Samsung has officially entered the high-performance PCIe 5.0 SSD market with the introduction of its 9100 Pro model, marking a significant advancement in storage technology two years after the initial PCIe 5.0 SSDs were launched. This new M.2 NVMe SSD achieves read speeds of up to 14.8 GB/s and is priced starting at $199.99, accompanied by a five-year warranty.
Specifications and Features
The Samsung 9100 Pro utilizes an updated version of the company’s TLC V8 V-NAND flash technology and features a proprietary “Presto” SSD controller. Its standout characteristic is the full utilization of the PCIe 5.0 interface, which comprises four lanes and supports the NVMe 2.0 protocol. In contrast, Samsung’s previous models, including the 990 EVO and 990 EVO Plus, operated at PCIe 4.0 x4 mode or PCIe 5.0 x2 mode, offering only half the bandwidth potential of true PCIe 5.0 x4 drives.
Available in four capacities—1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and 8TB—the SSDs come equipped with varying amounts of cache: 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB, respectively. The sequential read speeds for the 1TB and 2TB are rated at up to 14,700 MB/s, while the 4TB and 8TB models can reach 14,800 MB/s. Write speeds differ slightly, with the 1TB and 2TB variants at 13,300 MB/s and 13,400 MB/s, respectively, while the larger capacities maintain 13,400 MB/s.
Performance Metrics
For random read and write speeds, the 1TB and 2TB models offer 1,850K IOPS and 2,600K IOPS, respectively. The 4TB and 8TB versions show improvement, achieving 2,200K IOPS for random reads with the same random write speed. Below is a comprehensive overview of the specifications:
| Capacity | 1TB | 2TB | 4TB | 8TB |
| Cache | 1GB LPPDR4X | 2GB LPPDR4X | 4GB LPPDR4X | 8GB LPPDR4X |
| Sequential Read/Write | 14,700 / 13,300 MB/s | 14,700 / 13,400 MB/s | 14,800 / 13,400 MB/s | 14,800 / 13,400 MB/s |
| Random Read/Write | 1,850K / 2,600K IOPS | 1,850K / 2,600K IOPS | 2,200K / 2,600K IOPS | 2,200K / 2,600K IOPS |
| Power (Read/Write) | 7.6W / 7.2W | 8.1W / 7.9W | 9.0W / 8.2W | TBD |
| Device Sleep (L1.2) | 4.0mW / 3.3mW | 4.8mW / 4.0mW | 6.5mW / 5.7mW | TBD |
| Intelligent TurboWrite 2.0 | 114GB | 226GB | 442GB | TBD |
| Total Bytes Written | 600 TBW | 1,200 TBW | 2,400 TBW | 4,800 TBW |
Pricing Structure
The 9100 Pro model supports multiple data encryption methods, including Class 0 (AES 256), TCG/Opal v2.0, and MS eDrive (IEEE 1667). Pricing varies by capacity, with the 1TB priced at $199.99, the 2TB at $299.99, and the 4TB at $549.99. The price per terabyte is most advantageous for the 4TB model at $137.50, compared to $150 for the 2TB and $200 for the 1TB versions. Information on the 8TB model’s pricing will be available later in 2025.
The Samsung 9100 Pro stands out as a pioneering PCIe 5.0 SSD, delivering speeds that surpass those of leading PCIe 4.0 SSDs. While the Samsung 990 EVO was technically the first PCIe 5.0 SSD from Samsung, it was not focused on maximizing performance due to its design limiting it to two lanes in PCIe 5.0 mode.
At 14.8 GB/s, the 9100 Pro narrowly edges out the current fastest consumer PCIe 5.0 SSD, the Crucial T705, which records speeds of 14.5 GB/s. The real-world performance of the 9100 Pro will be determined upon further testing, which will provide insights into its capability in practical scenarios.
