Crucial P3 Plus 1TB
Score: 73/100
Samsung 990 PRO
Score: 81/100Rankings
The Samsung 990 PRO 1TB is a high-performance PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD delivering up to 7,450 MB/s read and 6,900 MB/s write speeds with strong security features. Its heatsink-less design and limited pSLC cache can limit sustained heavy workloads. Best suited for gamers, content creators, and professionals who need maximum PCIe 4 throughput on desktops or laptops with adequate cooling.
The Crucial P3 Plus 1TB is a budget-oriented PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD that offers blazing sequential read speeds and a large pSLC cache for fast burst writes, delivering strong first-impression performance. Its DRAM-less design and limited random IOPS cause latency and throttling once the cache is depleted, making it less suitable for sustained heavy-write workloads. It is best for gamers and general users who want Gen4 speeds without a premium price.
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
1,000 GB | 1,024 GBbest | |
5,000 MB/s | 7,450 MB/sbest | |
— | 6,900 MB/sbest | |
164,000 IOPS | 1,200,000 IOPSbest | |
65,000 IOPS | 1,550,000 IOPSbest | |
220 TB | 600 TBbest | |
1,500,000 hoursbest | 1,500,000 hoursbest | |
— | 1,024 MBbest |
Click an attribute name to sort · Green = best, red = worst (relative to this comparison)
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
Connectivity(1) | ||
Interface | PCIe Gen4 x4 | PCIe 4.0 x4 |
Performance(4) | ||
Sequential Read Speed (MB/s) | 5000 MB/s | 7450 MB/s |
Sequential Write Speed (MB/s) | 3600-4200 MB/s | 6900 MB/s |
Random Read IOPS (4K) (IOPS) | 164000 IOPS | 1200000 IOPS |
Random Write IOPS (4K) (IOPS) | 65000 IOPS | 1550000 IOPS |
Storage(2) | ||
Storage Capacity (GB) | 1000 GB | 1024 GB |
NAND Type | QLC | TLC |
Reliability(1) | ||
Total Bytes Written (Endurance) (TB) | 220 TB | 600 TB |
Design & Build(2) | ||
Weight (g) | 5.8 g | 9.1 g |
Dimensions (L×W×H) (mm) | 80.01×2.29×22.10 mm mm | 80.3×22.1×2.3 mm mm |
Products in the top-left offer the best value (high score, low price).
Professional reviewers commend the P3 Plus for its impressive sequential throughput and aggressive pricing, especially the 64K write performance that outpaces many QLC competitors. However, they consistently point out its weak random IOPS, high latency, and the drawbacks of a DRAM-less architecture, which cause sustained write speeds to tumble once the cache is exhausted. Overall, they view it as a solid budget Gen4 option for bursty workloads but not a contender for performance-critical or heavy-write scenarios.
Everyday users love the noticeable speed boost in booting, app loading, and large file transfers, often describing the experience as "very snappy" and a "massive jump" from SATA or HDD setups. Recurring complaints focus on performance throttling after the cache fills, heat concerns without a heatsink, and disappointment with random small-file speed, especially for VDI or database-type tasks.
Professional reviewers commend the 990 PRO for its exceptional speed, gaming-optimized random performance, and strong reliability, while noting the smaller DRAM cache and lack of a heatsink as potential drawbacks under heavy sustained loads.
Everyday users praise the drive's blazing speed and security, but note concerns about the smaller DRAM cache and possible throttling without a heatsink.
