Welcome to the battle of the SSD titans! In one corner we have the Solidigm P44 Pro, in the other, the venerable Samsung 990 Pro. Both are flagship Gen4 NVMe drives aimed at enthusiasts and prosumers seeking bleeding-edge performance.
But which one comes out on top? Let’s dive in and find out!
A Brief Comparison Table
| Specs | Solidigm P44 Pro | Samsung 990 Pro |
| Sequential Read | Up to 7,000 MB/s | Up to 7,450 MB/s |
| Sequential Write | Up to 6,800 MB/s | Up to 6,900 MB/s |
| Random Read IOPS | Up to 1.2 million | Up to 1.55 million |
| Random Write IOPS | Up to 1.5 million | Up to 1.55 million |
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x4 | PCIe 4.0 x4 |
| NAND & Controller | 144L TLC, E20 Controller | V-NAND, Samsung Controller |
| Endurance | 2,800 TBW | 1,200 TBW |
| Warranty | 5 years | 5 years |
| Verdict | Matches 990 Pro on real-world performance. More endurance but slightly lower max speeds. | Marginally faster in benchmarks but minimal real-world difference. Lower endurance rating. |
An Overview Of Gen4 SSDs
Before we compare the P44 Pro and 990 Pro directly, let’s first understand what makes Gen4 SSDs special. Gen4 refers to drives that utilize the PCIe 4.0 interface, which essentially doubles the bandwidth compared to PCIe 3.0 SSDs. This allows Gen4 drives to reach sequential read/write speeds of up to 7,000/5,000 MB/s respectively.
In addition to raw throughput, Gen4 SSDs also offer significantly lower latency and higher IOPS (input/output operations per second). This makes them perfect for tasks like 4K video editing, 3D modeling, data analysis and other productivity workloads. The combination of speed, responsiveness and endurance offered by Gen4 SSDs enable next-level performance.
Now let’s see how the P44 Pro and 990 Pro aim to push the limits of what Gen4 SSDs can deliver.
Introducing The Solidigm P44 Pro
The P44 Pro is Solidigm’s latest flagship consumer NVMe SSD. Solidigm is a new brand spun off from Intel, focusing exclusively on data center and client SSDs. The P44 Pro aims to beat Samsung’s best by offering:
- Sequential read speeds up to 7,000 MB/s
- Sequential write speeds up to 6,800 MB/s
- Up to 1.2 million IOPS for random reads
- Support for the PCIe 4.0 x4 interface
- Available capacities of 1TB and 2TB
The P44 Pro is the spiritual successor to Intel’s previous flagship, the 670p. It uses 144-layer TLC NAND flash and is powered by Solidigm’s proprietary SSD controller and firmware. The drive also features the latest NVMe standard (version 1.4) and has an endurance rating of up to 2,800 TBW (terabytes written).
With its excellent combination of throughput, IOPS, capacity and endurance, the P44 Pro aims to be the fastest consumer Gen4 SSD available. But the Samsung 990 Pro won’t go down without a fight, as we’ll see next.
Also watch the review of Solidigm P44 Pro!
Introducing The Samsung 990 Pro
Here are the key highlights of the Samsung 990 Pro SSD:
- Sequential read speeds up to 7,450 MB/s
- Sequential write speeds up to 6,900 MB/s
- Up to 1.55 million IOPS for random reads
- Uses PCIe 4.0 x4 interface
- Available in capacities of 1TB and 2TB
The 990 Pro uses Samsung’s latest V-NAND flash paired with an updated custom controller.
It builds upon the foundation set by the previous 980 Pro with impressive performance gains across the board.
The 990 Pro also offers excellent endurance with up to 1,200 TBW for the 1TB model.
For cooling, it has a nickel coating and a redesigned aluminum heat spreader that improves thermal management.
Samsung has packed the 990 Pro with bleeding-edge specs to stay ahead of the competition. Now let’s directly compare the two drives.
