XPG MARS 980 STORM
PCIe 4.0 NVMe · PassMark #62
Samsung 9100 PRO with Heatsink 1TB
1TB · PCIe 5.0 NVMe · 14,700 MB/s read · PassMark #55
Samsung 9100 PRO with Heatsink 1TB takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, XPG MARS 980 STORM lands at 70 and Samsung 9100 PRO with Heatsink 1TB at 72. That puts Samsung 9100 PRO with Heatsink 1TB ahead by 2 points — a narrow margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick XPG MARS 980 STORM if…
- ✓Capable NVMe drive at PassMark rank #62
Pick Samsung 9100 PRO with Heatsink 1TB if…
- ✓Capable NVMe drive at PassMark rank #55
- ✓Pro-tier controller and DRAM cache for sustained throughput
- ✓PCIe 5.0 interface for next-gen platforms (AM5, LGA 1851)
Winner by scenario
Derived from the sub-score breakdown · not a separate testValue for money
TieSpecdex score per dollar at MSRP
Effectively tied — similar score-per-dollar at MSRP.
Score breakdown
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | XPG MARS 980 STORM | Samsung 9100 PRO with Heatsink 1TB |
|---|---|---|
| PassMark Disk Score | 74,315 | 76,420 |
| PassMark rank | #62 of 100 consumer SSDs | #55 of 100 consumer SSDs |
| Form factor | — | M.2 2280 (with heatsink) |
| Interface | — | PCIe 5.0 x4 NVMe 2.0 |
| Sequential read | — | 14,700 MB/s |
| Sequential write | — | 13,300 MB/s |
| Random read | — | 1,850,000 IOPS |
| Random write | — | 2,600,000 IOPS |
| Controller | — | Samsung Presto (in-house, 5nm) |
| NAND | — | Samsung V8 V-NAND 3D TLC (236-layer) |
| DRAM | — | yes, LPDDR4X |
| Endurance | — | 600 TBW |
| Warranty | — | 5 years |
XPG MARS 980 STORM
- +Capable NVMe drive at PassMark rank #62
- −DRAM-less controllers on lower-tier variants may throttle under sustained writes
- −Newer drives out-perform this generation on sequential + random 4K
Samsung 9100 PRO with Heatsink 1TB
- +Capable NVMe drive at PassMark rank #55
- +Pro-tier controller and DRAM cache for sustained throughput
- +PCIe 5.0 interface for next-gen platforms (AM5, LGA 1851)
- −PCIe 5.0 drives run hot — heatsink or motherboard M.2 cooling recommended
- −Newer drives out-perform this generation on sequential + random 4K
FAQ: XPG MARS 980 STORM vs Samsung 9100 PRO with Heatsink 1TB
Which is better, XPG MARS 980 STORM or Samsung 9100 PRO with Heatsink 1TB? +
Samsung 9100 PRO with Heatsink 1TB scores 72 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 2. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is XPG MARS 980 STORM worth the price? +
At $200, XPG MARS 980 STORM delivers a Specdex score of 70 — strongest in passmark_disk.
Is Samsung 9100 PRO with Heatsink 1TB worth the price? +
At $219, Samsung 9100 PRO with Heatsink 1TB delivers a Specdex score of 72 — strongest in passmark_disk.
Does XPG MARS 980 STORM or Samsung 9100 PRO with Heatsink 1TB 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.