Samsung
990 Pro 2TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 Internal SSD
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Clara’s Verdict
Very GoodExceptional performance that's overkill for most people, but worth it if you're gaming or editing video.
Best for: Gamers upgrading their PS5 or gaming PC, Video editors and content creators, Anyone who needs the absolute fastest storage
Skip if: Budget-conscious shoppers, Casual users who just need storage, People using older computers that don't support PCIe 4.0
Ethan’s Verdict
Very GoodBest-in-class PCIe 4.0 speeds paired with solid thermals, but the $398 asking price for a 2TB drive makes it hard to recommend over cheaper competitors.
Best for: PS5 owners, high-end gaming PC builders, content creators needing maximum sequential speeds
Skip if: budget builders, anyone prioritizing cost-per-GB, users with normal workloads
Clara’s Pros & Cons
- +Record-breaking performance in gaming and benchmark tests
- +Excellent thermal management keeps drive cool under load
- +Works great in PS5, laptops, and gaming PCs
- +Responsive and snappy in real-world usage
- −Price is way too high compared to competitors
- −Sustained write speeds drop significantly after cache fills
- −Overkill performance for everyday users
- −Needs PCIe 4.0 motherboard to shine
Ethan’s Pros & Cons
- +Maxes out PCIe 4.0 with 7450 MB/s sequential reads.
- +Thermal management is genuinely impressive and efficient.
- +Best-in-class benchmark results across 3DMark and PCMark.
- +Improved power efficiency makes it practical for laptops.
- −Sustained write performance drops to 1.4 GBps post-cache.
- −Pricing is 30-40% higher than equally capable competitors.
- −Real-world performance gains over rivals are marginal.
- −MSRP-to-street-price gap reveals margin-padding strategy.
Score Breakdown
Performance9.020% wt
Quality8.515% wt
Design7.510% wt
Features8.010% wt
Ease of Use8.515% wt
Durability8.010% wt
Value5.520% wt
Score Breakdown
Performance9.025% wt
Quality8.520% wt
Design8.08% wt
Features8.012% wt
Ease of Use8.58% wt
Durability8.012% wt
Value6.015% wt
Clara’s Full Review
The Fastest Drive You Might Not Need (But Will Love If You Do)
Look, the Samsung 990 Pro is genuinely impressive. Reviewers found it delivers the best performance they've ever seen in PCIe 4.0 benchmarks, particularly in gaming scenarios. If you're building a high-end gaming PC or upgrading your PS5 storage, this drive is legitimately the fastest option available right now.
What really matters in real life? The responsiveness. Reviewers noted that games load faster, apps launch instantly, and everything feels buttery smooth. The thermal management is noticeably better than the previous generation, staying cool even under heavy loads. That's important because it means the drive won't throttle performance when you're pushing it hard during gaming marathons or video rendering.
The Big But: The price is a problem. At $398 for 2TB, you're paying nearly double the MSRP. Competitors like the WD Black SN850X and SK hynix Platinum P41 offer nearly identical real-world performance for significantly less money. Reviewers specifically called out that the pricing needs to come down to compete fairly.
Here's my honest take: if you're a gamer, content creator, or someone who actually uses their computer for demanding tasks, this drive is worth considering once the price drops closer to MSRP. The performance gains are real and you'll feel them. But right now at current prices, you're paying a premium that doesn't match the value.
For casual users storing photos, documents, and streaming videos? You don't need this. Save your money and grab a cheaper option. For PS5 owners? This is excellent, but again, wait for a better price.
The drive itself is excellent. The pricing is just frustrating right now.
Ethan’s Full Review
The Performance King With a Peasant's Wallet Problem
Samsung's 990 Pro is undeniably fast. It hits 7450 MB/s reads and 6900 MB/s writes, which means it's extracting every last drop of performance from the PCIe 4.0 interface. In 3DMark benchmarks, it outperforms the WD Black SN850X and SK hynix Platinum P41. PCMark 10 shows a significant lead over the 980 Pro. These aren't marginal wins. On paper, this is the speed king.
But here's where the business case falls apart. Real-world performance improvements are minimal. Yes, the 990 Pro is faster, but you won't feel it in gaming, video editing, or file transfers unless you're moving massive sequential workloads constantly. The Platinum P41 and SN850X deliver 95% of this drive's performance at 60-70% of the cost. That's a brutal value proposition.
Thermal management deserves credit. The drive idles around 40C and peaks at 72C under sustained load, well below throttling thresholds. Samsung clearly engineered this for efficiency, and it shows. The power modes are customizable, making it practical for laptops and PS5 installations. That's genuine differentiation.
The problem is sustained write performance. After the pSLC cache runs out, write speeds drop to 1.4 GBps. That's a 79% performance cliff. For users copying large files regularly, this matters. It's not a dealbreaker, but it's a meaningful limitation that reviewers noted and Samsung didn't adequately address.
Pricing is the real issue. The MSRP is $199.99 for 2TB, but street price is $398. That's a 99% markup. Compare that to the SN850X at roughly $250-280 for 2TB, and you're paying a 40-50% premium for 5-10% real-world performance gains. The Platinum P41 is even cheaper. Samsung is banking on brand loyalty and the 990 Pro's benchmark credentials to justify the premium. It's a weak bet.
For PS5 owners and high-end gaming PC builders, the 990 Pro makes some sense. For everyone else, this is overpriced performance chasing. The drive is genuinely good. It's just not good enough to justify the markup.
Specifications
| capacity | 2TB |
| interface | PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe 1.4 |
| form factor | M.2 2280 |
| sequential read | 7450 MB/s |
| sequential write | 6900 MB/s |
Overall Rating
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Review History
Initial review from real source data
Initial review from real source data
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