Samsung has a new SSD on the menu, named the 990 SSD – not to be confused with EVO or PRO models that shares the same model number. This QLC-based model is rated for sequential read speeds of up to 7,250 MB/s, with a claimed up to 38% improved power efficiency over Samsung’s own 990 PRO.
Samsung 990 SSD
The Samsung 990 SSD is available in 1TB and 2TB capacities with rated sequential read speeds reaching 7,150MB/s and 7,250 MB/s respectively, while sequential write peaks at 6,450MB/s – in other words, pretty darn fast, thanks to the presence of Host Memory Buffer (HMB) that utilize host system’s memory to accelerate transfer speeds. As for random I/O, the spec sheets lists 700K IOPS read, 1.1M IOPS write for the 1TB model, or 850K IOPS read, 1.2M IOPS write for the 2TB model. Endurance is listed as 400TBW and 800TBW, respectively.
Samsung has also focused on power efficiency with the 990 SSD, claiming up to 38% better power efficiency compared to 990 PRO (which Samsung points out is its predecessor, despite similar names). While SSD power draw are generally small enough to be considered negligible in the grand scheme of things, this does bring the benefit for laptops in particular, where every power saving measure count towards longer battery life; it also means you don’t need giant heatsinks like some of the PCIe 5.0 SSDs require.
The Samsung 990 SSD is expected to be available by the end of this July, with the 1TB version priced at RM1,069, and the 2TB version at RM2,111.
Pokdepinion: With how expensive SSDs get these days, I highly doubt this one is gonna sell like hotcakes, given that value has rarely been Samsung SSD’s top priority.
