Samsung’s NVMe lineup just got shuffled. The 990 Pro launched in 2022 as the go-to Gen 4 drive, then Crucial answered with the T705 as the fastest Gen 5 SSD money could buy — and Samsung quietly responded in early 2026 with the 9100 Pro, their first PCIe 5.0 consumer drive. If you’re building or upgrading in 2026, this is the comparison you need.
Quick Picks
- Best overall: Crucial T705 2TB — Gen 5 speeds at $239. Now the better value pick over the 990 Pro due to NAND shortage pricing.
- Best Gen 4 performance: Samsung 990 Pro 2TB — proven Gen 4 performance on PCIe 4.0 boards, but NAND shortage has pushed street prices to ~$449. The T705 is now the smarter purchase for most builds.
- Best gaming Gen 4 alternative: WD Black SN850X 2TB — gaming-specific firmware, ~$130, and significantly cheaper than the 990 Pro with near-identical real-world gaming behavior.
PCIe 5.0 vs Gen 4: What Actually Matters for Gamers
Before spec-shopping, understand what these numbers mean for how you actually use your PC.
Sequential read speed doesn’t move game load times after ~3,500 MB/s. According to benchmarks from Tom’s Hardware and Hardware Unboxed, there’s no meaningful difference in game load times between a 7,450 MB/s drive and a 14,500 MB/s drive. Both outpace what games can actually request. The bottleneck shifts to DirectStorage and game engine I/O, not raw sequential throughput.
Where PCIe 5.0 earns its price premium is in content creation and production workloads: video editing with large ProRes or RED RAW files, AI model loading, bulk asset transfers, and virtual machine storage. If you spend serious time in DaVinci Resolve, After Effects, or Blender’s asset pipeline, the T705’s bandwidth makes a tangible difference. If you’re gaming and light productivity, the 990 Pro delivers 95% of the experience for less money.
Slot compatibility is non-negotiable. PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots appear on:
- Intel LGA1700 boards (12th gen+), specifically Z790 and H770 boards — check your specific board’s spec sheet
- AMD AM5 platform (Ryzen 7000 and 9000 series) — B650E, X670E, X870E, and X870 chipsets
Installing a Gen 5 drive in a Gen 4 slot will cut its speeds by half. The drive still works — it simply operates at Gen 4 rates, making you pay a Gen 5 price for Gen 4 performance.
Thermal management is a real consideration with Gen 5. The T705 and T700 pull enough power under sustained load to require active cooling. Boards with M.2 thermal shields handle this passively. If your board has an exposed M.2 slot, budget $15-20 for an aftermarket heatsink. The 990 Pro and SN850X run cool enough that this isn’t a concern.
Detailed Reviews
1. Crucial T705 2TB — Editor’s Pick
Crucial T705 2TB PCIe Gen5 NVMe SSD
The T705 arrived with the fastest sequential reads of any retail SSD at launch — 14,500 MB/s — and it held that title for over a year before Samsung finally responded with the 9100 Pro. Based on owner reports and professional reviews, the T705 runs at rated speeds consistently during the first 30-50GB of writes before thermal throttling kicks in on boards without adequate M.2 cooling.
The Phison E26 controller paired with Micron 232-layer TLC NAND is a well-understood combination at this point. Sustained write performance settles around 6,500-7,000 MB/s after the SLC cache fills — not unusual for high-density TLC, and comparable to what competing Gen 5 drives do.
The price story is important: the T705 2TB launched at $440 and has since dropped to $239. The NAND shortage driving up Gen 4 drive prices has inverted the value equation — at $239 the T705 now costs significantly less than the Samsung 990 Pro 2TB (~$449). For most builds with Gen 5 slots, the T705 is the correct call in 2026.
Compatible systems need either an Intel Z790/H770 board with a PCIe 5.0 slot, or an AM5 board on the B650E or X670E chipset or newer. Confirm this in your board’s M.2 spec before ordering.
