Samsung 980 Pro and 990 Pro are two of Samsung’s legendary SSDs. Both are Gen 4.0 NVMe drives but have many differences in terms of performance and specifications. Although the peak performance difference isn’t that huge but still the 990 Pro has got some great advantages over the 980 Pro when it comes to real-world performance. In fact, the 990 Pro is focused more on the enthusiasts. On the other hand, the 980 Pro fulfills the demands of most people with its multiple storage variants and average specifications.
With the much-advanced 176-layer V7 V-NAND, the 990 Pro has much better raw performance. On top of that, the advanced controller and upgraded firmware give the 990 Pro an edge over most of its competitors in the Gen 4.0 category along with the 980 Pro. However, in this article, we will know whether the slightly bigger tag of the 990 Pro justifies itself or whether you should get the 980 Pro to save a few bucks. Looking at the performance difference, we can easily reach a decision. So, let’s start.
Specifications Difference
| Specification | Samsung 990 Pro | Samsung 980 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe Gen4 x4 | PCIe Gen4 x4 |
| Form Factor | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 |
| NAND Type | Samsung V-NAND TLC | Samsung V-NAND TLC |
| Controller | Samsung Pascal | Samsung Elpis |
| Sequential Read Speed | Up to 7,450 MB/s | Up to 7,000 MB/s |
| Sequential Write Speed | Up to 6,900 MB/s | Up to 5,000 MB/s |
| Random Read IOPS (QD32) | Up to 1,400,000 IOPS | Up to 1,000,000 IOPS |
| Random Write IOPS (QD32) | Up to 1,550,000 IOPS | Up to 1,000,000 IOPS |
| Available Capacities | 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB | 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB |
| Warranty | 5 years | 5 years |
Clearly, the 990 Pro has much better specifications and features in terms of performance, and hardware, endurance, and optimizations. The 990 Pro has the smallest variant of 1TB which means it is more focused on high-end users. The 980 Pro has the 250GB and 500GB variants which makes it suitable for people with less storage space requirements.
Benchmark Scores Comparison
Let’s compare the benchmark scores of both and understand which drive is best for which type of task. I have arranged these benchmark scores from third-party websites like TomsHardware and PCWorld. However, I am fully responsible for the accuracy of the scores. You can find the sources at the end of the article.
3DMark Storage Benchmark Score (Points)
The 3D Mark test calculates and shows the results derived from performance metrics gathered by running simulated gaming tasks. These tasks include loading the games, installation, autosaving, streaming, etc. A better 3D Mark score always means the drive will performance better when it comes to gaming tasks.
PCMark 10 Storage Benchmark
The PCMark 10 drive test evaluates your drive’s performance under real-world conditions. The test uses real-world traces from games and software to measure the overall storage performance. The test calculates not only the read/write speed but also latency and bandwidth. The test scenarios may include, but are not limited to OS booting, launching apps like Photoshop and MS Office, and running games.
A better PCMark 10 score means better performance of a drive in real-world applications.
The overall score of the Samsung 980 Pro is way lower than the 990 Pro as you can see in the graph above. It clearly means the 990 Pro will be much more capable when it comes to real-world usage.
CrystalDiskMark Scores Comparison
CDM Sequential Benchmark comaparison
The sequential read/write benchmark on CDM measures the drive’s performance when reading or writing large, contiguous blocks of data. This test is basically used to understand the performance when we work with large file sizes. CDM, in general, doesn’t run any synthetic tests to understand your drive’s capabilities on any program or game. It just gives the raw numbers which are easy to understand. Higher IOPS and MB/s always mean better when in most cases.
As you can see, the 990 Pro has got better sequential performance
CDM Random Benchmark Comparison
Here is a thing to note. The difference in the random read/write performance and especially the random read performance is minimal. As you know random performance is what decides your drive’s capabilities in real-world tasks like running programs and playing games. Although the random write performance is better with the 990 Pro, the difference isn’t as big as we saw in the sequential read/write performance benchmarks.
Power Consumption
The graph below shows the MB/s per watt number along with the average power consumption for copying a 50GB File folder. The average power consumption is almost the same in both. However, the 990 Pro offers a better MB/s per watt ratio compared to the 980 Pro which means the 990 Pro is comparatively well-optimized when it comes to power consumption.
