Review Samsung SSD 990 PRO 4TB

The Samsung PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD 990 PRO was already available in variants with 1 and 2 TB and achieves particularly good benchmark results. We have now received the 4TB version which also uses the NVMe protocol (non-volatile memory express) and achieves maximum results with systems equipped with a PCIe 4.0 x4 bus.

Performances
There are two versions: a model without a cooling plate (heatsink) for placement in a computer and a model with cooling plate and LED RGB lighting specifically for game consoles. The SSD has the M.2 form factor: a narrow strip of 22 x 80 mm. By using V-NAND TLC memory, everything can be mounted on one side and this SSD is also suitable for a thin, lightweight laptop.

Features 990 PRO
This SSD was developed for the premium market, including data-intensive computing and for high-end gamers. The combination of Samsung’s self-developed V-NAND TLC memory and Pascal controller should provide the best possible performance with efficient operation. Additionally, Samsung Intelligent TurboWrite 2.0 and 4GB LPDDR4 cache memory are provided to optimize data throughput. Performance can be further boosted when using the DirectStorage API with certain games.

Test results
We placed the 4TB SSD in a powerful workstation with a PCI 4.0 x4 slot and equipped Windows 11 with a set of standard applications. With CrystalDiskMark 8.0 we achieve the following sequential R/W times: 7114/6763 MB/sec. The random R/W speeds are even 14% better than measured with the 2TB variant. With PCMark 10 we test the SSD with an emulation of heavy application use on a PC. The test results place this SSD at the top!

Samsung’s Thermal Guard technology ensures that the temperature of the SSD remains within the optimal range. This can cause transmission speed to decrease if temperatures are exceeded as a result of long-term heavy use. The SSD with a cooling plate can dissipate heat better and is therefore less likely to suffer from it.

Management software
The Samsung Magician software is available for managing the Samsung SSDs. This SSD variant requires version 8.0, which was not yet available during the review, but will be available in September. In addition, Samsung Data Migration software can be downloaded to transfer data or operating system from an HD or SSD to a Samsung SSD.

Conclusion
The Samsung 990 PRO 4TB is an SSD with top results. The warranty is 5 years with a TBW (Terabytes Written) of up to 2400 TB. It is an SSD for applications where high transmission speeds are important and is therefore ideal for intensive computer use and in combination with gaming stations.

Product: Samsung SSD 990 PRO 4TB