The Samsung 9100 Pro is set to revolutionize the world of consumer SSDs by incorporating four PCIe 5.0 channels into the M.2-2280 format. In addition to its groundbreaking architecture, the drive features brand new flash memory chips, a faster SSD controller, and version 2.0 of “Turbowrite Technology” – a mechanism that reserves a small portion of the drive’s capacity as a write buffer to boost performance.
Unmatched Data Transfer Rates
The true showstopper is the data transfer speed. According to Samsung, the 9100 Pro achieves sequential read speeds of up to 14,800 MB/s (approximately 14.4 GB/s), nearly maxing out the capabilities of the PCIe 5.0 interface. These record-breaking speeds make the 9100 Pro one of the fastest consumer-grade SSDs ever released.
Pricing and Availability
Set to launch on March 18, 2025, the Samsung 9100 Pro will be available in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB capacities. The recommended retail prices in Europe are 183, 274, and 502 euros, which convert to roughly:
- 1TB: ~$192 USD
- 2TB: ~$288 USD
- 4TB: ~$527 USD
An 8TB variant is also planned for release in the third quarter of 2025, with pricing details to be confirmed. Optional heat sinks will be available to help manage temperature, adding an extra surcharge of approximately 20 euros—or about $21 USD—to the base price.
Performance Across Capacities
Samsung’s performance benchmarks are impressive:
- 4TB and 8TB Models: Sequential reads up to 14,800 MB/s and writes up to 13,400 MB/s. These high-capacity models also boast random performance figures of up to 2.6 million IOPS for writing and 2.2 million IOPS for reading.
- 1TB and 2TB Models: While slightly lower in performance, these variants still achieve sequential read speeds of up to 14,700 MB/s and writes around 13,300–13,400 MB/s, with random read IOPS at approximately 1.85 million.
Cutting-Edge Controller and Flash Memory
At the heart of the 9100 Pro is the “Preston” controller, manufactured using a 5nm process. This is paired with an LPDDR4X DRAM cache—allocating 1GB of cache per terabyte of storage—which ensures rapid data access and efficient performance. Additionally, Samsung’s in-house developed 8th generation 3D-NAND flash memory, featuring 236-layer stacking and a Toggle DDR 5.0 interface capable of up to 2,400 megatransfers per second, delivers a significant boost in throughput.
Power Consumption
The drive’s power consumption has also been optimized. For instance, the 4TB model is rated at 9 watts during reads and 8.2 watts during writes. Although these figures indicate higher power draw compared to lower-performance drives, the substantial speed and overall performance gains are expected to more than compensate for the extra consumption.
For professionals, gamers, and content creators looking to push the boundaries of data storage performance, the Samsung 9100 Pro SSD represents a significant leap forward in technology. With its unprecedented speeds, innovative controller design, and efficient thermal management options, this SSD is set to become a top choice for anyone needing reliable, high-performance storage.
