Samsung’s New Budget-Friendly 990 SSD Starts At $270

Samsung has officially launched the standard Samsung 990 SSD, a new entry-level M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 drive designed to navigate the current memory market crisis. Positioned as a budget-friendly option below the premium 990 PRO and 990 EVO, this drive implements several hardware compromises to offer acceptable performance at a lower price point.

Hardware Modifications and Lifespan

The most significant change in the base Samsung 990 is its transition to QLC (Quad-Level Cell) NAND flash memory, which stores 4 bits of data per cell. In comparison, its higher-end siblings utilize TLC (Tri-Level Cell) NAND. QLC flash is generally slower and has a shorter lifespan than TLC. Additionally, this model adopts a DRAM-less design, lacking the dedicated physical cache commonly used in premium drives to speed up data mapping and retrieval.

To mitigate these hardware reductions, Samsung has optimized its proprietary Piccolo-Q controller. Operating on the PCIe 4.0 x4 interface in a standard M.2 2280 form factor, the SSD is available in 1 TB and 2 TB capacities.

Performance and Durability Specs

• 1 TB Model: Delivers sequential read speeds up to 7,150 MB/s and write speeds up to 6,450 MB/s. Random performance reaches up to 700,000 IOPS (read) and 1.1 million IOPS (write). It has a durability rating of 400 TBW (Terabytes Written).

• 2 TB Model: Delivers sequential read speeds up to 7,250 MB/s and write speeds up to 6,450 MB/s. Random performance reaches up to 850,000 IOPS (read) and 1.2 million IOPS (write). It features an 800 TBW lifespan rating.

The QLC-based durability is noticeably lower than the TLC-equipped 990 EVO Plus, which offers 600 TBW for the 1 TB variant and 1,200 TBW for the 2 TB model. Reflecting this reduced lifespan, Samsung has packaged the basic 990 with a 3-year warranty, down from the 5-year coverage standard across the rest of the lineup.

Pricing and Retail Availability

The Samsung 990 is now available in international markets like Australia and Singapore. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $270 for the 1 TB model and $530 for the 2 TB model. We don’t have official word yet when these new SSDs will hit the selves in the US market.