Samsung 980 Review 2026
A reliable PCIe 3.0 workhorse that's easy on the wallet.
What We Like
- Dependable, proven reliability
- 3,500 MB/s reads for older systems
- Cool and power-efficient
- Strong Samsung track record
What We Don't
- PCIe 3.0 limits top speed
- No DRAM cache
Quick Specs
| Form factor | M.2 2280 |
|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe Gen3 x4, NVMe 1.4 |
| Capacities | 250GB / 500GB / 1TB |
| Sequential read | Up to 3,500 MB/s |
| Sequential write | Up to 3,000 MB/s |
| Random read (4K) | Up to 500,000 IOPS |
| Random write (4K) | Up to 480,000 IOPS |
| NAND flash | 3D TLC |
| DRAM cache | No (HMB) |
| Warranty | 5 years |
Review
The Samsung 980 is the budget staple for older systems. It runs PCIe 3.0, so it won't set records, but 3,500 MB/s reads are still several times faster than any SATA drive and more than enough for everyday use.
It's cool, quiet, and power-efficient thanks to its DRAM-less design with HMB, which makes it a good fit for laptops and compact builds. Samsung's controller and firmware maturity add peace of mind that budget no-name drives can't match.
If your board only supports PCIe 3.0 (or you're simply upgrading on a budget), the 980 delivers dependable speed without overspending on Gen4 bandwidth you can't use.
If you decide this is the right drive for you, buying through our links supports our work at no extra cost.