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.
Full review
Real-World Performance
The 990 Pro is the speed leader of this group on paper. TechRadar notes its "read speeds up to 7,450 MB/s" that "exceed Sony's requirements with room to spare," the highest sequential figure among the drives here. Android Central went so far as to title its review "a perfect PS5 SSD," reflecting how well the drive performs in the console. In practice the PS5 caps real-world gains, so the difference versus the WD SN850X in actual game loading is negligible, but the 990 Pro never leaves performance on the table.
Beyond raw sequential speed, the 990 Pro has strong random performance, which helps with the small, scattered asset reads that games perform constantly during streaming and level transitions. Random IOPS often matters more than peak sequential throughput for the felt responsiveness of a game, and the 990 Pro is among the strongest drives here on that metric. Tom's Hardware describes the mature version of the drive as "an excellent all-around pick," a notable endorsement given the publication's exhaustive SSD testing. For a buyer who wants the highest numbers and Samsung's track record in NAND, the 990 Pro is the headline performer. The 7,450 MB/s read rating is the highest in this comparison, and while the PS5's storage controller means that advantage does not fully translate into faster game loads versus the WD SN850X, the Samsung never feels like the bottleneck and leaves the most headroom for future use, including in a PC.
Efficiency and Thermals
The 990 Pro's standout technical trait is efficiency. Tom's Hardware found it "consumed just under 6 watts under full load, lower than any other high-end Gen 4 drive we tested." Lower power draw means less heat generated at the source, which is genuinely useful in the PS5's confined expansion bay. The efficiency is a product of Samsung's controller and flash tuning, and it is a real engineering advantage.
Despite that efficiency, the 990 Pro still runs warmer in the PS5 than the WD SN850X in comparative testing, roughly 65-70C versus the WD's 55-60C. Tom's Hardware notes that even without a heatsink the drive hit 72C, "high but not dangerous," and considers the optional heatsink "unnecessary" for thermal safety. Samsung nonetheless offers a PS5-compliant heatsink version, which gives "one less worry if you're running your system hard in a hotter environment." The higher operating temperature is the main reason it sits behind the cooler WD.
Maturity and Reliability
The 990 Pro had a rocky start: early units shipped with firmware issues that caused unexpected health-degradation reports. Tom's Hardware notes those issues "were eventually resolved," and Samsung subsequently introduced a single-sided 4TB SKU with newer flash that "trickled back into the smaller SKUs, making the mature version of this drive an excellent all-around pick." In other words, the drive you buy today is a refined, dependable product, not the troubled launch version.
That maturity, combined with Samsung's long reputation as a flash-memory leader and a 5-year warranty, makes the current 990 Pro a safe long-term choice. Buyers should simply ensure their drive is on the latest firmware via Samsung Magician (on a PC) before installing it in the PS5, a one-time step that puts the early concerns firmly in the past and is good practice with any new SSD regardless of brand. It is worth noting that the firmware issue affected health reporting rather than causing data loss, and Samsung's fix was thorough; the drive's strong sales and continued top rankings since then reflect restored confidence. For a buyer today, the saga is a historical footnote rather than a live risk.
Where It Falls Short
The 990 Pro's two weaknesses are heat and price. It runs hotter in the PS5 than the WD SN850X, and while Tom's Hardware classes the temperatures as safe rather than dangerous, cooler is better in a sealed console, which tips the recommendation toward the WD for most buyers. It also commands roughly a 10-15 percent price premium for performance that, on the PS5 specifically, is effectively indistinguishable from cheaper top-tier drives.
The optional heatsink is, by Tom's Hardware's own assessment, unnecessary for thermal safety, so paying extra for it is more about peace of mind than measurable benefit. And buyers with long memories may hesitate over the early firmware saga, even though it is resolved. None of these are dealbreakers, but together they explain why the faster-on-paper 990 Pro ranks just behind the cooler, cheaper WD SN850X.
How It Compares to Alternatives
Against the WD SN850X, the 990 Pro wins the spec-sheet speed and efficiency battle but loses on PS5 thermals and price, which is the decisive trade for an enclosed console. Compared to the Crucial T500, the 990 Pro is faster and more refined but costs more, with the T500 offering roughly 90 percent of the performance for significantly less.
The budget Lexar NM790 undercuts the 990 Pro substantially while still saturating the PS5's interface, so the Samsung's premium buys headroom and brand pedigree rather than visibly faster games. The Seagate FireCuda 530R is the closest high-end rival on endurance and speed. For the buyer who specifically wants the fastest, most efficient drive and Samsung's reputation, the 990 Pro is the pick; for pure PS5 value, others make a stronger case. The decision really comes down to use case: a PS5-only buyer is paying for headroom they cannot fully use, whereas a buyer who moves the drive between a PS5 and a high-end PC, or who simply wants the best on paper, gets full value from the Samsung's class-leading numbers and efficiency.
Installation and Value
The 990 Pro with Heatsink installs in the PS5 like any other M.2 drive: remove the bay cover, seat the drive, fasten the screw, and let the console format it. The PS5-compliant heatsink is sized to fit the slot, so there are no clearance issues. Buyers who own a PC should first update the drive's firmware with Samsung Magician before installing it in the console, a quick step that ensures the drive is on the latest, fully-fixed firmware.
On value, the 990 Pro is the priciest of the mainstream picks here for a given capacity, carrying roughly a 10-15 percent premium over comparable drives. Because the PS5 caps real-world speed, that premium does not translate into faster games versus a cheaper top-tier drive; you are paying for the highest benchmark numbers, the best efficiency, and Samsung's brand. For a buyer who also uses the drive in a high-end PC, where those peak speeds are realized, the value equation improves considerably; for PS5-only use, cheaper drives deliver the same experience.
Who It's Best For
The Samsung 990 Pro with Heatsink is for the PS5 owner who wants the fastest, most power-efficient drive available and values Samsung's flash-memory pedigree, and who is comfortable paying a premium for it. It is an especially good fit for someone who also uses the drive in a PC, where its peak sequential and random speeds are more fully realized than inside the PS5's capped interface, making the premium easier to justify across both platforms.
It is a slightly weaker pick for buyers focused on the coolest PS5 operation (the WD SN850X wins) or the best value (the Crucial T500 and Lexar NM790 win). But as the headline performer with a now-mature, reliable platform, the 990 Pro is a superb PS5 upgrade and a deserving second place.
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
- +PS5-compliant heatsink option available out of the box
- +Strong random performance for snappy in-game asset loading
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)
- −Heatsink is arguably unnecessary given the drive's efficiency
How it compares
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.
Who this is for
At a glance: PS5 owners who want the fastest, most power-efficient drive and don't mind paying a premium or slightly higher temperatures.
Why you’d buy the Samsung 990 Pro with Heatsink
- 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.
Why you’d skip it
- 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).
Rating sources
“The mature version of this drive is an excellent all-around pick; it consumed just under 6 watts under full load, lower than any other high-end Gen 4 drive we tested.”
“A perfect PS5 SSD.”
“With read speeds up to 7,450 MB/s, the Samsung 990 Pro exceeds Sony's requirements with room to spare.”
Our 4.6 score is the average of these published ratings. Ratings marked * were derived from the reviewer’s written analysis or video transcript — the publisher didn’t print an explicit numeric score, so we inferred one from their own words. Click through to verify. More about methodology.
