Western Digital WD Blue SN5000 500GB
Score: 89/100
Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB
Score: 88/100Rankings
The WD Blue SN5000 500 GB is a budget-friendly PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD delivering strong 5,000 MB/s reads and respectable endurance, ideal for mainstream upgrades. Its DRAM-less design keeps power low, though write performance and thermal handling lag behind premium models.
The Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB is a DRAM-less NVMe SSD delivering flagship-class sequential speeds, high IOPS, low power draw and robust hardware encryption in a compact single-sided M.2 2280 form factor.
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
500 GB | 2,000 GBbest | |
5,000 MB/s | 7,250 MB/sbest | |
4,000 MB/s | 6,300 MB/sbest | |
460,000 IOPS | 1,000,000 IOPSbest | |
770,000 IOPS | 1,350,000 IOPSbest | |
300 TBW | 1,200 TBWbest | |
5 yearsbest | 5 yearsbest | |
| ↓ lower better | 6.3 W | 4.6 Wbest |
Click an attribute name to sort · Green = best, red = worst (relative to this comparison)
| Attribute | | |
|---|---|---|
Performance(5) | ||
Sequential Read Speed (MB/s) | 5000 MB/s | 7250 MB/s |
Sequential Write Speed (MB/s) | 4000 MB/s | 6300 MB/s |
Random Read IOPS (IOPS) | 460000 IOPS | 1000000 IOPS |
Random Write IOPS (IOPS) | 770000 IOPS | 1350000 IOPS |
Interface | PCIe Gen 4.0 x4 | PCIe Gen4 x4 / Gen5 x2 |
Storage(3) | ||
Capacity (GB) | 500 GB | 2000 GB |
NAND Type | TLC | 236-layer V-NAND TLC |
Endurance (TBW) (TBW) | 300 TBW | 1200 TBW |
Power & Energy(1) | ||
Active Power Consumption (W) | 6.3 W | 4.6 W |
Design & Build(2) | ||
Weight (g) | 5.7 g | 9 g |
Thickness (mm) | 2.54 mm | 2.38 mm |
Products in the top-left offer the best value (high score, low price).
Professional reviewers view the SN5000 as a solid upgrade from SATA and PCIe 3.0 SSDs, highlighting its TLC NAND, dynamic SLC cache, and budget-friendly pricing. While they commend its value and lack of a required heatsink, they caution that real-world pricing and the drive's lower write performance keep it from challenging premium offerings.
Everyday users generally praise the drive for fast boot times, reliable operation, and the long warranty, but many complain about fulfillment errors, unresponsive seller support, and occasional heat buildup during intensive tasks.
“Works flawlessly”
“No issues after months of use.”
“controller idles at over 60°C”
Professional reviewers from Tom's Hardware and HotHardware praise the 990 EVO Plus for delivering flagship-class sequential speeds and impressive IOPS while maintaining excellent power efficiency and a compact single-sided layout.
Everyday users consistently highlight the drive's snappy performance, ease of installation, and ample 2 TB capacity, calling it an excellent boot and gaming drive.
