Looking for a new SSD for your build? Samsung’s high-end offerings – the 980 Pro and 990 Pro – are popular choices among tech enthusiasts. These NVMe drives represent Samsung’s top PCIe 4.0 storage options, but they have some key differences worth knowing about.
The Samsung 990 Pro delivers significantly better performance than the 980 Pro, with nearly twice the sustained write speeds and substantially faster sequential read rates. This newer model also offers a 4TB capacity option that the 980 Pro (which maxes out at 2TB) doesn’t have. Both drives are available with optional heatsinks for improved thermal management.
While both SSDs will outperform lower-tier options in intensive tasks, the 990 Pro’s technical advantages make it the better choice for those who need maximum speed for tasks like video editing or gaming. The performance gap between these drives is meaningful enough that power users will likely notice the difference in daily use.
Here’s an updated comparison of the Samsung 990 Pro vs 980 Pro (2025 Edition) with citations removed for a cleaner presentation:
🚀 Performance & Technology
- Controller & NAND: The 990 Pro features Samsung’s newer Pascal controller paired with 176-layer TLC NAND, a step up from the 980 Pro’s 128-layer NAND. It also includes a larger 2 GB DRAM cache, improving responsiveness in demanding tasks.
- Sequential speeds: The 990 Pro delivers around 6.9 GB/s read and 7.45 GB/s write speeds, which is a significant boost—especially for large file transfers and intensive workflows—compared to the 980 Pro’s 7 GB/s read and 5 GB/s write performance.
🔍 Real-World Usage
- Benchmarks clearly show that the 990 Pro outperforms the 980 Pro in sustained performance, thermal management, and cache handling.
- Daily use: For typical tasks like gaming, booting up, and loading apps, the speed difference between the two is minimal and often imperceptible to most users.
- Heavy workflows: Professionals working with 4K/8K video, large databases, or virtual machines will notice smoother performance and faster large file transfers on the 990 Pro.
🔥 Thermals & Power Efficiency
- Heat management: The 990 Pro can run hot under sustained load, reaching temps close to 95°C without a heatsink. A heatsink version is recommended for intensive tasks or console use.
- Power efficiency: Thanks to improved NAND and controller architecture, the 990 Pro delivers better performance per watt, which helps with long-term durability and thermal regulation.
💲 Price & Value
- Cost: The 990 Pro is priced higher than the 980 Pro—typically around $40–$60 more for the same capacity. The 980 Pro remains a better value for budget-conscious buyers.
- Value verdict: If you’re not dealing with large or sustained workloads regularly, the 980 Pro provides nearly identical user experience for less money.
✅ Recommendation Guide
| Use Case | Best Option | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming, OS boot, basic workloads | 980 Pro | Great real-world performance at a lower cost. |
| Content creation, 3D rendering | 990 Pro | Handles sustained workloads much better with faster write speeds. |
| PS5 SSD expansion | 990 Pro (heatsink) | Maximizes console performance with top Gen 4 speeds. |
🗣 Community Feedback (Summary)
- Most users agree that the performance difference in everyday tasks is negligible.
- Power users and professionals see the benefit of upgrading to the 990 Pro—especially for demanding applications and sustained writing tasks.
- Gamers or general users can save money by sticking with the 980 Pro without losing much in real-world speed.
🏁 Final Verdict
- Samsung 980 Pro: Best for general use, gaming, and productivity. It’s a high-end Gen 4 drive that still holds up very well in 2025.
- Samsung 990 Pro: Ideal for professionals, creatives, and users who need sustained high throughput and top-tier Gen 4 performance.
Key Takeaways
- The 990 Pro offers nearly double the sustained write speeds of the 980 Pro and comes in capacities up to 4TB.
- Both drives are high-end PCIe 4.0 SSDs that outperform lower-tier options, especially in demanding tasks.
- The performance benefits of the 990 Pro are significant enough to be noticeable in real-world intensive applications.
Overview of Samsung SSDs
Samsung’s high-performance SSDs have become industry leaders in the storage market, with the 980 Pro and 990 Pro representing their premium PCIe 4.0 offerings. These drives deliver exceptional performance for demanding users while providing reliability and advanced features.
Samsung 980 Pro Features
The Samsung 980 Pro was released as one of the first PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSDs from the company. It features Samsung’s custom Elpis controller paired with V-NAND technology. The drive offers impressive sequential read speeds up to 7,000 MB/s and write speeds up to 5,000 MB/s.
Available in capacities of 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB, the 980 Pro includes hardware AES 256-bit encryption for data security. The SSD utilizes TLC (Triple-Level Cell) NAND flash memory.
For thermal management, the 980 Pro incorporates nickel coating on the controller and a heat spreading label. This design helps maintain performance during intensive operations without thermal throttling.
The drive also includes Samsung Magician software for monitoring drive health, firmware updates, and performance optimization settings.
Samsung 990 Pro Features
The Samsung 990 Pro represents the next generation of the company’s flagship PCIe 4.0 SSD lineup. It utilizes an upgraded controller and the latest V-NAND technology to deliver enhanced performance and efficiency.