2. Samsung 990 Pro 2TB — Best Value
Samsung 990 Pro 2TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD
The 990 Pro’s reputation in gaming circles is earned. Samsung’s in-house NAND and Elpis controller combination is efficient at gaming I/O patterns — lots of small, random reads across a scattered file layout — which is exactly what open-world games demand.
According to owner reports across r/buildapc and hardware forum threads, the 990 Pro maintains consistent sequential and random performance without thermal intervention across typical gaming sessions. It’s a drive you install and forget, which counts for something.
The realistic comparison: in a benchmark like 3DMark Storage Test, the T705 scores roughly 40% higher than the 990 Pro. In actual game load times, the difference is 1-3 seconds depending on the title. Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077, and Hogwarts Legacy don’t scale meaningfully with sequential NVMe speed beyond Gen 3 levels.
If your motherboard has only PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots — common on mid-range Z690 boards, B550, and AM4 platforms — the 990 Pro is your ceiling anyway, and it’s a good ceiling.
3. Samsung 9100 Pro 2TB — Samsung’s Gen 5 Answer
Samsung 9100 Pro 2TB PCIe Gen5 NVMe SSD
Samsung shipped the 9100 Pro in early 2026 to compete directly with the T705 in the PCIe 5.0 segment. On paper, it edges the T705 in write performance: 13,400 MB/s sequential writes vs the T705’s 12,700 MB/s. Random write IOPS reach 2,600K — leading the consumer SSD market.
The 9100 Pro uses Samsung’s 8th-gen V-NAND (V8) TLC, manufactured in-house rather than sourced from Micron like the T705. Samsung claims 49% better power efficiency compared to the 990 Pro. Early reviews from The SSD Review confirm the 9100 Pro holds its sequential performance longer under sustained writes before throttling, likely due to Samsung’s optimized thermal headroom management.
The problem is the price. At $300 for 2TB, the 9100 Pro costs $110 more than the T705 for narrower advantages in sequential write speed and IOPS metrics that translate to niche workloads. For gaming and general productivity, you’d struggle to notice the difference. The 9100 Pro makes sense if you specifically want Samsung’s software ecosystem and the fastest write performance available — otherwise the T705 at $190 is the smarter spend.
4. WD Black SN850X 2TB — Best Gaming Gen 4
WD Black SN850X 2TB NVMe SSD
Western Digital designed the SN850X with gaming explicitly in mind. The drive ships with firmware tuned to reduce latency variance during the random read/write patterns games generate, rather than optimizing for the sequential benchmarks that look good in spec sheets.
Owner feedback on reddit’s hardware communities and professional reviews note that the SN850X produces slightly more consistent frame timing under simultaneous game loads compared to drives optimized for sequential throughput — a difference that shows up in 1% low frametimes rather than averages.
The spec sheet shows lower random IOPS than the 990 Pro (1,200K vs 1,400K read), but user reports suggest real-world gaming behavior is effectively identical. Sequential throughput at 7,300 MB/s trails the 990 Pro’s 7,450 MB/s by a margin that doesn’t register in any gaming scenario.
For PS5 players also running a PC, the SN850X is worth mentioning: it’s PS5-certified, so one product covers both platforms without extra firmware complications.
5. Crucial T700 2TB — Budget PCIe 5.0
Crucial T700 2TB PCIe Gen5 NVMe SSD
The T700 is the path into PCIe 5.0 speeds if the T705 is sold out or you’re shopping a sale. Sequential reads hit 12,400 MB/s and writes reach 11,800 MB/s — genuinely fast, slower than the T705’s 14,500/12,700 MB/s, but still double the 990 Pro’s throughput.
Where the T700 struggles is thermal management. According to Tom’s Hardware’s review data, the T700 throttles more aggressively without a heatsink than the T705 under identical sustained write workloads. Crucial does sell a heatsink variant, but adding $20-30 to the price closes the gap with the T705 considerably.
The endurance specification actually favors the T700: 1,500 TBW vs 1,200 TBW on the T705. For workloads that write heavily — video editing, database operations, scientific computing — that’s a meaningful advantage. For gaming-primary builds, the difference is academic.
