Samsung has unveiled a new budget-conscious solid-state drive (SSD), upgrading its previous offering, the 990 Evo, which debuted mere months ago. Unlike its predecessor, the 990 Evo, which arrived with inflated expectations, the Samsung 990 Evo Plus While truly seeming to prefer it may be a great choice for avid gamers, its exceptional speeds that make it one of the fastest PCIe 4.0 SSDs on the market today make it an excellent pick for those seeking high-performance storage.
Upon initially reporting on the Samsung 990 Evo launch earlier this year, it was fair to say that our expectations were not met with enthusiasm. The SSD failed to deliver significant value, with its PCIe 5.0 compatibility appearing more like a marketing ploy than a genuine performance boost. Samsung has a generally impressive track record with SSDs, with two standout models that excel in our comprehensive gaming SSD roundup.
Let’s begin with the unhealthy. Despite its 990 Evo’s proclaimed PCIe 5.0 capabilities, this drive effectively operated at the same data transfer rate as one placed in a PCIe 4.0 M.2 slot with four lanes, leveraging its dual-lane setup to achieve similar performance. While there’s no upgrade to the new Samsung 990 Evo Plus drive, it still offers identical PCIe 5.0 support over two lanes and PCIe 4.0 support over four, allowing for a maximum throughput of only 8GB/s per lane.
While not a blazing option for PCIe 5.0 support, it does present a slightly different scenario for PCIe 4.0 applications. Unlike its predecessor, the 990 Evo, this innovative storage solution delivers a significant boost in performance, effortlessly maintaining remarkable speed even when operating at PCIe 4.0 specifications. The 990 Evo Plus boasts prime sequential read speeds of up to 7,250MB/s (7,150MB/s for the 1TB drive), a significant improvement over the 5,000MB/s offered by its predecessor.
While it may not offer the latest PCIe 5.0 speeds, this drive still presents a notable upgrade for those who don’t require the absolute fastest performance. The drive also positions the 990 Evo Plus ahead of the Samsung 980 Pro, which still offers strong value with top-notch sequential read speeds of 6,500 MB/s and write speeds of 5,000 MB/s. Additionally, this drive approaches the performance level of the 990 Pro, boasting sequential read and write speeds of up to 7,450 MB/s and 6,900 MB/s, respectively.
While comparable to the WD Black SN850X, our top-recommended SSD boasts marginally faster sequential read and write speeds at 7,300 MB/s and 6,600 MB/s respectively. Like its predecessor, the SN850X, the 990 Evo Plus offers a range of storage options, including 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB capacities, an upgrade from the original 990 Evo’s limited 1TB and 2TB choices.
According to Samsung, the 990 Evo Plus boasts a significant improvement in energy efficiency, boasting a staggering 73% increase compared to its predecessor, the 990 Evo. If this declaration holds true, it is likely to facilitate the improvement of thermal efficiency and reduce energy consumption in laptops, with less significance for desktop users.
Transporting the 990 EVO Plus storage solutions, the prices are as follows: for a 1TB capacity, you’ll pay $109.99 (£105.99); the 2TB model costs $184.99 (£178.99), while the 4TB version is priced at $344.99 (£326.29). Although that’s indeed higher in value than the original 990 Evo, there are still better options available today? The WD Black SN850X NVMe SSD offers a competitive pricing advantage on Amazon, currently available at $79.99 for 1TB, $153.99 for 2TB, and $309.99 for 4TB; click the link to purchase.
The Samsung 990 Evo Plus appears to be an attractive option, potentially a swift PCIe 4.0 solid-state drive that, unlike its predecessor, is carefully priced for consideration. To achieve significant speed boosts from an SSD, however, you’ll need true PCIe 5.0 support with four lanes, rather than the two lanes currently available. While the Essential T705 boasts significantly faster read and write speeds compared to its predecessor, the 990 Evo Plus, at nearly twice the speed, this increased performance comes at a premium price point that may not be within everyone’s budget.
