Although today’s fastest SSDs have generally adopted PCIe 4.0, which came into our lives in 2017, PCIe 5.0 technology has now become widespread. Even though it is not yet for consumers, SSD speeds will be taken to the next level with PCIe 6.0 and PCIe 7.0, which will enter our lives with 2023.
Samsung 990 PRO pushes the limits of PCIe 4.0
As SSD technology continues to evolve, Samsung introduced its new flagship SSD model, the 990 PRO Series, built for a wide variety of applications such as gaming and 4K video editing. Expectations for the 990 were quite high, because it was rumored that the next generation SSDs would have PCIe 5.0 standards.
But it looks like we’ll have to wait a while to see consumer-level PCIe 5.0 SSDs from the Korean manufacturer. To everyone’s surprise, Samsung launched the 990 PRO Series with the old PCIe 4.0 interface, just like the 980.
If we explain PCIe in a simple way; The so-called Peripheral Component Interconnect Express slots allow hardware added to the computer to make high-speed connections to the motherboard. While PCIe 4.0 reads and writes at 7,800 MB/s, PCIe 5.0 can go up to 14,000 MB/s.
Of course, we can’t say that the PCIe 4.0 connection is slow, it’s just not as fast as PCIe 5.0. The 990 PRO Series has impressive speed within the limits of PCIe 4.0. Samsung states that the 990 provides a 55 percent improvement in performance over the 980 PRO.
According to the company, the 990 has a read speed of 7,540 MB/s and a write speed of up to 6,900 MB/s. The read speed shows how fast the SSD can access files on computers. In other words, higher read speeds mean faster startup times for applications. Write speed refers to how fast the SSD can save files. This can be quite handy, especially for those who need to record or copy large 4K video files.
Samsung states that the company has increased the performance of PCIe 4.0 thanks to its V-NAND memory technology and the new special controller inside the 990. Samsung has also taken measures to prevent the SSD with increased performance from overheating. Designing the 990 to be 50 percent more energy efficient than the 980 PRO, the Korean manufacturer also uses the company’s Dynamic Thermal Protection technology and heat spreader label in the SSD model to ensure optimum temperature.
So what do you think about Samsung’s new SSD model? You can share your views with us in the comments section.
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