At $160, the T700 sits in a slightly awkward position. It’s only $20 less than the T705 while being meaningfully slower, and the T705 has better thermal management. Watch for sales — the T700 makes more sense at $130 or lower.
| Spec | Crucial T705 2TB PCIe Gen5 NVMe SSD $239 9.2/10 | Samsung 990 Pro 2TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD $449 9/10 | Samsung 9100 Pro 2TB PCIe Gen5 NVMe SSD $300 8.8/10 | WD Black SN850X 2TB NVMe SSD $130 8.7/10 | Crucial T700 2TB PCIe Gen5 NVMe SSD $160 8.3/10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe 5.0 x4, NVMe 2.0 | PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe 2.0 | PCIe 5.0 x4, NVMe 2.0 | PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe 2.0 | PCIe 5.0 x4, NVMe 2.0 |
| Sequential Read | 14,500 MB/s | 7,450 MB/s | 14,700 MB/s | 7,300 MB/s | 12,400 MB/s |
| Sequential Write | 12,700 MB/s | 6,900 MB/s | 13,400 MB/s | 6,600 MB/s | 11,800 MB/s |
| Random Read IOPS | 1,550K | 1,400K | 2,200K | 1,200K | 1,500K |
| Random Write IOPS | 1,800K | 1,550K | 2,600K | 1,100K | 1,500K |
| Endurance | 1,200 TBW | 1,200 TBW | 1,200 TBW | 1,200 TBW | 1,500 TBW |
| Warranty | 5 years | 5 years | 5 years | 5 years | 5 years |
| Rating | 9.2/10 | 9/10 | 8.8/10 | 8.7/10 | 8.3/10 |
FAQ
Do I need PCIe 5.0 for gaming in 2026?
No. Game load times don’t scale with sequential NVMe speed beyond roughly 3,500 MB/s. The 990 Pro and SN850X at 7,300-7,450 MB/s are already faster than games can saturate. PCIe 5.0 drives are worth the premium for video editing, AI workflows, and large file transfers — not for gaming.
Will a PCIe 5.0 SSD work in a Gen 4 slot?
Yes — PCIe is backward compatible. A T705 or 9100 Pro installed in a Gen 4 slot will operate at Gen 4 speeds (around 7,000-7,500 MB/s sequential), which is fine for gaming but defeats the purpose of buying a $190-300 Gen 5 drive. Check your motherboard manual before buying.
Does the Samsung 990 Pro still make sense now that the 9100 Pro exists?
Yes, for most builds. The 9100 Pro costs $160 more for speed advantages that don’t show up in game load times. If you have Gen 4 slots or a tight budget, the 990 Pro remains the correct pick for performance — though at ~$449 due to the NAND shortage, the WD SN850X 2TB at ~$130 is the better Gen 4 value. If you have Gen 5 slots and want Samsung’s ecosystem, the 9100 Pro makes sense — but the T705 at $239 beats it on value.
Do Gen 5 SSDs need a heatsink?
Technically they’ll run without one, but performance suffers. Under sustained reads or writes, Gen 5 drives hit temperatures that trigger throttling without additional cooling. Most current motherboards include an M.2 heatsink or thermal pad that handles this passively. If your board doesn’t, pick up the heatsink variant (Crucial sells one for both the T705 and T700) or add a $15 aftermarket M.2 cooler.
What capacity should I buy?
2TB is the right answer for most gaming builds in 2026. Modern games frequently exceed 100GB, and a 1TB drive fills up faster than you’d expect once Windows, drivers, and a few titles are installed. The price-per-GB on 2TB drives is better than 1TB in most cases — the T705 2TB at $239 is the better value pick in 2026 given current NAND shortage pricing on Gen 4 drives.
The Bottom Line
For most builders, the Crucial T705 2TB is now the practical choice at $239 — the NAND shortage has pushed the Samsung 990 Pro 2TB to ~$449, making Gen 5 the better value for any build with a PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot. The T705 delivers the fastest consumer NVMe available and now costs $210 less than the 990 Pro. If you’re on a PCIe 4.0 platform, the WD Black SN850X 2TB at ~$130 is the better Gen 4 pick over the 990 Pro at current prices.