Samsung 990 EVO Plus 4TB M.2 NVMe SSD: features, specs and who it suits

The Samsung 990 EVO Plus (model MZ-V9S4T0B) is a 4TB internal NVMe solid state drive in the M.2 2280 format. It targets PCs and laptops with an M.2 slot and offers a large amount of fast storage in a single drive. Its main talking points are the speeds Samsung quotes, its support for two PCIe link types and the efficiency of its controller.

PCIe 4.0 x4 and PCIe 5.0 x2

Most NVMe drives use four PCIe lanes. This drive is described as compatible with both PCIe 4.0 x4 and PCIe 5.0 x2. Those two links have roughly equivalent bandwidth, since a PCIe 5.0 lane typically carries twice what a PCIe 4.0 lane does. In practice, that means the drive can run at its rated speed in a standard PCIe 4.0 x4 slot, and in a slot that offers only two PCIe 5.0 lanes, as some newer laptops and boards do. Samsung advises checking whether your system supports PCIe 4.0 or 5.0 on the Intel or AMD website.

Speed figures

Samsung quotes sequential read and write speeds of up to 7,250 and 6,300 MB/s. These are maximums measured on a specific test system, and Samsung says performance varies with firmware, hardware and configuration. Sequential speed matters most for large file transfers; day-to-day tasks typically depend on many factors, so most users will not see the full figure all the time.

Intelligent TurboWrite 2.0

Many SSDs use part of their flash as a fast write buffer. Samsung's Intelligent TurboWrite 2.0 is its version of that approach, and the company says it enhances large-file performance on this 4TB model. Samsung notes the quoted write figures were measured with TurboWrite active and that it operates only within certain data transfer sizes, so sustained writes beyond the buffer can run slower.

Controller efficiency and heat

Samsung says the drive uses a nickel-coated controller that increases megabytes per second per watt by 73%, delivering the same power level and thermal control with less power use. Lower power draw is useful in laptops, where heat and battery life matter. Samsung also lists HMB (Host Memory Buffer) technology, which lets the drive use a small portion of system memory. Whatever the drive's efficiency, check that the M.2 slot has a heatsink or adequate airflow for long transfers.

Software

Samsung's Magician software is offered for firmware updates, extra encryption options and continual monitoring of drive health.

Who it suits

It suits people who want a very large, fast single drive for a desktop or laptop, such as those working with large photo and video libraries, big game collections or project files. It also suits upgraders whose current slot supports PCIe 4.0 or whose newer system offers PCIe 5.0 x2.

What to check before you buy

• Slot format: confirm an M.2 2280 slot with NVMe support.
• Link speed: check which PCIe generation and lane count your slot offers.
• Capacity limits: some older systems and devices limit the drive size they recognise; check the motherboard or laptop manual.
• Cooling: make sure there is a heatsink or cover, or plan to add one.
• Operating system and software: Magician is a Samsung program; check which systems it supports.
• Migration: back up your data and decide between cloning and a fresh install.

The short version

• A 4TB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD, compatible with PCIe 4.0 x4 and PCIe 5.0 x2.
• Samsung quotes sequential speeds of up to 7,250/6,300 MB/s.
• Intelligent TurboWrite 2.0 and HMB technology.
• A nickel-coated controller that Samsung says improves power efficiency.
• Magician software for firmware updates and drive health.

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