Samsung 980 Pro vs 970 Evo Plus – Ultimate Buyers Guide
Every Samsung SSD is well-known for being a top of the line product. Samsung has been in the business for more than two decades and they have always been a beacon of innovation with their products. Their latest releases, Samsung 970 Evo plus and Samsung 980 pro are no exception to this rule. Both these SSDs have impressive results that make them worth the buy. In this article, I will take an in-depth look at both Samsung’s top-notch SSDs. So you can choose which one is right for you based on your needs!
Samsung 980 Pro comes with PCIe Gen 4.0 interface whereas Samsung 970 EVO Plus comes with PCIe Gen 3.0 interface. This is the main reason why Samsung 980 Pro can achieve much higher performance than Samsung 970 EVO Plus. In regards to sequential read/write speeds 980 Pro comes with 7000 MB/s – 5100MB/s massive speed and 970 EVO Plus is rated for 3500 MB/s – 3300 MB/s read/write speed, which makes Samsung 980 Pro is the clear winner. (Check Samsung 980 Pro on Amazon)
Firstly, if you already own either of these products, don’t feel sorry about not being able to obtain information before purchasing them. In my experience, there are a lot of reviewers who go into great detail about these products (which is good) and confuse potential users with a tiny feature that does not even impact the performance or any other aspect of the product. The comparison is a good thing. But it should not lead to any confusion.
Samsung 980 Pro
The Samsung 980 PRO is a high-end consumer solid-state drive (SSD) that uses the Samsung PCIe® Gen 4.0 x4, NVMe™ 1.3c interface. The 980 PRO delivers read speeds up to 7000 MB/s, making it two times faster than PCIe® 3.0 based SSDs and 12 times faster than SATA based SSDs. It also has a higher sequential write speed up to 5100 MB/s.
This new high-end consumer SSD delivers the highest performance attainable through a PC system bus interface while enabling superior flexibility for end-users to enjoy computing activities such as gaming or content creation with ease.
The drive is available in 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB capacities and is backed by a five-year limited warranty.
Frequently Asked Questions about Samsung 980 Pro
Is Samsung 980 Pro worth it?
Yes. If you are looking to buy a new SSD, then the Samsung 980 Pro is definitely worth considering. It offers some of the best performance that you can find on the market, making it an excellent choice for gamers and power users. However, it does come at a premium price tag, so you will need to decide if its features are worth the extra cost.
What Gen is the Samsung 980 Pro?
PCIe 4.0 x4. That makes this one of the fastest SSDs on the market. If you’re looking to get the most out of your system, then this is definitely the drive for you.
Does SSD 980 need a heatsink?
If you are installing this SSD 980 PRO on a normal PC, it does not require a heatsink. But make sure your PC is in a place that have sufficient airflow.
No matter if it is a PS5 or PC, SSDs use FLASH memory, which is very sensitive to temperature changes. The normal operating temperature of each SSD ranges between 40 and 50 degrees Celsius.
Anything above that temperature will start to degrade the SSD performance.
Recommend Reading: Safe Operating Temperature For SSD
Fast SSDs, however, operate at high temperatures and are designed for maximum performance. Samsung 980 Pro is rated for 70 degrees Celsius and it really runs hot when heavily loaded. That holds true for other PCIe-4 drives as well.
In order to dissipate all this heat, it is advisable to use heatsinks on SSDs. A heatsink without adequate airflow is ineffective.
The reason why this SSD and heatsink issue get more attention among the internet community is the people who purchase PlayStations and Xboxes. PS5 has less airflow than a regular PC. So they put the 980 PRO SSD on top of a heatsink. It does not matter what brand of SSD you use to make sure sufficient airflow is available to dissipate heat.
If you are using a heatsink, make sure that there is an airflow between your fan and the bottom of the heatsink. The air must be able to flow freely between your fan and SSD board. I found a great source regarding installing a heat sink for a 980 Pro SSD in a PS5. You should check it too. How to Apply a Heatsink on a Samsung 980 Pro SSD for PS5
Samsung 970 Evo Plus
The Samsung 970 Evo Plus is the professional’s choice for a high-performance NVMe SSD. Powered by the latest V-NAND technology and firmware optimization, it reaches sequential read/write speeds of up to 3,500/3,300 MB/s. With capacities up to 2TB and reliability of up to 1,200 TBW, it’s perfect for heavy workloads and demanding applications.
970 Evo Plus is the perfect choice for enthusiast gamers, creative professionals and forward-looking enterprises who can benefit from Samsung’s leadership in SSD technology plus Evo Plus combines high performance with Samsung reliability, quality and endurance.
The Samsung 970 Evo Plus combines high performance with Samsung reliability, quality and endurance. It also comes with an exceptional five-year warranty.
Frequently Asked Questions about Samsung 970 Evo Plus
Is 970 EVO Plus worth it?
The Samsung 970 Evo Plus is an excellent choice for users who need high performance and reliability. It’s perfect for gamers, creative professionals and business users who require the best possible experience when using their computer. The Samsung 970 Evo Plus outperforms other SSDs in its class, making it a great investment for anyone looking to improve their computing experience.
Is 970 EVO Plus good for gaming?
