Samsung 9100 PRO NVMe SSD Review: Blazing a New Speed Trail

The Samsung 9100 PRO NVMe SSD: Blazing Fast, But Is It Necessary?

##### Samsung 9100 PRO

7/10 The Samsung 9100 PRO NVMe SSD boasts impressive read speeds up to 14.7GB/s and write speeds up to 13.4GB/s. Currently the market leader (as of March 2025), this drive is clearly aimed at professionals. Its design excels in AI tasks, and significantly accelerates video and photo editing and export times.

Pros & Cons:

• Unmatched Speed: Fastest SSD available, reaching 14.7GB/s read and 13.4GB/s write.

• High Capacity: Offers up to 8TB of storage in a single NVMe drive.

• Heatsink Option: Available with or without a heatsink.

• Real-World Limitations: The performance advantage over other high-end drives isn't always noticeable in everyday use.

• Premium Pricing: The top-tier performance comes at a high cost per terabyte.

Pricing and Availability:

The Samsung 9100 PRO is offered in 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and 8TB capacities. A heatsink adds $20 to the price. Pricing (as of this writing): 1TB - $199.99, 2TB - $299.99, 4TB - $549.99. The 8TB model's price is yet to be announced (Q2 2025 release).

Specifications

Storage capacity

1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 8TB

Interface

M.2 NVMe

Brand

Samsung

Transfer rate

14.7GB/s read, 13.4GB/s write

TBW

Up to 4,800TB

MTBF

1.5 million hours

DRAM

Up to 8GB LPDDR4X

Warranty

5 years

Price

$200, $300, $500, TBA

Controller

Samsung In-House Controller

Dimensions

80.15 x 22.15 x 2.38 mm

Weight

8g

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Performance Benchmarks:

The Samsung 9100 PRO delivers on its speed claims, outperforming even data center drives like the Micron 9550. CrystalDiskMark testing confirmed near-theoretical maximum read/write speeds.

This drive is over 27 times faster than SATA SSDs or the fastest mechanical hard drives.

Real-World Applications:

While incredibly fast, the 9100 PRO's extreme speed is most beneficial for specific applications. It shines in AI processing, high-resolution video editing (8K RAW), and handling large, uncompressed RAW photos from high-megapixel cameras. For most users, including gamers, the performance gains are negligible compared to faster, more affordable alternatives.

Gaming Performance:

Testing with various games (Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, The Outer Worlds, Assassin's Creed Odyssey) showed minimal to no performance difference compared to PCIe Gen 4 and even PCIe Gen 3 drives. Load times were only marginally improved. However, future games utilizing technologies like Microsoft DirectStorage will likely unlock the 9100 PRO's full potential. A bulk load demo clearly illustrated this potential.

Should You Buy It?

The Samsung 9100 PRO is a top-tier drive, but its high price makes it a niche product. Unless you require its extreme speeds for AI, 8K video editing, or similar demanding tasks, a more affordable PCIe Gen 4 SSD offers excellent value. Consider the Samsung 990 EVO Plus 4TB as a cost-effective alternative offering double the storage, even if transfer speeds are lower.

##### Samsung 9100 PRO

7/10 The Samsung 9100 PRO NVMe SSD offers read speeds of up to 14.7GB/s and write speeds of up to 13.4GB/s, and it hits the mark. As the fastest SSD available as of March 2025, the 9100 PRO is made with professionals in mind. Designed to enhance AI workflows, as well as boost the speed of video and photo editing and exports, this SSD is purpose-built to help improve your efficiency.

$199.99 at Best Buy $199.99 at Newegg

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