Top-Tier SSD of 2025: Samsung's 990 Pro Leads the Pack, But Faces Stiff Competition
In the ever-evolving world of solid-state drives (SSDs), the Samsung 990 Pro remains a top-tier Gen 4 SSD for gamers, content creators, and professionals. However, its premium price and marginal performance gains have opened the market to competitive alternatives. Here are some of the top SSD alternatives for different use cases.
For Gaming (High Performance, PCIe Gen 4 and 5 SSDs)
The market for gaming SSDs is fiercely competitive, with several options offering a great balance of speed and affordability.
- WD Black SN7100: Currently considered the best SSD for gaming, it offers a great balance of PCIe 5.0 performance and affordability, making it well-suited for PC gaming with impressive speed and value.
- WD Black SN770: A solid and speedy Gen 4 NVMe option, similar in price to the 990 Pro but slightly behind in performance; good if found at a deal.
- SK Hynix Platinum P51: A powerful PCIe 5.0 drive delivering excellent game load times but expensive and runs hot.
- Samsung 9100 Pro: Samsung’s newer Gen 5 SSD with strong sequential speeds but at a premium price and with limited gaming benefit over Gen 4 drives.
For Portable/Handheld Devices and External Use
When it comes to portable SSDs, the focus shifts towards compact designs, fast read and write speeds, and compatibility with various platforms.
- Crucial X9 Pro: Recommended as the best portable SSD due to its compact NVMe design and fast USB-C speeds (~913MB/s read), ideal for fast game load on PS5/Xbox and quick file transfers. It lacks a USB-A adapter but is compatible with multiple platforms.
- Dockcase Smart M.2 NVMe Enclosure: Not an SSD but a top enclosure choice for users upgrading portable storage, featuring supercapacitor power-loss protection and an HD screen for monitoring drive health and speeds.
Additional Notable Mentions
- Crucial P3 Plus 2TB: Offers substantial capacity at a budget-friendly price but with some concerns about cache and price/performance.
- WD Black SN850X: Very close performance to the Samsung 990 Pro, slightly more cost-effective, and remains highly regarded for gaming.
- Corsair MP700 Pro and SK Hynix Platinum P41: Mentioned as strong M.2 SSD options, with the MP700 Pro being PCIe Gen 5 and highly rated for demanding use cases.
Summary by Use Case
| Use Case | Top SSD Alternatives to Samsung 990 Pro (2025) | Notes | |------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Gaming (PCIe 5.0) | WD Black SN7100, SK Hynix Platinum P51, Corsair MP700 Pro | Excellent balance of speed and price; Gen 5 but gaming benefits over Gen 4 marginal. | | Gaming (PCIe 4.0) | WD Black SN770, WD Black SN850X | High-performance Gen 4 drives, good cost-to-performance ratio. | | Portable/Handheld SSD | Crucial X9 Pro | Portable NVMe in compact enclosure, great read/write speeds, USB-C connected. | | External Enclosure | Dockcase Smart M.2 NVMe Enclosure | Best for turning internal NVMe SSDs into robust portable drives with power protection. |
In conclusion, while the Samsung 990 Pro remains a top-tier Gen 4 SSD, its premium price and marginal performance gains have opened the market to competitive alternatives, especially from WD and SK Hynix for gaming, and Crucial for portable storage. Each of these alternatives offers a unique blend of speed, capacity, and price, making it essential to choose the one that best suits your specific needs.
- For gamers seeking a high-performance SSD with PCIe 5.0, the WD Black SN7100 offers an excellent balance between speed and affordability, making it a top choice for PC gaming.
- The WD Black SN770 is another Gen 4 NVMe option, priced comparably to the Samsung 990 Pro, delivering solid performance but slightly behind in terms of speed; finding it at a discounted price would be beneficial.
- In terms of portable SSDs, the Crucial X9 Pro is recommended due to its compact NVMe design and fast USB-C speeds, making it ideal for fast game load times on PS5/Xbox and quick file transfers.
- For users requiring an external enclosure to upgrade portable storage, the Dockcase Smart M.2 NVMe Enclosure is a top choice, offering features such as supercapacitor power-loss protection and an HD screen for monitoring drive health and speeds.