Solidigm P44 Pro Vs. Samsung 990 Pro: Detailed Comparison
Here is an in-depth feature-by-feature comparison between the Solidigm P44 Pro and Samsung 990 Pro:
Sequential Read Speed
- P44 Pro: Up to 7,000 MB/s
- 990 Pro: Up to 7,450 MB/s
Sequential Write Speed
- P44 Pro: Up to 6,800 MB/s
- 990 Pro: Up to 6,900 MB/s
Random Read IOPS
- P44 Pro: Up to 1.2 million IOPS
- 990 Pro: Up to 1.55 million IOPS
Random Write IOPS
- P44 Pro: Up to 1.55 million IOPS
- 990 Pro: Up to 1.55 million IOPS
Interface & PCIe Version
- Both use PCIe 4.0 x4 interface
NAND Flash & Controller
- P44 Pro: 144-layer TLC and Solidigm E20 controller
- 990 Pro: Samsung V-NAND and Updated Samsung controller
Capacity Options
- Both offer 1TB and 2TB options
Form Factor
- Both use the M.2 2280 form factor
Endurance Rating
- P44 Pro: Up to 2,800 TBW
- 990 Pro: Up to 1,200 TBW
Features
- Both support NVMe 1.4, SMART monitoring, TRIM, etc.
- 990 Pro has redesigned heatsink for better cooling
Warranty
- Both offer a 5-year limited warranty
Based on the specs, the Samsung 990 Pro has a slight edge in maximum sequential read speed and random read IOPS. However, the P44 Pro counters with higher endurance at 2,800 TBW versus 1,200 TBW. Both deliver nearly identical real-world performance and provide an exceptional Gen4 NVMe experience.
Also Read: Comparison Between Samsung 970 EVO Plus And 980 Pro.
Real-World Performance Comparison
Synthetic benchmarks provide an overview of drive capabilities. But how does real-world performance compare when using these drives to boot Windows, launch games/apps or transfer files?
Several expert reviews have tested the P44 Pro and 990 Pro in real-world scenarios. Here’s a summary of their findings:
- OS & App Loading: Both drives deliver nearly identical boot and load times. The 990 Pro was marginally faster in a couple of game launches. But we’re talking about a difference of 1-2 seconds at most.
- File Transfers: Again, both drives are evenly matched. Transferring a 50GB game folder or 4K video files showed negligible differences. The drives maintained transfer speeds of 5,000 – 5,500 MB/s in testing.
- Full Drive Performance: When benchmarking the entire drive capacity via tools like CrystalDiskMark, the 990 Pro scored about 2-5% higher than the P44 Pro. But this doesn’t affect real-world use.
- Power Efficiency: Both drives are rated at 6.5W power consumption during active use. The 990 Pro supports a deeper low-power state, but this has minimal impact during everyday use.
So for all practical purposes, the P44 Pro and 990 Pro deliver equivalent real-world performance. The minor differences observed are largely academic and don’t provide a tangible benefit.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
The 990 Pro is among the fastest consumer Gen4 SSDs, but the Solidigm P44 Pro matches it for real-world performance. Both drives deliver blazing fast speeds reserved for only the most premium NVMe storage.
Yes, the 990 Pro is an excellent high-end SSD thanks to its incredible read/write speeds, top-tier performance and great reliability. However, the less expensive P44 Pro also matches it well, so go with whichever drive fits your budget.
The Solidigm P44 Pro is the closest alternative to the Samsung 990 Pro. It delivers equivalent real-world performance and specs at a slightly more affordable price point. Other options include WD Black SN850 and Seagate FireCuda 530.
So in summary, you can’t go wrong with the blisteringly fast Samsung 990 Pro or Solidigm P44 Pro as your next high-performance SSD. Both drives represent the cutting-edge of consumer Gen4 storage technology. Pick the SSD that best matches your needs and budget.
Also Read: Choose Between Samsung 980 And 970 EVO Plus SSDs.
The Verdict
Based on our detailed comparison, the Solidigm P44 Pro and Samsung 990 Pro are extremely well-matched in terms of performance. Both drives represent the pinnacle of current Gen4 SSD technology.
The Samsung 990 Pro holds a slight edge in maximum throughput benchmarks thanks to its updated controller. However, the differences are minor – we’re talking low single-digit percentages that don’t matter for real-world use.
The P44 Pro counters with slightly higher endurance at 2,800 TBW, and competitive power efficiency. It’s also priced lower than the 990 Pro making it more budget-friendly.
Ultimately, you can’t go wrong with either drive. Both will provide an exceptional performance upgrade over Gen3 SSDs.
For most users, the best option is to choose the drive that best fits your budget. The P44 Pro and 990 Pro offer similar real-world speed, responsiveness, and cutting-edge Gen4 performance.
Key factors like endurance, reliability, warranty and software support are also evenly matched between these two SSD heavyweights.