TBW, Endurance, and Warranty
| Specification | Samsung 990 PRO | Samsung 980 PRO |
|---|---|---|
| MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) | 1.5 million hours | 1.5 million hours |
| TBW (Terabytes Written) | Up to 1,200 TB for 2TB model Up to 600 TB for 1TB model | Up to 1,200 TB for 2TB model Up to 600 TB for 1TB model Up to 300 TB for 500GB model Up to 150 TB for 250GB model |
| Warranty | 5 years limited | 5 years limited |
| Shock Resistance (Non-Op) | 1,500G(Gravity), duration: 0.5ms, 3 axis | 1,500G(Gravity), duration: 0.5ms, 3 axis |
| Vibration Resistance (Non-Op) | 20–2,000 Hz, 20 G | 20–2,000 Hz, 20 G |
| ECC (Error Correction Code) | Yes (improved LDPC with better data integrity) | Yes (LDPC) |
| Data Encryption | AES 256-bit encryption, TCG Opal 2.0, IEEE1667 | AES 256-bit encryption, TCG Opal 2.0, IEEE1667 |
| Dynamic Thermal Guard | Yes (enhanced with better thermal management) | Yes |
| Heatsink Option | Available (990 PRO with Heatsink, optimized for PS5 compatibility) | Available (980 PRO with Heatsink) |
In terms of endurance, reliability, and warranty, there is no difference between the two. Also, Samsung SSDs are known for their reliability even in high-demand environments.
NAND, Controller, DRAM, and Write-Caching
| Specification | Samsung 990 PRO | Samsung 980 PRO |
|---|---|---|
| NAND Type | Samsung V-NAND 3-bit MLC (Enhanced Efficiency) | Samsung V-NAND 3-bit MLC |
| NAND Layers | Up to 176 layers | Up to 128 layers |
| Controller | Samsung Elpis (Optimized for 990 PRO) | Samsung Elpis |
| DRAM Cache | LPDDR4 DRAM | LPDDR4 DRAM |
| Write-Caching | Intelligent TurboWrite 2.0 (Optimized) | Intelligent TurboWrite 2.0 (Dynamic SLC cache) |
| Write Cache configurations | approx. 226 GB (216 GB Dynamic + 10 GB Static) | approx. 236 GB (230 GB Dynamic + 6 GB Static) |
| Interface | PCIe Gen4 x4, NVMe 2.0 | PCIe Gen4 x4, NVMe 1.3c |
| Queue Depth Optimization | Up to Q32 (Further Optimized) | Up to Q32 |
| Thermal Management | Enhanced Dynamic Thermal Guard | Dynamic Thermal Guard |
| Error Correction | Improved LDPC | Low-Density Parity Check (LDPC) |
Here, we can say the 990 Pro comes with many advantages and improvements over the 980 Pro. The size of the SLC cache is bigger along with more layers of the NAND flash.
The Pascal controller in the 990 Pro is the successor of the Elpis controller. Both are Arm-based controllers on the 8nm technology. There is no huge difference in the performance but the Pascal comes with some hardware optimizations and better cache mapping. The Pascal controller is focused more on power efficiency and optimizations.
Price
On most days, you can get both the SSDs at almost the same price. The prices will keep fluctuating and sometimes, some variants like the 1TB with heatsink of the 990 Pro can be found selling for cheaper prices compared to the same 980 Pro.
Which one should you buy: Samsung 980 Pro or Samsung 990 Pro
Samsung 990 Pro is clearly the best pick for me looking at its competitive price and balanced performance. We can call the 990 Pro the leader in the Gen 4.0 category because if I want higher performance, I would spend some more money and get a Gen 5.0 drive. Gen 4.0 drives are still a great option for most users because for most people the high sequential read/write numbers that we get with the Gen 5.0 drives are of no use. Random read/write performance is what matters the most and we get pretty decent of that with the 990 Pro.
The 980 Pro could be better for those who, first of all, want lower storage variants such as 250GB and 500 GB. The next thing could be the price if you are getting a decent deal and saving a good amount of money compared to the 990 Pro. Otherwise, I would not recommend anybody if the price difference is just a few bucks. The 990 Pro is based on the same interface so there will be no issues related to the compatibility. So, surely, if I had to choose between both, I would choose the 990 Pro any day.
I hope this helps!
Resources:
https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/samsung-990-pro-ssd-review
In tables you put 980 on the left, in charts on the right. It’s confusing. I assume it’s your first comparison of two products. Not bad. Keep trying. Will be better next time.
Yeah, you are right. I realized it. I will fix it soon. Thanks