The Samsung 990 is a newly released internal solid-state drive (SSD) from Samsung, a South Korean electronics company. It comes in 1 terabyte (TB) and 2 TB storage versions, making it suitable for users who need faster storage for computers. The drive uses QLC (Quad-Level Cell) flash NAND chips, which store more data per cell than the more common TLC (Triple-Level Cell) chips but are generally less durable and have lower endurance. This means the Samsung 990 is better suited for tasks that don’t involve heavy writing or frequent data changes. The Samsung 990 offers fast read speeds of up to 7,000 megabytes per second (Mo/s) and is compatible with PCIe 4.0, a newer interface that allows for faster data transfer between the SSD and the computer’s motherboard. However, it lacks a thermal dissipator, which helps cool components under heavy use, and it is not compatible with the PlayStation 5 gaming console. It is marketed as an entry-level product, meaning it makes trade-offs in terms of durability and warranty compared to higher-end models. The 990 has an endurance rating of 800 TBW (terabytes written), which refers to how much data can be written to the drive over its lifetime, and comes with a three-year warranty. In contrast, its more premium sibling, the Samsung 990 Pro, has a higher endurance rating of 1,200 TBW and a five-year warranty. The 990 also lacks a DRAM cache, which can affect performance in certain tasks. Pricing for the Samsung 990 is around 200 euros for the 1 TB version and 360 euros for the 2 TB version. These prices are nearly double what similar SSDs cost a year ago, reflecting the increased cost of components and manufacturing. In performance testing using the CrystalDiskMark benchmark, the drive showed strong read speeds of about 7,290 Mo/s and write speeds of 5,861 Mo/s. However, it performed less well in mixed workloads and random 4K tests, which measure how well the drive handles small, scattered data requests. It achieved 871,883 input/output operations per second (IOPS) for reading and 1,239,652 IOPS for writing in these scenarios. During testing, the Samsung 990 also reached high operating temperatures, with internal sensors recording up to 116 degrees Celsius and a thermal camera measuring 106 degrees Celsius when the drive was fully utilized. High temperatures can affect performance and longevity, especially in environments without proper cooling. The article suggests that users looking for similar performance at comparable prices may prefer alternatives like the Samsung 990 Evo Plus or the WD Black SN7100, which offer better endurance and reliability for the same or slightly higher cost.