corsair MP600 Micro. Alternatives include OEM and last-gen drives, like Sabrent’s original Rocket 2242, but some are double-sided. Not so with the Rocket Nano 2242, which will fit in the Lenovo Legion Go and many laptops with at least one M.2 2242 slot. It’s an easy drop-in solution with good performance and power efficiency.

The drive is only currently available at 1TB. However, with dual NAND packages, we expect larger capacity options in the future. M.2 2230 SSDs can also be extended for M.2 2242, but the 2TB options currently on the market all have their own drawbacks, except perhaps for the imminent Corsair MP600 Mini (E27T). However, the Rocket Nano 2242 gives plenty of performance for portable devices as it stands and is an easy pickup for M.2 2242.

The most commonly used dot laser levels are the 3-point and 5-point laser levels. 3-point laser levels are great for layouts and generating plumb points. 5-point laser levels can do the same, except that they can also generate 90-degree points for exact square alignment. You can also choose a 3-4-5 dot laser level, which allows you to use three to five laser points at a time.

Self-leveling laser units are known for their accuracy and time-saving capabilities. They work great for professionals who need to level regularly outdoors. Additionally, they’re convenient in meeting the project deadline, reducing the need for rework, and finishing the leveling task quickly.

PNY had its heart set on producing a very fast RGB-capable SSD, and with the CS3150 XLR8, or CS3150, it succeeded. This PCIe 5.0 SSD also has a heatsink with dual fans to ensure it never overheats. PNY’s software allows control over the RGB and fans, with synchronization possible for the former if you have other PNY RGB products. The warranty is standard, but the drive does support hardware encryption via the TCG Opal 2.0 specification, which may be a selling point for some.

The problem with this construction laser is that once it gets disturbed or moved, its accuracy and performance may be instantly affected.

The Crucial T705 is the fastest drive we have tested to date, finally breaking the 14 GB/s barrier. Careful work with Phison’s Max14um reference SSD design has led Crucial to eke out even more performance, taking the excellent T700 - a previous Fastest SSD position holder - up a notch. The optional heatsink design remains passive, which is a bonus, and you can also purchase the drive bare. Aside from the solid sequential performance, the T705 also has good sustained performance and can reach an incredible 1,550K / 1,800K random read and write IOPS at 2TB.

If you don’t want to dish out big bucks on something in the NVMe flavor but still want strong SATA performance, the MX500 is a great choice. As an alternative to the Samsung 860 EVO, it offers similar performance and has a strong history of reliability. Usually priced to sell, the MX500 is a top value at any capacity you need.

Line laser levels are primarily used for indoor projects, such as mounting cabinets, installing chair rails, and other tasks that require leveling and plumbing. Cross line laser levels, meanwhile, allow you to do the same as well as to transfer reference points for floor-to-ceiling alignment.

So if you do opt for a red laser level, keep in mind that it’s better for indoor use and when used outdoors, it requires a compatible laser detector to increase their visibility and range. You can even purchase a red laser level kit with a laser detector at a cheaper price—if not the same price—than a green laser level.

Laser detectors or receivers can increase the working ranges of laser levels and detect their beams outdoors. Grade rods or leveling rods can help you determine and measure the excavation depth and level the excavation site. You can also choose a grade rod for laser receivers, which comes with a detector bracket and a sliding tape face for establishing elevations.

WD has taken its popular Black SN850 SSD and turned it up to 11. The Black SN850X leverages an improved controller and newer flash to get the most out of the PCIe 4.0 interface. Performance is improved across the board, and the drive rivals most of the top contenders in the PCIe 4.0 market. There's also a heatsink option that comes with RGB at 1TB and 2TB. WD also supports the SSD with its decent Dashboard application and a respectable five-year warranty.

You can use a rotary laser level for virtually all kinds of outdoor or indoor leveling tasks. Because it’s considered to be at the higher end of professional equipment, it’s an efficient tool for leveling in any construction project.

While that makes sense, there’s a tool that can make the leveling job a lot easier: a laser level. It’s a tool that projects a level beam toward the wall, floor, or other surfaces. Simply put, a laser level allows you to level or plumb hands-free.

Also known as a point laser level, a dot laser level is the simplest type of laser level. It produces two to five laser beam points in plumb, level, or square modes.

