The Samsung 990 EVO Plus is a relatively new addition to the Samsung SSD lineup. It is a DRAMless SSD focused on low-end or average users. Although it’s a Gen 5.0 drive, it utilizes half of the bandwidth because it just uses two Gen 5 lanes. There are many other competitors to the 990 EVO Plus, but we are comparing it with the 990 Pro because of its competitive price while being a Gen 5.0 SSD. The performance numbers of both look almost similar.
Just like others, you are probably thinking, why spend 40 to 50 bucks more on a 1TB 990 Pro when we can get the 1TB 990 EVO Plus, which is a Gen 5.0 for a cheaper price? Well, there are many things to consider here besides the price.
First of all, being a DRAMless SSD, it just can’t compete with the 990 Pro in most environments. We are going to look at everything when we reach the benchmark scores section. Another thing is that, with similar specifications, there are much cheaper SSDs, some of which easily beat the 990 EVO Plus.
However, many advantages come along with the 990 EVO Plus. First of all, it has a much better controller, which is based on 5nm technology. The V-NAND V8 with 236 layers is much more refined compared to the 990 Pro’s V7 NAND with 176 layers, although the latest 2TB and 4TB models of 990 Pro are upgraded to V8 236 layers. All in all, the 990 EVO Plus promises many things, but will it be able to prove itself? This is what we will reveal in this comparison.
Summary
Samsung 990 Pro is expensive and focused on performance enthusiasts. It offers the best possible on the PCIe 4.0 generation interface. The 990 EVO Plus targets the low-end and average audience with its cheaper price and DRAM-less design.
Theoretical Specifications
| Specification | Samsung 990 PRO | Samsung 990 EVO Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Storage Variants | 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | 1TB, 2TB, 4TB |
| Form Factor | M.2 (2280) | M.2 (2280) |
| Interface | PCIe® Gen 4.0 x4, NVMe™ 2.0 | PCIe® Gen 4.0 x4 / 5.0 x2 NVMe™ 2.0 |
| NAND Flash Memory | Samsung V-NAND 3-bit MLC | Samsung V-NAND TLC |
| Controller | Samsung Pascal (S4LV008) | Samsung Piccolo (S4LY022) |
| DRAM Cache Memory | 1TB: 1GB LPDDR4 2TB: 2GB LPDDR4 4TB: 4GB LPDDR4 | HMB (Host Memory Buffer) |
| Sequential Read Speed | Up to 7,450 MB/s | 1TB: Up to 7,150 MB/s 2TB & 4TB: Up to 7,250 MB/s |
| Sequential Write Speed | Up to 6,900 MB/s | Up to 6,300 MB/s |
| Random Read (QD32) | 1TB: Up to 1,200,000 IOPS 2TB: Up to 1,400,000 IOPS 4TB: Up to 1,600,000 IOPS | 1TB: Up to 850,000 IOPS 2TB: Up to 1,000,000 IOPS 4TB: Up to 1,050,000 IOPS |
| Random Write (QD32) | Up to 1,550,000 IOPS | 1TB & 2TB: Up to 1,350,000 IOPS 4TB: Up to 1,400,000 IOPS |
The Samsung 990 Pro is better in terms of theoretical specifications. Both sequential and random read/write speeds are great based on its PCIe 4.0 interface. The 990 EVO Plus can be called a half-Gen 5.0 and full Gen 4.0 because technically, the bandwidth is what matters, and the 990 EVO Plus doesn’t have the full Gen 5.0 bandwidth.
Benchmark Scores Comparison
The benchmark scores are arranged and organized based on the reviews of these SSDs from different websites. The list includes Tom’s Hardware, PCWorld, PCMag, HotHardware, etc. The sources are linked at the end. However, I am fully responsible for the accuracy of the data.
3DMark Storage Benchmark
The 3DMark storage test simulates the gaming environments and tests an SSD’s performance. It gives the results as an overall score along with the latency and bandwidth. A better 3DMark score means a better gaming performance, including criteria like game opening, game saving, streaming, installing, etc.
