Samsung's 1TB 9100 Pro PCIe 5.0 SSD is available for $207 as part of Amazon's Prime Day sales, offering a compelling option for those seeking top-tier storage performance. This deal arrives amidst a general increase in SSD prices, attributed to an ongoing memory supply crisis that has made the affordable SSD prices of previous years a distant memory. IMAGE2
Despite the overall grim market for SSDs, the 9100 Pro stands out with its impressive sequential read and write speeds, reaching up to 14,700 MB/s and 13,400 MB/s, respectively. These speeds are powered by dedicated LPDDR4X cache memory and a substantial 365 GB pseudo-SLC cache, contributing to what one reviewer described as the drive's ability to "absolutely [rip] across sequential performance." IMAGE3
However, the drive's random 4K performance presents a more mixed picture. While sequential transfers involve data moving in a neat line, game loading often relies on random access to smaller files, making random 4K speeds a more critical metric for gamers. In this area, the 2TB version of the drive, for instance, achieved an average random read speed of 88 MB/s and a write speed of 237 MB/s. These figures are considered average, with some slower PCIe 4.0 drives even surpassing them in write performance. IMAGE4
Consequently, the Samsung 9100 Pro might be better suited as a supplementary storage solution rather than a primary internal drive for gaming PCs. Its strengths in sequential performance, however, make it a strong contender for tasks such as video editing. IMAGE5
In terms of thermal performance, the drive is noted for its efficiency when properly cooled. Reviewers suggest that users should bypass the model that includes a heatsink, as it is described as "naff." Instead, it is recommended to install the drive beneath a robust motherboard heatsink for optimal cooling. IMAGE6 IMAGE7 IMAGE8 IMAGE9 IMAGE10 IMAGE11 IMAGE12