Samsung 990 Evo Plus M.2 SSDs are on sale at Amazon today

I don't normally get excited about SSDs, but this one actually makes sense. Samsung’s 990 Evo Plus is sitting at $129.99 for 2TB or $259.99 for 4TB, and that's cheaper than anything I've seen from the 990 Pro lineup.

While I can personally get get a little obsessive, I don't think most people won't notice any performance difference for gaming, and unless you're into benchmarking for fun, so there's not a strong reason to pay more. You'll get fast speeds, plenty of space, and enough reliability that you won’t be blaming your storage next time a game crashes.

Samsung 990 EVO Plus SSD 2TB PCIe Gen 4x4 M.2 $129.99 (was $184.99) See here

I picked one up mainly because I needed a second drive that wouldn't drag down my system. It's a PCIe Gen 4 NVMe drive, so speeds are solid; up to 7,250MB/s read and 6,300MB/s write, which is basically what you want for games that insist on unpacking half the universe every time you launch. This isn't the Pro model, so it skips the dedicated DRAM, but honestly, I don't think that matters. It uses Host Memory Buffer, which just taps into your system's RAM. Unless you’re clinging to 8GB in 2025, it won't make a dent.

Samsung 990 EVO Plus SSD 4TB PCIe Gen 4x4 M.2 $259.99 (was $344.99) See here

What I like most is that it's single-sided and power efficient. I've dealt with chunky SSDs that run hot and end up needing some Frankenstein cooling solution just to keep temps down. This one runs cool enough that I didn't even bother adding a heatsink. You could, but it's not necessary. That alone makes it a nice fit for compact builds or just keeping airflow clean in general.

• Samsung 990 Evo Plus 2TB PCIe Gen 4x4 M.2 SSD – $129.99
  • PCIe Gen 4.0 x4 NVMe interface
  • Sequential Read: Up to 7,250MB/s
  • Sequential Write: Up to 6,300MB/s
  • DRAM-less design with Host Memory Buffer (HMB) support
  • Single-sided form factor for better compatibility and cooling
  • Power-efficient, low-heat operation
  • No preinstalled heatsink
  • Compatible with PC and PlayStation 5

• Samsung 990 Evo Plus 4TB PCIe Gen 4x4 M.2 SSD – $259.99
  • PCIe Gen 4.0 x4 NVMe interface
  • Sequential Read: Up to 7,250MB/s
  • Sequential Write: Up to 6,300MB/s
  • DRAM-less design with Host Memory Buffer (HMB) support
  • Single-sided form factor for better compatibility and cooling
  • Power-efficient, low-heat operation
  • No preinstalled heatsink
  • Compatible with PC and PlayStation 5

For a PC gaming SSD, this has done everything I needed it to. Load times are short, installs don't take forever, and I can stash a massive library without juggling space every weekend. I think if you’re building new or just tired of slow load screens, this is a smart pickup. It's fast, it's cheap, and for once, I don’t feel like I overpaid for a spec I'll never actually use.

Alternative picks

Crucial P310 1TB PCIe Gen4 2280 NVMe M.2 SSD $70.99 (was $97.99) See here

If you're looking to save a few bucks and still get solid performance, Crucial P310 is an easy SSD to recommend. I’ve used Crucial drives in past builds and they've been surprisingly reliable, even when pushed hard. The 1TB model is just $70.99, and it hits up to 7,100MB/s read speeds, which puts it right in line with Samsung's 990 Evo Plus. There's also a version with a pre-installed heatsink for only a couple bucks more, which is great if you're slotting it into a PS5 or just don't want to mess with thermal tape.

Crucial P310 1TB PCIe Gen4 2280 NVMe M.2 SSD with Heatsink $72.99 See here

The main thing you're giving up with Crucial compared to Samsung is brand polish and maybe some long-haul write endurance. But for gaming? I don’t think you'll notice. It handles fast bootups, quick file transfers, and load times without complaint. I’ve seen people obsess over DRAM vs. HMB, but both drives use similar memory buffering techniques, and in my opinion, you're not going to notice a frame of difference in real-world gaming.

Corsair MP600 PRO LPX 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe Gen4 SSD $99.99 (was $104.99) See here

Then there's Corsair MP600 PRO LPX, which leans harder into the premium zone at $99.99 for 1TB. It includes a low-profile heatsink that's PS5-ready out of the box, if you're so included to use a console, and performance is excellent. It hits up to 7,100MB/s read and 6,800MB/s write, so it's slightly faster on paper than both the Crucial and the Samsung Evo Plus. But the real appeal is plug-and-play convenience. If you want high speed and minimal fuss, especially for consoles, this one makes the case. I’d personally grab this over the Pro if you’re after raw performance without needing to play spec bing