Samsung SSD 990: new PCIe 4.0 models up to 2 TB arrive, but the price is very high
Samsung SSD 990: new PCIe 4.0 models up to 2 TB arrive, but the price is very high
Samsung updates its consumer solid-state drive range with the 990 series, a PCIe 4.0 x4 unit compliant with the NVMe 2.0 standard designed for client use. While the industry has long been looking towards the PCIe 5.0 standard, Samsung's solution aims to provide a good compromise between speed, energy efficiency, and list price, positioning itself in the mid-range between value and high-end units.
The Samsung 990 offer includes two units of 1 and 2 TB, both featuring an in-house designed controller and V-NAND flash memory from the same manufacturer. The two models lack dedicated onboard DRAM and rely on HMB (Host Memory Buffer) technology. The form factor is the common M.2 2280, with a maximum size of 80.15 x 22.15 x 2.38 mm.
| Feature | 1 TB | 2 TB |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe 2.0 | PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe 2.0 |
| Sequential Read (max) | 7,150 MB/s | 7,250 MB/s |
| Sequential Write (max) | 6,450 MB/s | 6,450 MB/s |
| Random Read (max) | 700K IOPS | 850K IOPS |
| Random Write (max) | 1,100K IOPS | 1,200K IOPS |
| Active Power - Read (average) | 4 W | 4.3 W |
| Active Power - Write (average) | 3.7 W | 3.8 W |
| Idle PS3 (APST active) | 55 mW | 55 mW |
| Idle PS4 (L1.2) | 3 mW | 3 mW |
| TBW | 400 TB | 800 TB |
| Warranty | 3 years | 3 years |
| MTBF | 1.5 million hours | 1.5 million hours |
On the data security front, there is AES 256-bit encryption, TCG/Opal V2.0 support, and compliance with the Encrypted Drive IEEE1667 standard, while management features include TRIM (subject to operating system support), garbage collection, and S.M.A.R.T. monitoring.
The declared operating temperatures range from 0°C to 70°C, measured via S.M.A.R.T. sensor, with an explicit recommendation for adequate airflow; the non-operating range extends from -40°C to 85°C. Humidity tolerance is between 5% and 95% without condensation, shock resistance of up to 1,500G for 3 axes, and vibrations between 20 and 2,000 Hz at 20G.
In terms of the declared numbers, the 2 TB model reaches 7,250 MB/s in sequential read and 6,450 MB/s in sequential write, while the 1 TB variant stops at 7,150 MB/s and 6,450 MB/s respectively: the two capacities thus share the same write ceiling, while the read benefits slightly from the larger capacity.
Compared to the 990 EVO model, the direct predecessor in the manufacturer's PCIe 4.0 range, Samsung claims a more than 50% increase in sequential write performance. It is also worth noting that the sequential write values were recorded with Intelligent TurboWrite technology active, a mechanism of dynamic SLC caching that operates within a limited data transfer threshold, beyond which sustained performance tends to physiologically decrease.
The 2 TB variant meets a fairly concrete demand for gaming and content creation users: modern titles typically occupy between 40 and 70 GB, with AAA productions that can exceed 150 GB, while an hour of 4K video recording can weigh 50 GB or more depending on the bitrate used.
Technically, it should be noted that the performance degradation of SSDs as they approach the saturation of available space is a known phenomenon in the industry, related to the decreased availability of free blocks for garbage collection and wear leveling operations: having additional capacity margin reduces the frequency with which the drive operates under nearly full conditions, with indirect benefits on the consistency of performance over time.
A 1 TB model of Samsung's 990 SSD is tested against PCIe 5.0 units (naturally faster).
One of Samsung's carefully managed aspects is power consumption. Controllers and NAND memory typically represent the most energy-hungry components of an SSD, especially during write and erase operations, as well as in background activities managed by the controller (wear-leveling, error correction, provisioning). Samsung claims that adopting newer NAND technologies allows the 990 to achieve up to 38% higher efficiency compared to previous generations, expressed in MB/s per Watt.
In terms of absolute consumption, the 2 TB model declares an average active reading consumption of 4.3 W and an active writing consumption of 3.8 W, compared to 4.0 W and 3.7 W respectively for the 1 TB version. In idle state with APST active (PS3), the typical declared consumption is 55 mW for both capacities, which drops further to 3 mW in the deeper L1.2 power-saving state (PS4).
The TBW (Terabytes Written) value, the indicator estimating the total volume of data writable on the unit before the exhaustion of reserve cells intended to replace worn ones, is set at 400 TB for the 1 TB model and 800 TB for the 2 TB unit. The commercial warranty covers a three-year period, with the usual clause stating that coverage ceases upon reaching the first of the two limits - the time elapsed or the TBW write volume.
To accompany the hardware, Samsung offers the new version 9.0 of its Magician software, a tool dedicated to managing and maintaining the manufacturer’s units. Among the main features are firmware updates - a non-secondary aspect, as updates may include fixes for known issues and performance optimizations - and an internal benchmark tool that allows users to independently verify read and write speeds against the values declared by the manufacturer. Version 9.0 expands the software's scope, becoming an integrated solution capable of managing not only internal SSDs but also portable SSDs, memory cards, and USB drives, with drive diagnostics and data migration functions.
In conclusion, the Samsung SSD 990 presents itself as a PCIe 4.0 unit deliberately positioned in a mid-range, with the declared aim of offering a balance between solid sequential and random performance, improved energy efficiency compared to the previous generation, and top-of-category endurance rating for the 2 TB model.
The Samsung SSD 990 has been on sale since today, July 14th. The price is the real issue: the suggested retail price from the manufacturer is €262.99 for the 1 TB model and €514.99 for the 2 TB model. These are very high prices and far from accessible. However, experience shows that prices drop significantly when SSDs become more available. Nevertheless, SSD prices are currently very high in general due to memory shortages.
Samsung SSD Interno 990 da 1TB, Disco Solido Interno, MZ-V9V1T0BW, Velocità di lettura fino a 7.250 MB/s e di scrittura fino a 6.450 MB/s, SSD interno per un trasferimento dati veloce.