GEAR MINI TESTS
SPECIFICATIONS Interface: PCIe Gen 4.0 x4, NVMe 1.3c Formfactor: M.2 (2280), 8.6mm Memory: Samsung V-Nand 3-bit MLC Cachememory: Samsung 1GB LowPower DDR4 SDRAM Encryption support: AES 256-bit encryption (Class 0), TCG/Opal, IEEE1667 (Encrypted drive) Sequential read/write speed: Up to 7000/5000MB/s Randomread/write speed: Onemillion IOPS Management software:
SamsungMagician Capacities: 1TB, 2TB
SAMSUNG 980 PRO WITH HEATSINK SSD 1TB £150/$190 samsung.com
speeds of around 500-600 MB/s, and standard NVMe SSDs are up to 3500 and 3000 MB/s, the 980 Pro has read speeds of up to 7000 MB/s, and sequential write speeds of up to 5000 MB/s. That makes it one of the fastest consumer drives on the market. The new PCIe 4.0 interface is up to twice as fast as PCIe 3.0 SSDs and is backwards compatible. The integrated heat sink means the SSD won’t get too hot and start to slow things down. Nickel coating on the 980 Pro helps manage the heat level, while a heat spreader label delivers effective thermal control. This latest technology is possible because Samsung uses its in-house developed and manufactured hardware, such as the V-Nand 3-bit MLC memory. This gives total control over the design, while many rivals have to rely on standard, third-party components. The only real issue is that this isn’t a plug-and-play solution, like a pre-formatted external SSD. You have to ensure it fits and works with
If you are a keen gamer who uses a PlayStation 5, then you may already know about the Samsung 980 Pro SSD with Heatsink. Its low-profile M.2 2280 design means it fits perfectly into the latest console, gives a big boost in speed and doesn’t overheat. But it’s not just for gaming obsessives, as the Samsung 980 Pro can be used to give a boost to your laptop or desktop PC, or even as a superfast external hard drive if you put it in a suitable housing. That’s because it can deliver up to double the data transfer rate of most PCIe 3.0 drives. While many external-style SSDs offer sequential read/write
GAME STATION The speedy
Samsung 980 Pro is targeted at PS5 users,
but is ideal for laptops
your computer or drive, as not all are compatible yet – then you need to understand how to make it work. If you want to use it as an external drive, the right case with a fast connection is required, or else it’ll be the housing itself that slows things down. We tried it inside an OWC Envoy Express Thunderbolt 3 enclosure Thunderbolt 3. It went right in and the speeds were impressive, more than double our standard SSDs. So, it’s a great method of getting a very fast external SSD drive for less. to use on a MacBook Pro with Thunderbolt 4 and iMac with If you are a tech-savvy filmmaker, it’s an affordable way to boost your laptop or hard drive. And you can always use it in your PS5! PROMOVIEMAKER RATING: 8/10 It’s a very fast yet affordable drive, but you do need some skill to instal it Pros: Fast, silent and affordable Cons: Not plug-and-play
RED HOT The PCIe 4.0 connection is key to fast data transfer. The heat sink aids cooling
“The newPCIe 4.0 interface is up to twice as fast as PCIe 3.0 SSDs and is backwards compatible”
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