970 Evo vs 970 Evo Plus
If you are thinking about getting an M.2 NVMe SSD so that you can efficiently run demanding applications and games, then Samsung is a great place to start looking.
If you are thinking about getting an M.2 NVMe SSD so that you can efficiently run demanding applications and games, then Samsung is a great place to start looking. They are a tried and tested company that is very reliable and produces excellent quality products.
They have a wide range of SSDs available, and in terms of 1TB solid-state drives, the Samsung 970 Evo and 970 Evo Plus are definitely two options that should be considered.
If you are looking at these two SSDs and are unsure which of them to get, then you have come to the right place. Here, we will outline everything that you need to know about the products and compare the similarities and differences between the two.
Finding the best SSD can be a time-consuming process, especially if you are on the fence between two similar ones. This is why we have done all the research and put it all here in one place to make things easy for you.
Specifications
Samsung 970 Evo 1TB SSD Review
To be sure that this SSD is compatible with your computer, you can use Amazon Confirmed Fit to enter your details and check that it is a good match. This is a really handy tool for anyone that isn’t too sure about technical specifications and whether or not this SSD will work with their PC build.
It is powered by innovative V NAND technology, and the NVMe interface offers enhanced bandwidth, low latency, and its power efficiency is ideal for tech enthusiasts and high-end gamers everywhere. It has breakthrough read and write speeds with high-performance levels of up to 3500MB/s and 2500MB/s.
This SSD transforms high-end gaming and streamlines graphic-intensive workflows with the new Phoenix controller and Intelligent TurboWrite technology. You can get stunning sequential read/write speeds, up to 32% faster writes than the previous generation. For a sustainable performance, you can get up to 1,200 TBW, which is 50% higher than the capability of the previous generation.
This SSD offers seamless cloning and file transfers with Samsung Magician software and has an SSD management solution for performance optimization and data security with automatic firmware updates.
It will automatically monitor and maintain optimal operating temperatures by using Samsung’s Dynamic Thermal Guard to minimize performance drops. It also features secure encryption to keep your data safe.
Finally, this purchase comes with a 5-year limited warranty, so you won’t need to worry about it breaking down.
Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1TB SSD Review
While the Samsung 970 Evo and Evo Plus do have some similarities, which is to be expected given that the plus version is an upgraded version, there are also some key differences between the two SSDs.
The Evo Plus is also powered by Samsung V Nand technology and uses an NVMe interface, offering better bandwidth, low latency, and superior power efficiency that is ideal for high-end gamers.
However, this upgraded version has higher sequential read and write performance levels of up to 3500MB/s and 3300MB/s. While the read levels are the same as the normal version, the write levels are much higher and are up to 53% higher than the 970 Evo.
In terms of performance optimization and data security, the 970 Evo Plus has seamless cloning and file transfers with Samsung’s Magician software, which is the ideal SSD management solution for its purpose. It even has automatic firmware updates like the original.
This SSD has superior heat dissipation, and Samsung’s Dynamic Thermal Guard will automatically monitor and maintain optimal operating temperatures in order to minimize performance drops. As with other Samsung products, this purchase comes with a 5-year limited warranty.
NVMe™ (Non-Volatile Memory Express)
Non-Volatile Memory Express is a relatively new protocol for accessing high-speed storage media that has many advantages in comparison to legacy protocols.
It is a high performance, Non-Uniform Memory access optimized, and highly scalable storage protocol that is able to connect the host to the memory subsystem. The protocol has many new features and is designed for non-volatile memory media.
It is directly connected to the CPU via PCle interface and is built on high-speed PCle lanes, which can offer transfer speeds that are more than two times that of a SATA interface.
NVMe is able to support multiple I/O queues up to 64K, with each queue having 64K entries. Other types are known to only support single queues with lower entries, which makes the NVMe superior. It can host software and create queues up to the maximum that is allowed.
Some benefits of NVMe are higher performance through write amplification reduction, higher capacities by lower over-provisioning, lower costs due to reduced SSD controller DRAM footprint, and improved latencies. They are also straightforward to install.
In terms of gaming, NVMe drives make sure that games are able to load faster, which means that you won’t have to wait around and endure endless loading screens. For games that are multiplayer, your game can load even faster than your competitors, giving you the edge.
It can also help to reduce installation times significantly. While the drive won’t help you download your game any faster, it will ensure that the game is installed as quickly as possible.
