Samsung 990 EVO
Western Digital WD Black SN850X
What Buyers Say
Samsung 990 EVO
Users are generally very satisfied with this Samsung SSD, praising its fast read/write speeds, easy installation, and good value for budget builds. Some note that a DRAM-equipped alternative like the 990 EVO PLUS is close in price and might be a better choice, and a few mention minor setup quirks like needing extra screws or firmware updates. Overall, it's seen as a solid, reliable drive for gaming and general storage expansion.
Pros
- Fast read/write speeds
- Easy installation
- Good value for budget
- Reliable Samsung quality
- Great for gaming storage
Cons
- DRAM-less design
- Requires firmware update
- Extra screws needed
- Heatsink installation tricky
Western Digital WD Black SN850X
The WD Black SN850X is highly praised for its blazing speed, reliability, and value, often compared favorably to pricier alternatives like Samsung and Solidigm. Users report excellent performance in gaming (especially PS5) and general use, with a few concerns about potential issues mitigated by firmware updates. Overall, it's seen as a top-tier NVMe drive, especially when on sale.
Pros
- Blazing fast speeds
- Excellent value for money
- Reliable high-capacity storage
- Great for PS5
- Easy installation
Cons
- Potential firmware issues
- No heatsink included
- Pricey when not on sale
Scores
Specifications
| Samsung 990 EVO | Western Digital WD Black SN850X | |
|---|---|---|
| Drive | ||
| Capacity | ||
| Form Factor | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 |
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x4 | PCIe 4.0 x4 |
| Protocol | NVMe | NVMe |
| PCIe Generation | 4 | 4 |
| External | ✗ | ✗ |
| Performance | ||
| Sequential Read (MB/s) | ||
| Sequential Write (MB/s) | ||
| Random Read (IOPS) | ||
| Random Write (IOPS) | ||
| Hardware | ||
| NAND | TLC | TLC |
| DRAM Cache | ✗ | ✓★ |
| Controller | Samsung in-house Controller | — |
| Reliability | ||
| Endurance (TBW) | ||
| MTBF (hours) | No data | |
| Warranty (years) | 5★ | 3 |
| Features | ||
| Heatsink | ✗ | ✓★ |
| Hardware Encryption | ✓★ | — |
Pros & Cons
Samsung 990 EVO
- Strong social proof (100th percentile)100th %ile
- Strong random (90th percentile)90th %ile
- Strong endurance (82nd percentile)82nd %ile
- Strong user sentiment (79th percentile)
Western Digital WD Black SN850X
- Strong social proof (96th percentile)96th %ile
- Strong random (95th percentile)95th %ile
- Strong user sentiment (95th percentile)95th %ile
- Strong feature (94th percentile)94th %ile
Verdict
Scores 99 overall, wins 5 of 6 usage categories and 9 of 18 specs.