The first thing that stands out about this drive is that it’s using enterprise-grade flash. Such flash is more reliable with higher baseline endurance. This lets Addlink extend the warranty to 1 drive write per day (DWPD), which is three times the retail standard. The second thing that stands out is that it has capacitors on-board for power loss protection. This means improved integrity for data-in-flight. Lastly, the NAS D60 foregoes any pSLC cache, which, while hurting all-around performance, does give more consistent sustained performance. This combination makes it particularly good for a write cache, singly or in RAID, for NAS and other systems.

Grade laser levels are available in single slope and dual slope types, and they can collect height and angle measurements and establish grades in a flash.

Paul Alcorn is the Managing Editor: News and Emerging Tech for Tom's Hardware US. He also writes news and reviews on CPUs, storage, and enterprise hardware.

This step-by-step depth of field tutorial is to help you easily overcome all the difficulties you'll come across when shooting for a desired depth of field.

Of course, you’re getting your money’s worth with a green laser level. While it consumes more battery power than a red laser does, it offers better visibility with its brighter beam, and you can have an easier time finding the reference line outdoors.

Economical yet functional enough, manual laser levels are great for DIY framing, cabinetry, and other simple building projects.

Red laser levels can help you do various leveling tasks indoors, some of which are drop ceiling installation, shelving, railing, and cabinet installation. Since they’re compatible with most machine control receivers, red laser levels are great for earthmoving applications. For outdoor leveling tasks, remember to use a laser detector with your red laser level.

Sure, it’s QLC-based, which means it’s not quite as fast or consistent as it could be, but it’s more power-efficient than the TLC-based WD Black SN770M and has more throughput. In fact, it’s the fastest 2TB M.2 2230 SSD we’ve ever tested. We expect the updated Corsair MP600 Mini would beat it, but the P310 has better availability and should be less expensive. It’s fast enough where it matters, which makes it the best option if you’re looking purely for capacity, but your host system should be able to take PCIe 4.0 drives to fully benefit.

This is the fastest drive for now, but there will be others. The Sabrent Rocket 5 is not too far behind, and there are drives built on non-Phison controllers - like the InnoGrit IG5666-based Teamgroup T-Force GE Pro - that also promise over 14 GB/s of potential throughput. PCIe 5.0 drives remain an enthusiast product due to cost and availability concerns, and so far, they have proven inefficient and unwise for laptops and the PS5. Still, if you want the fastest consumer storage you can buy, the T705 is the fastest drive on the market.

Whether you're shopping for one of the best SSDs or one that didn't quite make our list, you may find savings by checking out the latest Crucial promo codes, Newegg promo codes, Amazon promo codes, Corsair coupon codes, Samsung promo codes or Micro Center coupons.

Below, you'll find our list of the best SSDs. For even more information, check out our SSD Buyer's Guide. Iif you're looking for an external SSD, you can check out our Best External Hard Drives and SSD page, or learn how to save some money by building your own external SSD.

The Addlink NAS D60 is a niche drive but fills its designated role pretty well. If you have a NAS system, a workstation, or other servers - whether for home lab use or SOHO - this drive may be worth looking at. Assuming your server can take an M.2 NVMe drive or two, the NAS D60 can do caching duty in tandem with mechanical hard drives or even be used in an all-flash array. Whichever way you go, some special features of this drive help it step away from other retail consumer drives, which justifies its price premium. But it’s still more affordable than full-out enterprise solutions.

The Sabrent Rocket 4 replaces the original Rocket 4 with a faster, more power-efficient design. Although this is a DRAM-less drive, the performance is excellent, and the drive’s single-sided nature makes it great for laptops. This is an easy drop-in part that falls short of the T500 only in its omission of DRAM, but luckily, DRAM isn’t as much of a requirement as it once used to be. The Rocket 4 also tops out at only 2TB of capacity - the T500 promises 4TB this year, and there are some good 4TB options like the Lexar NM790 already available.

The Corsair MP600 Pro LPX has come a long way since our original review. Its performance has been straightened out and Corsair has also added an 8TB SKU. The drive has good availability and fair pricing, which is what helps it stand out in this category. While there are many drives similar to it, including our original pick - the Seagate FireCuda 530, which is now hard to find, Corsair has focused more on simply having the drive available. Throw in a heatsink - in black or white, to match your decor - and you have an attractive and very consistent all-around performer.

