Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB
PCIe 4.0/5.0 · 7,250 MB/s · Affordable
Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB · bare
PCIe 3.0 · 3500/3300 MB/s · 1TB
Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB lands at 88 and Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB · bare at 86. 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 990 EVO Plus 2TB if…
- ✓PCIe 5.0 capable (half-speed)
- ✓Great value
- ✓Samsung Magician software
Pick Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB · bare if…
- ✓M.2 NVMe
- ✓Competitive per-GB cost
- ✓TBW scales with capacity
Winner by scenario
Derived from the sub-score breakdown · not a separate testEndurance & reliability
Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB · bareWrite endurance and long-term dependability
Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB · bare leads on endurance (88 vs 84).
Value for money
Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB · bareSpecdex score per dollar at MSRP
Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB · bare more score per dollar ($70 vs $159).
Score breakdown
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB | Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB · bare |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x4 / 5.0 x2 NVMe | PCIe 3.0 |
| Read speed | 7,250 MB/s | — |
| Write speed | 6,300 MB/s | — |
| TBW | 1200 | — |
| Capacity | — | 1TB |
| Read/Write | — | 3500/3300 MB/s |
Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB
- +PCIe 5.0 capable (half-speed)
- +Great value
- +Samsung Magician software
- −Half-speed on PCIe 5.0
- −TBW lower than Pro
- −Write speed behind 990 Pro
Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB · bare
- +M.2 NVMe
- +Competitive per-GB cost
- +TBW scales with capacity
- −Thermals on Gen 5 drives
- −DRAM-less models slower under sustained load
- −Require heatsinks in many systems
FAQ: Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB vs Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB · bare
Which is better, Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB or Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB · bare? +
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 990 EVO Plus 2TB worth the price? +
At $159, Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB delivers a Specdex score of 88 — strongest in value.
Is Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB · bare worth the price? +
At $70, Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB · bare delivers a Specdex score of 86 — strongest in read.
Does Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB or Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB · bare 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.
Which is better for endurance & reliability, Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB or Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB · bare? +
Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB · bare — leads on endurance (88 vs 84). Write endurance and long-term dependability.
Which is the better value, Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB or Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB · bare? +
Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB · bare — more score per dollar ($70 vs $159). Specdex score per dollar at MSRP.