Crucial P3 Plus vs Samsung 990 Pro – Check Which One Is Best & Why?

Why Do I Recommend The Samsung 990 Pro? 

• The Samsung 990 Pro features sequential read speeds up to 7,450 MB/s for faster game loading, application launches, and file transfers, whereas the Crucial P3 Plus has sequential read speeds up to 5,000 MB/s.
• Samsung 990 Pro has dedicated DRAM cache for reduced latency and smoother multitasking under heavy workloads, while the Crucial P3 Plus uses Host Memory Buffer instead of DRAM.
• It includes TLC V-NAND for stronger sustained write performance and better reliability, whereas the Crucial P3 Plus uses QLC NAND.
• The Samsung 990 Pro supports random read speeds up to 1.5 million IOPS for faster small file access and responsiveness in multitasking, while the Crucial P3 Plus supports around 600–800K IOPS.
• Samsung 990 Pro comes with endurance ratings of around 600 TBW for 1TB capacity to support long-term use in video editing and data-heavy workloads, whereas the Crucial P3 Plus has around 220 TBW for the same capacity.
• It supports AES 256-bit hardware encryption with TCG Opal and eDrive for secure enterprise or professional data protection, while the Crucial P3 Plus does not support hardware encryption.
• The Samsung 990 Pro includes an optional factory heatsink model for better thermal management and sustained high performance, whereas the Crucial P3 Plus does not include a heatsink option.
• Samsung 990 Pro is managed by Samsung Magician software with advanced optimization, cloning, and performance monitoring tools, while the Crucial P3 Plus uses Crucial Storage Executive with more basic functionality.

Maybe the Crucial P3 Plus price can make you comfortable because it’s a little bit cheaper than the Samsung 990 Pro. But you have to compromise all the above-mentioned features. Now the Decision is Yours. I hope it was helpful to choose the right one.

What Common Both Can Do?

• Interface & Protocol: Both the Samsung 990 Pro and Crucial P3 Plus run on PCIe 4.0 x4 lanes using NVMe 1.4, ensuring modern compatibility with motherboards, chipsets, and platforms designed for PCIe Gen4.
• Form Factor: Each drive is built in the M.2 2280 form factor, the most widely used size for desktops and laptops, which means easy installation without adapters.
• Capacity Options: Both lines scale into the multi-terabyte range (up to 4TB), making them suitable as either a primary drive or a large storage expansion.
• Target Market: They are designed as consumer SSDs aimed at gamers, professionals, and everyday users who want a fast system drive.
• Cross-Platform Support: Both drives are compatible with Windows, Linux, and macOS when used as standard NVMe storage, giving flexibility across operating systems.
• NAND Architecture: Each uses 3D NAND stacking technology, though the type differs (TLC vs QLC). The similarity is the reliance on vertical NAND to achieve density and cost efficiency.
• SLC Caching: Both employ pseudo-SLC cache mechanisms to accelerate short bursts of writes before dropping to raw NAND speeds, which benefits game installs and application updates.
• Controller Compliance: Each SSD has a PCIe 4.0 controller, tuned for consumer workloads, ensuring it can fully leverage Gen4 bandwidth.
• TRIM Support: Both support TRIM commands, which help sustain performance over time by cleaning unused data blocks in the background.
• SMART Health Monitoring: Each provides S.M.A.R.T. diagnostics, enabling users to check drive health, lifespan, and error logs.
• Power States: Both drives support low power NVMe states, making them laptop-friendly and more energy-efficient during idle or light use.
• Warranty Coverage: Both carry a 5-year limited warranty, which is standard in the industry, though actual endurance ratings differ.
• Use Cases: Both drives can be used for gaming, office productivity, multimedia storage, and general computing tasks without issues.
• Boot Drive Support: Either SSD can be used as a primary OS drive, providing fast boot times, quick application loads, and smooth multitasking.
• Firmware Updates: Both drives have vendor utilities (Samsung Magician, Crucial Storage Executive) that allow firmware updates, ensuring long-term support.