Consumercarts is reader-supported. Learn more
Acer FA300 vs Samsung 970 PRO: Comparison
Acer FA300 vs Samsung 970 PRO sequential read compared
The gap that matters here is sequential read: Acer FA300 11000 MB/s against Samsung 970 PRO 3500 MB/s, which puts Acer FA300 68% ahead. Speed Score backs the spec sheet up. Acer FA300 scores 8.5 to 7.1, 16% clear. There is a split on bus interface as well, PCIe 5.0 x4 on the Acer FA300 versus PCIe 3.0 x4 on the Samsung 970 PRO. Nand type is not the same on both, TLC on the Acer FA300 versus MLC on the Samsung 970 PRO. They differ on dram cache too, DRAM-less on the Acer FA300 versus DRAM on the Samsung 970 PRO. Controller is not the same on both, SM2504XT on the Acer FA300 versus Samsung Phoenix on the Samsung 970 PRO. They differ on controller vendor too, Silicon Motion on the Acer FA300 versus Samsung on the Samsung 970 PRO. There is a split on nand vendor as well, Kioxia on the Acer FA300 versus Samsung on the Samsung 970 PRO.
Which should you buy, Acer FA300 or Samsung 970 PRO?
Buy the Samsung 970 PRO for heavy sustained write workloads and professionals needing long-term drive durability, though it is not built 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.
Where the two are identical
Where they agree, they agree completely, form factor and drive type included, so the decision does not turn on any of those.
Specs and benchmarks
Speed Score
- Acer FA300
- 8.5/10Best
- Samsung 970 PRO
- 7.1/10-16%
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 970 PRO
- Samsung
Model Number
- Acer FA300
- Acer FA300
- Samsung 970 PRO
- 970 PRO
Series
- Acer FA300
- FA300
- Samsung 970 PRO
- 970 PRO
Drive Type
- Acer FA300
- Internal
- Samsung 970 PRO
- Internal
Bus Interface
- Acer FA300
- PCIe 5.0 x4
- Samsung 970 PRO
- PCIe 3.0 x4
Form Factor
- Acer FA300
- M.2 2280
- Samsung 970 PRO
- M.2 2280
Sequential Read
- Acer FA300
- 11000 MB/s
- Samsung 970 PRO
- 3500 MB/s-68%
Controller
- Acer FA300
- SM2504XT
- Samsung 970 PRO
- Samsung Phoenix
Controller Vendor
- Acer FA300
- Silicon Motion
- Samsung 970 PRO
- Samsung
DRAM Cache
- Acer FA300
- DRAM-less (HMB)
- Samsung 970 PRO
- DRAM
NAND Type
- Acer FA300
- TLC
- Samsung 970 PRO
- MLC
NAND Vendor
- Acer FA300
- Kioxia
- Samsung 970 PRO
- Samsung
Which one should you pick?
Choose Acer FA300 if you want the higher speed score (8.5 vs 7.1) and the higher sequential read (11000 MB/s vs 3500 MB/s).
Choose Samsung 970 PRO if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Price comparison
| Retailer | Acer FA300 | Samsung 970 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 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.