Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a leader in advanced memory technology, has announced the release of SSD 990 EVO — the newest addition to the company’s lineup of consumer SSDs — which delivers powerful performance with better power efficiency[1]. Available from the 30 January 2024, it’s designed to enhance everyday computing experiences like gaming, work and video/photo editing, the NVMe SSD is expected to be an ideal solution for a diverse range of users.

“Samsung’s SSD 990 EVO marks a new era in storage excellence for Australian consumers. With innovative technology, the SSD 990 EVO, is a testament to our leadership in advanced memory technology, offering high-performance storage and optimised memory solutions, making it an ideal solution for a range of consumer needs,” said Phil Gaut, Senior Director of Display and Brand Memory at Samsung Australia.

Enhanced Performance

The 990 EVO offers enhanced sequential read speed performance by up to 43% compared to the previous model, 970 EVO Plus[2]. Sequential read speeds come up to 5,000 megabytes-per-second (MB/s) and write speeds up to 4,200 MB/s. Random read and write speeds also get a boost with up to 700K input/output operations per second (IOPS) and 800K IOPS, respectively.

By using Host Memory Buffer (HMB) technology to directly link to the host processor’s DRAM, the SSD can achieve optimised performance even with a DRAM-less design.

Improved Power Efficiency and Smart Thermal Solution

The Samsung 990 EVO improved power efficiency of up to 70% when compared to the 970 EVO Plus[3], allowing users extended usage on PCs without the constant concern for battery life. It also supports Modern Standby¹, which enables an instant on/off function with uninterrupted internet connectivity and seamless notification reception, even in low-power states.

The 990 EVO’s heat spreader label effectively regulates the thermal condition of the NAND chip, allowing operations to consistently run at their highest levels without compromising drive integrity.

A Versatile SSD for Current and Future Computing

The 990 EVO is a versatile SSD created to meet current computing needs and possibly future requirements. Users can experience seamless multitasking with a single SSD that caters to the demands of everyday such as gaming, business and creative workflow.

Supporting both PCIe 4.0 x4 and PCIe 5.0 x2 interfaces, the 990 EVO fits the needs for today’s PCs supporting PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots while it also offers compatibility along with thermal control and power savings for PCIe 5.0 interfaces in upcoming applications.

The 990 EVO comes in 1 terabyte (TB) and 2TB capacity options.

Samsung Magician Software Support

Samsung Magician software presents a suite of optimisation tools for enhanced functionality for all Samsung SSDs, including the 990 EVO. Users can streamline the data migration process for SSD upgrades effortlessly and securely. In addition, Samsung Magician helps protect valuable data, monitors drive health and notifies timely firmware updates.

Pricing and Availability

The Samsung SSD 990 EVO is available now from the Samsung Online store and select retailers nationwide, with recommended retail pricing (RRP) of $179.00 for the 1TB model and $299.00 for the 2TB model.

Samsung SSD 990 EVO Specifications

¹ For detailed information about Modern Standby, please visit the Microsoft website (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/design/device-experiences/part-selection#ssd-storage).

² The NVM Express® design mark is a registered trademark of NVM Express, Inc.

³ 1GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes by IDEMA. A certain portion of capacity may be used for system file and maintenance use, so the actual capacity may differ from what is indicated on the product label.

^{4 ,5} Sequential and random performance measurements are based on IOmeter1.1.0. Performance may vary based on an SSD’s firmware version, system hardware & configuration.

Test system configuration: AMD Ryzen9 7950x 16-Core Processor CPU@4.5GHz, DDR5 4800MHz 16GBx2 (PC5-38400), OS-Windows 11 Pro 64bit, Chipset – ASRock X670E Taichi

⁶ Samsung Electronics shall not be liable for any loss, including but not limited to loss of data or other information contained on Samsung Electronics’ products or loss of profit or revenue which may be incurred by the user. For more information on the warranty, please visit samsung.com/SSD or semiconductor.samsung.com/internal-ssd/

⁷ Five years or total bytes written (TBW), whichever comes first. For more information on the warranty, please refer to the enclosed warranty document in the package.

[1] *Compared to the previous model, 970 EVO Plus, based on internal tests.

[2] Based on internal tests. Performance may vary depending on the SSD’s firmware, system hardware & configuration and other factors.

