Western Digital Gaming 512GB PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280
Samsung 990 PRO 2TB PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280
What Buyers Say
Western Digital Gaming 512GB PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280
Most buyers are satisfied with the speed and performance of this M.2 SSD, noting it works well as an upgrade for laptops and desktops. However, several verified reviews raise concerns about receiving used or refurbished drives advertised as new, with some reporting heavy prior usage or even a pre-installed Windows system. While the drive generally functions as expected, authenticity and condition issues lead to mixed feelings.
Pros
- Fast performance
- Easy installation
- Good value for price
- Works as upgrade
- Reliable over time
Cons
- May arrive used or refurbished
- Authenticity concerns
- Not recognized by WD cloning software
- No retail packaging
- Pre-installed Windows on some units
Samsung 990 PRO 2TB PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280
Users are highly satisfied with this SSD, praising its exceptional speed and reliable performance for gaming and photo editing. One user noted thermal concerns during heavy gaming, reaching 62°C without a heatsink, but overall sentiment remains very positive. The drive is easy to install and has proven durable over a year of use.
Pros
- Blazing fast speeds
- Easy installation
- Reliable performance
- Good value for refurbished price
Cons
- Thermal concerns under heavy load
- No heatsink included
Scores
Specifications
| Western Digital Gaming | Samsung 990 PRO | |
|---|---|---|
| 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★ |
| DRAM Cache | — | ✓★ |
| Controller | — | Samsung Pascal |
| Reliability | ||
| Endurance (TBW) | No data | |
| MTBF (hours) | No data | |
| Warranty (years) | 1 | 1 |
| Features | ||
| Heatsink | — | ✓★ |
| Hardware Encryption | — | ✓★ |
Pros & Cons
Western Digital Gaming 512GB PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280
- Strong random (88th percentile)88th %ile
- Strong speed (71st percentile)
- Strong social proof (68th percentile)
- Strong affordability (66th percentile)
- Below average feature (15th percentile)15th %ile
- Below average user sentiment (29th percentile)
- Below average endurance (34th percentile)
- Below average capacity (34th percentile)
Samsung 990 PRO 2TB PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280
- Strong social proof (100th percentile)100th %ile
- Strong feature (99th percentile)99th %ile
- Strong random (97th percentile)97th %ile
- Strong speed (93rd percentile)93rd %ile
- Below average affordability (21st percentile)
Verdict
Scores 97 overall, wins 6 of 6 usage categories and 11 of 18 specs.