PNY CS900 250GB
The current PNY CS900 250GB price from retailers, its key specifications, and how it performs for each job.
PNY · SSD · SATA
Trade-offs: you want strong value with Balanced priorities specifically
- Capacity
- 250 GB
- Interface
- SATA 6.0 Gb/s
- Sequential read
- 500 MB/s
- Sequential write
- 500 MB/s
- Endurance
- 150 TBW
- Form factor
- 2.5"
Move a slider and the page re-scores this product against the same market frame.
What does it cost today, and is that a good price?
Market confidence: MediumAt $50 the PNY CS900 250GB is priced 14% below its $58 representative market level. Only 2 verified new offers stand behind it, so the level can move quickly.
Consider: Patriot P210 256GB offers stronger value around $40.Compare
Prices & availability
PNY CS900 250GB: current price and offers
Compare the offers we track for this model, across variants and retailers.
2 tracked offers · 2 retailers
| Variant | Store | Condition | Price (snapshot) | Value · Balanced | Checked | Offer link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PNY CS900 250GB | B&H | New | $50 | 36 | 2026-11-14 | View offer → |
| PNY CS900 250GB | MemoryC | New | $65 | 28 | 2026-11-14 | View offer → |
Prices are dated snapshots, not live quotes — confirm the final price at the store. New, refurbished and used offers are listed separately; used offers carry warranty and seller risk.
Performance and where it ranks
Two different questions, side by side. Performance compares what the hardware can do; Value compares what that capability costs at today’s price. A product can rank high on one and low on the other — that gap is the point.
Performance Balanced
How much it can do. Price plays no part in this ranking.
#250 of 252 graded solid state drives
- #246 TranscendTranscend 480GB 3
- #247 PatriotPatriot P210 256GB 3
- #248 PatriotPatriot P220 256GB 3
- #249 TeamGroupTeamGroup MS30 256GB 3
- #250 PNYPNY CS900 250GB 3
- #251 TranscendTranscend 225S 250GB 3
- #252 SamsungSamsung 870 Evo 250GB 3
Value Balanced
How much of that you get for today’s price.
#134 of 252 currently priced solid state drives
- #131 GigabyteGigabyte 2500E 1TB 37
- #132 Silicon PowerSilicon Power UD90 4TB 37
- #133 LexarLexar NQ100 480GB 36
- #134 PNYPNY CS900 250GB 36
- #135 SamsungSamsung 990 EVO 1TB 36
- #136 SeagateSeagate BarraCuda Q5 1TB 36
- #137 SamsungSamsung 990 Pro 4TB 36
Performance System Drive
How much it can do. Price plays no part in this ranking.
#250 of 252 graded solid state drives
- #246 TranscendTranscend 480GB 3
- #247 PatriotPatriot P210 256GB 3
- #248 PatriotPatriot P220 256GB 3
- #249 TeamGroupTeamGroup MS30 256GB 3
- #250 PNYPNY CS900 250GB 3
- #251 TranscendTranscend 225S 250GB 3
- #252 SamsungSamsung 870 Evo 250GB 3
Value System Drive
How much of that you get for today’s price.
#149 of 252 currently priced solid state drives
- #146 TranscendTranscend MTE300S 512GB 19
- #147 KingstonKingston FURY Renegade G5 4TB 19
- #148 KingstonKingston KC3000 4TB 19
- #149 PNYPNY CS900 250GB 19
- #150 SamsungSamsung 990 Pro 4TB 18
- #151 CrucialCrucial P3 Plus 2TB 17
- #152 CorsairCorsair MP600 PRO XT 2TB 16
Performance Game
How much it can do. Price plays no part in this ranking.
#247 of 252 graded solid state drives
- #244 TranscendTranscend 115S 250GB 2
- #245 PNYPNY CS1030 250GB 2
- #246 Western DigitalWestern Digital Blue 250GB 2
- #247 PNYPNY CS900 250GB 2
- #248 TranscendTranscend 225S 250GB 2
- #249 SamsungSamsung 870 Evo 250GB 2
- #250 KingstonKingston DC2000B 240GB 2
Value Game
How much of that you get for today’s price.
