On paper, the 990 Evo Plus is a curious amalgamation of old and new. (Image: HWZ)
Samsung’s reputation in the SSD space is well-deserved, with their 990 Pro SSD being exceptionally popular with gamers and PC DIY enthusiast for its all-round performance (read our review). In the tailend of 2024, the company launched the 990 Evo Plus that comes with its unique hybrid PCIe 4.0/5.0 host memory buffer (HMB). This particular model takes an unusual route by utilising only two PCIe lanes instead of the typical four. It’s a design choice that aims to address heat concerns while maintaining solid performance, but it inevitably leaves the drive in a peculiar position when stacked against competing models.
On paper, the 990 Evo Plus is a curious amalgamation of old and new. It leverages the PCIe 5.0 interface but delivers speeds more akin to a high-end PCIe 4.0 SSD. Samsung has effectively halved the bandwidth potential of the Gen5 standard, capping its sequential read speeds at a respectable 7,250MB/s and writes at 6,900MB/s for our 2TB review model. These figures are more than sufficient for most users but fall short of what other Gen5 SSDs can achieve. For instance, drives like the Seagate FireCuda 540 push closer to the 10,000MB/s mark, leaving the 990 Evo Plus to occupy a somewhat awkward middle ground.
The 990 Evo Plus comes in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB models. (Image: HWZ)
My benchmark tests with the SSD confirm just as much. Using CrystalDiskMark, the 990 Evo Plus achieved read speeds of 7,172MB/s – fairly close to its advertised ceiling. Write speeds, however, were less impressive, clocking in at 5,784MB/s. This was not only below the stated maximum but also a notable step down from other Gen5 SSDs in the markets. If you’re looking for bleeding-edge performance, then the 990 Evo Plus may not be the SSD you’re looking for but there are compelling use cases with it. Read on.
Design-wise, this Samsung SSD sticks to the standard 2280 M.2 form factor and will work with contemporary motherboards and even the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro. If you’re planning to use this with the Sony console, then bear in mind that you will need an external heatsink as the 990 Evo Plus does not come with one. Capacity options for the 990 Evo Plus include 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB, and the endurance ratings are par for the course, with the Samsung offering a 600TBW (Terabytes Written) rating for the 1TB, which scales predictably with the larger variants; the 2TB model gets a 1200TBW rating. A five-year warranty is also appealing – and reassuring. At around $150 for the 1TB version, the pricing feels competitive on the surface and my money is on the 2TB that is going at $255. That said, the drive’s performance relative to similarly priced PCIe 4.0 models, like the excellent Samsung 990 Pro (going for $279 for the 2TB version) may give some users pause.
Samsung’s decision to prioritise efficiency over raw speed is understandable, especially given the thermal challenges that plagued early PCIe 5.0 SSDs. However, the industry has largely resolved those issues with improved controller designs. By sticking with a two-lane configuration, the 990 Evo Plus feels more like a transitional product rather than a definitive PCIe 5.0 product – a stop-gap solution for those upgrading from PCIe 3.0 or an older PCIe 4.0 SSD perhaps? For gamers, content creators, or professionals working with heavy workloads, the drive’s capabilities are adequate but do fall short of what the latest PCIe 5.0 SSDs can deliver.
Oddly enough, the 990 Evo Plus is best recommended as a secondary storage solution. (Image: HWZ)
The real challenge for the 990 Evo Plus lies in its positioning. In my opinion, PCIe 4.0 SSDs remain the sweet spot for most PC builders, as they offer excellent performance at more accessible prices (once again, the Samsung 990 Pro is a perfect example). Meanwhile, enthusiasts who crave uncompromising speed will no doubt go for the high-end PCIe 5.0 SSDs. The 990 Evo Plus then, straddles these two segments and risks being seen as neither here nor there. It’s a capable drive, no doubt, but it’s hard to recommend it over a great PCIe 4.0 or PCIe 5.0 SSD. But if you’re simply looking for efficiency and capacity over outright speed, or expanding your existing storage needs, then perhaps the Samsung 990 Evo Plus has some appeal. In fact, I think using it as a secondary SSD (or even a third or fourth) makes the most sense.
The Samsung 990 Evo Plus is available for purchase at Samsung's e-store. Click here to buy.
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