Samsung 1TB SSD PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280

The Samsung 990 EVO Plus is a 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD with excellent random performance and solid sequential speeds up to 7,150 MB/s. It's a great pick for gaming and laptop upgrades when priced right, but the DRAM-less design and inconsistent pricing mean you should shop carefully. At the low end of its price range, it's one of the best value drives available.

The 990 EVO Plus posts 7,150 MB/s sequential read and 6,300 MB/s sequential write speeds, which lands it in the 85th percentile for speed in our database. That's not just a spec sheet flex, it means real-world file transfers of large video projects or game libraries happen noticeably faster than mid-tier drives. The random performance is where this thing really shines though. With 850K random read IOPS and 1,350K random write IOPS, it's sitting at the 95th percentile for random operations. That's the absolute best right now for this category, and it translates to snappy OS responsiveness, fast app launches, and quick level loads in games.

The DRAM-less design might raise an eyebrow if you're used to high-end drives with dedicated cache, but Samsung's HMB implementation is mature enough that you won't feel the difference in most workloads. The Intelligent TurboWrite 2.0 buffer handles burst writes well, though sustained writes beyond the SLC cache will drop to TLC speeds. For a 1TB drive, the cache is generous enough for typical use. The 600 TBW endurance rating puts it at the 86th percentile, so you can hammer this drive with daily writes for years before hitting the limit.

The Crucial T500 is probably the most direct competitor here. It's also a PCIe 4.0 drive with similar sequential speeds, but it comes with DRAM cache, which gives it an edge in sustained write workloads. The T500 tends to be priced competitively too, so if you're doing heavy video editing or constant large file transfers, it might be the smarter buy. The XPG GAMMIX S70 Blade is another strong alternative, often cheaper and with a beefy heatsink option that helps with thermals in desktop builds.

The MSI SPATIUM M480 PRO and Corsair MP700 Elite are both PCIe 5.0 drives, so they'll outpace the 990 EVO Plus in raw sequential throughput, but you'll pay a premium for that and need a PCIe 5.0 x4 slot to take advantage. The Kingston FURY Renegade G5 is another PCIe 5.0 option worth considering if you're building a new high-end system. For most people though, the 990 EVO Plus delivers 90% of the real-world experience at a fraction of the cost of those Gen 5 drives.

Pricing on the 990 EVO Plus is all over the place. In the US, we're seeing it listed anywhere from USD 110 to USD 290 across seven listings, which is a massive spread for the same drive. If you're shopping in the US, Amazon has the best deal at the low end of that range, and honestly, anything above USD 150 for this drive is a hard pass when you can get comparable performance elsewhere. In Canada, the spread is CAD 310 to CAD 395 across four listings, with Memory Express offering the best price. At the lower end of these ranges, the 990 EVO Plus is a strong value proposition. At the higher end, you're paying a Samsung brand tax that doesn't make sense when drives like the Crucial T500 or XPG GAMMIX S70 Blade are nipping at its heels for less money.

The Samsung 990 EVO Plus is a 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD that sits in that sweet spot between budget drives and flagship PCIe 5.0 monsters. It's rated for 7,150 MB/s sequential reads and 6,300 MB/s writes, which puts it near the top of the PCIe 4.0 food chain. Samsung's asking price bounces around a lot depending on where you shop, but the drive itself is aimed squarely at gamers, content creators, and anyone doing a laptop or desktop upgrade who wants serious speed without melting their motherboard.

One thing that makes this drive interesting is the dual compatibility. It runs at PCIe 4.0 x4 speeds but also works in PCIe 5.0 x2 slots, which gives you some flexibility if you're building on a newer platform. The DRAM-less design with HMB technology keeps costs down, and Samsung's Intelligent TurboWrite 2.0 helps maintain those big sequential numbers during large file transfers. Is the Samsung 990 EVO Plus good for gaming? Based on our testing data, yes, it's one of the better options in this price range for load times and asset streaming.

For a 1TB drive, you're getting 600 TBW of endurance and a 5-year warranty, which is solid peace of mind. The nickel-coated controller is supposed to improve power efficiency by 73% in terms of MB/s per watt, which matters if you're dropping this into a laptop where battery life and thermals actually matter.

Skip the 990 EVO Plus if you're doing sustained heavy writes like 4K video editing or running a database server. The DRAM-less design means write speeds will dip once the TurboWrite cache fills, and drives like the Crucial T500 with dedicated DRAM will handle those workloads better. If you're building a brand new PCIe 5.0 system and want maximum throughput, look at the Corsair MP700 Elite or Kingston FURY Renegade G5 instead. And if you're on a tight budget, there are plenty of cheaper PCIe 4.0 drives that'll get you 80% of the performance for significantly less money.

Should you buy the Samsung 990 EVO Plus? If you can find it at the lower end of its price range, absolutely. It's one of the best PCIe 4.0 drives on the market for gaming and general use, with random performance that's genuinely top of the charts. The dual PCIe 4.0 x4 and 5.0 x2 compatibility gives it some future-proofing flexibility, and the power efficiency makes it a great pick for laptop upgrades.

But if you're seeing it listed near USD 290 or CAD 395, walk away. At that price, you're better off with a true PCIe 5.0 drive or a DRAM-equipped PCIe 4.0 alternative like the Crucial T500. The 990 EVO Plus is a great drive, but it's not worth paying flagship money for a mid-tier product. Shop around, find the deal, and you'll be very happy with what you get.