Samsung 990 EVO Plus SSD 1TB vs WD Black SN850X 1TB NVMe SSD

Both are 1TB PCIe 4.0 M.2 drives with 600 TBW endurance, so they last about the same on paper. The Samsung 990 EVO Plus is the more efficient, flexible pick: it runs at lower power, works in PCIe 5.0 x2 slots as well as Gen 4 x4, and has higher random read and write IOPS. The WD Black SN850X is the gaming-focused drive, with a slightly higher sequential read rating and a long track record with owners. Buy the Samsung for laptops, small builds and mixed workloads; buy the WD Black if you mainly game and want the drive with the bigger owner base.

• Choose the Samsung 990 EVO Plus if you want lower power draw, a drive that fits both Gen 4 x4 and Gen 5 x2 slots, and stronger random performance for everyday work.
• Choose the WD Black SN850X if you want a gaming drive with a proven reputation and a slightly higher rated sequential read.