Samsung expands SSD lineup with Vanilla 990 and Pro models

Samsung’s SSD Lineup: The Case of the Least Searchable Drive

In the high-speed world of solid-state drives, even giants like Samsung sometimes stumble into a naming cul-de-sac. While they continue to churn out cutting-edge storage solutions, their product line presents a peculiar puzzle for consumers, especially when it comes to identifying their latest offerings.

Samsung has established a framework with its existing lineup: the 990 Pro, positioned as the flagship PCIe 4.0 drive; the 990 Evo Plus, catering to high-end needs; and the 990 Evo, serving as a strong mid-range option.

Now, as the market evolves, Samsung has added yet another entry that further complicates the search: the 990 SSD.

This newest model is cleverly designed to be a more accessible option. It achieves this by utilizing QLC NAND flash and an HMB cache, deliberately foregoing the TLC and DRAM cache features found on their premium models. This move clearly signals an intent to offer competitive performance at a more affordable price point.

Yet, despite these cost-saving adjustments, the drive doesn’t compromise on speed. By leveraging the very latest generation of Samsung components for both its flash memory and controller technology, the 990 SSD manages to hit the second-highest sequential speeds among all four models in the 990 family.

It turns out that even when streamlining the architecture, the fundamental quality of the underlying components ensures that speed enthusiasts still have a powerful choice available.