Samsung 870 EVO
Score: 79/100
Crucial P3 Plus 1TB
Score: 73/100Rankings
The Samsung 870 EVO 1TB SATA SSD delivers top-tier SATA performance, a dedicated DRAM cache and strong endurance in a compact 2.5" form factor. It is limited by the SATA III interface and can see latency spikes under heavy sustained writes. Best suited for users upgrading laptops or desktops who need reliable, high-capacity SATA storage.
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 GB | 1,000 GBbest | |
560 MB/s | 5,000 MB/sbest | |
530 MB/sbest | — | |
98,000 IOPS | 164,000 IOPSbest | |
88,000 IOPSbest | 65,000 IOPS | |
600 TBbest | 220 TB | |
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 | SATA III | PCIe Gen4 x4 |
Performance(4) | ||
Sequential Read Speed (MB/s) | 560 MB/s | 5000 MB/s |
Sequential Write Speed (MB/s) | 530 MB/s | 3600-4200 MB/s |
Random Read IOPS (4K) (IOPS) | 98000 IOPS | 164000 IOPS |
Random Write IOPS (4K) (IOPS) | 88000 IOPS | 65000 IOPS |
Storage(2) | ||
Storage Capacity (GB) | 1 GB | 1000 GB |
NAND Type | 3-bit MLC (TLC) | QLC |
General(1) | ||
Warranty (years) | 3 years | 5 years |
Reliability(1) | ||
Total Bytes Written (Endurance) (TB) | 600 TB | 220 TB |
Design & Build(3) | ||
Form Factor | 2.5-inch | M.2 2280 |
Weight (g) | 86 g | 5.8 g |
Dimensions (L×W×H) (mm) | 100.08x70.10x6.86 mm | 80.01×2.29×22.10 mm mm |
Products in the top-left offer the best value (high score, low price).
Reviewers consistently describe the 870 EVO as the pinnacle of SATA SSD performance, applauding its ability to hit the full 560/530 MB/s sequential ratings and its markedly improved QD1 random reads. They also commend its endurance and the inclusion of DRAM, while noting that the drive remains bound by SATA's bandwidth ceiling and offers few architectural leaps over the 860 EVO.
Consumers love the noticeable boost in boot speed, the silent operation, and the ease of use provided by Samsung Magician. The most common complaints revolve around occasional compatibility tweaks on older hardware, the lack of flashy pricing incentives, and the perception that the performance gains are modest compared to a jump to NVMe.
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.
“fastest SATA SSD yet”
“fast boot times”
