There is a huge price difference between the Samsung 990 Pro and the WD Black SN850X. However, the 990 Pro’s performance isn’t very far off from the SN850x. The decision can easily be made by keeping an eye on your budget. In my opinion, the Samsung 990 Pro’s high price tag doesn’t justify its few performance benefits over the SN850x.
The Samsung 990 Pro definitely has great NAND specifications, with a 176-layer TLC V-NAND flash and a much more powerful controller. When we compare them side by side, the WD Black SN850X lacks in most areas. However, it has the serious advantage of a smaller price tag. You can get the SN850X for around 20 to 25$ less than the 990 Pro.
The 990 Pro was initially released with the V7 V-NAND in the 176-layer technology. A major refinement was done in 2023 with the V8 V-NAND that came with 236 layers. WD Black SN850X continued with the BiCS5 112-layer NAND with the same other specifications. Just by looking at the specifications, I can tell the Samsung 990 Pro will give you better performance in all aspects. But, there are reasons to choose the SN850X as well.
The biggest question is whether the higher price of 990 Pro is worth it. Well, this depends on your requirements, budgets, and overall usage. Let’s compare everything in this article and come to a decision.
Theoretical Specifications
| Specification | Samsung 990 Pro | WD Black SN850X |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 (NVMe 2.0) | PCIe 4.0 (NVMe 1.4) |
| Form Factor | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 |
| NAND Flash | TLC V-NAND (176-Layers) | BiCS5 TLC (112-Layers) |
| Capacity Options | 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 8TB |
| Sequential Read Speed | Up to 7,450 MB/s | Up to 7,300 MB/s |
| Sequential Write Speed | Up to 6,900 MB/s | Up to 6,300 MB/s |
| Random Read IOPS | Up to 1,600K | Up to 1,200K |
| Random Write IOPS | Up to 1,550K | Up to 1,200K |
| Software | Samsung Magician | WD Dashboard |
| More Information | Datasheet | Datasheet |
Looking at the specifications and theoretical performance, the Samsung 990 Pro offers better things. The random performance, which is the most important for daily use, is higher with the 990 Pro. However, real performance can only be tested through benchmarks. A big advantage, for some users, is the availability of the 8TB variant of the SN850X which the 990 Pro doesn’t have.
Benchmark Scores Comparison
The benchmark scores are gathered and compared from external sources like PCMag and TomsHardware. The links to the original pages are at the end of the article. However, I take full responsibility for the accuracy of these scores.
CDM Sequential Read/Write Scores Comparison
CDM is the best synthetic benchmarking software for SSDs. It comes with built-in benchmark profiles for different tasks. For these tests, the default benchmark mode is used. The results are as follows for both sequential and random read/write performance.
CDM Random Read/Write Scores Comparison
There is a minimal difference in the performance. However, the Samsung 990 Pro wins with a slight margin in both sequential and random read/write tests. This difference isn’t too much, but the Samsung 990 Pro has won in this round.
PCMark 10 Overall Storage Test Scores
The PCMark 10 Storage test simulates the real-world scenarios for SSDs that reflect everyday usage. These simulations may include running games, accessing large files, random read/write operations, opening apps, etc. A higher overall PCMark 10 score means better performance in everyday tasks.
The 990 Pro beats the SN850X by around 770 numbers in the PCMark 10 scores. These results are when the Full-Power mode is turned off in the 990 Pro. In the bandwidth and latency scores, the 990 Pro is clearly beating the SN850X by good margins.
3DMark Storage Test
Unlike the PCMark 10 test, the 3DMark storage test simulates gaming-related tasks and checks any SSD/HDD’s performance in those environments. This again is a synthetic benchmark that may include simulating tasks like game loading, game-saving/installation/updating, streaming, and patching games. A better 3DMark Storage test means a better gaming performance. Although, SSDs have no direct impact on the FPS, but still, they can help improve the overall gaming experience.
Impressively, the SN850X has got better 3DMark scores most likely because of its better optimization for gaming. The SN850X has got a separate game mode but these benchmarks are without this mode turned On. Still, it manages to beat the Samsung 990 Pro by good numbers. So, this is going to be a great benefit for all the gamers out there.
Adobe Creative Cloud Program Launching Time (PCMark 10)
In the Adobe Creative Cloud benchmark, the 990 Pro has better results. These results are for Premiere Pro and Adobe Photoshop’s loading, saving, and other performance parameters.
File Copy Test (PCMark 10)
In the file copy test, the results are mixed where the SN850X is offering better ISO copy scores with 20GB (4 Files). However, the 990 Pro has better file copy speed with around 339 files of total 2.37 GB.
The benchmark results are mixed and we can’t declare a single winner. Although the Samsung 990 Pro offers good raw read/write performance, the SN850X has a great score when it comes to real-world applications. Again, the margins are not very huge and both compete really well but, we can’t say either of these has better performance in all the areas.