#133 of 252 currently priced solid state drives
- #130 GigabyteGigabyte 2500E 1TB 58
- #131 KingstonKingston A400 960GB 58
- #132 Silicon PowerSilicon Power A55 2TB 58
- #133 PNYPNY CS900 250GB 58
- #134 Western DigitalWestern Digital Blue SA510 2TB 57
- #135 TeamGroupTeamGroup MP33 PRO 2TB 57
- #136 PNYPNY CS1030 500GB 56
Performance Heavy Creative Work
How much it can do. Price plays no part in this ranking.
#224 of 252 graded solid state drives
- #221 PatriotPatriot P210 256GB 4
- #222 PatriotPatriot P220 256GB 4
- #223 Western DigitalWestern Digital Blue 250GB 4
- #224 PNYPNY CS900 250GB 4
- #225 SamsungSamsung 870 Evo 250GB 4
- #226 TeamGroupTeamGroup QX 4TB 4
- #227 TeamGroupTeamGroup CX2 2TB 4
Value Heavy Creative Work
How much of that you get for today’s price.
#179 of 252 currently priced solid state drives
- #176 TeamGroupTeamGroup CX2 256GB 14
- #177 Silicon PowerSilicon Power A55 1TB 14
- #178 LexarLexar NQ100 480GB 14
- #179 PNYPNY CS900 250GB 13
- #180 TeamGroupTeamGroup CX2 512GB 13
- #181 TeamGroupTeamGroup AX2 1TB 13
- #182 TeamGroupTeamGroup CX2 1TB 13
These ladders follow the preset scenario shown above. Your own weights re-score this product, not the whole field.
What it is good for
| Scenario | this productCapability grade · Value at current price | Higher capability | Higher Value with current priorities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balanced (all-round)Weighted all-round view | GradeNo grade Value36 | Higher capability Higher capability · Higher Value with current priorities Patriot P300 256GB 62 +320% capability · +8% price | |
| System DriveScenario capability | GradeB
Value19 | Higher capability Higher capability · Higher Value with current priorities Patriot P300 256GB C 52 +320% capability · +8% price | |
| Game & File StorageScenario capability | GradeD
Value58
| — | Higher Value with current priorities Patriot P210 256GB D 74 +2% capability |
| Heavy Creative WorkScenario capability | GradeF
Value13
| Higher capability Higher capability · Higher Value with current priorities Patriot P300 256GB C 31 +230% capability · +8% price | |
Balanced has no letter: it is a weighting preset, not a capability rubric. A grade answers “how well does this handle that job?” — price is never part of it. Relative Value puts the current market price back in.
Compare these grades with the full tier list
Browse shortlists for different uses
Trade-offs
Works well if
- System Drive is your main prioritygraded B for System Drive on the same rubric as the tier list
Consider other options if
- You want strong value with Balanced priorities specificallyat today's market no realistic price for this model reaches strong value with Balanced priorities — the calculation only gets there near $23, against a cheapest tracked $50
- Not the pick if Heavy Creative Work is your main useit grades only F there
Works well if
- System Drive is your main prioritygraded B for System Drive on the same rubric as the tier list
Consider other options if
- You want strong value for System Drive specificallycompeting products deliver so much more for System Drive per dollar that no price this model realistically trades at reaches the strong-value mark for this job
- Not the pick if Heavy Creative Work is your main useit grades only F there
- You are buying for System Drive and want no asterisksthe rubric caps this grade: sata — a perfectly fine os drive, just not a fast one
For the selected scenario this is not a strong fit — the grade above is the reason, and the models below suit it better.
Works well if
- Game is not actually your main job — System Drive isit grades D for Game, but B for System Drive
- Strong-value threshold: ~$36$36 is where Relative Value reaches 80 for Game, in the 2026-11-09–2026-11-14 offer frame
Consider other options if
- Not the pick if Game is your main useit grades D there; Patriot P300 256GB grades D at $54
- Current price sits $14 above the strong-value threshold (~$36)cheapest tracked $50 against a $36 calculated threshold for Game
- Value for money matters more to you than this exact modelPatriot P210 256GB holds Relative Value 74 against its 58 for Game. Check on Amazon.