If you are partial to streaming and recording your games, an NVMe drive can help with this too. It is much easier to edit a video when you can load and transfer it quickly.
Samsung Magician Software
When you purchase any Samsung SSD, you can also download the Samsung Magician software, which is really helpful for monitoring your drive and maximizing its performance.
The software gives you instant access to your SSDs status and health indicators, and you can get an instant diagnosis for your drive. It also allows you to confirm its authenticity and run S.M.A.R.T checks to inspect your SSD to detect any drive failures before they happen.
This software also allows you to inspect read/write speeds and compare the scores with results that you have received in the past. This can help you to maintain the highest performance possible. You can even permanently delete any sensitive data on the drive without compromising the functionality of the SSD. It will also help you to keep track of updates.
An M.2 is a form factor for solid-state drives that is rectangular in shape. They are generally the fastest type of form, but with this extra speed usually comes a higher price. They are certainly more expensive than other types of SSD. They typically take up less room, which is why they have become more commonly found in gaming laptops, but they are also great for use in gaming PCs.
M.2 SSDs go up to 2TB in storage size, whereas other form factors can offer more capacity. For a lot of gamers, 2TB is more than sufficient, and so this may not be an issue for everyone. To be able to use an M.2 SSD in your computer or laptop, you will require a motherboard with M.2 slots. Some motherboards will have two or more M.2 slots, which allows you to run your SSDs in RAID.
Some of the best SSDs, like the two that we are reviewing here, use the NVMe interface, which was specifically designed for rapid storage devices. These SSDs are more flexible and can be used differently, depending on the product.
The M.2 can be SATA-based, PCle-based with NVMe support, or PCle-based without NVMe support. Those SSDs that do have NVMe support will offer up to five times more bandwidth than SATA M.2 models. This means better performance when completing tasks like transferring files, video editing, transcoding, compression, and decompression.
Performance
In terms of performance, the Samsung 970 Evo Plus is slightly superior to the standard 970 Evo.
This is mostly due to the higher level of average write speeds, though the difference may not be that significant to some gamers.
Average Sequential Read and Write Speeds
SSDs are known to have faster read and write speeds than HDDs, which is why they are the more popular and superior option between the two. The difference in performance is significant, and SSDs can be up to 4x more powerful in terms of speed.
The Samsung 970 Evo and 970 Evo plus are even more superior than some other SSDs because they feature the newer NAND technology.
Read and write speeds are the measurement of the performance of a storage device. The read speed will measure how long it takes to open a file on a specific device, and the write speed is the opposite of this, and it measures how long it takes to save something to a storage device.
There are usually two sets of speeds that are listed for each SSD. These are the maximum read and write speeds and the sustained read and write speeds. However, you should be looking at the sustained or average speeds, as the maximum will not always be achieved.
Considering the average speeds will avoid disappointment and give you a better idea of how fast your SSD will perform most of the time.
For the 970 Evo, the average sequential read and write speeds are 2316MB/s and 2133MB/s, and for the 970 Evo Plus, the average sequential read and write speeds are 2369MB/s and 2175MB/s.
It is known that the Evo Plus can run up to 53% faster write speeds than the standard version, and even in terms of average speeds, the Plus is still the faster option between the two.
Pricing and Availability
Both of these products are widely available for purchase, though they can be quite expensive. The upgraded Plus version costs around $70 more than the standard version, but for some people, it can be worth the extra price.
If you are on a budget but are still after a high-performance SSD, the 970 Evo is a great option for you. It is a better purchase for someone who is limited by a budget and is still an excellent drive. However, those gamers that have a larger budget may want to consider the Evo 970 Plus.
You can find both of these SSDs to purchase online, as they are widely available on Amazon.
To Summarize
Through thorough research and looking closely at the specifications, features, and prices of both the Samsung 970 Evo and 970 Evo Plus, it has become clear that the Evo Plus has the better performance of the two options.
However, this is not by a huge amount of power. The Plus version has better write speeds and is, therefore, faster at saving or downloading a file to the drive, but this is only the real substantial difference between the two SSDs. Other than this, there are mostly minimal differences, yet it is still a much more expensive option.
If you are struggling to make a decision between the two drives, it is probably wiser to stick to the 970 Evo, as you are still getting a high-performance drive for a good price. However, if you are more concerned with the slight difference in speed, then you should consider the 970 Evo Plus.