Samsung 990 SSD Price Drop
Samsung recently released a new budget version of its 990 M.2 SSD, and the 2TB model is now $329 instead of $529, offering a solid 38% saving.
The 990 SSD is an interesting product released after the AI pricing crunch affected storage prices. While 2TB of storage would have been much cheaper previously, a 38% discount on a new SSD provides an alternative option.
Performance and Specifications
The 990 features full-fledged Gen 4 throughput, decent power consumption, and good all-around performance. It is essentially a QLC-based 990 EVO Plus, featuring Samsung's PiccoloQ controller and V9 QLC Flash memory.
Testing data shows it scores very close to the 990 EVO Plus in latency testing, while beating the 990 EVO drive in bandwidth and 3DMark overall score.
Compatibility and Alternatives
This drive also scored well in PlayStation 5 testing, serving as an expansion drive option. At its original list price, it competes with the 990 Pro or Samsung's Gen 5 9100, but at the discounted price it is cheaper than both options.
The 990 Pro 2TB is also discounted to $409, while the 9100 Pro 2TB is available for those with Gen 5 motherboards. A 1TB model of the regular 990 is also on sale with a smaller 17% discount.
Storage prices remain high as the market navigates ongoing pricing pressures affecting hardware components.
