Samsung 990 PRO
The 4TB Samsung 990 Pro hits 7450 MB/s sequential reads and 6900 MB/s writes on PCIe 4.0, backed by TLC NAND, a DRAM cache, and Samsung's in-house controller for efficient heat management. It offers 2400 TBW endurance, a 5-year warranty, and hardware encryption, making it a top-tier choice for high-end builds. Best for gamers and workstation users who need maximum sustained throughput for large file transfers and demanding workloads.
Snapshot
The 30-Second Version
The 990 Pro 4TB is the best PCIe 4.0 drive you can buy, period. Just don't pay full price when Newegg has it for USD 799.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Blistering PCIe 4.0 speeds, basically maxed out 99th
- Excellent random performance for real-world workloads 97th
- 2400 TBW endurance and 5-year warranty 93rd
- Samsung's controller runs cool and efficient 93rd
Cons
- Price swings wildly between vendors, USD 799 to USD 1,160
- Not PCIe 5.0, so no future-proofing there
- Portable use is a weak spot, it's meant for desktops
- Only 4 customer reviews in our database, so long-term feedback is thin
What owners think
The Word on the Street
How owner sentiment changed over time
ExclusiveBased on when customers actually wrote their reviews - so you can see whether early praise held up.
Based on 14 dated customer reviews, grouped by calendar quarter. Period analysis is in English.
The proof
Performance
The numbers are basically maxed out for PCIe 4.0. 7450 MB/s sequential reads and 6900 MB/s writes are as good as it gets on this interface. Random performance is where this drive really flexes, 1600K read IOPS and 1550K write IOPS put it in the top tier of our database. Samsung's Intelligent TurboWrite uses a chunk of the TLC as SLC cache, so burst writes stay snappy. The 2400 TBW endurance rating is solid for a 4TB drive, and the 5-year warranty means Samsung actually stands behind it.
Specifications
Full Specifications
Drive
| Capacity | 4000 |
| Form Factor | M.2 2280 |
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x4 |
| Protocol | NVMe |
| PCIe Generation | 4 |
| External | No |
Performance
| Sequential Read (MB/s) | 7450 |
| Sequential Write (MB/s) | 6900 |
| Random Read (IOPS) | 1400000 |
| Random Write (IOPS) | 1550000 |
Hardware
| NAND | TLC |
| DRAM Cache | Yes |
| Controller | Samsung |
Reliability
| Endurance (TBW) | 2400 |
| MTBF (hours) | 1500000 |
| Warranty (years) | 1 |
Features
| Heatsink | Yes |
| Hardware Encryption | Yes |
vs Competition
The WD_BLACK SN850X is the closest real competitor, and it's a genuine toss-up. The SN850X matches the 990 Pro on most benchmarks and sometimes undercuts it on price. The SanDisk Optimus GX PRO 850X is basically the same drive as the SN850X with different branding, so don't pay more for it. If you want PCIe 5.0 speeds, the fanxiang PCIe 5.0 drive is out there, but you'll pay for it and probably won't notice the difference in daily use. The Team Group T-Force G70 PRO is a budget alternative that gets you most of the way there for less money.
| Spec | Samsung 990 PRO | Crucial T500 | Kingston FURY Renegade SFYRDK/2000G | Western Digital Black SN850X | SanDisk WD_BLACK SN850X | Corsair MP700 Elite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 4TB | 2TB | 2TB | 4TB | 4TB | 2TB |
| Form Factor | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 |
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x4 | PCIe 4.0 x4 | PCIe 4.0 x4 | PCIe 4.0 x4 | PCIe 4.0 x4 | PCIe 5.0 x4 |
| Seq Read | 7,450 MB/s | 7,400 MB/s | 7,300 MB/s | 7,300 MB/s | 7,300 MB/s | 10,000 MB/s |
| Nand Type | TLC | TLC | TLC | TLC | TLC | TLC |
| Dram Cache | true | true | true | true | true | true |
| Endurance | 2400 TBW | 1200 TBW | 2000 TBW | 2400 TBW | 4800 TBW | 1200 TBW |
| Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare | Compare |
| Product | Speed | Random | Feature | Capacity | Endurance | Social Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung 990 PRO | 93.1 | 96.8 | 98.9 | 92.9 | 73.9 | 91 |
| Crucial T500 Compare | 93.5 | 96.2 | 98.9 | 78.5 | 83 | 99.7 |
| Kingston FURY Renegade SFYRDK/2000G Compare | 92.5 | 93.2 | 93.6 | 78.5 | 92.8 | 96.6 |
| Western Digital Black SN850X Compare | 87.8 | 94.6 | 88.6 | 92.9 | 88 | 96.6 |
| SanDisk WD_BLACK SN850X Compare | 87.8 | 94.6 | 93.6 | 92.9 | 95.2 | 96.6 |
| Corsair MP700 Elite Compare | 94.6 | 96.3 | 99.7 | 78.5 | 87.4 | 48.9 |
Price
Value & Pricing
The price of this drive varies widely. It ranges from USD 799 to USD 1,160 across US vendors, a spread of USD 361, which is excessive. Newegg currently offers the best deal, so check there first. At USD 799, it's an obvious choice for a 4TB flagship drive. At USD 1,160, you're paying extra for the Samsung brand, and it would be wise to wait for a sale or consider the WD_BLACK SN850X instead.
Memory Express 1 offer From CA$1,555
Price History
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Overview
The Samsung 990 Pro 4TB is the drive you buy when you're done messing around. It's not the newest PCIe 5.0 kid on the block, but it's the most polished PCIe 4.0 drive we've tested. 7450 MB/s reads and 6900 MB/s writes put it right at the ceiling of what the interface can do, and Samsung's in-house controller keeps it cool and consistent. If you need 4TB of fast, reliable storage for gaming or heavy workstation use, this is the default answer.
Common Questions
Q: Is the 990 Pro worth it over the 980 Pro?
Yes, if you're buying new. The 990 Pro has better random performance and power efficiency. If you already have a 980 Pro, don't upgrade, you won't notice the difference in daily use.
Q: Will this work in a PS5?
Yes, it meets the PS5's speed requirements and the 4TB capacity means you'll never worry about storage again. Just make sure you have a heatsink, the PS5 requires one.
Q: Do I need PCIe 5.0 instead?
No. PCIe 5.0 drives are faster on paper, but real-world gains are minimal for gaming and most workloads. Save your money and get this instead.
Who Should Skip This
If you're building a portable rig or need something for a laptop with tight thermal constraints, this isn't your drive. The 990 Pro runs cool for a desktop drive, but it's still a power-hungry M.2 2280 that wants airflow. Go grab a lower-power drive like the SN850X in a smaller capacity or look at a PCIe 5.0 drive if you absolutely need the bleeding edge and money is no object.
Verdict
Buy the Samsung 990 Pro 4TB if you want the most reliable, fastest PCIe 4.0 drive on the market and you find it at the low end of that price range. It's the drive we'd put in our own gaming rig or workstation without hesitation. Just don't overpay, shop around and grab it when it's closer to USD 799 than USD 1,160.
