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Acer FA300 vs Samsung 990 PRO: Comparison
Acer FA300 vs Samsung 990 PRO: the sequential read difference
On sequential read the spread is 32%, Acer FA300 11000 MB/s against Samsung 990 PRO 7450 MB/s, so Acer FA300 takes it. The benchmark result agrees. Speed Score puts Acer FA300 1% ahead, 8.5 against 8.4. Add sequential write to that, 10000 MB/s on the Acer FA300 versus 6900 MB/s on the Samsung 990 PRO, and the pattern holds. They differ on bus interface too, PCIe 5.0 x4 on the Acer FA300 versus PCIe 4.0 x4 on the Samsung 990 PRO. There is a split on nand type as well, TLC on the Acer FA300 versus Samsung V-NAND TLC on the Samsung 990 PRO. They differ on dram cache too, DRAM-less on the Acer FA300 versus LPDDR4 on the Samsung 990 PRO. There is a split on controller as well, SM2504XT on the Acer FA300 versus Samsung Elpis on the Samsung 990 PRO.
Acer FA300 vs Samsung 990 PRO: which one fits your build
Take the Samsung 990 PRO for gen 4 systems that need strong random performance, not just headline sequential numbers. The same goes for PS5 expansion, where the single-sided 2280 layout and heatsink option fit Sony's rules exactly. It is not the one for sustained multi-hundred-gigabyte writes. The 226GB cache runs out and the SN850X holds nearly three times as much. Our rating of the Samsung 990 PRO (8/10): still the best-engineered PCIe 4.0 drive. The 2026 price is the only reason to look elsewhere, and right now it is a good reason.
Where the two are identical
The common ground is wider than the gap: form factor are identical here.
Specs and benchmarks
Speed Score
- Acer FA300
- 8.5/10Best
- Samsung 990 PRO
- 8.4/10-1%
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 990 PRO
- Samsung
Model Number
- Acer FA300
- Acer FA300
- Samsung 990 PRO
- 990 PRO
Series
- Acer FA300
- FA300
- Samsung 990 PRO
- 990 PRO
Bus Interface
- Acer FA300
- PCIe 5.0 x4
- Samsung 990 PRO
- PCIe 4.0 x4
Form Factor
- Acer FA300
- M.2 2280
- Samsung 990 PRO
- M.2 2280
Sequential Read
- Acer FA300
- 11000 MB/s
- Samsung 990 PRO
- 7450 MB/s-32%
Sequential Write
- Acer FA300
- 10000 MB/s
- Samsung 990 PRO
- 6900 MB/s-31%
Controller
- Acer FA300
- SM2504XT
- Samsung 990 PRO
- Samsung Elpis
DRAM Cache
- Acer FA300
- DRAM-less (HMB)
- Samsung 990 PRO
- LPDDR4
NAND Type
- Acer FA300
- TLC
- Samsung 990 PRO
- Samsung V-NAND TLC
Which one should you pick?
Choose Acer FA300 if you want the higher speed score (8.5 vs 8.4), the higher sequential read (11000 MB/s vs 7450 MB/s) and the higher sequential write (10000 MB/s vs 6900 MB/s).
Choose Samsung 990 PRO if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Price comparison
| Retailer | Acer FA300 | Samsung 990 PRO |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | View on Amazon | $385.27 View on Amazon |
| B&H Photo | View on B&H Photo | |
| Best Buy | View on Best Buy | |
| 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 990 PRO
8 / 10 Expert Rating
Still the best-engineered PCIe 4.0 drive.