Head-to-head · Best SSDs for PS5 Upgrade

Crucial T500 with Heatsink vs Samsung 990 Pro with Heatsink

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

The short answer

Samsung 990 Pro with Heatsink comes out ahead by a narrow margin (4.5 vs 4.6). The gap is mostly about PS5 owners who want the fastest, most power-efficient drive and don't mind paying a premium or slightly higher temperatures. — read the strengths below before deciding.

Ranked #3 in Best SSDs for PS5 Upgrade

Crucial T500 with Heatsink

4.5

$235.99as of Jun 7

The Crucial T500 with Heatsink is the value champion of the high-end PS5 SSDs. Tom's Hardware calls it a solid all-around drive that tops Gen4 drives in PCMark 10, and reviewers note it delivers roughly 90 percent of Samsung 990 Pro performance for about 30 percent less. Its clip-on PS5 heatsink is well engineered. Peak speeds trail the very top drives slightly and the 4TB dips a little in PS5 use, but for performance per dollar it is the smart pick.

Strengths

— Delivers around 90 percent of Samsung 990 Pro performance for far less
— Excellent power efficiency and consistent all-around results
— PS5-friendly integrated heatsink with a strong clip-on mechanism

Watch-outs

— Peak speeds trail the very top drives slightly
— 4TB model underperforms a touch in PS5 testing
— Heatsink version only offered in 1TB and 2TB capacities

$235.99 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

Higher ratedRanked #2 in Best SSDs for PS5 Upgrade

Samsung 990 Pro with Heatsink

4.6

$299.27as of Jun 7

The Samsung 990 Pro with Heatsink is the fastest drive here on paper, with 7,450 MB/s reads and excellent power efficiency, and it has matured into an excellent all-around pick after early firmware issues were fixed. Tom's Hardware praises its low power draw and consistency. It runs hotter in the PS5 than the WD SN850X and costs a premium for similar real-world console results, which is why it lands second, but it is a superb, refined PS5 upgrade.

Strengths

— Class-leading 7,450 MB/s sequential reads, the fastest here on paper
— Excellent power efficiency, drawing under 6 watts under full load
— Mature, refined drive after firmware fixes and newer flash

Watch-outs

— Runs hotter in the PS5 than the WD SN850X (65-70C)
— Commands a 10-15 percent price premium for similar real PS5 results
— Early 990 Pro units had firmware issues (since resolved)

$299.27 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

How they stack up

Crucial T500 with Heatsink

The Crucial T500 is the value-versus-performance leader, delivering roughly 90 percent of the Samsung 990 Pro's speed for far less, and undercutting the WD SN850X on price. It is a step up in performance and DRAM-backed design from the budget Lexar NM790, while costing less than the premium Seagate FireCuda 530R.

Samsung 990 Pro with Heatsink

The 990 Pro is the fastest drive here on paper and the most power-efficient, but it runs hotter in the PS5 than the cooler WD SN850X, which is the main reason it ranks second. It commands a premium over the value-focused Crucial T500 and budget Lexar NM790, and competes with the Seagate FireCuda 530R at the high end.

Specs side-by-side

Spec	Crucial T500 with Heatsink	Samsung 990 Pro with Heatsink
Interface	PCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe	PCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe
Form Factor	M.2 2280	M.2 2280
Sequential Read	Up to 7,400 MB/s	Up to 7,450 MB/s
Sequential Write	Up to 7,000 MB/s	Up to 6,900 MB/s
DRAM	Yes (DRAM cache)	—
Heatsink	Clip-on, PS5-friendly	Yes (PS5-compliant)
Capacities	1TB / 2TB	1TB / 2TB / 4TB
Warranty	5 years	5 years
Power Draw	—	Under 6W full load

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