Published: July 14, 2026 | Source: Samsung | Author: Tom Logan

Samsung 990 Gen4 1TB M.2 Review

Conclusion

We won’t repeat ourselves regarding the price problems. We’ve always attempted to review hardware solely on performance, usability, etc. After all, what is expensive to some of us isn’t expensive to others. One person’s “buying the GTA 6 Collectors Edition without thinking twice” is another’s “Meccha Chameleon costs a fiver! That’s more than I’ve got”. Hence we deal with price once we’ve established whether a product can stand on its own merits.

However, with storage options price is pretty much consideration 1B after reliabilities 1A. As a general rule of thumb, although at the absolute limits there are exceptions, generally all Gen4 drives are about the same speed. All Gen5 drives are about the same speed. Etc. Price is, roughly, determined by capacity. So you’re left considering whether the brand itself has a good reputation and whether the asking price justifies it.

Unquestionably, Samsung is high on the reputation ladder. They are first out of the blocks when a new technology appears. They usually are the fastest one in that category (Gen3, Gen5, SSD, whatever it might be). There is plenty of choice too, so you’re not limited to only buying one when you’re flush.

The 990 Itself

Which brings us to this drive. Designed to fill the yawning chasm left in the market by the AI bubble scorching the Earth in the name of profit. By going back to an earlier technology, albeit one that is still supremely fast, Samsung have brought the 990 to market at exactly the right moment. Obviously, the price can seem steep if you haven’t looked at memory prices in the last year. If you have, then you’ll know this is a reasonable price in today’s market. That said, some retailers still have drives in stock that predate the newest NAND/DRAM price increases, so other Samsung drives may be more affordable if you shop around. That said, it won’t be long before the old (pre-price-hike) SSD supply dries up and new NAND prices dictate retail prices.

What we have here is an SSD that promises reliability born out of in-field experience, speed from the excellent Samsung controller, and mass-market capacities. Samsung 990 quality at a lowered price, at least by the standard of today’s SSDs.

The Samsung 990 Gen4 1TB M.2 is exactly the right product coming at exactly the right time. That said, pricing is still dictated by the NAND/DRAM used. Regardless, this is a product replete with memory chips, in this economy! This is a solid SSD that aims to deliver value in today’s tough times.