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Welcome back to Reviews inside tv, the place where real-world tech meets real talk. If you’re new here, glad to have you—make yourself at home. Today we’re diving into a product designed for users who don’t just dabble in performance—they demand it. We’re talking about the Samsung 990 PRO SSD 4TB PCIe 4.0 M.2 2280 Internal Solid State Drive. No fanfare, just facts to start: this SSD promises sequential read speeds up to 7,450 MB/s and write speeds up to 6,900 MB/s. It’s aimed squarely at gamers, high-end computing setups, and those pushing workstations to their limits.
So what exactly are you getting under the hood? The Samsung 990 PRO 4TB leverages the PCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe interface in the M.2 2280 form factor. It boasts Samsung’s in-house controller and V-NAND tech, built specifically to squeeze every drop of performance from Gen4. And while it delivers massive capacity at 4TB, it’s not just about storage size—it’s about sustaining top-tier speed and power efficiency in intense computing environments. With a random performance uplift of over 55% compared to its predecessor, the 980 PRO, Samsung’s clearly aiming to dominate the enthusiast-level SSD segment.
Setting up the 990 PRO was seamless. Slotting it into the motherboard’s M.2 slot was straightforward, as expected from this form factor. The drive initialized instantly, and after a quick format, it was ready for stress testing. In day-to-day usage, this SSD flies. Boot times were almost instant. Game load times in titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Elden Ring were sliced down to a few seconds, and when editing 4K footage in DaVinci Resolve, scrubbing through timelines was buttery smooth. It even handled rendering queues with zero hiccups. That said, the drive did run warm during sustained heavy loads, so pairing it with a quality heatsink isn’t just a suggestion—it’s necessary.
Now, let’s break down the highs and lows. On the plus side, you’ve got elite performance that stays consistent even during large transfers. The 4TB capacity means you won’t be scrambling for space anytime soon. The random IOPS performance is genuinely impressive and puts this drive in a league above most Gen4 SSDs. Also, the efficiency gains over the 980 PRO are noticeable—less thermal throttling and more power-per-watt balance. But on the flip side, the price tag is steep, and while it’s expected at this tier, it still might push away more casual users. Thermal management could also be improved; without a heatsink, things heat up quickly under pressure.
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Now, value-wise, this SSD sits in a premium bracket, and it shows. You’re paying for top-end throughput, endurance, and optimization. If you’re the type who deals with constant large file transfers, demanding AAA games, or heavy creative workloads, the 990 PRO absolutely delivers what its spec sheet claims. But if you’re just browsing, streaming, and dabbling in occasional gaming, the price-to-performance curve leans sharply toward overkill.
Compared to others in the Gen4 space, like drives from WD or Seagate in the same segment, the Samsung 990 PRO edges out in raw performance and efficiency but not necessarily in price. Some competitors offer nearly the same speed at slightly lower prices, though they often fall short in sustained write performance or software support. Where Samsung leads is consistency and ecosystem—its Magician software is mature, and the brand has a solid track record for firmware stability.
Build-wise, the SSD feels premium. The compact design is clean, and while M.2 drives all look fairly similar, the PCB quality and components used here are undeniably high-end. Longevity is backed by Samsung’s reputation—though we don’t have long-term wear data yet for this specific model, their SSDs typically hold up well, often outliving their TBW ratings in consumer use.
As for customer support, Samsung tends to be hit or miss depending on the region, but the 990 PRO has a 5-year limited warranty, which adds some peace of mind. The company has a solid rep for addressing firmware issues when they arise, which isn’t something every brand can say.
If you’re looking for more affordable options that still pack a punch, consider the Crucial P5 Plus or the SK hynix Platinum P41. They won’t match the 990 PRO’s top-end stats, but they come close enough for most users while staying friendlier to your wallet.
So here’s the final verdict. The Samsung 990 PRO 4TB PCIe Gen4 SSD is unapologetically high-end. It’s not trying to win over the average user—it’s built for the demanding gamer, the serious content creator, the data analyst running massive workloads. It delivers on the performance claims, holds steady under pressure, and brings meaningful efficiency gains over its predecessor. However, it’s not the drive for everyone. It’s overkill for casual use, and the cost is a real barrier unless you’re truly going to tap into its full capabilities. If you are, though—it absolutely performs like the boss level it claims to be.
Thanks for sticking around with Reviews inside tv. If you’re thinking of picking up the Samsung 990 PRO or already have, check the comments box for the product link & let us know how it’s working out for you. Got questions? Drop them below—we love hearing from you. Until next time, keep your speeds high and your load times low. This is Reviews inside tv, signing off where performance is always on the record.
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