The Samsung 9100 Pro is a PCIe 5.0 drive and the 990 Pro a PCIe 4.0 one. In tests that look like real use the 9100 Pro is 14 to 42 percent faster: 42 percent more in Tom's Hardware's PCMark 10 storage test, 16 percent more in StorageReview's 3DMark storage test, and it loads a 32B AI model 15 percent sooner. The 2TB models launched at $300 and $289.
990 Pro 2TB and 9100 Pro 2TB
| 990 Pro 2TB | 9100 Pro 2TB | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2892TB at launch (Tom's Hardware) | $299.992TB without heatsink, price at launch (Tom's Hardware) |
| Capacity | 2 TB | 2 TB |
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe 2.0 | PCIe 5.0 x4, NVMe 2.0 |
| Form factor | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 |
| Sequential read | 7450 MB/s | 14700 MB/s |
| 3DMark Storagepoints | 4,816 | 6,371 |
| PCMark 10 Storagepoints | 4,651 | 6,597 |
| Sustained writeMB/s | 1,400 | 1,867 |
| 3DMark DirectStorageStorage to VRAM, GDeflate, GB/s | 14.2 | 23.8 |
| LLM load timeDeepSeek R1 32B, s | 5.11 | 4.37 |
| Buy | Check price on AmazonCheck price at Best Buy | Check price on AmazonCheck price at Best Buy |
Figures as published by StorageReview (Mar 18, 2025), Tom's Hardware (Mar 18, 2025). The best figure is marked where a row is all one source.
Compare every benchmark side by sideThe figures, one lab per row
Tom's Hardware and StorageReview each tested both drives.
990 Pro 2TB vs 9100 Pro 2TB, same test, same lab
| Test and setting | 990 Pro 2TB | 9100 Pro 2TB | Ahead | Lab |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3DMark Storage (points) | 4,128 | 4,779 | 9100 Pro 2TB by 16% | StorageReview |
| PCMark 10 Storage (points) | 4,651 | 6,597 | 9100 Pro 2TB by 42% | Tom's Hardware |
| Sustained write (MB/s) | 1,400 | 1,867 | 9100 Pro 2TB by 33% | Tom's Hardware |
| LLM load time, DeepSeek R1 32B (s, lower is better) | 5.1 | 4.4 | 9100 Pro 2TB by 17% | StorageReview |
| 3DMark DirectStorage, Storage to VRAM, GDeflate (GB/s) | 14.2 | 23.8 | 9100 Pro 2TB by 68% | StorageReview |
No row matches that.
A row is here only when the same publication ran the same test on both. Launch prices are the makers' suggested prices; check the shop for today's.
Free to reuse with credit and a link to this page (CC BY 4.0).
What you notice
Boot and game loads are not twice as fast, even though the rated sequential speed is (14,700 against 7,450 MB/s). Real loads are small random reads, where the gap is 14 to 42 percent. Large file copies show it more: the 9100 Pro holds 1,867 MB/s after its cache fills against the 990 Pro's 1,400, and DirectStorage moves data to the graphics card at 23.8 GB/s against 14.2.
What you need
A PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot, found on many AM5 and Intel Z890 boards. In a PCIe 4.0 slot the 9100 Pro runs at about 990 Pro speeds. It also runs hotter, so use the motherboard's heatsink.
Which one to buy
Buy the 9100 Pro for a new AM5 or Z890 build if it is within $20 of the 990 Pro. Buy the 990 Pro for a PCIe 4.0 board, a PS5, or when it's on sale: in that slot the 9100 Pro brings nothing. For a cheaper PCIe 5.0 drive see the WD Black SN8100, which beats the 9100 Pro in most of the same tests.
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