Why You Can Trust CNET Get a 500GB Samsung SSD for $149.99
From the Cheapskate: This top-rated drive -- a perfect upgrade for laptops and desktops alike -- retails for $250.
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Tired of your sluggish PC? You could reformat the hard drive and reinstall Windows, but that's a pretty big hassle -- and you'll still end up chugging along with hot, noisy, comparatively slow mechnical platters.
It's fairly common knowledge that solid-state drives are vastly superior -- cool-running, totally silent and much faster -- but the caveat has always been price. To get more than a couple hundred gigabytes, you'd have to spend several hundred dollars.
Not today. For a limited time, and while supplies last, Adorama (via Ebay) has the Samsung 850 Evo 500GB solid-state drive for $149.99, shipped. (That price will appear once you add it to your cart.) The drive lists for $250 and sells elsewhere for at least $175.
This is a 2.5-inch SATA III internal drive, one that's suitable for desktops and laptops alike. (If you're upgrading a laptop, just make sure you're replacing a drive that's the same size. And if it's a desktop, you'll likely need to spring for mounting hardware -- and possibly SATA cables -- to affix the drive to your case.)
The good news is it comes with migration software to simply your move from your old drive. The bad news is, I suspect you'll need a USB-to-SATA cable so you can actually perform that migration.
Samsung backs the drive with a five-year warranty, which is impressive. Even more impressive: The 850 Evo earned an amazing 4.7-star average from over 4,500 (!) Amazon buyers.
I don't know how long these will last; I've been checking the number-sold counter and it's been rising pretty steadily. I do know this is one of the best deals I've seen for a half-terabyte SSD, which explains its popularity. If you're looking to squeeze a few more years out of your current PC, this is a fantastic upgrade option.
Bonus deal: Your typical cigarette-lighter adapter supplies a USB port or two, but what if you need power for, say, your laptop? That requires one of those pricey inverter things, right? Wrong: While supplies last, Techbuy (via Amazon) has the Energizer 100-watt power inverter for $14.99. That's after applying coupon code DN2Q4LPR at checkout. Shipping is free for Amazon Prime subscribers. This cigarette-lighter adapter provides not only a 120V AC outlet, but also a pair of 2.1-amp USB ports. It earned a whopping 4.8-star rating from 130 buyers. Yes, please!
Bonus deal no. 2: Calling all iPhone users! Now that Android Wear works with iOS, it's time to seriously reconsider your smartwatch options. For example, Best Buy (via Ebay) has the Moto 360 for $149.99, shipped (plus sales tax where applicable). It's available in a variety of colors (and sizes: 23mm or 18mm), most of them with the highly desirable metal wristband. Although the Moto 360 isn't "officially" supported, there's a lot of anecdotal evidence to indicate it will pair with an iPhone (with caveats -- do your homework).