The difference here is minimal but can be calculated. If we look at the 3DMark score, the 990 Pro has around 1.3% better performance. If we talk about the bandwidth, both are at the same speed, i.e., 818 MB/s. However, the latency offered by the Samsung 990 Pro is 36 microseconds compared to the 990 EVO Plus’s 38 microseconds. So, even though the difference can be almost zero, you can expect the 990 Pro to work as a better drive in gaming scenarios.
PCMark10 Storage Benchmark
PCMark 10 is another trace-based synthetic benchmarking tool that simulates real-world environments to test SSDs’ performance. This test shows the performance output for tasks that we do on a daily basis. A better score means a better SSD’s real-world performance.
The difference here in the PCMark 10 scores is again minimal, but we are going to calculate it. The overall PCMark 10 score is 2.2% higher with the 990 Pro. If we look at the bandwidth, the 990 Pro again beats the 990 EVO Plus by 3.2%. Latency in 990 Pro is 3,6 while 37 in 990 EVO Plus. So, overall, the 990 Pro is going to work well in the real-world tasks, but again, the difference is going to be marginal.
CDM Sequential Read/Write Scores
For the CrystalDiskMark sequential performance, we have taken the test setup of 1MiB file size at Queue depth of 8 and 1 Thread. This test is good to understand the peak sequential performance in normal scenarios.
The sequential read performance of both drives is almost similar, with the 990 Pro leading the way by around a 1% margin. However, when it comes to the sequential write performance, the Samsung 990 Pro is faster by around 16% than the 990 EVO Plus. This can be a big difference when you have to work with big sequential files like videos, databases, photos, etc.
CDM Random Read/Write Scores
For the random read/write performance comparison, we are taking the 4K test at QD1 with 1 thread. Let’s see the results.
In the random 4K QD1T1 read test, the Samsung 990 Pro offered 14% better performance than the 990 EVO Plus. Similar to the random write test, 990 Pro beats the 990 EVO Plus by approximately 16%. So, when you have to work with random files like small and scattered data on the drive, the 990 Pro is going to work well for you. Also, because random read/write options reflect the everyday computer usage, you are going to see the benefits in the real-world performance when you go for the 990 Pro.
Transfer Rate – DiskBench
In the raw transfer speed tests, the results are mixed, but there are certain areas to discuss. In the copy transfer rate test, the Samsung 990 Pro is around 16% faster than the 990 EVO Plus. However, when we look at the write transfer rate, the 990 EVO Plus is around 12% faster. In the read transfer rate, the difference is minimal, but if we have to calculate, the 990 Pro is around 1% faster than the 990 EVO Plus.
Power Consumption (Quarch PPM)
From the Quarth PPM test results, we can see that the Samsung 990 EVO Plus is around 17% more power efficient in MB/s per watts as compared to the 990 Pro. In the average power consumption as well, the 990 Pro uses 25% less power. The idle power consumption is around 13% lower in the 990 EVO Plus. All in all, we can say that the 990 EVO Plus is way more power-efficient than the 990 Pro.
Endurance, Warranty, and TBW
| Specification | Samsung 990 Pro | Samsung 990 EVO Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Warranty | 5 years | 5 years |
| TBW | 1TB- 600 TBW 2TB- 1,200 TBW 4TB- 2,400 TBW | 1TB- 600 TBW 2TB- 1,200 TBW 4TB- 2,400 TBW |
| MTBF | 1.5 Million Hours | 1.5 Million Hours |
There is no difference if we look at the reliability factors. Warranty, TBW, and MTBF are the same, so there is nothing to be discussed here.