[3] 970 EVO Plus provides power efficiency of 636/550 MB/s per Watt for read/write while 990 EVO’s is 1,020/933 MB/s per Watt for read/write, based on internal test results of the 1TB capacity model. Based on internal tests.

Samsung Electronics, today unveiled its new PRO Plus microSD and a redesigned and enhanced EVO Plus microSD card.[1] Samsung provides customers a comprehensive offering for day-to-day and professional storage needs with a new lineup of microSDs that offer fast read and write speeds[2], impressive durability and a wide variety of capacity options.

The new microSD cards are ideal for expanded mobile device storage and capturing high-quality photos, 4K Ultra HD (UHD) video[3] and other content on action cameras and drones.

Samsung’s newest microSDs offer six-proof protection, two more layers of protection than the previous generation, making them able to withstand exposure to water,[4] extreme temperatures[5], x-ray, wear out. Offered with a 10-year limited warranty[7], the PRO Plus and EVO Plus microSDs thus enable users to store data without the worry of lack of space, while also providing confidence that the content is well protected.

“Professionals and consumers of all kinds want memory cards that make it easy to save and retrieve data while also knowing that their valuable images and video files are protected,” said Matt Nelson, Business Unit Manager Brand Memory, Samsung Electronics Australia. “Samsung’s new suite of microSD cards offer the features and capabilities consumers and professionals need: faster speeds along with increased reliability and durability to deliver the ultra-high performance every user wants.”

PRO Plus microSD cards, a new addition to Samsung’s microSD lineup, are designed for more discerning content creators, offering exceptional read and write speeds of up to 160MB/s and 120MB/s[8], respectively. The PRO Plus microSD cards will be available in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB capacities.

The EVO Plus microSD is designed to give casual users peace of mind by providing high reliability and stable performance during day-to-day use. It offers transfer speeds of up to 130MB/s[9], providing up to 1.3x faster sequential read speed when compared to the previous 2020 version. EVO Plus microSD card will be available in 64GB, 128GB, 256GB and 512GB capacity.

The PRO Plus and EVO Plus microSD cards, featuring a reimagined Blue Wave design that gives the cards a fresh new look, will be available starting today. For more information on Samsung’s microSD card offerings, please visit: https://www.samsung.com/au/memory-storage/memory-card/ 

microSD Card		PRO Plus			EVO Plus
Capacity		512GB	256GB	128GB	512GB	256GB	128GB	64GB
RRP		$179.95	$109.95	$49.95	$149.95	$89.95	$39.95	$19.95
Interface		UHS-I
SD Standard		SDXC			SDXC
Performance[1]	Read	Up to 160 MB/s			Transfer Speed up to 130 MB/s
	Write	Up to 120 MB/s
Speed Class		U3, V30, A2, Class 10			U3, V30, A2, Class 10			U1, V10, A1, Class 10
Certification		FCC, CE, VCCI, RCM
Multi proof (6)		Water, Temperature, X-Ray, Magnet, Drop, Wearout[2]
Warranty		Limited 10-year warranty (* SD Adaptor 1 year warranty)

[1] Compared to EVO Plus microSD Card (2020) range.

[2] The read & write speeds are based on internal tests conducted under controlled conditions. Actual speeds may vary depending upon card capacity and device compatibility. Stated performance is achieved by using microSD with Samsung readers.

[3] EVO Plus 64GB is not supported.

[4] Able to withstand some exposure to freshwater for a limited period. Based on internal tests conducted under controlled conditions and may vary in local conditions

[5] Based on internal tests conducted under controlled conditions and may vary in local conditions. Temperature proof: operating temperatures of -25 C to 85 C; non-operating temperatures of -40 C to 85 C.

[6] Based on internal tests conducted under controlled conditions and may vary in local conditions. up to 10,000 swipes.

[7] See Warranty card or visit www.samsung.com/au/support for full details.

[8] Stated performance is achieved by using PRO Plus microSD cards with Samsung readers.

[9] Stated performance is achieved by using EVO Plus microSD cards with Samsung readers.

[1] Up to 160MB/s read speeds, engineered with proprietary technology to reach speeds beyond UHS-I 104MB/s, require compatible devices capable of reaching such speeds. Up to 120MB/s write speeds. Based on Samsung’s internal testing; performance may be lower depending upon host device interface, usage conditions and other factors.

[2] Based on internal tests conducted under controlled conditions and may vary in local conditions.