A good deal for the Samsung 990 Pro 4TB drive considering recent price rises (and the paperback deal is finished) and around $200 cheaper than local pricing.
CamelCamelCamel.
How much deditated wam would you recommend for a Minecraft server?
Wam or yam?
Really eager for a cheaper 4tb drive for my PC but this would be wasted as a game drive
Why? Genuine question. No good for games?
overkill. a cheaper 4tb PCIE gen 3 drive is plenty
Just my opinion, but I'm willing to sport a SATA SSD for games.
I think it adds just 2~3 sec more.
@Jiv: Totally depends on the game, some games constantly streaming high resolution assets in (Cyberpunk 2077 comes to mind), your actual in-game experience would be not so great on a SATA SSD.
But for plenty of other games, you're right it would make little difference.
@sbcbakedbeans: Any substance to that claim it would struggle to stream assets in CP2077?
Like a video demo or something?
@virtual81: Only my own anecdote sorry.
When I had the game on an 870 EVO I was noticing lots of assets popping in when I was driving fast through the city, so I checked utilisation and the drive had short bursts maxing out the interface.
I got a KC3000 and now this never happens, usually hits about 15% for these same circumstances.
For context, running on a 13700k, 32GB 6400, RTX 4080
Certainly not a problem for most games of course.
@sbcbakedbeans: No issues on my Samsung 840 1TB SATA drive, nor Crucial 2TB SATA drive.
I wonder if you have some other kind of bottleneck? A dodgy config or background app?
SATA only lags NVME by a handful of seconds on game load time overall in 90+% of tests, and for streaming assets once in game i couldn't imagine an issue unless still running on a mechanical drive.
@Jiv: 2-3 seconds more depending on the game over x hours played might stack up to a whole day saved
Really eager for a cheaper 4tb drive for my PC but this would be wasted as a game drive
For bulk storage at a reasonable price, I am more than happy to pay for a mechanical bog-standard hard drive. SSDs still cost too much.
Ordered for my G14
I was thinking of buying whilst in singapore where RRP is $465 sgd and then also getting GST back but this deal trumps it and i suspect Amazon (even on US items) will be easier to deal with than Samsung Singapore from Australia.
And being a 990 Pro you won't need to deal with warranty anyway. I've owned a few pros, including this one and they've all been flawless, even my 840 Pro 2.5" from 2013 hasn't missed a beat.
True, but I think my experience in Asia is sometimes even if you're buying from a legit shop, they are so quick to slice open the security seal for customers that you never really know if you're getting the real deal, a dud, a return, etc…
Not to say the same risk doesn't hold true for buying online or even from Amazon, but at least I know there's a pathway to replace/fix/refund…
Ohhh gotcha, I hadn't considered that. Fair point indeed.
I've been on the fence whether to get this for Satechi NVMe mini hub for Apple Mac Mini M2 pro:
WD_BLACK 2TB SN770 NVMe Internal Gaming SSD Solid State Drive - Gen4 PCIe, M.2 2280, Up to 5,150 MB/s - WDS200T3X0E https://amzn.asia/d/byXQsaa
Does anyone have any thoughts on this SSD and price ($198.47 for 2GB model)?
What types of data are you storing on the drive?
Games, video/audio/content creation work files, standard Office files, databases or… ?
I use it predominantly for Logic Pro X, nothing else other than downloading plugins
Both the 990 Pro and SN770 are way overkill for your needs
You only need a quality Gen 3 for around $150 for 2TB:
MSI SPATIUM M450 2TB PCIe Gen 4 NVMe M.2 2280 SSD $150 + Delivery ($0 SYD C&C) @ CCPU Computers
Patriot P300 2TB PCIe Gen 3 NVMe M.2 2280 SSD $148 Delivered @ Patriot Memory AU via Amazon AU
You could easily use a quality 2.5" SATA SSD like a Crucial or Samsung as well but pricing is currently poor versus M.2
@Look Up: Thanks for your recommendation, I don't know much about either drive so will take a look at both.
If you are predominantly storing audio files on the drive, will most Gen 3 be compatible for Mac Mini? Many of the SSD I have looked at are marketed towards gaming/PS5, however assuming that's because where the demand mostly comes from?
@Alias2000: Mac Mini M1 only supports PCIe gen 3. Even for M1 Pro/Max/Ultra, despite supporting PCIe gen 4 for its internal SSD, for Thunderbolt 4 / USB 4 ports, it is still limited to PCIe gen 3 for Macs.
Samsung 970 Evo Plus on Mac M1 Pro through Thunderbolt 3 enclosure - $80 enclosure
NV2 on Mac M1 Pro through USB 3.2 gen 2 enclosure - $15 enclosure
Enclosure matters as NV2 technically is PCIe gen 4 x4. Test your M1 Mac Mini internal SSD, you will find it is PCIe gen 3 x4 speed, so you can't possible read or write at PCIe gen 4 x4 speed with Mac Mini (M1, M2 or M3) anyway.
