Samsung 990 EVO Plus
Reddit take
AI summary of the Reddit excerpts below — not a quote
The Samsung 990 EVO Plus is a mid-range NVMe SSD frequently recommended as a cost-effective alternative to the flagship 990 Pro. It features a unique PCIe 5.0 x2 interface that effectively delivers PCIe 4.0 x4 performance levels. While it lacks a dedicated DRAM cache, it utilizes Host Memory Buffer (HMB) technology to maintain performance, which most users find sufficient for gaming and general productivity. Sentiment is generally positive, with users praising its reliability and lower price point relative to top-tier Samsung drives, though some note that its value proposition fluctuates with market pricing.
Pros
- Significant cost savings compared to the Samsung 990 Pro
- Reliable performance for gaming and daily tasks
- Strong brand reputation for durability and warranty support
- Uses TLC flash memory
- Effective thermal management similar to Gen4 drives
Cons
- DRAM-less design (relies on HMB)
- Confusing PCIe 5.0 x2 specification that does not match full Gen5 x4 speeds
- Price can be high compared to other high-end Gen4 competitors like the Crucial T500
Caveats
- The PCIe 5.0 x2 interface is technically equivalent to PCIe 4.0 x4 in terms of bandwidth.
- Users report negligible performance differences in gaming compared to more expensive drives.
- Pricing is volatile and has been noted to rise due to market trends.
Best for
- Gamers wanting Samsung reliability without the 'Pro' premium
- General PC builds requiring a dependable, modern NVMe drive
- Users with PCIe 5.0 compatible motherboards looking for an efficient mid-range option
Avoid if
- You require a dedicated DRAM cache for heavy workstation or sustained write tasks
- You are seeking the maximum possible speeds offered by PCIe 5.0 x4 drives
- You are on a strict budget and can find equivalent Gen4 drives for significantly less
This summary uses balanced time weighting with about a 6-month half-life. The evidence is based on 111 mentions with a median age of 191 days, primarily from hardware enthusiasts on r/buildapc.
Sentiment
79 positive (71%) · 17 mixed (15%) · 15 negative (14%)
Trust + time weighted score: +60% · raw score 58%
What redditors said (10 of 111)
Luckily it was still under warranty and Samsung replaced it with a 990 evo plus.
The options I was looking at were the Crucial P510, Inland [model number I forget], and the Samsung 990 Evo Plus. Microcenter currently has the former two at $210 and Best Buy has the latter at $240.
I'd recommend getting something at least like Samsung 990 Evo Plus, but I have no clue what are the prices of it in Finland.
Storage | [Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 5.0 X2 NVME Solid State Drive](https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/hpqrxr/samsung-990-evo-plus-2-tb-m2-2280-pcie-50-x2-nvme-solid-state-drive-mz-v9s2t0bw)
This seems like surprisingly great price for that it is. I'm aware its PCIe Gen5 is only x2 not x4. So its weird on that front. Motherboard has PCIe Gen5 slot so no problem here. From what I read it should effectively have Gen4 x4 performance and temps. So should be fine for me.
This seems like surprisingly great price for that it is. I'm aware its PCIe Gen5 is only x2 not x4. So its weird on that front. Motherboard has PCIe Gen5 slot so no problem here. From what I read it should effectively have Gen4 x4 performance and temps. So should be fine for me. Pro has slightly better max read/write. But not a significant diff for me. So I'm leaning towards EVO.
4TB NVME Storage - Samsung 990 EVO Plus - $440.
Indeed, 990 evo plus has HBM - basically uses a small part or ram as dram
Was looking at the Samsung options like the 990 Pro or 990 EVO Plus, but I’m not sure of the difference/benefits of either.
SSD: Samsung 990 EVO plus
Compare
Samsung 990 EVO Plus vs Patriot P400 LiteSamsung 990 EVO Plus vs Crucial T710Samsung 990 EVO Plus vs WD Blue SN5000
Related
- Samsung 990 EVO Plus 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 5.0 X2 NVME Solid State Drive · variant · 36 mentions
- 9070 XT · related · 3,144 mentions
- 9060 XT · related · 2,850 mentions
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 · related · 2,136 mentions
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti · related · 2,039 mentions
- AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D · related · 1,628 mentions
- AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D · related · 1,602 mentions