Samsung Unveils 9100 PRO PCIe 5.0 SSD with Up to 14,800 MB/s Speeds and 8TB Capacity
Samsung has officially launched its 9100 PRO Series, marking its first full-fledged PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD and its most powerful consumer storage solution to date. Designed to meet the growing demands of AI workloads, high-performance computing, 8K video editing, and gaming, this SSD delivers sequential read speeds of up to 14,800 MB/s, making it nearly twice as fast as its predecessor, the 990 PRO. The 9100 PRO lineup includes capacities of 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and 8TB, catering to both professionals and power users requiring high-speed data access and extensive storage capacity. With the introduction of a more power-efficient 5nm controller, improved thermal management, and a choice between heatsink and non-heatsink versions, Samsung aims to push PCIe 5.0 adoption forward while setting a new benchmark for consumer SSDs.
Samsung 9100 Pro SSD Hardware and Specifications
The Samsung 9100 PRO is built using Samsung’s in-house PCIe 5.0 controller and V-NAND TLC (V8) flash memory, providing a significant increase in performance, reliability, and efficiency. Unlike its predecessors, the 9100 PRO utilizes the NVMe 2.0 protocol, enabling better optimizations for high-speed workloads. It is equipped with LPDDR4X DRAM-based caching to further enhance performance, ensuring that data retrieval and transfer speeds remain consistent under heavy loads. Power efficiency has been improved by 49% compared to the 990 PRO, allowing the drive to operate at lower power consumption levels, with an active power draw ranging from 7.6W to 9.0W depending on the model. For added security, the 9100 PRO supports AES 256-bit encryption, TCG Opal 2.0, and Microsoft eDrive, making it a viable option for enterprise-level security and personal data protection.
Samsung 9100 PRO Specifications
Specification | 1TB | 2TB | 4TB | 8TB |
---|---|---|---|---|
Interface | PCIe 5.0 x4, NVMe 2.0 | |||
Form Factor | M.2 (2280) / M.2 (2280 with Heatsink) | |||
NAND | Samsung V-NAND TLC (V8) | |||
Controller | Samsung In-House Controller | |||
Cache Memory | 1GB LPDDR4X | 2GB LPDDR4X | 4GB LPDDR4X | 8GB LPDDR4X |
Sequential Read/Write (MB/s) | 14,700 / 13,300 | 14,700 / 13,400 | 14,800 / 13,400 | 14,800 / 13,400 |
Random Read/Write (IOPS, QD32) | 1,850K / 2,600K | 1,850K / 2,600K | 2,200K / 2,600K | 2,200K / 2,600K |
Power Consumption (Active Read/Write, W) | 7.6 / 7.2 | 8.1 / 7.9 | 9.0 / 8.2 | TBD |
Device Sleep (L1.2, mW) | 4.0 / 3.3 | 4.8 / 4.0 | 6.5 / 5.7 | TBD |
Intelligent TurboWrite 2.0 Cache | 114GB | 226GB | 442GB | TBD |
Data Encryption | AES 256-bit, TCG Opal v2.0, MS eDrive (IEEE1667) | |||
Total Bytes Written (TBW) | 600 | 1,200 | 2,400 | 4,800 |
Warranty | Five (5) Year Limited Warranty |
Samsung 9100 Pro vs Samsung 990 EVO and EVO Plus
The Samsung 9100 PRO SSD is a pretty big jump in storage performance, surpassing previous consumer SSDs like the 990 EVO and EVO Plus in nearly every metric. While the 990 EVO and EVO Plus were developed to meet the needs of mainstream users looking for a balance of performance and affordability, the 9100 PRO is engineered specifically for professionals, power users, and high-performance computing environments. One of the most significant differences is the interface upgrade, with the 9100 PRO utilizing PCIe 5.0 x4—a major step up from the 990 EVO’s PCIe 4.0 and the EVO Plus’s PCIe 3.0. This translates to dramatically higher sequential read and write speeds, where the 9100 PRO reaches up to 14,800 MB/s read and 13,400 MB/s write speeds, whereas the 990 EVO maxes out at 5,000 MB/s read and 4,800 MB/s write, and the EVO Plus is limited to 3,500 MB/s read and 3,200 MB/s write. These figures alone make the 9100 PRO nearly three times faster than the EVO Plus and close to three times faster than the 990 EVO, delivering unprecedented speed for workloads like 8K video editing, AI processing, and high-resolution content creation.
