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Acer FA100 vs Samsung 970 PRO: Comparison
Acer FA100 vs Samsung 970 PRO: the sequential read difference
Start with sequential read, because it is the widest measured gap between them: Acer FA100 3300 MB/s against Samsung 970 PRO 3500 MB/s, 6% in favour of Samsung 970 PRO. Measured rather than claimed: in Speed Score the Samsung 970 PRO returns 7.1 against 6.4, a 10% lead. There is a split on nand type as well, TLC on the Acer FA100 versus MLC on the Samsung 970 PRO. They differ on dram cache too, DRAM-less on the Acer FA100 versus DRAM on the Samsung 970 PRO. Controller is not the same on both, IG5216 on the Acer FA100 versus Samsung Phoenix on the Samsung 970 PRO. They differ on controller vendor too, InnoGrit on the Acer FA100 versus Samsung on the Samsung 970 PRO. Nand vendor is not the same on both, Micron on the Acer FA100 versus Samsung on the Samsung 970 PRO.
Who each one is for
The Acer FA100 is the one to take for everyday storage use where 3300 MB/s reads are fast enough. It also earns its place with budget laptop or desktop upgrades wanting 2000 GB on a PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 slot. It is not the one for buyers wanting PCIe 4.0 performance, as this drive is limited to 3300 MB/s reads. Buy the Samsung 970 PRO for heavy sustained write workloads and professionals needing long-term drive durability, though it is not the pick for budget shoppers and users wanting PCIe 4.0/5.0 speeds. Our rating of the Samsung 970 PRO (8.3/10): A legacy MLC flagship valued for endurance, though newer TLC drives have long since overtaken it on raw speed.
What Acer FA100 and Samsung 970 PRO have in common
The common ground is wider than the gap: bus interface, form factor and drive type are identical here.
Specs and benchmarks
Speed Score
- Acer FA100
- 6.4/10-10%
- Samsung 970 PRO
- 7.1/10Best
How fast this drive is, rated from its read and write speeds, cache and NAND type. 10 is the fastest.
Brand
- Acer FA100
- Acer
- Samsung 970 PRO
- Samsung
Model Number
- Acer FA100
- Acer FA100 (Micron B47R)
- Samsung 970 PRO
- 970 PRO
Series
- Acer FA100
- FA100
- Samsung 970 PRO
- 970 PRO
Drive Type
- Acer FA100
- Internal
- Samsung 970 PRO
- Internal
Bus Interface
- Acer FA100
- PCIe 3.0 x4
- Samsung 970 PRO
- PCIe 3.0 x4
Form Factor
- Acer FA100
- M.2 2280
- Samsung 970 PRO
- M.2 2280
Sequential Read
- Acer FA100
- 3300 MB/s-6%
- Samsung 970 PRO
- 3500 MB/s
Controller
- Acer FA100
- IG5216
- Samsung 970 PRO
- Samsung Phoenix
Controller Vendor
- Acer FA100
- InnoGrit
- Samsung 970 PRO
- Samsung
DRAM Cache
- Acer FA100
- DRAM-less (HMB)
- Samsung 970 PRO
- DRAM
NAND Type
- Acer FA100
- TLC
- Samsung 970 PRO
- MLC
NAND Vendor
- Acer FA100
- Micron
- Samsung 970 PRO
- Samsung
Which one should you pick?
Choose Acer FA100 if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Choose Samsung 970 PRO if you want the higher speed score (7.1 vs 6.4) and the higher sequential read (3500 MB/s vs 3300 MB/s).
Price comparison
| Retailer | Acer FA100 | Samsung 970 PRO |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | View on Amazon | |
| Newegg | View on Newegg |
Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.
Verdict
Samsung 970 PRO
8.3 / 10 Expert Rating
A legacy MLC flagship valued for endurance, though newer TLC drives have long since overtaken it on raw speed.