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

The WD SN850X is the faster drive on paper and the better pick for gaming and large game libraries, especially since it comes in capacities up to 8TB. The Samsung 990 is a close second on sequential speed and adds hardware encryption, but its listed 1TB capacity and 400 TBW endurance suit mainstream use rather than huge libraries. Both are PCIe Gen4 M.2 2280 drives that reviewers rate highly; the SN850X edges ahead on peak write speed and capacity options, while the 990 is the more balanced all-rounder with encryption.

• Choose the WD SN850X if you want the highest write speeds, a gaming-tuned feature set, and room to grow into multi-terabyte capacities.
• Choose the Samsung 990 if you want a proven Gen4 drive with hardware AES encryption and strong random read performance for everyday and workstation use.