Samsung's new mainstream 990 EVO M.2 SSD promises a performance boost over its predecessor
Samsung has released the 990 EVO, PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 drive that promises fast performance and compatibility with PCIe 5.0.
Samsung has announced the latest addition to its EVO SSD series, the 990 EVO. This SSD is the first of its kind to support both PCIe 4.0 and PCIe 5.0 interfaces, allowing it to adapt to different platforms and devices. The 990 EVO delivers impressive performance and efficiency, thanks to its 5nm controller and Samsung's advanced V6P TLC NAND flash technology.
Samsung 990 EVO Performance and Modes
The 990 EVO can operate in two modes: PCIe 4.0 x4 or PCIe 5.0 x2. Samsung claims that this hybrid design is future-proof, as it can accommodate the upcoming PCIe 5.0 standard without sacrificing speed or power consumption. The 990 EVO can achieve up to 5,000 / 4,200 MB/s for sequential read/write speeds and 700K/800K random read/write IOPS, regardless of the mode it runs in. This makes it a competitive option for budget-conscious users who want a fast and reliable SSD.
Improvements Over 970 EVO Plus
The 990 EVO also boasts a significant improvement over its predecessor, the 970 EVO Plus SSD. According to Samsung, the 990 EVO offers up to 43% higher performance and up to 70% lower power consumption than the 970 EVO Plus. The 990 EVO also features a heat spreader that helps dissipate heat and maintain optimal performance. Moreover, the 990 EVO is a DRAM-less SSD, which means it uses the host computer's DRAM for caching instead of having its own memory chip. This reduces the cost and size of the SSD, making it suitable for laptops or the PS5.
Comparison with Competitors SSDs
How does the 990 EVO compare to its competitors? Based on the specifications and features, the 990 EVO seems to have an edge over some of the popular SSDs in the market, such as the Teamgroup MP44L or the WD Black SN770. These SSDs also support PCIe 4.0 x4 interface, but they do not have the hybrid functionality of the 990 EVO that allows it to run on PCIe 5.0 x2 as well. The 990 EVO also has a higher sequential read speed than both of these SSDs, which have a maximum of 4,700 MB/s and 3,600 MB/s respectively. The random read/write IOPS are also slightly higher for the 990 EVO than for the MP44L or the SN770. However, these differences may not be noticeable in real-world scenarios, as they depend on various factors such as workload, system configuration, and software optimization.
Comparison with WD Black SN850 and Samsung 980 Pro
How does the 990 EVO compare to the WD Black SN850 SSD and Samsung 980 Pro? These are two of the most powerful PCIe 5.0 SSDs on the market, and they can deliver speeds of over 10,000MBps using four lanes of PCIe 5.0. They also have higher endurance ratings than the 990 EVO, with TBW ratings of up to 1,200TB per TB capacity. We recommend users to check out some benchmarks and reviews before making a final decision.
Successor to Samsung 970 EVO
The Samsung SSD 990 EVO is expected to be available in Q1 2024, with capacities 1 and 2TB. The pricing and warranty details have not been revealed yet, but we expect them to be similar to the previous EVO models. The 990 EVO is a promising SSD that combines versatility, performance, and efficiency in a single package. The 990 EVO is a successor to the 970 EVO, which was one of the most popular PCIe 3.0 SSDs on the market. The 990 EVO improves on the 970 EVO in several ways, such as using a new version of Samsung's V6 TLC NAND flash, which is faster and more reliable than the previous generation. The 990 EVO also supports Modern Standby, which allows the PC to resume from sleep mode instantly, with uninterrupted internet connectivity and notification reception.
Performance and Compatibility
The 990 EVO has a sequential read speed of up to 5,000MBps, and a write speed of up to 4,200MBps. These are respectable numbers for a PCIe 4.0 SSD, but not groundbreaking. The drive also claims to be compatible with PCIe 5.0, which is the next generation of PCIe interface that offers much higher bandwidth and speed. However, the 990 EVO can only use two lanes of PCIe 5.0, instead of four, which means it cannot take full advantage of the PCIe 5.0 potential. The drive's label even states "PCIe 4.0 x4 / 5.0 x2 NVMe M.2 SSD", which is a bit misleading, as it suggests that the drive can operate at either PCIe 4.0 x4 or PCIe 5.0 x2 mode, when in fact it can only do the latter.
The 990 EVO is a solid SSD that offers good performance and reliability for PCIe 4.0 users, but it is not a game-changer for PCIe 5.0 users. It is more like an updated version of the 980, which was also a PCIe 4.0 SSD that used an earlier generation of Samsung's V6 TLC NAND flash. The WD Black SN850 and Samsung 980 Pro are true PCIe 5.0 SSDs that can deliver blazing-fast speeds and high durability, but they also come with a premium price tag.
Samsung Warranty and Additional Features
The 990 EVO comes with a five-year warranty and a TBW rating of 600TB per TB capacity, which is standard for Samsung SSDs. It also supports encryption and comes with Samsung's Magician and Data Migration software, which are useful tools for managing and optimizing the drive.
If you are looking for a fast and reliable SSD that works well with both PCIe 4.0 and PCIe 5.0 systems, the 990 EVO might be a good choice for you. However, if you are looking for the ultimate performance and future-proofing from your SSD, you might want to consider the WD Black SN850 or Samsung 980 Pro instead.
How to Recover Data from Samsung SSDs
If you have a Samsung SSD that has failed or is malfunctioning, you may be wondering how to recover your data. Samsung SSDs are known for their high performance and reliability, but they are not immune to data loss. Whether it is due to physical damage, logical errors, firmware issues, or encryption problems, data recovery from Samsung SSDs can be challenging and requires specialized tools and expertise.
That's why you need ACE Data Recovery, the leading data recovery company in the industry. ACE Data Recovery has over 35 years of experience in recovering data from all types of storage devices, including Samsung SSDs data recovery. We have the most advanced technology and equipment to handle any Samsung SSD data recovery scenario, such as:
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