Beyond raw speed, the 9100 PRO also dominates in efficiency, endurance, and storage capacity, areas where Samsung has significantly improved upon its previous SSD lineup. The 9100 PRO features an endurance rating of up to 4,800 TBW (Total Bytes Written) for the 8TB model, whereas the 990 EVO and EVO Plus are capped at 600 TBW, meaning the 9100 PRO can handle up to eight times the write cycles before reaching its lifespan limit. This enhanced durability makes it ideal for workstations and AI applications where large datasets are continuously processed and rewritten. Furthermore, Samsung has introduced an 8TB model in the 9100 PRO lineup, a first for its consumer NVMe SSDs, whereas the 990 EVO is limited to 4TB and the EVO Plus maxes out at 2TB. Power efficiency has also been improved by up to 49%, thanks to the 5nm controller used in the 9100 PRO, allowing it to maintain higher performance while consuming less power per operation. These advancements make the 9100 PRO not just an incremental upgrade but a transformative SSD in Samsung’s lineup, aimed squarely at professionals who demand uncompromising speed, reliability, and storage capacity.
Specification | Samsung 9100 PRO | Samsung 990 EVO | Samsung 990 EVO PLUS |
---|---|---|---|
Interface | PCIe 5.0 x4, NVMe 2.0 | PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe 1.4 | PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe 1.3 |
Form Factor | M.2 (2280) / M.2 (2280 with Heatsink) | M.2 (2280) | M.2 (2280) |
NAND | Samsung V-NAND TLC (V8) | Samsung V-NAND TLC | Samsung V-NAND TLC |
Controller | Samsung In-House Controller | Samsung In-House Controller | Samsung In-House Controller |
Cache Memory | 1GB – 8GB LPDDR4X | 1GB – 2GB LPDDR4 | None |
Sequential Read (MB/s) | 14,700 – 14,800 | 5,000 | 3,500 |
Sequential Write (MB/s) | 13,300 – 13,400 | 4,800 | 3,200 |
Random Read (IOPS, QD32) | 1,850K – 2,200K | 800K | 600K |
Random Write (IOPS, QD32) | 2,600K | 1,000K | 550K |
Power Consumption (Active, W) | 7.6W – 9.0W | 5.3W – 5.9W | 4.5W – 5.0W |
Device Sleep (L1.2, mW) | 4.0mW – 6.5mW | 5mW | 5mW |
Total Bytes Written (TBW) | 600 – 4,800 TB | 600TB | 600TB |
Warranty | 5-Year Limited Warranty | 5-Year Limited Warranty | 5-Year Limited Warranty |
TurboWrite – What is it?
The 9100 PRO Series introduces Samsung’s Intelligent TurboWrite 2.0, a highly optimized SLC caching system that significantly improves write speeds and overall performance consistency. amsung TurboWrite is a technology used in Samsung SSDs to make them faster. Think of it like a temporary speed boost for writing data.
- Creates a Fast Cache – The SSD sets aside a small part of its storage as a high-speed buffer (like a VIP lane for data).
- Speeds Up Writes – When you save files, they first go into this super-fast buffer, making it seem like the SSD is writing faster.
- Moves Data in the Background – Later, when the SSD is idle, it moves the data from the fast cache to the main storage.
✅ Faster file transfers (especially for small/medium-sized files).
✅ Better everyday performance (like booting Windows, opening apps, or saving documents).
⚠️ Slows down for big files – If you copy very large files that fill up the TurboWrite cache, the speed drops to the SSD’s normal (slower) write speed.
Unlike conventional SSDs, which experience a performance drop once the primary cache is exhausted, TurboWrite dynamically allocates NAND capacity as an extended cache, maintaining peak speeds for longer durations. The cache size is based on drive capacity, with 114GB allocated for 1TB models, 226GB for 2TB, and up to 442GB for 4TB variants. This feature ensures high-speed data transfers and minimizes write slowdowns, especially beneficial for video editors, software developers, and content creators working with large datasets.
Samsung 9100 Pro SSD Durability and Endurance
The Samsung 9100 PRO is designed with long-term endurance in mind, featuring Total Bytes Written (TBW) ratings of up to 4,800TB for the 8TB variant. This translates to 0.328 Drive Writes Per Day (DWPD), meaning users can rewrite roughly one-third of the drive’s full capacity daily for five years without exceeding its rated lifespan. This makes it ideal for sustained workloads, AI processing, and enterprise environments that require consistent, high-speed storage. Compared to previous-generation SSDs, the 9100 PRO offers significantly improved durability, reducing the risk of performance degradation over time.
Samsung 9100 Pro SSD Pricing and Release Information
The Samsung 9100 PRO SSD will launch in March 2025 with the following pricing:
- 1TB – $199.99
- 2TB – $299.99
- 4TB – $549.99
- 8TB – Coming in H2 2025 (pricing TBD)
The heatsink versions will be available for $20 more per model. Given its groundbreaking performance, improved efficiency, and increased storage capacity, the 9100 PRO is set to become one of the leading PCIe 5.0 SSDs in the market, competing with Seagate’s FireCuda 540 and Crucial’s T700.
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