Samsung makes great solid-state drives, so its lack of PCIe 5.0 x4 options feels all the more odd. However, it appears that it’s preparing to launch two new SSDs. While details are thin on the ground, new trademarks indicate the company may finally be ready to unleash some superbly speedy storage.
Even with a lack of PCIe 5.0 x4 drives under its belt, Samsung still holds pole position in our best SSDs guide. While there’s no immediate danger of 990 Pro losing the top spot, prices for more modern, speedier storage is falling. As such, the company will need a successor to the throne eventually before a rival usurps them.
Samsung has filed trademarks for a 990 Evo Plus and 9100 Pro, with entries for each now appearing in the Korea Intellectual Property Rights Information Service (KIPRIS). Sadly, neither listing contains any information about the capabilities of each device. However, as SamMobile notes, both share designated goods categories that reveal their identities as storage.
We expect 990 Evo Plus will be similar in specification to the company’s existing 990 Evo drive. It’s unclear whether Samsung will lump it with the same PCIe 5.0 x2/4.0 x4 interface, limiting its speed. There is still room to increase speeds using the same solution, but here’s hoping for something more cutting-edge.
Should 990 Evo Plus fail to push Samsung SSD speeds to new heights, 9100 Pro may be the drive we’re looking for. Its unusual branding makes it a more likely candidate as the company’s first PCIe 5.0 x4 drive but its capabilities remain uncertain for now. Likewise, these listings unfortunately give us no indication as to how close each device is to launch.
We’ll keep our eyes peeled for these Samsung drives and look forward to putting them to the test in our suite of benchmarks. In the meantime, though, there is plenty of other PCIe 5.0 x4 storage out there for you to keep your bits and bytes on.
Gigabyte plans to launch 14.5GB/s SSDs imminently. However, we’d suggest giving our MSI Spatium M580 Frozr review a read if your need for speed knows no patience.