The short version

Key points

  • The 4TB Samsung 9100 Pro is rated for up to 14,800MB/s sequential reads and 13,400MB/s writes.
  • Testing recorded approximately 13,500MB/s reads and 13,000MB/s writes.
  • The built-in heatsink helped the drive maintain performance at around 70°C.
  • It uses a single-sided M.2 2280 design and is compatible with PCIe 5.0, 4.0 and 3.0 systems.
  • The 4TB model was listed at $869 in Australia at the time of the video.

Samsung’s first consumer PCIe 5.0 SSD

The Samsung 9100 Pro is the company’s first PCIe 5.0 consumer SSD. The interface provides twice the bandwidth of PCIe 4.0, allowing Samsung to quote sequential speeds of up to 14,800MB/s for reads and 13,400MB/s for writes.

The tested model has 4TB of storage and uses a single-sided M.2 2280 form factor. Samsung also offers 1TB, 2TB and 8TB versions. The drive is marketed for desktop PCs and game consoles, including the PlayStation 5.

Specifications and price

The 9100 Pro uses Samsung’s in-house controller, built on a 5nm process, and includes 4GB of LPDDR4X cache. Samsung claims the controller is up to 49 per cent more power efficient than the controller in the 990 Pro. The drive is also rated for 1.5 million hours mean time between failures.

Warranty coverage is five years or up to 2,400TB written, whichever comes first. Samsung’s quoted specifications include backwards compatibility with PCIe 4.0 and PCIe 3.0 systems, although those older interfaces cannot deliver the drive’s maximum performance.

At the time of the video, Australian pricing was listed as $329 for 1TB, $489 for 2TB and $869 for 4TB. A price for the 8TB model was not available, although it was expected to cost more than $1,500.

Performance and thermal testing

For comparison, a 10TB Western Digital hard drive reached approximately 155MB/s read and write speeds. A Crucial P1 PCIe 4.0 NVMe drive reached around 5,000MB/s reads and 3,600MB/s writes, while a Crucial T700 PCIe 5.0 drive reached approximately 11,000MB/s reads before heat affected its performance.

The Samsung 9100 Pro with its heatsink reached around 13,500MB/s reads and 13,000MB/s writes. The drive reached approximately 70°C, but the reported speeds were maintained. The heatsink’s fin design spreads heat across the drive and allows airflow through the top of the assembly.

Windows booted in seconds during testing. Game loading was described as being limited by the games’ own systems rather than by the SSD’s read and write speeds. The testing also did not cause the drive to slow down during the workloads used.

Using the drive with other devices

The 9100 Pro’s capacity and performance make it suitable for large game libraries, 4K video and other high-volume workloads. Its M.2 2280 format also allows it to be installed in a PlayStation 5, provided the system and enclosure requirements are met.

As an external editing drive for a MacBook Pro, performance depends on the USB-C or Thunderbolt enclosure used. The tested setup reached approximately 1,000MB/s reads and writes, which was considered sufficient for live video editing in Premiere when the files were stored on the external SSD.

TechManPat’s conclusion

I see the Samsung 9100 Pro 4TB as an impressive PCIe 5.0 SSD that combines very high speeds with effective thermal control, broad compatibility and a large capacity. However, at $869 for the 4TB model, I think it is aimed at buyers who specifically need cutting-edge storage performance and are prepared to pay for it.
Source note

This knowledge-centre summary is based on the linked TechManPat video and reflects the information available when it was published. Check current pricing, availability and policies before acting.