Samsung 990 EVO Plus
SanDisk WD_BLACK SN8100
What Buyers Say
Samsung 990 EVO Plus
The Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB is highly praised for its exceptional speed, making it a transformative upgrade from SATA SSDs. Users report significantly faster boot times, game loads, and file transfers, with easy installation and reliable performance. While it lacks a heatsink and DRAM, most find these non-issues, especially with motherboard heatsinks and HMB technology. Overall, it's considered a top-tier value for high-end builds.
Pros
- Blazing fast read/write speeds
- Easy installation
- Reliable performance
- Good value for money
- Runs cool with motherboard heatsink
Cons
- No included heatsink
- No DRAM (uses HMB)
- Premium price
SanDisk WD_BLACK SN8100
The WD Black SN8100 is overwhelmingly praised for its blazing Gen5 speeds, with users reporting double the performance of previous Gen4 drives and boot times of just a few seconds. Reviewers highlight excellent heat management, easy installation, and reliability, though many note the high price as a significant drawback. Overall, it's seen as a top-tier upgrade for those with compatible hardware and budget.
Pros
- Blazing Gen5 speeds
- Excellent heat management
- Easy installation
- Reliable performance
- Great for gaming
Cons
- High price
- Requires Gen5 motherboard
- Pricey for many
Scores
Specifications
| Samsung 990 EVO Plus | SanDisk WD_BLACK SN8100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Drive | ||
| Capacity | ||
| Form Factor | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 |
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x4 | PCIe 5.0 x4 |
| Protocol | NVMe | NVMe |
| PCIe Generation | 4 | 5★ |
| 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 | 5 |
| Features | ||
| Heatsink | ✗ | — |
| Hardware Encryption | ✓★ | — |
Pros & Cons
Samsung 990 EVO Plus
- Strong random (96th percentile)96th %ile
- Strong social proof (96th percentile)96th %ile
- Strong capacity (93rd percentile)93rd %ile
- Strong endurance (86th percentile)86th %ile
SanDisk WD_BLACK SN8100
- Strong speed (100th percentile)100th %ile
- Strong random (99th percentile)99th %ile
- Strong social proof (96th percentile)96th %ile
- Strong endurance (94th percentile)94th %ile
Pricing
Samsung 990 EVO Plus offers 1.3x better value for money
Verdict
Scores 96 overall, wins 4 of 6 usage categories and 2 of 18 specs.
