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Acer FA300 vs Samsung 860 PRO: Comparison
Acer FA300 vs Samsung 860 PRO: the sequential read difference
On sequential read the spread is 95%, Acer FA300 11000 MB/s against Samsung 860 PRO 560 MB/s, so Acer FA300 takes it. Measured rather than claimed: in Speed Score the Acer FA300 returns 8.5 against 5.1, a 40% lead. Bus interface is not the same on both, PCIe 5.0 x4 on the Acer FA300 versus SATA III on the Samsung 860 PRO. Nand type is not the same on both, TLC on the Acer FA300 versus MLC on the Samsung 860 PRO. They differ on dram cache too, DRAM-less on the Acer FA300 versus DRAM on the Samsung 860 PRO. They differ on form factor too, M.2 2280 on the Acer FA300 versus 2.5-inch on the Samsung 860 PRO. There is a split on controller as well, SM2504XT on the Acer FA300 versus Samsung MJX on the Samsung 860 PRO. There is a split on controller vendor as well, Silicon Motion on the Acer FA300 versus Samsung on the Samsung 860 PRO. Nand vendor is not the same on both, Kioxia on the Acer FA300 versus Samsung on the Samsung 860 PRO.
Who each one is for
The Samsung 860 PRO suits high-endurance SATA workloads and NAS or server caching on SATA-only hardware, though it is not the pick for casual everyday users (overkill) and NVMe-capable builds. Our rating of the Samsung 860 PRO (7.7/10): A high-endurance MLC SATA drive that remains relevant for heavy write workloads on SATA-only systems.
Where the two are identical
Where they agree, they agree completely, drive type included, so the decision does not turn on any of those.
Specs and benchmarks
Speed Score
- Acer FA300
- 8.5/10Best
- Samsung 860 PRO
- 5.1/10-40%
How fast this drive is, rated from its read and write speeds, cache and NAND type. 10 is the fastest.
Brand
- Acer FA300
- Acer
- Samsung 860 PRO
- Samsung
Model Number
- Acer FA300
- Acer FA300
- Samsung 860 PRO
- 860 PRO
Series
- Acer FA300
- FA300
- Samsung 860 PRO
- 860 PRO
Drive Type
- Acer FA300
- Internal
- Samsung 860 PRO
- Internal
Bus Interface
- Acer FA300
- PCIe 5.0 x4
- Samsung 860 PRO
- SATA III
Form Factor
- Acer FA300
- M.2 2280
- Samsung 860 PRO
- 2.5-inch
Sequential Read
- Acer FA300
- 11000 MB/s
- Samsung 860 PRO
- 560 MB/s-95%
Controller
- Acer FA300
- SM2504XT
- Samsung 860 PRO
- Samsung MJX
Controller Vendor
- Acer FA300
- Silicon Motion
- Samsung 860 PRO
- Samsung
DRAM Cache
- Acer FA300
- DRAM-less (HMB)
- Samsung 860 PRO
- DRAM
NAND Type
- Acer FA300
- TLC
- Samsung 860 PRO
- MLC
NAND Vendor
- Acer FA300
- Kioxia
- Samsung 860 PRO
- Samsung
Which one should you pick?
Choose Acer FA300 if you want the higher speed score (8.5 vs 5.1) and the higher sequential read (11000 MB/s vs 560 MB/s).
Choose Samsung 860 PRO if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Price comparison
| Retailer | Acer FA300 | Samsung 860 PRO |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | View on 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 860 PRO
7.7 / 10 Expert Rating
A high-endurance MLC SATA drive that remains relevant for heavy write workloads on SATA-only systems.