Samsung is a tech giant that has a strong footprint in storage devices. The company offers a wide range of reliable products and devices. If you’re a gamer or tech-enthusiast, you know you can turn to Samsung.
Samsung brings you a plethora of SSDs. The sheer number makes the overall process quite intimidating, especially with the M.2 SSD series. Distinguishing between the models is a tricky process. Moreover, the overall specifications aren’t even displayed properly.
That’s why you can turn to Samsung’s 970 series. You won’t have varied choices like the M.2 SSDs, but you have three powerful ones.
- Samsung 970 EVO SSD
- Samsung 970 EVO Plus SSD
- Samsung 970 PRO SSD
Many SSDs fall short when it comes to the company-listed specifications. Comparing these three products wasn’t easy. However, this article aimed to do so anyway. Let’s see how these Samsung SSDs differ from each other.
First, let’s take a quick look at the SSD devices.
Samsung 970 EVO
The Samsung V-NAND technology powers the Samsung 970 Evo. This interface offers more bandwidth and lower latency.
The SSD is a great pick for tech enthusiasts and gamers, especially because of its speed. It writes 32% faster than the previous generation!
Moreover, the SSD device streamlines graphic-intensive workflows with ease. It has twice the capacity as the previous generation. You can get up to 1,200 TBW!
Samsung 970 EVO Plus
Like the Samsung 970 Evo, Evo Plus is powered by V-NAND technology. However, it also uses an NVMe interface. This feature leads to superior power efficiency and is perfect for gamers.
The read levels are the same as 970 Evo, but the write levels are higher. There is also a lot of heat dissipation with this device, but Samsung’s Dynamic Thermal Guard gets it sorted.
Samsung 970 EVO Pro
The Samsung 970 Pro offers the same features as the other two models. It boasts an unrivaled performance thanks to the combination of Samsung’s Magician software and Dynamic Thermal Guard.
Similarities
Before we jump into the Samsung 970 EVO vs. 970 EVO Plus vs. 970 PRO comparison chart, let’s see what they have in common.
All three SSDs use the V-Nand technology, a non-volatile flash memory. These devices use layers of cells which make the most use of space. This feature leads to fast read-and-write speeds and lowered production costs.
The SSDs also have the same form factor- M.2 (2280). Moreover, they use Samsung’s Dynamic Thermal Guard, which regulates the device temperature. They also use the Magician software that helps you keep track of the drive’s performance. All three devices have the same 5-years warranty.
PRO TIP:
If you want to ensure one of these SSDs is compatible with your device, use the Amazon Confirmed Fit. Input your device details and see if it’s a good match! It’s a great tool for people who aren’t sure about the technical specifications.
Now, let’s see how the three drives compare in terms of performance.
Comparison Chart: Samsung 970 EVO vs EVO Plus vs 970 PRO
| MODEL | 970 EVO | 970 PRO | 970 EVO PLUS |
| Interface | PCIe Gen 3.0 x 4, NVMe 1.3 | PCIe Gen 3.0 x 4, NVMe 1.3 | PCIe Gen 3.0 x 4, NVMe 1.3 |
| Samsung V-NAND Flash | 3-bit MLC | 2-bit MLC | 3-bit MLC |
| Cache Memory | 1GB LPDDR4 DRAM | 1GB LPDDR4 DRAM | 1GB Low Power DDR4 SDRAM |
| Terabytes | 600 TBW | 1200 TBW | 600 TBW |
| Storage | 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB | 500GB and 1TB | 250GB, 500GB, 1TB and 2TB |
| Power | 6W | 5.7W | 6W |
Samsung 970 EVO vs Samsung 970 EVO Plus
Let’s take a look at Samsung 970 Evo and Evo Plus first. Mind you, the 1 TB version of all these cards are used for this article. This is what Samsung has to say about the read and write speeds.
| MODEL | READ SPEED | WRITE SPEED |
| Samsung 970 EVO | 3,400 MB/s | 2,500 MB/s |
| Samsung 970 EVO Plus | 3,500 MB/s | 3,300 MB/s |
However, the reality is a bit different. The read speed for Samsung 970 EVO and EVO Plus was 2,450 MB/s and 2,550 MB/s respectively. Similarly, the write speed was 2,316 MB/s and 2,369 MB/s.
The difference between the speeds was minimal. The write speed was marginally higher. Samsung boasts differently.
Moreover, the price for EVO stands at $169 and EVO plus at $199. Is the price difference worth it? It’s hard to say. The average user won’t be able to tell the difference.
Samsung 970 EVO Plus vs Samsung 970 Pro
Samsung EVO Plus gives you only a slight edge over the 970 EVO. How does the Samsung 970 Pro compare? According to Samsung, there is an 800 MB/s difference in the read and write speeds. Let’s take a quick look.
| MODEL | READ SPEED | WRITE SPEED |
| Samsung 970 EVO Plus | 2,368 MB/s | 2,174 MB/s |
| Samsung 970 Pro | 2,351 MB/s | 2,074 MB/s |
In this comparison, the Samsung EVO 970 shines through. The average sustained write speed is said to be higher in 970 Pro, but it lacks everywhere else. The 970 Pro also requires a hefty investment of $350. Is it worth it? Not so much.
Final Verdict
By now, you should know all there is about Samsung 970 EVO vs. 970 EVO Plus vs. 970 PRO.
If you’re looking for the best value for the price, Samsung 970 EVO is the way to go. Samsung 970 EVO Plus comes with higher writing speeds. However, unless you’re a pro-gamer, this is negligible.
According to the specifications, Samsung 970 Pro stands superior. However, research claims otherwise that what it offers isn’t worth the high price. An average user should opt for the 970 EVO. If you’re looking for higher sustained writing speeds, the Samsung 970 EVO Plus is your go-to SSD.
