Skip to main content

Samsung launches new 950 Pro M.2 SSD with mind-blowing performance

samsung launches new 950 pro m 2 ssd with mind blowing performance samsungnvme
Samsung may have had some trouble with its SSDs’ TRIM function earlier this year, which eroded some of the confidence people had in the Korean firm as a storage provider, but it hasn’t taken that to heart. In-fact it’s come back with a vengeance, as its newest development is its first consumer ready non-volatile memory express (NVMe) M2 SSD, featuring vertical NAND and supporting the PCIE 3.0 interface.

According to the manufacturer, what all those letters and numbers mean for end users is increased performance and reduced power consumption, which should make this an attractive choice for everyone, whether they’re home or enterprise users. However, something tells us this has a slightly more hardcore audience in mind, as the black PCB and red highlighted sticker definitely seem designed to tempt enthusiasts.

Related Videos

Samsung is confident that this new 950 Pro will offer real, tangible improvements over its previous SATA solid state drives, especially when it comes to random access performance, which is arguably more important than the eye catching sequential read/write numbers. That’s not to say sequential speeds aren’t impressive though, with Samsung quoting the larger of its two drives as operating at 2,500 MBps and 1,500 MBps for read/write respectively.

Although we’ll need to wait for reviews of this hardware to really gauge its speed, we’re told by Samsung that it could equate to as much as four times faster operation in applications with a high volume of inputs and outputs, compared to traditional SATA SSDs.

Available storage capacities are limited to just 256GB and 512GB, unlike some of the more sizeable and varied SSDs available with more traditional SATA interfaces. However IOPS are up, with random read registering up to 300,000 per second, while random write is limited to 110,000.

As we’ve seen from some of the tests conducted by various sites earlier this year, SSDs can last longer than many give them credit for. With that in mind, Samsung has rated this one as being able to handle up to 200 terabytes of written data for the smaller version, and 400 for the 512GB one –or up to five years, whichever is first.

Prices start at $200 for the 256GB version and $350 for the 512GB.

Editors' Recommendations

The M2 Max MacBook Pro looks awesome, but you probably shouldn’t buy it
An Apple representative standing in front of a MacBook Pro presentation.

The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro are my favorite laptops of the past couple of years. These computers are the real deal, and have no real weakness -- outside the high price, of course. But you absolutely get what you pay for.

Meet the new MacBook Pro and Mac mini | Apple

Read more
Apple announces new MacBook Pro with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips
A person sitting in a vehicle using a MacBook Pro on their lap.

Apple has unveiled new versions of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro, ending months of speculation surrounding the devices. New features include the latest M2 Pro and M2 Max chips -- but not much else.

Almost everything else remains the same as what we saw in the M1 Pro and M1 Max versions of the MacBook Pro: the same flat-edged design, the same mini-LED display, and the same port arrangement. That’s not particularly surprising, as the M1 versions of these laptops themselves featured a major design overhaul. Another big change so soon was not really in the cards.

Read more
You may have to wait even longer for the M2 Max MacBook Pro
A MacBook Pro M2 sits on a wooden table with a nice bokeh background.

Apple’s next 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros are already overdue, having been absent from the company’s fall 2022 release schedule. Now, a new report suggests they could be “delayed once again” in a frustrating blow to expectant Mac users.

The claim comes from online news outlet DigiTimes (via AppleInsider), which has a mixed record for the accuracy of its Apple leaks. If true, it will be disappointing news for anyone who has been holding out for the new laptops, whose absence from Apple’s late 2022 product roster marked the first time in 22 years the company had not released new Macs in the fourth quarter of a calendar year.

Read more