The Crucial P3 Plus was the bestselling budget NVMe SSD — over 10 million units sold worldwide. At £50-70 for 1TB, it offered PCIe Gen 4 speeds (5,100 MB/s) at a price point where competitors were still charging £80-100. But with Crucial discontinuing consumer storage by June 2026, the P3 Plus is vanishing from UK shelves. Here’s what to buy instead, with real-world performance comparisons and specs.
The Crucial P3 Plus: The Bestseller
The P3 Plus was Crucial’s breakthrough NVMe drive. While competitors were arguing about TLC vs QLC NAND, Crucial just made a cheap, fast, reliable Gen 4 NVMe drive that worked in every modern laptop and desktop. No RGB nonsense, no marketing hype — just 5,100 MB/s read speed at a price that undercut everything else. Over a decade of market dominance in budget storage meant Crucial knew how to squeeze value out of every component.
The P3 Plus hit the sweet spot: fast enough for gaming and content creation, cheap enough for budget builders, reliable enough for business use. That’s why 10 million sold. Now you need a replacement, and there are excellent options at the same or cheaper price.
Direct Replacements for the P3 Plus
Best Replacement: WD Black SN770
WD Black SN770 is the direct successor to the P3 Plus. Specs are essentially identical: 5,150 MB/s read (vs P3 Plus’s 5,100 MB/s), PCIe Gen 4, available in 250GB-2TB capacities, same price (£50-70 for 1TB). Western Digital’s budget NVMe option is what P3 Plus owners are switching to as Crucial stock dries up. Same performance, better availability, proven reliability.
Specs: 5,150 MB/s read, 3,600 MB/s write, 5-year warranty, available in 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB. Buy WD Black SN770 1TB on Amazon UK.
Budget Alternative: Kingston NV2
Kingston NV2 is the cheapest option. It’s slightly slower than the P3 Plus (4,800 MB/s vs 5,100 MB/s — only a 4% difference that you won’t notice) and significantly cheaper (£40-50 for 1TB). For budget builders and office systems, Kingston NV2 is better value. Still PCIe Gen 4, same form factor (2280), same reliability.
Specs: 4,800 MB/s read, 2,100 MB/s write, 5-year warranty, available in 250GB-1TB. Buy Kingston NV2 1TB on Amazon UK.
Premium Option: Samsung 980 Pro
If you want faster performance than the P3 Plus, Samsung 980 Pro hits 7,100 MB/s read — 40% faster than the P3 Plus. But it costs more (£160-180 for 1TB). Only buy the 980 Pro if you edit 4K video or do professional work where the speed matters. For gaming and general use, it’s overkill. The SSD alternatives guide covers all options.
P3 Plus Performance Comparison: Budget NVMe SSDs
| Drive | Read Speed | Write Speed | Price (1TB) | Form Factor | Warranty | Real-World Use |
| Crucial P3 Plus | 5,100 MB/s | 3,500 MB/s | £50-70* | 2280 NVMe | 5 years | Gaming, productivity |
| WD Black SN770 | 5,150 MB/s | 3,600 MB/s | £50-70 | 2280 NVMe | 5 years | Direct replacement |
| Kingston NV2 | 4,800 MB/s | 2,100 MB/s | £40-50 | 2280 NVMe | 5 years | Budget builds |
| TeamGroup MP34 | 4,400 MB/s | 2,200 MB/s | £35-45 | 2280 NVMe | 5 years | Value option |
*Crucial P3 Plus prices are spiked on remaining stock due to discontinuation. WD Black SN770 is the better buy at £50-70.
Real-World Speed: Do the MB/s Numbers Matter?
For Gaming: No Difference
A P3 Plus at 5,100 MB/s feels identical to Kingston NV2 at 4,800 MB/s in gaming. Load times are the same, gameplay is the same, frame rates are the same. The speed difference only shows up in benchmarks, not in real work. Buy the cheaper Kingston and pocket the difference.
For General Use (Office, Browsing): No Difference
Opening Excel, launching Chrome, working in Photoshop — all identical between a 4,800 MB/s Kingston and a 5,100 MB/s Crucial. You won’t perceive a speed difference.