Sequential read speeds reach up to 7,450 MB/s with write speeds up to 6,900 MB/s, making it nearly twice as fast as the 980 Pro in sustained write operations. This performance boost is particularly noticeable during intensive workloads such as content creation or gaming.
Available in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB capacities, the 990 Pro offers more storage options than its predecessor. Power efficiency has been improved, with the drive consuming less energy during idle and active states.
The 990 Pro includes advanced thermal management solutions and is available with an optional heatsink variant for systems requiring additional cooling. Samsung’s Dynamic Thermal Guard technology actively prevents overheating during extended use.
Technical Specifications Comparison
The Samsung 990 Pro represents a significant advancement over its predecessor, the 980 Pro, with improvements across performance metrics, storage options, and overall architecture while maintaining compatibility with the same interface standards.
Performance Metrics
The Samsung 990 Pro delivers substantially better performance than the 980 Pro across key metrics. Sequential read speeds on the 990 Pro are approximately 450 MB/s faster than the 980 Pro, reaching higher throughput for large file transfers.
Random read performance shows an even more impressive gap, with the 990 Pro delivering 200,000 IOPS more than the 980 Pro. This translates to noticeably faster system responsiveness when loading applications and operating systems.
For write operations, the difference becomes more pronounced. The 990 Pro achieves sequential write speeds that are nearly 1900 MB/s faster than the 980 Pro. In sustained write scenarios, the 990 Pro performs almost twice as fast as its predecessor, approaching the speeds of newer PCIe 5.0 drives while still using PCIe 4.0.
Storage Capacity and Variants
Both SSDs utilize TLC NAND flash memory for storage, but differ in their capacity options:
Samsung 990 Pro:
- Available in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB variants
- Each capacity offered with optional heatsink model
- Heatsink variants designed for improved thermal management
Samsung 980 Pro:
- Available in 1TB and 2TB capacities
- No 4TB option available
- Also offers heatsink variants
The addition of a 4TB option for the 990 Pro provides a significant advantage for users with extensive storage needs, such as content creators working with large video files or gamers with extensive libraries.
Hardware Interface and Standards
Both drives utilize the same fundamental hardware interfaces and standards:
- PCIe 4.0 x4 interface
- NVMe 1.4 protocol support
- M.2 2280 form factor
While both drives use the same physical interface, the 990 Pro’s controller and firmware optimizations allow it to push closer to the theoretical limits of PCIe 4.0. The improved thermal design in the 990 Pro also enables more consistent performance under sustained workloads, reducing the performance throttling that can occur when SSDs overheat during intensive operations.
For systems that support PCIe 4.0, both drives offer full compatibility, though the 990 Pro makes much better use of the available bandwidth.
Real-World Applications and Benchmarks
When comparing the Samsung 990 Pro and 980 Pro SSDs, theoretical specifications only tell part of the story. Real-world performance in specific applications reveals meaningful differences that can impact user experience and productivity.
Gaming and Content Creation
In gaming scenarios, both drives deliver excellent performance, but the 990 Pro shows measurable advantages. Game loading times are generally 15-20% faster on the 990 Pro compared to the 980 Pro. This difference becomes more noticeable in open-world titles with frequent asset loading.
For content creators working with large media files, the 990 Pro’s improved write speeds (approximately 28% faster according to tests) translate to smoother workflow when:
- Saving large Photoshop projects
- Exporting high-resolution images
- Working with raw video footage
The performance gap is most evident during sustained workloads. Content creators who regularly work with 4K or 8K footage will benefit from the 990 Pro’s enhanced thermal management, which helps maintain consistent speeds during extended operations.
Professional Use Cases: Video Editing and 3D Rendering
Video editors working with professional software like Adobe Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve experience tangible benefits from the 990 Pro’s improved performance. Timeline scrubbing remains smoother with complex projects, and render times decrease by approximately 10-15% compared to the 980 Pro.
The advantages become more pronounced when:
- Working with multiple video streams
- Applying complex effects
- Rendering final outputs
For 3D rendering workloads, the 990 Pro’s faster data access speeds reduce scene loading times and improve viewport responsiveness. Applications like Blender, Maya, and 3ds Max benefit from the increased bandwidth when working with complex models and textures.
The performance difference is particularly noticeable when dealing with high-polygon models or complex scene changes that require loading large amounts of data quickly.
Comparison in Data Processing Speed
When processing large datasets, the 990 Pro demonstrates clear advantages over its predecessor. Data compression and decompression tasks complete approximately 20% faster on the 990 Pro, making it superior for database applications.
File transfer tests show consistent benefits:
| Operation | 980 Pro | 990 Pro | Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50GB Video File Copy | 35 seconds | 27 seconds | ~23% |
| 1000 Small Files | 12 seconds | 9 seconds | ~25% |
| VM Image Transfer | 95 seconds | 74 seconds | ~22% |
These differences impact productivity for professionals working with large datasets, virtual machines, or software development involving numerous file operations. The 990 Pro’s burst write speeds of 5 GB/s (compared to lower speeds on the 980 Pro) make a substantial difference in data-intensive workflows.
