Samsung SSD 990 EVO Plus 2TB vs WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 1TB

Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›

all judged against NVMe SSDs at a similar price

The Samsung SSD 990 EVO Plus 2TB scores 7.8/10 overall, ahead of the WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 1TB at 7.1/10.

The Samsung SSD 990 EVO Plus 2TB leads on endurance, efficiency and thermals and software.

The WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 1TB leads on performance.

They score the same on warranty.

The biggest difference is software, where the Samsung SSD 990 EVO Plus 2TB scores 9/10 to the WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 1TB's 5/10.

Samsung SSD 990 EVO Plus 2TB

7.8/10verdict: buy

The Samsung SSD 990 EVO Plus 2TB is for buyers who want a 2TB M.2 2280 NVMe drive with a five-year warranty and a management tool that covers firmware updates and drive health. It suits desktop and workstation builds that already have a motherboard heatsink for the drive. It is a weaker fit for workloads that write huge volumes continuously or lean on sustained random I/O.

Typically about £279.99 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK

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WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 1TB

7.1/10verdict: buy

The SN850X 1TB without a heatsink is for buyers who want a fast PCIe 4.0 M.2 2280 drive for a desktop or a PS5. It suits people who already have a motherboard heatsink or good case airflow. It is less suited to anyone who needs Linux or macOS drive tooling or has no cooling for the drive.

Typically about £178.99 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

Scores, criterion by criterion

Criterion	Weight	Samsung SSD 990 EVO Plus 2TB	WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 1TB
Performance	35%	7/10	8/10
Endurance	20%	8/10	7/10
Warranty	15%	9/10	9/10
Efficiency and thermals	15%	7/10	5/10
Software	15%	9/10	5/10
Overall		7.8/10	7.1/10

Specifications

Spec	Samsung SSD 990 EVO Plus 2TB	WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 1TB
Interface	PCIe 4.0 x4 / 5.0 x2, NVMe 2.0	PCIe 4.0 x4
Sequential read	Up to 7,250 MB/s	7,300 MB/s
Sequential write	Up to 6,300 MB/s	6,300 MB/s
Endurance (2TB)	1,200 TBW	600 TBW
Form factor	M.2 (2280)	M.2 2280
Warranty	Five years or total bytes written (TBW), whichever comes first	5-Year Limited Warranty

Strengths and weaknesses

Samsung SSD 990 EVO Plus 2TB

+ 1,200 TBW rating with a five-year warranty
+ Samsung Magician handles firmware updates and drive health
+ Owners report cool, efficient running under load
− No heatsink included in the box
− DRAM-less design trails DRAM rivals in sustained random I/O
− Writes slow on very large transfers once cache is exhausted

Skip it if:

Buyers who need the best sustained random I/O and want a DRAM-equipped drive.
Anyone who wants a heatsink included and has no motherboard heatsink for the drive.
Users who regularly run very large continuous write jobs.

Read the full Samsung SSD 990 EVO Plus 2TB review ›

WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 1TB

+ Rated 7,300 MB/s read and 6,300 MB/s write
+ 5-year limited warranty
+ Owners report easy installation and PS5 compatibility
− Owners report it runs hot without a heatsink
− WD_BLACK Dashboard is Windows only
− Owners note a price premium over cheaper drives

Skip it if:

Buyers with no heatsink or airflow for the M.2 slot, who may prefer the heatsink version
Linux or macOS users who want vendor firmware tooling
Budget buyers who would rather pay less for a cheaper drive

Read the full WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD 1TB review ›

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