After the release of the Samsung 990 EVO Plus in late September of 2024, people are comparing it with many drives. The 990 EVO Plus is a DRAM-Less SSD with the ability to utilize just two lanes of PCIe Gen 5.0. However, the WD Black SN850X is a Gen 4.0 drive that was released in 2022.
Now, I am comparing these both because if you have a look at their theoretical performance numbers, they look similar. There are some minimal differences in the sequential and random read/write speeds that the companies are claiming. Although the 990 EVO Plus comes with a much advanced NAND flash and controller, the SN850X has a long-lived reputation in the industry. So, I believe this comparison is going to be interesting and by the end of it, you’ll be able to pick the right SSD for you.
Theoretical Specifications
| Specification | Samsung 990 EVO Plus | WD Black SN850X |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe Gen 4.0 x4 / Gen 5.0 x2 NVMe 2.0 | PCIe Gen 4.0 x4 NVMe 1.4 |
| Form Factor | M.2 (2280) | M.2 (2280) |
| Controller | Piccolo (S4LY022) | Black G2 (20-82-20035-B2) |
| NAND Flash | Samsung V-NAND TLC (3-bit) | 112-Layer BiCS5 TLC |
| Capacities | 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 8TB |
| Sequential Read Speed | Up to 7,250 MB/s | Up to 7,300 MB/s |
| Sequential Write Speed | Up to 6,300 MB/s | Up to 6,600 MB/s |
| Random Read Speed (IOPS) | Up to 1,050,000 | Up to 1,200,000 |
| Random Write Speed (IOPS) | Up to 1,400,000 | Up to 1,100,000 |
| Warranty | 5-year limited | 5-year limited |
As we discussed above, there are some differences in the theoretical speeds especially the higher random write IOPS in the 990 EVO Plus. Otherwise, in terms of sequential performance and even the TBW, both the drives come with almost similar specs.
The WD Black SN850X comes with an 8TB variant which the 990 EVO Plus misses. This could be a big benefit for people requiring high data storage spaces for certain tasks.
Benchmark Scores Comparison
It is best to compare the benchmark scores side by side to understand each drive’s capabilities in different scenarios. I have collected, organized, and researched benchmark scores from reputed third-party sites like Toms Hardware, PC World, etc. However, I am responsible for the accuracy of the data. All the tests are for the 2TB variants of both drives.
CrystalDiskMark Scores
CrystalDiskMark is a synthetic benchmarking software for computer storage devices. It gives us the peak performance numbers and tells us where our drive is capable of reaching. We can choose different settings and preset profiles to take our drives under different environments. The sequential parameters on which we are comparing these drives are Seq 1M Q8T1. For random tests, we have selected Q1T1 4KB. Let’s see and compare the results.
The WD Black SN850X shows better performance in the sequential benchmark. The difference is bigger in the peak sequential write performance as compared to the peak read performance. So, for moving large and sequential data, the SN850X is going to give you better results.
In the random CDM tests, the read scores are similar with a margin of 1MB/s on the 990 EVO Plus side. However, the 990 EVO Plus beats the SN850X by a huge margin in the random write performance. This is mainly due to Samsung’s much-refined pseudo-SLC cache technology called the Samsung Turboright. However, this test uses the burst data and in the sustained write tests, the WD Black SN850x performs way better because of its larger SLC write cache. In simple words, the write cache speed is surely better in the 990 EVO Plus but when you write big chunks of data for longer periods of time, the SN850X will give you better results.
PCMark 10
PCMark 10 storage test puts the drive under real-world test environments. The tests include simulations of real-world tasks like gaming, productivity, content creation, etc. You can choose between full or quick drive benchmarks where the quick test runs only the essential tests like file movement and application launching. The tests that we are comparing are from the Full drive benchmark tests of both. Three result metrics are compared i.e. score, bandwidth, and latency. The WD Black SN850X has a dedicated game mode which when turned On tends to have better PCMark 10 results compared to when it is turned Off. These results are with the Game mode off.
The Samsung 990 EVO Plus has got better results in all the PCMark 10 Full drive benchmark metrics. It has a better score, higher bandwidth, and lower latency compared to the SN850X. This simply means that the SN850X will be able to give you better performance in day-to-day work and specialized tasks like content creation, video editing, gaming, etc.
3DMark Storage Test for Gamers
The 3DMark Storage test for gamers puts the drives under different gaming scenarios. The tests include simulation of game installation, game loading, saving, updating, streaming, recording, etc. A better 3DMark score test results means a better gaming performance from any drive.
