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Samsung 990 PRO vs Western Digital WD Black SN850X: Comparison
On paper these two are nearly identical. The biggest gap is sequential write: Samsung 990 PRO at 6,900 MB/s vs WD Black SN850X at 6,600 MB/s, a difference you are unlikely to notice.
Read the full breakdown: SSD Specs Explained: What Actually Matters When You Buy
Which is better, Samsung 990 PRO or Western Digital WD Black SN850X?
These two are nearly identical on paper. Their biggest gap is sequential write: Samsung 990 PRO at 6,900 MB/s vs WD Black SN850X at 6,600 MB/s, a difference you are unlikely to notice. Pick on price, warranty or the features listed below.
What is the main difference between Samsung 990 PRO and Western Digital WD Black SN850X?
On paper the two are close; the biggest difference is sequential write: Samsung 990 PRO 6,900 MB/s, WD Black SN850X 6,600 MB/s.
Specs and benchmarks
Speed Score
- Samsung 990 PRO
- 8.4/10Best
- Western Digital WD Black SN850X
- 8.4/10Best
How fast this drive is, rated from its read and write speeds, cache and NAND type. 10 is the fastest.
Brand
- Samsung 990 PRO
- Samsung
- Western Digital WD Black SN850X
- Western Digital
Model Number
- Samsung 990 PRO
- 990 PRO
- Western Digital WD Black SN850X
- SN850X
Series
- Samsung 990 PRO
- 990 PRO
- Western Digital WD Black SN850X
- WD_BLACK SN850X
Bus Interface
- Samsung 990 PRO
- PCIe 4.0 x4
- Western Digital WD Black SN850X
- PCIe 4.0, NVMe
Form Factor
- Samsung 990 PRO
- M.2 2280
- Western Digital WD Black SN850X
- M.2 2280
Sequential Read
- Samsung 990 PRO
- 7450 MB/s
- Western Digital WD Black SN850X
- 7300 MB/s-2%
Sequential Write
- Samsung 990 PRO
- 6900 MB/s
- Western Digital WD Black SN850X
- 6600 MB/s-4%
Controller
- Samsung 990 PRO
- Samsung Elpis
- Western Digital WD Black SN850X
- SanDisk 20-82-20035
DRAM Cache
- Samsung 990 PRO
- LPDDR4
- Western Digital WD Black SN850X
- DRAM
NAND Type
- Samsung 990 PRO
- Samsung V-NAND TLC
- Western Digital WD Black SN850X
- TLC
Heatsink
- Samsung 990 PRO
- Available
- Western Digital WD Black SN850X
- Available at 1TB and 2TB
Warranty
- Samsung 990 PRO
- 5 Years
- Western Digital WD Black SN850X
- 5 Years
Which one should you pick?
Choose Samsung 990 PRO if you want the higher sequential read (7450 MB/s vs 7300 MB/s) and the higher sequential write (6900 MB/s vs 6600 MB/s).
Choose WD Black SN850X if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Verdict
Samsung 990 PRO
8 / 10 Expert Rating
Still the best-engineered PCIe 4.0 drive.
More comparisons in SSDs
Compare Samsung 990 PRO with
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- Samsung 990 PRO vs Acer Predator GM7000 (IG5236 + Micron B47R)
- Samsung 990 PRO vs ADATA XPG Gammix S70 (PCIe 4.0 NVMe/7,400 MB/s Read/6,400 MB/s Write/Full-Size Gaming Flagship)