(Image: Samsung) Samsung is today expanding the options for high capacity consumer solid-state drives by unveiling its second-generation quad-level cell (QLC) SSDs.
The Samsung 870 QVO 2.5-inch SSDs are the successor the 860 QVO drives introduced in 2018.
They use the same 6Gbps SATA connection, but surpass the 860 drives in two key areas.
The first is in read speeds, with Samsung claiming random write speeds that are 13 percent faster thanks to a large variable SLC buffer allowing peak performance to be maintained for longer.
The second improvement comes in the capacity on offer, with Samsung offering 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB options just as it did with the 860 drives, but the 870 QVO also introduces an 8TB option.
We don't know how much it will cost yet, but an 8TB Samsung SSD did briefly appear on Amazon earlier this month for $900.
The enhanced read performance is down in part to Samsung's Intelligent TurboWrite technology, which the company explains that for these new SSDs, "adjusts the buffer size to optimal level within the usable disk space; up to 42 GB for 1TB model and up to 78 GB for 2TB, 4 TB, and 8TB models." And if you're worried about endurance considering the drives pack four bits per cell, don't be.
Samsung gives the 8TB drive an endurance rating of 2,880 terabytes written (TBW) and backs that up with a three-year limited warranty.
The endurance rating for the other drivess are 1,440TB for the 4TB model, 720TB for the 2TB model, and 360TB for the 1TB model.
In terms of performance, these drives aren't setting any records, but they were never going to due to the use of a SATA connection.
What Samsung is offering is an alternative to large mechanical hard drives, while easily beating them on performance (sequential read and write speeds are rated at 560MB/s and 530MB/s respectively).
You're also getting Samsung Magician software to quietly manage each drive in the background and keep it healthy over its lifetime.
We spent some time testing the 2TB model and concluded, "If you're looking for one of the best 2.5-inch SATA SSDs in terms of value and performance for the money, search no further than Samsung's SSD 870 QVO, a stellar followup to its first QLC-based outing." The 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB models are available today costing $129.99, $249.99, and $499.99 respectively.
The 8TB model will become available in August, and I wouldn't bet against it costing the already leaked $899.99.
(Image: Samsung) Samsung is today expanding the options for high capacity consumer solid-state drives by unveiling its second-generation quad-level cell (QLC) SSDs.
The Samsung 870 QVO 2.5-inch SSDs are the successor the 860 QVO drives introduced in 2018.
They use the same 6Gbps SATA connection, but surpass the 860 drives in two key areas.
The first is in read speeds, with Samsung claiming random write speeds that are 13 percent faster thanks to a large variable SLC buffer allowing peak performance to be maintained for longer.
The second improvement comes in the capacity on offer, with Samsung offering 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB options just as it did with the 860 drives, but the 870 QVO also introduces an 8TB option.
We don't know how much it will cost yet, but an 8TB Samsung SSD did briefly appear on Amazon earlier this month for $900.
The enhanced read performance is down in part to Samsung's Intelligent TurboWrite technology, which the company explains that for these new SSDs, "adjusts the buffer size to optimal level within the usable disk space; up to 42 GB for 1TB model and up to 78 GB for 2TB, 4 TB, and 8TB models." And if you're worried about endurance considering the drives pack four bits per cell, don't be.
Samsung gives the 8TB drive an endurance rating of 2,880 terabytes written (TBW) and backs that up with a three-year limited warranty.
The endurance rating for the other drivess are 1,440TB for the 4TB model, 720TB for the 2TB model, and 360TB for the 1TB model.
In terms of performance, these drives aren't setting any records, but they were never going to due to the use of a SATA connection.
What Samsung is offering is an alternative to large mechanical hard drives, while easily beating them on performance (sequential read and write speeds are rated at 560MB/s and 530MB/s respectively).
You're also getting Samsung Magician software to quietly manage each drive in the background and keep it healthy over its lifetime.
We spent some time testing the 2TB model and concluded, "If you're looking for one of the best 2.5-inch SATA SSDs in terms of value and performance for the money, search no further than Samsung's SSD 870 QVO, a stellar followup to its first QLC-based outing." The 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB models are available today costing $129.99, $249.99, and $499.99 respectively.
The 8TB model will become available in August, and I wouldn't bet against it costing the already leaked $899.99.