Corsair’s second run at the MP600 Mini, now with a faster controller and flash, is an example of how to do things right. It takes M.2 2230 SSDs to the next level in terms of performance while maintaining excellent levels of power efficiency. To top it off, it brings TLC flash at up to 2TB in a single-sided package. Previously, it was necessary to go with QLC flash - which in some cases is slower than TLC flash - or the power-hungry WD Black SN770M, which in any case isn’t as fast. This isn’t as big a deal with the PCIe 3.0 Steam Deck, as you can’t reach the full potential of today’s drives with that interface.

Pipe laser levels are just what they sound like—they help professionals do pipe-jacking and microtunneling tasks far more efficiently. Like other types of laser levels, pipe lasers come with leveling and plumbing functions. What makes them different is that they also feature specific grading functions for pipe installation and other similar tasks.

Green laser levels perform well in both indoor and outdoor leveling tasks. Some outdoor tasks that can be far more efficient with green lasers include masonry alignment, fence installation, drainage, grading, and basic surveying.

If you have the budget, then a green laser level is truly a wise investment. But remember: it doesn’t come cheap. Because a green laser level comes with costly parts such as laser crystals and certain diodes, it typically costs more than a red laser level. It also isn’t compatible with most machine control receivers, so for excavation and other earthmoving tasks, you’re better off with a red laser level.

Samsung has managed all of this with its high-performing 990 Pro SSD. You have a powerful controller with DRAM, cutting-edge TLC flash, and a single-sided drive with or without heatsink even at 4TB. WD’s SN850X has been out a while at 4TB but has no heatsink option and is double-sided, with the SN850P being a latter heatsinked version for the PS5. There has been an increasing amount of 4TB TLC drives, including the Lexar NM790 and Addlink A93, but these cannot compare to the power and brand power of Samsung’s 990 Pro. You do have to pay for that privilege given the high MSRP, but at this time there is no substitute.

Need perfectly symmetrical and accurate grades or slopes? A grade laser level might just help you get the job done—all without the need for tedious calculations.

Like an actual plane, the 360-degree spinning laser beam that a rotary laser level produces offers you a highly accurate reference line. It provides highly accurate measurements within 1/16th of an inch at 100 feet or 1/8th of an inch at 100 feet. That makes rotary laser levels a popular choice among professional contractors and home builders alike.

The downside is that there are faster DRAM-less PCIe 4.0 drives around, like the Lexar NM790, Addlink A93, and Patriot Viper VP4300 Lite. However, extra power is often inconsequential if you’re on a budget. The MP44L competes more directly with WD’s Blue SN580, Black SN770, and Blue SN5000, as well as drives that share the MP44L’s hardware like the Silicon Power UD90 and Addlink S90 Lite, but sometimes these drives have swapped to QLC at higher capacities - the UD90 certainly has. The MP44L usually comes out on top as the best value, though.

The 4TB T500 is not without its faults, though. Its pricing is a little high for what you get, matching other high-end drives, which makes more sense on desktops. This is partly because the T500 has inconsistent sustained performance while those like the 990 Pro and SN850X do not. The 4TB T500 is also double-sided, which potentially reduces its compatibility. There are already single-sided, 4TB DRAM-less drives for less, such as the Lexar NM790, and there may be more in the future, although in general, this fact shouldn’t reduce the T500’s appeal.

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The fact is, this drive is quite consistent, which is potentially useful for NAS and even workstation use. Its warranty doesn’t lag behind and the addition of a heatsink means it’s ready to go right out of the box - or you can get the regular Legend 960 without a heatsink. It’s also pretty much the least expensive drive of this type, with DRAM, at 4TB, when ignoring drives with problematic hardware like the Silicon Power XS70 or Adata S70 Blade. It’s one of those drives that goes unnoticed which means at the right price it could be a niche solution for a tucked-away server.

While 8TB is not a new milestone by any measure, WD can reach this without any real compromises. Performance is still about the same, and power efficiency is in the same ballpark. There’s also the option for a heatsink if you’d like, and that’s not a bad idea for a drive of this caliber. The 8TB model is still double-sided like the 4TB, which might make it a tight fit for specific laptops, but, for the most part, this is not a problem. It took WD a while to bring this capacity to the market, but it did it right, making it the best 8TB drive.

