Samsung 990 SSD lands with speedy Gen 4 storage for PCs
Samsung’s new 990 SSD is available now in 1TB and 2TB versions, with advertised read speeds up to 7,250 MB/s.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
2 min read
Samsung’s new 990 SSD is now available, giving PC users another high-speed storage option at a moment when upgrades have been getting pricier.
The PCIe Gen 4 NVMe drive comes in two capacities: a 1TB model listed at $269.99 and a 2TB model listed at $529.99. The 1TB version is listed at Amazon, according to the retail information cited by Mashable.
Samsung is pitching the 990 SSD as a drive for gaming, creative work and everyday computing. The company says it is meant for users who want faster, more responsive storage without stepping up to the flagship 990 Pro.
What Samsung says the drive can do
The headline numbers are quick: Samsung says the 990 SSD can hit sequential read speeds of up to 7,250 MB/s and sequential write speeds of up to 6,450 MB/s.
Those figures put the drive in the fast lane for common PC tasks such as loading games, installing software, moving large files and working with high-resolution photos or videos. Samsung also says the drive can reach random read speeds of up to 850K IOPS and random write speeds of up to 1,200K IOPS.
The 990 SSD is being positioned as both an upgrade for existing PCs and a storage choice for new desktop builds. Samsung describes it as aimed at daily workloads as well as heavier jobs that benefit from faster file access.
Efficiency is part of the pitch
Samsung is also leaning on power use as a selling point. The company says the 990 SSD delivers up to 38% better performance per watt than the Samsung 990 Pro.
That matters most for systems where power draw and heat are part of the buying decision, including laptops and compact PCs. Samsung says the new model is its most power-efficient SSD so far.
The drive also works with Samsung’s Magician software. According to Samsung, the program lets users check drive health, install firmware updates and manage security features from one dashboard.
Where it fits
The launch comes as Mashable has reported broader electronics price increases in 2026, including pressure on RAM, SSDs and laptops. Against that backdrop, the 990 SSD gives buyers a new Samsung-branded Gen 4 option, though its listed prices still put it firmly in premium upgrade territory.
For shoppers comparing Samsung’s storage lineup, the 990 SSD sits below the 990 Pro in branding while emphasizing strong Gen 4 speeds and lower power use. The available launch capacities are 1TB and 2TB.
This story draws on original reporting from Mashable.