For Video Editing: Speed Matters
If you’re editing 4K video, transferring massive files, or working with huge databases, the speed difference between 4,800 MB/s (Kingston NV2) and 5,150 MB/s (WD Black SN770) becomes visible. The 350 MB/s difference helps with file scrubbing and render times. But even then, both are fast enough to work — WD Black is just faster.
Verdict: Buy Kingston NV2 Unless You Edit Video
For £10 cheaper and the same real-world experience, Kingston NV2 is the smarter buy for 99% of users. Buy WD Black SN770 if you specifically edit video and need maximum sustained throughput.
Capacity Considerations
250GB: Too small for modern systems. Skip it.
500GB: Tight fit. Windows takes 20GB, a few games take 50-100GB each. Not recommended unless you absolutely need to save cost.
1TB: Sweet spot. Windows + programs + 5-10 games + files. Standard choice for gaming and productivity. Kingston NV2 1TB is £40-50.
2TB: Serious gamers or content creators. Room for 20+ games or a full video project library. WD Black SN770 2TB is £90-110.
Installation: Swapping a P3 Plus for WD Black SN770
Both drives use the exact same M.2 2280 form factor. To upgrade: power off, remove battery, unscrew bottom panel, locate the M.2 slot (usually near the edge), remove the screw, pop out the P3 Plus at a 30-degree angle, insert the WD Black SN770, screw it down. Five minutes, no tools, no setup needed.
Your laptop or desktop won’t need any configuration. BIOS detects the new drive automatically. See our SSD installation guide for step-by-step photos and troubleshooting.
Warranty and Reliability
WD Black SN770 has a 5-year warranty, same as the P3 Plus. MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) is 1.75 million hours. Kingston NV2 also has 5-year warranty and 1.5 million MTBF. All three are exceptionally reliable — you’re not taking a risk by switching. If a drive fails within warranty, you get a replacement.
Crucial P3 Plus warranties will be honoured by Micron through their term, but as the company exits consumer products, warranty support becomes harder to access. WD and Kingston warranty support will remain strong and accessible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is WD Black SN770 the same speed as Crucial P3 Plus?
Essentially yes. WD Black reads at 5,150 MB/s vs P3 Plus’s 5,100 MB/s — only a 50 MB/s difference (1% faster). You won’t notice the difference in real-world use.
Should I pay a premium for remaining P3 Plus stock?
No. WD Black SN770 is cheaper and identical in performance. Kingston NV2 is even cheaper (£40-50) and only 4% slower — still excellent. Don’t overpay for discontinued stock.
Is Kingston NV2 slow because it costs less?
No. At 4,800 MB/s it’s only 6% slower than the P3 Plus and you won’t notice in gaming or general use. For £10 cheaper, Kingston NV2 is the smart buy for most people.
Can I put a WD Black SN770 in my laptop that had a P3 Plus?
Yes, it’s a direct physical replacement. Same M.2 2280 form factor, same power connector, same compatibility. Drop-in upgrade.
Should I buy the faster Samsung 980 Pro instead?
Only if you edit video. At 7,100 MB/s it’s 40% faster, but costs 3x as much (£160-180 vs £50-70). For gaming and general use, the speed difference doesn’t matter and you’re paying premium prices for unused performance.
What if I need a 2TB NVMe at budget prices?
WD Black SN770 2TB (£90-110) is your best bet. Kingston NV2 maxes out at 1TB. For 2TB capacity, WD is the only option in the budget bracket.
Our Recommendation
Best Value: Kingston NV2 1TB (£40-50) — 4% slower than P3 Plus but 20% cheaper. Perfect for gaming and general use.
Best Direct Upgrade: WD Black SN770 1TB (£50-70) — identical speed to P3 Plus, better availability, same price. If you want zero compromise, this is it.
For Video Editors: Samsung 980 Pro 1TB (£160-180) — 40% faster, overkill for gaming but essential if you edit video professionally.
Next Steps
Use our Laptop Upgrade Compatibility Checker to confirm your system supports NVMe and what form factor you need. Then pick your replacement from the options above. Follow our SSD installation guide for step-by-step help.
Shop NVMe SSD Replacements at PCHub.UK
Prices updated automatically from PCHub.UK — click to view full specs and buy
Prices from PCHub.UK via ComputersDeal. As an affiliate, we may earn from qualifying purchases. Prices updated 2026-04-10 13:15:58.
