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Bottom Line
The Samsung 970 Pro outperforms other products at both queue depth and peak performance in sequential read tests. Its combo of NVMe and PCie in the compact M.2 form factor makes it a good candidate for anyone wanting high performance.
As the 970 is one of the cheaper M.2 SSD options around that harness NVMe, those demanding high throughput and IOPS will gravitate to it. It gets outgunned by the Intel Optane NVMe and WD PC SN720 SSDs on random read/write IOPS, but it beats them on sequential throughput. It is probably best for SMEs who need better performance than that available from cheaper SAS or SATA SSDs.
Product Description:
The Samsung 970 Pro combines NVMe and a tiny form factor with V-NAND 2-bit MLC technology. Its throughput of 3.5 GB/s and 500,000 IOPS make it a popular choice among enterprises. The 970 PRO delivers high performance powered by the latest V-NAND technology and a new Phoenix controller in a compact M.2 (2280) form factor.
An endurance rate of up to 1,200 TBW and a 5-year warranty provide confidence in SSD lifespan. The nickel-coated controller and heat spreader enable superior heat dissipation. In addition, its Dynamic Thermal Guard automatically monitors and maintains optimal operating temperatures to minimize performance drops.
Features:
- Form factor: M2
- Capacity: 512 GB and 1 TB
- Random Reads: 500k
- Random Writes: 150k
- Throughput: 3.5 GB/s
- Endurance/Lifespan: 120 TBW, 5 years
- Data Protection: Encryption
- Data Management: Samsung Magician software to monitor drive health and performance.
- NVMe: Yes.
Key Markets and Use Cases:
As well as PCs, laptops, and gaming, this SSD can also be a good fit for small servers running modest storage workloads that require high performance. As it outperforms competitors in queue depth and peak performance in sequential read tests, its price point means many SMEs who need more performance will consider it.
Those needing to upgrade their smaller servers from HDDs or SATA/SAS SSDs can gain a major boost by deploying the Samsung 970 PRO without getting too much of a scare on cost.
Pricing:
$700
Samsung SSD 970
| Product | |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 512 GB to 1 TB |
| Random Reads | 500k |
| Random Writes | 150k |
| Throughput | 3.5 GB/s |
| Lifespan | 120 TBW, 5 years |
| Price | $700 |
| Category | Fastest M.2 SSD |
| Key differentiator | Speed at good price |