Additional Considerations for Consumers
When choosing between the Samsung 990 Pro and 980 Pro SSDs, buyers need to consider more than just speed specs. There are important factors like cost, support, and software that can affect your overall experience.
Price Comparison and Market Availability
The Samsung 980 Pro typically costs less than the 990 Pro across all storage capacities. On major retailers like Amazon and Newegg, the price difference is usually $20-50 depending on the capacity. The 980 Pro offers more budget-friendly options starting at 250GB and 500GB sizes, while the 990 Pro starts at 1TB, targeting high-end users.
Market availability has stabilized for both models. The 980 Pro, being the older model, is widely available and sometimes goes on sale. The 990 Pro stock is now readily available at most major tech retailers.
For budget-conscious consumers, the 980 Pro provides better value if extreme performance isn’t necessary. The performance improvements of the 990 Pro may not justify the price premium for average users.
Warranty and Support
Both drives come with Samsung’s 5-year limited warranty, which is industry-leading and provides good peace of mind for consumers. This warranty covers manufacturing defects and premature wear.
The total bytes written (TBW) rating, which indicates drive durability, is slightly higher on the 990 Pro. This means it can theoretically handle more data written over its lifetime.
Samsung offers customer support through multiple channels including phone, email, and online chat. Their support website provides firmware updates, troubleshooting guides, and knowledge base articles for both drives.
Both models include Samsung Magician software, which helps monitor drive health, perform diagnostics, and update firmware when needed.
SSD Cloning and Software Support
Both the 990 Pro and 980 Pro include access to Samsung’s Data Migration tool, which makes cloning your existing hard disk to your new SSD straightforward. This free software helps users transfer their operating system and data without needing to reinstall everything.
For users who prefer third-party solutions, both drives work with popular cloning tools like EaseUS Disk Copy, Acronis True Image, and Macrium Reflect. These alternatives sometimes offer more advanced features than Samsung’s included tool.
The cloning process is identical for both drives. Users connect both drives to their computer, run the cloning software, select the source and destination drives, and wait for the process to complete.
Samsung’s Magician software provides additional optimization tools for both drives, including performance benchmarking and TRIM command scheduling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Many consumers wonder about specific differences between Samsung’s 990 Pro and 980 Pro SSDs before making a purchase decision. These common questions address performance metrics, physical characteristics, and real-world benefits for different use cases.
What are the performance differences between the 990 Pro and 980 Pro SSDs?
The 990 Pro offers faster read and write speeds compared to the 980 Pro. It uses newer technology that improves overall efficiency while delivering better performance.
The 990 Pro also has a slight advantage in power consumption, using approximately 5.0-5.8W during operations compared to the 980 Pro’s 6.2W. This makes the 990 Pro more energy-efficient.
How do the 990 Pro and 980 Pro compare in terms of size and form factor?
Both the Samsung 990 Pro and 980 Pro come in the standard M.2 2280 form factor. This means they share the same physical dimensions and will fit in the same motherboard slots.
The drives look nearly identical in appearance, though the 990 Pro might include updated branding elements on its label. Both models are compatible with the same mounting configurations in desktops and laptops.
Can the 990 Pro SSD be considered overkill for regular users compared to the 980 Pro?
For everyday computing tasks like web browsing, document editing, and basic applications, most users wouldn’t notice a difference between the 990 Pro and 980 Pro. The performance gains primarily benefit specialized workloads.
Regular users who don’t regularly transfer large files or run demanding applications might not justify the price premium of the 990 Pro. The 980 Pro remains an excellent high-performance option for most consumer needs.
What are the specific benefits of using a 990 Pro over a 980 Pro for PS5 gaming?
When used with the PlayStation 5, the 990 Pro may provide slightly faster game loading times and more efficient asset streaming in demanding titles. However, the difference is often minimal in practical gaming scenarios.
Both drives exceed Sony’s recommended specifications for PS5 expansion storage. The 990 Pro does run slightly hotter, so using it with a heatsink is particularly important in the confined space of the PS5.
In terms of speed, how does the Samsung 990 Pro stack up against the 980 Pro?
The 990 Pro delivers higher sequential read and write speeds than the 980 Pro. This translates to faster performance when transferring large files or loading data-intensive applications.
For random read and write operations that impact system responsiveness, the 990 Pro also shows improvements. These speed enhancements come from Samsung’s updated controller and newer NAND flash memory technology.
Are there notable variations in benchmarks scores when comparing the 980 Pro to the 990 Pro?
Benchmark tests show the 990 Pro outperforming the 980 Pro in most synthetic measurements. The difference is more noticeable in sequential operations than in random access tasks.
Real-world benchmark differences may vary depending on the specific test. While the 990 Pro consistently scores higher, both drives are considered high-end PCIe 4.0 SSDs with excellent overall performance metrics.
