Samsung announces 990 PRO NVMe SSD and Satechi releases compatible USB-C enclosure
Are all NVMe M.2 solid state drives the same from a performance perspective? Technically, no, but nowadays, even the lower-speed offerings are still rather fast. In other words, no NVMe SSD is "slow" although I would still caution to stick with trusted brands if you value your data. After all, it doesn't matter how speedy your drive is if it dies and your files are lost.
Samsung is probably the most trusted name in solid state storage. Not only are its SSDs historically very dependable, but very fast too. While a Samsung SSD may cost a bit more than some other brands, it is absolutely worth the premium if you want the best.
And now, Samsung has unveiled the all-new 990 PRO. This is a fast PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD that can be had here in October. The drive will initially be offered in just two capacities -- 1TB and 2TB. A 4TB capacity option will hit stores in 2023.
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"Featuring Samsung's latest V-NAND and a new proprietary controller, the 990 PRO series offers nearly the highest speed currently available from the PCIe 4.0 interface. The SSD delivers sequential read and write speeds of up to 7,450 megabytes per second (MB/s) and 6,900 MB/s, respectively. Its random read and write speeds come in at up to 1,400K and 1,550K IOPS, respectively," says Samsung.
The company adds, "Built on a low-power architecture, Samsung's newly designed controller dramatically improves the SSD’s power efficiency by up to 50 percent compared to the 980 PRO. Additionally, the 990 PRO employs a nickel coating on the controller and a heat spreader label on the drive for reliable thermal management. Samsung's Dynamic Thermal Guard technology further ensures that the drive's temperature stays in the optimal range."
Samsung shares specifications below.
| Interface | PCIe Gen 4.0 x4, NVMe 2.0 |
| Form Factor | M.2 (2280) |
| Storage Memory | Samsung V-NAND 3-bit TLC |
| Controller | Samsung in-house controller |
| Capacity | 1TB 2TB 4TB |
| DRAM | 1GB LPDDR4 2GB LPDDR4 4GB LPDDR4 |
| Sequential Read/Write Speed | Up to 7,450 MB/s, Up to 6,900 MB/s |
| Random Read/Write Speed (QD32) | Up to 1,400K IOPS, Up to 1,550K IOPS |
| Management Software | Samsung Magician Software |
| Data Encryption | AES 256-bit Full Disk Encryption, TCG/Opal V2.0, Encrypted Drive (IEEE1667) |
| Total Bytes Written | 600TB 1200TB 2400TB |
| Warranty | Five-year Limited Warranty |
The Samsung 990 PRO will also be offered with or without a heatsink. While the heatsink should lower temperatures and potentially increase performance and longevity, it also makes the SSD physically bigger, meaning it may not fit in all computers or enclosures.
Speaking of enclosures, Satechi has a new Tool-free aluminum offering that should be perfect for transforming the non-heatsink variant of the Samsung 990 PRO (or any M.2 SSD) into an elegant USB-C storage drive. The enclosure can be purchased from Satechi directly here for just $49.99.
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