Samsung has expanded its consumer storage line-up with the new 990 SSD, a PCIe 4.0 NVMe drive that the company positions as a faster and more power-efficient option for everyday PC builds, creative workloads and gaming rigs.
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Aiman Hakim chevron_right
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Efficiency is the headline
Samsung rates the 990 at roughly 38 percent better power efficiency than the outgoing 990 PRO, drawing about 4 watts under load (around 4.3 watts on reads and 3.8 watts on writes for the 2TB model). Lower power draw means less heat, and in laptops or small-form-factor systems that can mean less thermal throttling during long file transfers.
Speeds and capacities
The drive stays on the PCIe 4.0 interface rather than moving to Gen 5. Samsung quotes sequential reads of up to 7,250 MB/s on the 2TB model and up to 7,150 MB/s on the 1TB model, with sequential writes of up to 6,450 MB/s. It comes in 1TB and 2TB capacities and uses Samsung's latest NAND flash.
Staying on Gen 4 is a deliberate choice. For most gamers and creators, PCIe 4.0 speeds already run well ahead of what games and everyday applications can use, and Gen 4 drives tend to run cooler and cost less than the newest Gen 5 units. Buyers who need the highest possible sequential numbers for heavy professional work will still find Gen 5 drives ahead on paper.
Who it is for
The 990 SSD suits anyone building or upgrading a desktop, or a compatible laptop, who wants dependable Gen 4 performance without the heat and price of the latest Gen 5 hardware. Shoppers weighing portable options can compare it with our guide to the best budget external SSDs in Malaysia, while anyone planning bulk storage for backups or a media library may prefer a multi-bay setup such as the TerraMaster D8 Hybrid 2.
Samsung has not published a local ringgit price at the time of writing. Malaysian availability and pricing run through Samsung's official channels and authorised retailers, and full specifications are on the Samsung Newsroom.