Again, the Samsung 990 EVO Plus has beaten the SN850X but noticeable margins. This means the 990 EVO Plus will be a better pick for gamers. However, with the dedicated Game mode in the SN850X, it can surely give numerous advantages that the 990 EVO Plus can’t.
Transfer Rate – DiskBench
The copy transfer rate for the 50GB file is better with the SN850X higher i.e. 1825 MB/s compared to the 990 EVO Plus’s 1541 MB/s. The 990 EVO Plus beats the SN850X in the write transfer rate by good margins. However, the read transfer rate is almost similar in both.
Power Consumption (Quarch PPM)
Samsung 990 EVO Plus is much more power efficient thanks to its much-refined controller and latest internal components. It has better MB/s per watt as well as lower average and maximum power consumption compared to the SN850X.
TBW, DWPD, MTBF, and Warranty
| Specification | Samsung 990 EVO Plus | WD Black SN850X |
|---|---|---|
| TBW | 1TB: 600 TBW 2TB: 1,200 TBW 4TB: 2,400 TBW | 1TB: 600 TBW 2TB: 1,200 TBW 4TB: 2,400 TBW 8TB: 4,800 TBW |
| MTBF | 1.5 Million Hours | 1.8 Million Hours |
| DWPD | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| Warranty | 5 Years Limited | 5 Years Limited |
If you want to know more about the TBW, MTBF, and DWPD, check out this article. The WD Black SN850X has a better MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) number which simply means comparatively better reliability. All other things are the same in both.
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Samsung 990 EVO Plus | WD Black SN850X |
|---|---|---|
| Interface / Protocol | PCIe 5.0 x2 / NVMe 2.0 | PCIe 4.0 x4 / NVMe 1.4 |
| Controller | Piccolo (S4LY022) | Black G2 (20-82-20035-B2) |
| Controller Architecture | ARM 32-bit Cortex-R8 (5nm) | ARM 32-bit Cortex-R (16nm) |
| Flash Channels | 4 @ 2,400 MT/s | 8 @ 1,200 MT/s |
| NAND Flash Type | 3-bit TLC V-NAND V8 | 112-layer BiCS5 TLC |
| NAND Flash Layers | 236-layer | 112-layer |
| DRAM | HMB (Host Memory Buffer) | DDR4 1TB: 1024 MB (1x 1024 MB) 2TB: 2048 MB (1x 2048 MB) 4TB: 2048 MB (1x 2048 MB) |
Being a much more recent release, the Samsung 990 EVO Plus has the latest components including the controller and NAND flash. It has the latest V8 V-NAND with 236 layers. When we look side by side, the SN850X looks outdated with the 112-layer BiCS5 TLC flash. The 5nm controller of the 990 EVO Plus is contributing to the lower power consumption even during heavy read/write operations. The DRAM is surely an advantage here with the SN850X but all other things are better with the 990 EVO Plus.
Pricing
In terms of pricing, you will be paying more for both 1TB and 2TB variants of SN850X compared to the 990 EVO Plus. The 4TB variants are priced almost similarly.
By the time I am writing this article, the SN850X 1TB is available for 83$ while the 990 EVO Plus can be bought for 75$. The WD Black SN850X 2TB is priced at 146$ while the Samsung 990 EVO Plus is priced at 129.99$. The 4TB variant of the SN850X is available for 279.99$ while the 990 EVO Plus is priced at 269.99$. All in all, the 990 EVO Plus can be an economical option mainly because it is a DRAM-Less SSD.
Which one to choose: WD Black SN850X or Samsung 990 EVO Plus?
In terms of raw performance, efficiency, and the latest tech, the Samsung 990 EVO Plus clearly is the right option to choose. However, the WD Black SN850X has a higher capacity (8TB), better thermal management, dedicated DRAM, and a dedicated game mode. So, there are reasons to choose both.
The SN850X has had a good reputation for a long time. It is compared directly to the Samsung 990 Pro and 980 Pro. So, there is a trust factor here as well. Samsung has already given us the very popular DRAM-Less SSD i.e. Samsung 980. So, in terms of brand reliability, there are no issues in any of them.
So, at the end of the day, if you are looking for the best performance at a lower price but are ready to compromise on DRAM and Game mode, you should go for the 990 EVO Plus. However, a DRAM SSD like the SN850X has its advantages like better endurance and overall snappiness in real-world applications.
I hope this helps!