Power Consumption and Temperatures
The Samsung 990 Pro is much more power-efficient as compared to the WD Black SN850X. The difference might not be very big but when it comes to the power consumption, a little spike in temperature can result in throttling, performance drops, and whatnot. So, Samsung has got this advantage but surely both drives come in the heatsink versions which can easily eliminate these heating issues if there are any. The Samsung 990 Pro has got a low power mode as well which might be the reason for its great average power efficiency.
TBW, Warranty, and Endurance
Both drives come with a 5-year limited warranty. Also, the TBW ratings are the same. The WD Black SN850X has more MTBF i.e. 1.75 Million Hours compared to the 990 Pro’s 1.5 Million hours.
| Specification | Samsung 990 Pro | WD Black SN850X |
|---|---|---|
| TBW (Total Bytes Written) | 1TB model: 600 TB 2TB model: 1,200 TB 4TB model: 2,400 TB | 1TB model: 600 TB 2TB model: 1,200 TB 4TB model: 2,400 TB |
| MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) | 1.5 million hours | 1.75 million hours |
| Warranty | 5 years | 5 years |
| Drive Writes Per Day (DWPD) | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| Operating Temperature | 0°C to 70°C | 0°C to 85°C |
| Non-Operating Temperature | -45°C to 85°C | -40°C to 85°C |
| Power Loss Protection | No | No |
| Additional Endurance Feature | Low Power Mode | Game Mode 2.0 for optimized gaming performance |
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Samsung 990 Pro | WD Black SN850X |
|---|---|---|
| Interface / Protocol | PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe 2.0 | PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe 1.4 |
| Form Factor | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 |
| Controller | Samsung’s Pascal (S4LV008) | WD’s Black G2 (20-82-20035-B2) |
| Controller Architecture | ARM 32-bit Cortex-R8 | ARM 32-bit Cortex-R |
| Controller Process/Flash Channels | 8 nm/8 @ 2,000 MT/s | 16 nm/8 @ 1,200 MT/s |
| NAND Flash | V-NAND V7/V8 (TLC) 236-Layer/176-Layer | BiCS5 (TLC) 112-Layer |
| SLC Write Cache | 1 TB: ~114 GB (108 GB Dynamic + 6 GB Static) 2 TB: ~226 GB (216 GB Dynamic + 10 GB Static) 4 TB: ~442 GB (432 GB Dynamic + 10 GB Static) | 1 TB: ~300 GB (288 GB Dynamic + 12 GB Static) 2 TB: ~600 GB (576 GB Dynamic + 24 GB Static) 4 TB: Unknown |
| DRAM Cache / Buffer | LPDDR4-1866 1 TB: 1024 MB (1x 1024 MB) 2 TB: 2048 MB (1x 2048 MB) 4 TB: 4096 MB (1x 4096 MB) | DDR4/DDR4-3200/3200-CL22 1 TB: 1024 MB (1x 1024 MB) 2 TB: 2048 MB (1x 2048 MB) 4 TB: 2048 MB (1x 2048 MB) |
| Encryption | AES-256, TCG Opal | TCG Opal |
The WD Black SN850X has got a bigger SLC-write cache buffer which enables it to provide a great initial write performance under heavy loads. After depleting the SLC Write cache, which happens faster in the 990 Pro, the SN850X idles at a better speed compared to the 990 Pro.
Price
By the time I am writing this article, the 1TB (non-heatsink) variants of both are on sale and are available for 99.99$. Without sale, the 1TB variant of 990 Pro is around 30$ expensive compared to the 1TB of SN850X.
When I look for the 2TB variant, the WD Black SN850x is available for 159.99$ while the 2TB 990 Pro is available for 167.99$. 4TB SN850X can be purchased for 289.99$ while the 2TB 990 Pro is available for 319.00$.
Please note that these prices are after the discounts which are continuous but aren’t available sometimes. So, always check the real prices before making a purchase.
Which one to choose? WD Black SN850X or Samsung 990 Pro
In my opinion, the WD Black SN850X is best considering its competitive performance and lower price. It has similar benchmark results and in some places even better than the Samsung 990 Pro. Along with this, it still saves you 15 to 20 bucks. It has a separate Game Mode 2.0 which helps minimize stuttering and catering in specific gaming environments.
However, the Samsung 990 Pro has a little better performance and good thermal efficiency, along with better power management. Another considerable benefit could be the NVMe 2.0.
All in all, I would recommend choosing the WD Black SN850X anytime because of its lower price and good performance. However, if you want to go for the best and have enough budget, I would recommend the Samsung 990 Pro.
I hope this helps!
Resources and Benchmarks:
https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/wd-black-sn850x
https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/samsung-ssd-990-pro-with-heatsink