Samsung
Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB
PCIe 3.0 · 3500/3300 MB/s · 2TB
86
/ 100
From $140
VS
Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB wins by 2
Samsung
Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB
PCIe 4.0/5.0 · 7,250 MB/s · Affordable
88
/ 100
From $159
Specdex verdict
Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB lands at 86 and Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB at 88. That puts Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB ahead by 2 points — a narrow margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB if…
- ✓M.2 NVMe
- ✓Competitive per-GB cost
- ✓TBW scales with capacity
Pick Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB if…
- ✓PCIe 5.0 capable (half-speed)
- ✓Great value
- ✓Samsung Magician software
Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB 86
vs 88 Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB
Score breakdown
Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB
86 read 90
write 88
endurance 88
value 84
Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB
88 read 92
write 88
endurance 84
value 94
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB | Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 4.0 x4 / 5.0 x2 NVMe |
| Capacity | 2TB | — |
| Read/Write | 3500/3300 MB/s | — |
| Read speed | — | 7,250 MB/s |
| Write speed | — | 6,300 MB/s |
| TBW | — | 1200 |
Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB
Pros
- +M.2 NVMe
- +Competitive per-GB cost
- +TBW scales with capacity
Cons
- −Thermals on Gen 5 drives
- −DRAM-less models slower under sustained load
- −Require heatsinks in many systems
Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB
Pros
- +PCIe 5.0 capable (half-speed)
- +Great value
- +Samsung Magician software
Cons
- −Half-speed on PCIe 5.0
- −TBW lower than Pro
- −Write speed behind 990 Pro
FAQ: Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB vs Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB
Which is better, Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB or Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB? +
Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB scores 88 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 2. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB worth the price? +
At $140, Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB delivers a Specdex score of 86 — strongest in read.
Is Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB worth the price? +
At $159, Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB delivers a Specdex score of 88 — strongest in value.
Does Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB or Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB last longer? +
Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.