While the Teamgroup MP44 is the value champion if you want the newest hardware and the fastest PCIe 4.0 speeds, going with its smaller sibling - the MP44L - is a good choice if budget is your top priority. Neither drive has DRAM, but both perform well enough that, in most cases, you’ll notice no difference between the MP44L and more expensive drives. There are no real performance pitfalls here and, further, the drive is efficient and single-sided for laptops or the PS5. It’s an easy pickup on sale.

This comes at a cost as the older hardware on the SN770M - which is the same as the popular M.2 2280 Black SN770 - pulls more power and puts out more heat. For regular gaming use, this wasn’t an issue in our testing. The difference in battery life is essentially negligible, and the drive is usually not pushed enough for its direct heat output to be an issue. Therefore, it offers the best baseline performance in this form factor for now, but QLC-based alternatives may be more affordable.

$20 extra for a heatsink and RGB is a good deal, and Samsung will likely discount this drive over time. Competing PCIe 5.0 drives on the market offer faster performance, but they still carry a premium.

Of the key components in any PC, the storage drive is the slowest: transferring bits in a fraction of the time your CPU and GPU take to process it or your RAM takes to load it. A poor-performing storage drive often leads to a big bottleneck, forcing your processor (even if it's one of the best CPUs for gaming) to waste clock cycles as it waits for data to crunch. Finding the best SSD or solid-state drive for your specific system and needs is key if you want the best gaming PC or laptop, or even if you just want a snappy productivity machine. To find the best SSDs for gaming and productivity, we test dozens of drives each year and highlight the best ones here. We have multiple categories, including the best SSD for NAS and the Best SSD for the Steam Deck listed below. For those on the hunt for the best SSD for the PS5, be sure to head to that link for our recommendations based on our exhaustive testing. If you're looking for the ultimate in cheap and deep storage, we also have a list of the best hard drives.

UV Bandpass Filters ... This coating allows only a certain band of UV light to pass, while blocking others. Applications include fluorescence analysis, medical ...

Diet Salazar is a researcher and technical writer of information-packed articles for various industries, including the AEC industry. She spends her free time learning about small building projects and new design trends.

The CS3150 isn’t perfect, though. It’s expensive and can be difficult to find. It’s only available at 1TB and 2TB capacities, needing 2TB to hit its maximum performance numbers. There are also other drives equal or faster to it, although for many workloads this isn’t particularly relevant. If RGB isn’t your thing, this drive also comes without the RGB in both white and black variants. Regardless of the model you go for, the drive can operate without throttling, and its performance is good across the board.

WD has updated the popular Black SN850X with an 8TB model, a capacity that is in high demand within some circles. This is high density for the cost of just a single M.2 slot, while the far less expensive option of two 4TB drives requires two slots instead. There are cases where one slot is a hard limit, such as with the PlayStation 5 or some laptops or smaller desktop motherboards. In those cases, this drive is probably the best choice for an 8TB drive if that much space is needed. However, you do pay a premium for that benefit.

It’s probably not the best SSD for laptops as the controller can act as a hotspot, but otherwise it’s a good choice at any capacity. However, it faces more competition below 4TB. There are faster drives either way, but it’s difficult to argue about the MP44’s price. Its most direct rivals would be the Patriot Viper VP4300 Lite, the Lexar NM790, and the Addlink A93, but it generally beats them all with its lower cost, particularly at the coveted 4TB.

Picture this: you’re trying to hang a curtain rod above the window. You have the curtain rod in one hand and a hammer and a nail in the other. Of course, you’d probably want that curtain rod hung in a straight line.

by R Paschotta · Cited by 2 — In the simplest case, a light beam is linearly polarized, which means that the electric field oscillates in a certain linear direction perpendicular to the beam ...

The new MP600 Mini comes at a price, though. Literally - it costs a bit more than the competition. The least expensive way to get this level of performance is to go with the Crucial P310, the best choice for M.2 2230 on any PCIe 4.0 platform if you want the highest capacity and 7 GB/s. For a 3.0 platform like the Deck and TLC flash, the Black SN770M remains solid. If you want the best performance possible, then the updated MP600 Mini is the way to go. For the time being, it is even good for M.2 2242 with an extender, otherwise, the native Rocket Nano 2242 will do the trick at 1TB.