@netsurfer: Hi Netsurfer, thanks for your reply.
I have the Mac Mini M2 Pro, and have so far filled 350gb mainly with Logic song files and plugins. I'm trying to find a good SSD to go with the recently updated Satechi Mini hub with NVMe/M.2 SATA SSD Enclosure.
Does the M2 chip only support PCLe gen 3 or does it support gen 4?
I'm also not sure whether to configure it as a boot drive or just use it for storage. Any advice appreciated
@Alias2000: M1, M2, M3: PCIe gen 3 maximum.
M1 Pro, M2 Pro, M3 Pro: Internally, PCIe gen 4 is supported. Externally, Thunderbolt 4 / USB 4 assuming wired to the CPU lanes directly, is still limited to Intel Thunderbolt 4's current implementation so it still tops out at PCIe gen 3 x4.
Whether you want to use it as a boot drive or not is entirely up to you. I do use external SSDs as Mac boot drives sometimes (but mostly for trying things out). I do use an external SSD to run Windows for my old Intel Macbook Pro.
I find Apple Silicon's boot from external SSD a bit tedious. You now need to hold the Power button for a few seconds and wait for the recovery menu to come up and choose the SSD. Then, the OS thinks that's now the default boot SSD. It is fine if that's really the case, but I prefer the old Option key method to temporary swap the boot device.
The installation of OS does take some time even if you use an Thunderbolt enclosure. You could give it a try and if you don't like it or feel it is not worth the fuss (even if it is half way through the install, you got fed up), just format it again. I normally just start the process and leave it running over night or for a few hours. I've installed Mac OS on 3 different SSDs (one of them 3 times, 3 different Mac OSes). I do have an external SSD that I use only for Mac Time Machine.
With Satechi Mini hub, you are looking at USB 3.2 gen 2 performance only. 990 Pro is an overkill for that.
USB 3.2 gen 2 enclosure on Apple Silicon. You are not going to get much faster speed with 990 Pro because the enclosure is the bottleneck. You might prefer an SSD with DRAM. I found through enclosure, due to HMB not being supported, there is an additional 5-7% performance drop for DRAMless SSDs (though it isn't as big as the USB 3.2 gen 2 protocol conversion penalty).
@netsurfer: Thanks for taking the time to provide the above response. Some very useful info for me to consider and both yourself and Look Up have saved me some $$ by ruling out some of the pricier SSDs that won't provide any significant improvement. I also didn't know much about DRAM, so that is a good callout to look for in an SSD
@Alias2000: I forgot M2 Pro Mac Mini has 4 Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 ports. That means even if you get another SSD enclosure, perhaps a Thunderbolt 4 or true USB 4 enclosure, you still have 2 ports available (since your Satechi NVMe mini hub uses 1 port).
If you do get a Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 enclosure, then you do want to get a decent / quality SSD. USB 3.2 gen 2, honestly, cost effective NVMe SSD will do (because the protocol conversion performance hit makes it not worthwhile to get a high end SSD).
@netsurfer: Do you think it might be better if I was to order something like the Acasis TBU405 Thunderbolt enclosure and put in a quality SSD, and maybe get a cheaper SSD for the Satechi? It might be overkill but the number of hours I put into my recordings, it might be worthwhile to back up my files on two seperate SSDs.
It looks the Acasis is around $150 with conversion and delivery from the US Amazon store
@Alias2000: It's a good question, but it is tricky for Thunderbolt and USB 4.
If it is just to store your recordings, I suggest just start with Satechi USB 3.2 gen 2. Even if you want to get ~1000MB/s sequential write for the whole SSD, that will already require a quality SSD. Benchmark software used isn't the same as real file copying through OS. If it is mostly backup, it should be fine. Like I mentioned, even with Thunderbolt enclosure, installing OS on it still takes ages. NBN is much slower.
However, if you do want to get a PCIe gen 4 x4 flagship class SSD, then you might want to consider a Thunderbolt or ASM2646 enclosure. Don't get Lexar NM790 if you opt for ASM2646 (it has some weird issue where the max write is low 2000MB/s, rather than ~3000MB/s for a compatible SSD).
Without all the tech bit, Acasis TBU405 is a good choice as it will work with a wide range of SSDs, but it is no longer the top performing enclosure.
@netsurfer: I have the ASM2646 + NM790 / SN850x / 990 Pro.
In real world winpc 100gb read write the performance is pretty much the same when connected via TB4. I've not seen any of these drives reach sustained 3000MB/s read or write. In benchmarks like crystal, bm or as seen it hit that.
About 1.4gb write to 1.8gb w/cache to around 2.8gb read.
Supposedly it can get that sustained on a Mac but don't have one to test.
If you are predominantly storing audio files on the drive, will most Gen 3 be compatible for Mac Mini?
All Gen 3 drives will be compatible - the key is selecting a drive with quality components and not one that suddenly loses written data
Many of the SSD I have looked at are marketed towards gaming/PS5, however assuming that's because where the demand mostly comes from?
