One of the aspects that is often emphasized when you buy a computer or game console in this modern era is the need for a lot of storage. Regardless of the device purchased, a computer with a large and fast amount of storage will reduce worries about installing software and also storing various types of data such as pictures, audio, video and others.
Recently we were given the opportunity to test Samsung's latest SSD storage, the Samsung SSD 9100 Pro which finally comes with a storage option of 8TB that can be used in various
Specifications and Design
So this is not the first time that the Samsung SSD 9100 Pro storage has been introduced. Previous models came with 1TB, 2TB and 4TB storage offerings, and now, the largest model has finally arrived in the local market, and it is the largest SSD storage capacity offering offered by Samsung right now.
Apart from the SSD storage capacity, other specifications that can be seen on this SSD include its design and size, which is a “full” size M.2 2280 SSD storage that can be fitted to various modern desktop computer motherboards, as well as game consoles such as the Sony PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X mobile PC console that has just arrived on the market recently.
In terms of the components used in this storage, the NAND chips used in this Samsung SSD 9100 Pro are 236-layer Samsung TLC (V8) flash storage chips with a total storage of 1TB on each chip, with a stack of 2 chips for each storage section.
On this 8TB model, you will be able to see four stacks of NAND chips, two on the top and back of this SSD storage to get the 8TB capacity. Typically, most SSDs that come with 2TB-4TB capacity offerings will come with a stack of NAND storage chips on the top only, but for this model, due to its capacity, it is shown on both sides of the storage circuit board.
In terms of performance, which I will show later, there is no shortage that can be shown, but depending on how the storage section on the computer motherboard or gaming device is designed, there is a possibility that such storage will be more difficult to install.
So far, we have seen that this storage can be used on the computer motherboard and also the SSD storage space of a Sony PlayStation 5/5 Pro console without problems, and later we will update this article with its use on the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X mobile console.
Performance
As a storage that utilizes PCIe 5.0 data transmission technology, the Samsung SSD 9100 Pro comes with a very fast data reading speed. In our tests, the data reading and writing speeds shown are very fast.
For this benchmark test, the computer specifications we used included an AMD Ryzen 9 9800X3D CPU, an AORUS B850 Elite Master motherboard, and 64GB of G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB DDR5 memory in a 32GBx2 configuration using two memory slots.
In the CrystalDiskMark test, this storage showed sustained data read and write speeds of 14.7 GB/s and 13.3 GB/s, and random read and write speeds of 800MB/s and 678MB/s, which is very good performance.
In addition, the DiskBench data write test showed data transfer speeds of about 3GB/s when sending a folder containing 200GB of files of various sizes from other storage to this Samsung storage.
During this data read/write test, this Samsung SSD 9100 Pro storage also showed a maximum temperature of 94 degrees Celsius. But it should be noted that these high temperatures are only when such benchmark tests are performed. This storage shows a minimum temperature of about 35-40 degrees Celsius and will increase sharply, but usually at a level of about 70-75 degrees Celsius when it needs to read/write data.
Such temperatures are normal for PCIe 5.0 SSD storage due to the high data read and write rates, and usually, to cool this storage it will come with a heatsink to dissipate heat from the NAND chip components, but the storage sent to us does not have this option. Samsung also offers a model with passive cooling, so if you are worried about this, our recommendation is that you get that model.
This storage can also technically be used on motherboards that support PCIe 4.0 data transfer technology, but it should be noted that the data read and write speeds will also be on par with what the technology is capable of producing.
Conclusion
At RM4239 for the uncooled model and RM4269 for the passively cooled model, the Samsung SSD 9100 Pro 8TB comes with a very expensive price tag. In fact, I would say that unless you are building or owning a computer that can take advantage of the speeds offered by the PCIe 5.0 connection, you have few more affordable 8TB SSD storage options on the market today.
However, if you have a premium-class computer that can take advantage of it, the Samsung SSD 9100 Pro is one of the most premium storage options you can get on the market today to upgrade your computer to the next level.
Pros:
8TB storage in a single SSD storage
High data read and write rates of 14GB/s if the motherboard supports it
Can be used in a wide range of computers and devices that support the M.2 2280 format
Cons
Premium price tag
Higher operating temperatures compared to PCIe 4.0 storage