Once you’ve decided to get one of these laser levels, be sure to complete the ultimate leveling package with essential laser level accessories to make the most of its features.

Excavators and other construction professionals can find a grade laser level to be one of the most convenient tools in their kit. This type of laser level can help you measure declining slopes, prepare sites for excavation, build ramps and other inclined structures, and establish differences in elevations.

The Teamgroup MP44 is one of those drives that remains a value champion just for being in the right place at the right time. It feels like a natural successor to the Teamgroup MP34, a drive that was once the most popular 4TB choice among budget PCIe 3.0 drives. The MP44 is even better than that, though, as it has a more reliable controller with up-to-date flash. As such, performance is good everywhere it matters and the drive is power-efficient, too.

More specifically, rotary laser levels work great for establishing grades and reference points, landscaping, leveling floors, and building driveways.

It’s worth noting that the first four items on the list encompass the rest of the types of laser levels. To choose the best laser level for the job, it’s helpful to know about manual and self-leveling laser levels as well as red and green laser levels.

The Sabrent Rocket 5 has the distinction of providing the fastest direct-to-TLC write performance we have ever seen. During the longest of workloads, it can average write speeds of 4.45 GB/s, outclassing any PCIe 3.0 drive in existence and beating our previous high points with TLC flash with either 4.0 or 5.0 SSDs. It’s otherwise similar to other drives based on the Phison E26 controller, but it’s at the upper end of those, too. This allows it to provide excellent all-around performance with DirectStorage-optimized firmware for future-proofing.

Like the Samsung 970 PRO, the 860 PRO uses Samsung’s 64L MLC V-NAND, which helps propel it to the top of the charts in our rounds of benchmarking and makes for some incredible endurance figures. You can get capacities up to 4TB, and endurance figures can be as high as 4,800 TBW. But with prices that are triple that of your typical mainstream SATA SSD, the 860 PRO is mainly for businesses with deep pockets.

But more and more people are making the switch from red lasers to green laser levels. Because the color green appears brighter to the human eye than red, green laser levels produce beams that are far more visible. Plus, they have longer working ranges than red lasers.

If you’re looking for a more traditional drive or one with a larger capacity option, the Adata Legend 960 Max remains viable. It also has a heatsink, which the D60 NAS lacks. Pick the D60 Max if you want the higher TBW, the PLP, and/or the non-cache performance characteristics. Oh, and remember that the NAS D60 will not be very power-efficient if that’s a factor for you.

As was mentioned before, green laser levels outperform red lasers when it comes to outdoor leveling. When working indoors, red laser levels typically have a working range of 20 to 30 feet, whereas green laser levels can work over a range of 50 to 60 feet.

If you need to level professionally, there’s no better choice than a self-leveling laser level. This construction laser features a self-leveling mechanism or sensor, often in the form of a pendulum, which maintains the level setup of a construction laser.

The Crucial T500 combines cutting-edge flash with a customized controller that manages to be power-efficient with just four channels but also squeezes in the coveted performance-boosting DRAM cache. The T500 is also a single-sided drive with TCG Opal support, making it perfect for professional laptop use.

Its self-leveling feature is especially useful when you need to frequently move your laser level around the busy outdoor job site. Even if you were to disturb the unit, you won’t have to worry about resetting and leveling it again—it’ll do the job of leveling itself.

In other words, if you were to test every single focal length in the same line (let's say Rokinon's Cinema lenses for instance), you will almost always find ...

Because dot laser levels help you transfer points between the wall, ceiling, and floor, they are ideal for installing wiring, wall trims, light fixtures and switches, and decks.

The WD Black SN770M is unique in that it offers 2TB of TLC NAND flash in the tiny M.2 2230 form factor in a single-sided design. This makes it optimal for use in the Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, and other portable gaming/computing devices. Some of these can take double-sided drives or longer drives, but the most popular of them all - the Deck and Deck OLED - work best with this form factor. For a long time, it was only possible to get a drive with less-desirable QLC if you wanted 2TB, but with the SN770M, that compromise is no longer required.