PS5 demand for 4TB models is high, yes
The actual reason is because games data = cheap data that if lost, is not a serious issue as it can be usually downloaded again
So there is a whole slice of the market catering to drives that are relatively low priced, low quality and high capacity
As your plugins are usually quite valuable, you should skip those drives for peace for mind
I will tag you on any future deals that will suit your usage
@Look Up: Awesome, thanks for the explanation Look Up, that makes sense. I appreciate you tagging me in any future deals
Why buy this when you can get a fikwot for $30 less (said nobody)
IT geeks…how does the Samsung 990 compare to Lexar NM790 4TB? Lexar is $375 (for a PS5)
https://www.bpctech.com.au/product/lnm790x004t-rn9ng-lexar-n…
The lexar has heat sink and probably negligible difference in performance
If you are after a true flagship PCIe gen 4 x4, then you do want a DRAM based flagship SSD like 990 Pro.
However, if you are only after nice looking CrystalDiskMarks results, then you "could" consider NM790…. except, it was $265 last year and lots of people got one at that price last year.
$255 without heatsink NM790 4TB so add $10 for the heatsink model.
All time low was $227.15 + delivery, Lexar ANZ rep was unhappy about that deal as the retailer basically cleared old stock after the rep told people rising SSD prices 2 weeks prior.
All DRAMless SSDs falter in consistency tests, including NM790. People get upset when I mention NM790 is inconsistent in different block size. You won't see it in CrystalDiskMark because all SSD makers know most people use that. But, in AS SSD, you will notice its unbalanced performance. There is nothing Lexar can do, that Maxio controller inside is "cost effective" so it does have its weaknesses. In day to day use, you probably won't notice it because even PCIe gen 3 x4 SSDs are overkill for most of us.
NM790 is only worth considering if the price is good.
thanks for detailed reply but I don't understand any of that. I just want to upgrade my PS5 storage. Will using the Lexar be OK, compared to Samsung? I understand the Lexar has no DRAM although I'm unsure what that is or has any impact on playing a game
For PS5, I reckon just get a cost effective PCIe gen 4 x4 SSD (since you can download all the games from the cloud again if needed). Lexar NM790 is fine, but I cannot recommend it at $375 knowing so many OZBers bought one at $255 or $265 each.
It's just Lexar is milking customers (taking advantage of the situation) because YMTC did stockpile NAND chips. I don't rule out YMTC is in on this milking customers now…. but it is still not nice. However, if you must get one now for PS5, then I guess the choice is limited.
Regardless of what some might say past prices tbh imo are irrelevant unless you know it's going to happen soon and you can wait till whenever it happens else moot point.
That being said at this price I would definitely get the Samsung 990 pro since it's flagship performance and has dram. It will most likely also be new batch without prior issues but soon as you get it check the firmware.
Also for those who don’t know this is a single sided 4TB drive, great for thinner laptops that only support single sided.
Also the Samsung Magician software is another plus for this or any Samsung drive.
I don't need it. I don't need it. I don't need it…
Cheers.
This batch is from the US. How is the warranty? Does Samsung Australia exchange for a new one if it dies?
Been on the fence about this one, been refreshing it over the week. Now the deal has ended is $566 still a good price for it? $150 more feels like a lot. What’s a comparable alternative for the $410 original price?
No. Wait for the next deal.
What do you think of the Team MP44 4TB? Centrecom has it for $450 at the moment, it's TLC however has no DRAM cache but it is PCIe 4.0 spec.
This no-name site claims that the Samsung 990 Pro 4tb has 4GB DRAM on it but that sounds like a lot for an SSD dram so I don't know how accurate that could be.
https://www.thessdreview.com/our-reviews/nvme/samsung-990-pr…
The cheaper SSD like the Team MP44 just use SLC as the cache instead of DRAM but unless you are doing a large transfer that maxes the SLC cache then I don't think you'll notice much difference between the two?
For some reason I can't find any good comparisons between the two drives in the same review so it's hard to compare them.
In researching the two drives I found that the Samsung 990 Pro has a big problem with reliability that Samsung tried to fix in a firmware update but I wouldn't necessarily trust that, I've had a dud model of Samsung drive in the past and even after multiple firmware updates it still had an unresolved issue they refused to RMA for. Best to avoid this model since it has issues.
What's a better drive than the 990 Pro to look for discounts on?
Amazon has the Western Digital SN850X 4TB on sale via US import right now for $531 which has cheapest price on staticice as $629 from CPL
Hey guys, for those who bought this 990 Pro 4TB nvme ssd.
Do you guys face issues with its performance?
Using CrystalDiskMark, it shows random read and write speed is showing much lower values than what was advertised.
SEQ read and write speed is showing pretty much as expected around 7450/6900 MB/s. But random read is around 3000 and random write speed is the worst at 1200.
Anyone experience the same issue or know what may cause the issue?
Waiting for pcie gen 6 for my minecraft rig.