Absolutely Yes. When it comes to gaming, Samsung 970 Evo Plus is the best of the breed. It delivers class-leading sequential read and writes speeds which are respectively 3,500 MB/sec and 3,300 MB/sec. so you can load levels and maps faster than ever before. Plus, the Samsung 970 Evo Plus comes with a five-year warranty, ensuring that you’ll be gaming for years to come.
Is 970 EVO Plus good for video editing?
As a video editor, you need a fast, reliable drive to store all of your footage and project files. Samsung’s 970 EVO Plus offers great performance and capacity at an affordable price.
Does Samsung 970 Evo Plus need drivers to install?
No. It does not require additional drivers if it is detected correctly. You could just plug it into the necessary port and Windows will recognize and load all the necessary drivers.
Samsung 970 evo plus lifespan?
With a lifespan of 1.5 million hours, the 970 Evo Plus drives are extremely durable. This means that the 970 Evo Plus drives should last you for years, even with heavy use. So, if you’re looking for a reliable SSD, the 970 Evo Plus would be a great choice.
Samsung 980 PRO vs 970 EVO Plus Comparison
In the above, I answered frequently asked questions about both drives. So now you’ve got a pretty good idea about the products above. Let’s compare them. Now I will share the information that Samsung Corporation is officially sharing. This is the information that is included in the documentation. You can verify these facts by visiting the product pages.
| Specifications | Samsung 970 EVO Plus | Samsung 980 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe Gen 3.0 x4, NVMe 1.3 | PCIe Gen 4.0 x4, NVMe 1.3 |
| Form Factor | M.2 (2280) | M.2 (2280) |
| Sequential Read Speed | Up to 3,500 MB/s | Up to 7,000 MB/s |
| Sequential Write Speed | Up to 3,300 MB/sec | Up to 5,100 MB/s |
| Storage Memory | Samsung V-NAND 3-bit MLC | Samsung V-NAND 3-bit MLC |
| TRIM Support | Yes | Yes |
| S.M.A.R.T Support | Yes | Yes |
| Reliability (MTBF) | 1.5 Million Hours | 1.5 Million Hours |
| Warranty | 5 Years | 5 Years |
| Capacity | 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB |
| Power consumption (Idle) | Max. 30 mW | Max. 35 mW |
| Power consumption (Avg) | 250GB: 5.0W 500GB: 5.8W 1TB: 6.0W 2TB: 6.0W | 250GB: Min-5W, Max-7W 512GB: Min- 5.9W, Max-7.4 W 1TB: Min- 6.2W, Max-8.9 W 2TB: Min- 6.1W, Max-7.2 W |
| Official Product Page | For Samsung 970 EVO Plus | For Samsung 980 Pro |
| Full SPEC | N/A | Click here |
| Purchase from Amazon | Check on Amazon | Check on Amazon |
The above table summarizes the most important and main information needed in order to assist you with your purchase. However, if you would like to know more about the technical details of these products, you can always refer to the technical manuals in which you will find information such as RANDOM WRITE (4KB, QD1), RANDOM WRITE (4KB, QD32), etc. You may wish to check that info if you run a software company such as Ubisoft, Activision or Crytek that requires very detailed information regarding benchmarking. Otherwise, if you are considering an SSD for your home, data centre, or professional use you do not have to be concerned with those numbers. I hope you understand.
So both of these products vary a lot according to their Interface and Sequential Read/Write Speed. Power consumption is also included if that is a concern.
The biggest difference between PCIe 3.0 and PCIe 4.0 is the data transfer rate. PCIe 3.0 has a throughput of 1GB per second per lane, resulting in an overall bandwidth of 32GB per second. PCIe 4.0 offers twice the throughput rate of PCIe 3.0 per lane, giving users access to transfer rates up to 64 GB/s.
The Samsung 980 Pro comes with PCIe Gen 4.0 x4, NVMe 1.3, making it the clear winner.
Now, let us look at the Sequential Read and Write speeds. The Samsung 970 EVO Plus is rated at 3500 MB/s – 3300 MB/s and the Samsung 980 Pro is rated at 7000 MB/s – 5100MB/s. Our winner is Samsung 980 Pro since it has a higher sequential Read and Writes speed.
Our Winner ( Samsung 980 Pro )
Click here to Check this on Amazon
Final Thought
Since the Samsung 980 Pro and Samsung 970 Evo plus have a very small price difference, the Samsung 980 Pro is a good option for everybody. However, if you are comfortable with the PCIe 3.0 speeds of the 970 EVO plus, then that would be a better option for you.
Samsung 970 Evo plus has everything a user needs for everyday use, but if you need something more, the Samsung 980 Pro is your best bet to go with this manufacturer’s SSDs. You will be able to experience massive data read/write speed with it! But, keep in mind that, this speed is useful only for those who have a good CPU and RAM and PCIe 4.0 support motherboard.
The featured photo is by Viktor_K79
Reference
- Samsung 980 Pro offcial page : https://www.samsung.com/us/computing/memory-storage/solid-state-drives/980-pro-pcie-4-0-nvme-ssd-1tb-mz-v8p1t0b-am/
- Samsung 970 Evo Plus offcial page : https://semiconductor.samsung.com/consumer-storage/internal-ssd/970evoplus/
