Samsung 990 PRO 4TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD: speeds, specs and who it suits

The Samsung 990 PRO 4TB is a high-performance internal SSD in the M.2 2280 format, designed for PCIe 4.0 slots. Samsung rates it at up to 7,450 MB/s for sequential reads and 6,900 MB/s for writes. With 4TB of space, it suits people who handle large game libraries, video projects or data sets and want everything on one drive.

What the speed figures mean

Sequential speeds measure how fast large, continuous files move. Samsung's 7,450 MB/s read figure is close to what PCIe 4.0 can deliver: the description notes that the interface's best theoretical sequential read is 8,000 MB/s. Samsung's numbers come from a test system with an AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, DDR4 memory, Windows 10 Pro and an X570 motherboard, and write speeds were measured with Intelligent TurboWrite active. Results on other systems vary with firmware, hardware and configuration.

Samsung also says random performance is more than 55% better than the 980 PRO's. Random performance covers the many small reads and writes behind game loading, app launching and databases.

PCIe 4.0 compatibility

The drive is built for PCIe 4.0, and Samsung suggests checking your processor or motherboard maker's website to confirm that your system supports it. PCIe drives of this kind are generally backward compatible, so the drive typically works in a slower slot but at reduced speeds. That is general knowledge, not a listing claim, so confirm it in your motherboard manual.

Efficiency and heat

Samsung claims up to 50% better performance per watt than the 980 PRO, based on tests of the 1TB model (1,380/1,319 MB/s per watt for reads and writes, against 1,129/877). The in-house controller includes smart heat control meant to keep speeds high without excessive heat. Fast NVMe drives do warm up under long loads, so airflow or a heatsink can help; check whether your motherboard or laptop provides one.

Capacities and uses

The 990 PRO range runs from 1TB to 4TB, and this is the largest. Samsung points to gaming, video editing and data analysis as typical uses. Large capacity matters for 4K video footage, game installs that run to many gigabytes, and scratch space for creative software.

Size

It is a standard M.2 2280 stick, about 3.1 x 0.9 x 0.1 inches (80 x 22 x 2.4 mm).

What to check before you buy

• That your PC has an M.2 slot with NVMe support and room for a 2280-length drive.
• Whether that slot runs at PCIe 4.0, so you get the speeds on the box.
• Whether the slot has a heatsink, or whether you need to arrange one. Check clearance as well.
• Console compatibility, if you intend to use it in a game console. Check the console maker's requirements.
• Your data transfer plan, such as cloning or reinstalling.
• The warranty terms for the model.

The short version

• The Samsung 990 PRO 4TB is an M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD.
• Samsung rates it at up to 7,450 MB/s reads and 6,900 MB/s writes.
• It claims more than 55% better random performance than the 980 PRO.
• Samsung also claims up to 50% better performance per watt than the 980 PRO.
• Check your slot, cooling and PCIe generation before installing.

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