NAND, DRAM, Controller, etc
| Specification | Samsung 990 Pro | Samsung 990 EVO Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Controller | Samsung Pascal Controller | Samsung Piccolo Controller |
| NAND Technology | 7th, 8th Gen Samsung V-NAND | 8th Gen Samsung V-NAND |
| NAND Layer Count | 176-Layer, 236-Layers | 236-Layer |
| Interface | PCIe Gen 4.0 x4 | PCIe Gen 4.0 x4, 5.0 x2 |
| DRAM Configuration | LPDDR4 DRAM | No DRAM |
| Capacity Options | 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | 1TB, 2TB, 4TB |
| Sequential Read Speed | Up to 7,450 MB/s | Up to 7,250 MB/s |
| Sequential Write Speed | Up to 6,900 MB/s | Up to 6,300 MB/s |
| Random Read IOPS | Up to 1,600,000 IOPS | Up to 1,050,000 IOPS |
| Random Write IOPS | Up to 1,550,000 IOPS | Up to 1,400,000 IOPS |
| Cache Type | approx. 114 GB (108 GB Dynamic + 6 GB Static) | approx. 114 GB (108 GB Dynamic + 6 GB Static) |
| Controller Configuration | Dual-core ARM Cortex R8-based architecture | Dual-core ARM Cortex R8-based architecture |
| Encryption Support | AES 256-bit Encryption, TCG/Opal 2.0, IEEE 1667 | AES 256-bit Encryption, TCG/Opal 2.0, IEEE 1667 |
The latest releases of the 990 Pro after September 2023 come with the Pascal controller, V8 NAND/236-layers. But, all in all, the 990 Pro has other advantages over the 990 EVO Plus regarding technical specifications. The biggest drawback of the 990 EVO Plus is that it doesn’t have DRAM (has HMB).
Price
Samsung 990 Pro vs Samsung 990 EVO Plus: Which one should you choose and why?
If you don’t have plans to put your SSD under heavy read/write load and are good with an average drive, the Samsung 990 EVO Plus is a good pick, saving you a good amount of money for the same storage space. It is much more power-efficient, cool, and made for normal users. However, the performance isn’t compromised much, as we saw above in the benchmarks. It doesn’t have a DRAM cache, and it can harm the performance at some occasions.
You should choose the Samsung 990 Pro if you are interested in the best possible performance with the PCIe 4.0 interface. It is more expensive than the 990 EVO Plus, but it proves itself when put under workloads. Nothing is compromised when we look at the 990 Pro. But you’ll have to pay for it. So, if you think you are an enthusiast or on the way to becoming one, you should go for the 990 Pro.
Resources:
https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/ssds/samsung-990-evo-plus-ssd-review/2
https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/samsung-ssd-990-pro-with-heatsink
https://hothardware.com/reviews/samsung-990-evo-plus-2tb-ssd-review?page=2
You’ve got the wrong SSD in the picture.
The article is about the 990 Evo Plus vs 990 pro.
The picture is a 990 Evo Plus and and a 980 pro.
Fixed the image. I appreciate your feedback.
HEY , if I am looking for an upgrade on laptop ssd which is only compatible with interface 3 but I would like high TBW which both of these offer – would I notice any difference in performance between them ? thanks
There would be no visible difference in the performance because there is a bottleneck at Gen 3.0 speed. You may get a little better random performance with the 990 Pro but that too not very substantial. So, in your case, you will get almost same performance benefits.
Thank you very much
Hello, I wonder how does the technology change affect the dangers of losing data with power outage. If we can lose data with power outage with DRAM, what happens with the new version without DRAM.
Most SSDs these days (both DRAM and DRAM-Less) come with Power-Loss protection with capacitors that allow them to finish writing data to flash storage when power is lost, reducing corruption. With that said, both 990 EVO and 990 EVO Plus neither have DRAM nor PLP. So, you are right that the companies are putting our data at risk for profits but its disappointing to see.
Thanks, nice review. The graph about power consumption is hard to read: two of the bars are lower is better and the other is higher is better, a bit confusing
Hi N1mda, I understand the confusion. I will create separate graph for power effeciency i.e. MB/s per watt. Thanks for pointing that out.
PCMark and 3DMark scores are almost similar. I don’t think there is any point going for the 990 Pro with outdated components. DRAM in the is the only better thing with 990 Pro I guess.
I thought 990 EVO plus had DRAM cache….
The article’s solid overall, but you should have given thermal information. Let me compare that here.
I am sure this will be a serious concern for some people. I chose to go for 990 Pro because of its better sustained performance and DRAM but I opted for the heatsink variant and it works flawlessly even when I am working with large datasets.
I don’t think I have to add this section to the article. You have done a good job with this. I appreciate your efforts.