For the selected scenario this is not a strong fit — the grade above is the reason, and the models below suit it better.
Works well if
- Heavy Creative Work is not actually your main job — System Drive isit grades F for Heavy Creative Work, but B for System Drive
Consider other options if
- Not the pick if Heavy Creative Work is your main useit grades F there; Patriot P300 256GB grades C at $54
- You want strong value for Heavy Creative Work specificallycompeting products deliver so much more for Heavy Creative Work per dollar that no price this model realistically trades at reaches the strong-value mark for this job
- You are buying for Heavy Creative Work and want no asterisksthe rubric caps this grade: the sata interface caps sustained writes near 500 mb/s, so this is graded on endurance among sata drives rather than against nvme scratch disks.
Every line states the fact it was derived from, for the scenario selected above. Thresholds are calculated points on our value curve — information about where the maths turns, not instructions about what to pay.
Similar options to the PNY CS900 250GB
Chosen for Balanced
Chosen for System Drive
Chosen for Game
Chosen for Heavy Creative Work
Alternatives stay near this product’s price range. Step-up options may exceed the standard budget envelope when the capability gain is meaningful.
More head-to-head comparisons in this category
Upgrade planner
Judge the change in the active scenario, then make the cash gap explicit.
Using page scenarioWhat are you upgrading from? These are the axes we compare on, and where this product stands in the current market.
Capability differences are expressed as tiers and index points, not as benchmark percentages we did not measure.
Specifications and compatibility
What this product is, and what to check before it goes into your build.
Performance
- Sequential read
- 500 MB/s
- Sequential write
- 500 MB/s
- Random read
- 0 IOPS
- Random write
- 0 IOPS
- Controller
- Phison PS3111-S11
Media
- Capacity
- 250 GB
- NAND type
- 3D TLC
- DRAM cache
- None (DRAM-less)
Power / Interface
- Interface
- SATA 6.0 Gb/s
- Form factor
- 2.5"
Physical / Outputs
- Heatsink included
- No
Show all specifications
Endurance & warranty
- Endurance
- 150 TBW
- Warranty
- 3 years
- Manufacturer part number
- SSD7CS900-250-RB
Hover any value to see where it came from: a manufacturer specification, or a figure TheComparator.Tech calculated.
Sources: Comparator offer frame 2026-11-09–2026-11-14
What to check in your build
2.5"
The slot must take 2.5"
SATA 6.0 Gb/s
Does not fit the PS5 expansion bay
The PS5 bay takes M.2 2280 NVMe drives only
Found an error? Report this specification Email the field, corrected value and an optional source.
Compatibility guidance is practical help, not a score. Missing data is shown as unknown, never invented.
Summary
PNY CS900 250GB offers a balanced view across an all-round mix of priorities. It ranks #250 by capability in the current modelled field. Its clearest measured strength is drive capability 500. Patriot P210 256GB currently clears the same practical bar with stronger Relative Value.
PNY CS900 250GB offers B-grade capability for System Drive. It ranks #250 by capability in the current modelled field. Its clearest measured strength is drive capability 500. Patriot P210 256GB currently clears the same practical bar with stronger Relative Value.
PNY CS900 250GB offers D-grade capability for Game. It ranks #247 by capability in the current modelled field. Its clearest measured strength is drive capability 500. The D grade is the decisive limitation for this workload.
PNY CS900 250GB offers F-grade capability for Heavy Creative Work. It ranks #224 by capability in the current modelled field. Its clearest measured strength is drive capability 500. The F grade is the decisive limitation for this workload.
FAQ
Why does Relative Value change when I choose another scenario?
Each scenario changes the weights applied to capability, price and the other published factors. The hardware facts stay fixed, but the value question changes, so its score and rank can change too.
Useful links & sources
offer frame 2026-11-09–2026-11-14 · formula ssd-value-v6.1 · facts facts-2026-11-14 · Relative Value is an estimate from our current dataset, the selected weights and dated market prices — not an official product rating and not a price forecast. Target prices are calculation thresholds, not predictions. Methodology We are not a shop. Affiliate links may earn us a commission; they never change the calculations or the ranking.