Which is better, Samsung 9100 PRO 1TB or TeamGroup Z540 2TB? July 2026 side-by-side with prices, specs, and verdict.
Both run on Gen 5 hardware but at different capacities: 1 TB for the Samsung 9100 PRO 1TB versus 2 TB for the TeamGroup Z540 2TB. Whether the larger drive's $/TB advantage justifies the higher upfront cost depends on how much you actually need.
Hardware-wise, the Samsung 9100 PRO 1TB runs on Samsung's Presto controller — built in-house to push V-NAND to its Gen 5 ceiling. The TeamGroup Z540 2TB pairs the Phison E26 — the first widely-deployed Gen 5 controller, capable but thermally demanding.
At a 34% price gap, the Samsung 9100 PRO 1TB needs to be measurably better in your specific use case to justify the spend. For gaming and general PC use, the TeamGroup Z540 2TB's lower $/TB tilts the value equation decisively in its favor.
Endurance leans toward the TeamGroup Z540 2TB at 1,400 TBW (versus 600 TBW for the Samsung 9100 PRO 1TB). For most consumers this never becomes a real concern — 600 TBW lasts a decade of normal writes — but heavy daily writers should weight it.
If this purchase is for a PS5 storage expansion, the comparison flattens — Sony's PCIe Gen 4 controller normalizes both Samsung 9100 PRO 1TB and TeamGroup Z540 2TB to roughly equal in-game load times. The cheaper drive is the smart pick. Video editors will gravitate toward the Samsung 9100 PRO 1TB for its write headroom (13,400 MB/s sustained). Project saves and proxies move faster, which compounds across a workday. Heads-up — these are full-length 2280 drives. Steam Deck and most current handhelds require shorter 2230 modules, so check capacity-specific 2230 variants if that's your target platform.
Market context: the Samsung 9100 PRO 1TB ranks #4 of 6 Gen 5 1 TB drives we track by $/TB, while the TeamGroup Z540 2TB ranks #2 of 11 Gen 5 2 TB drives. That puts at least one of them near the top of the value table — a reasonable head-to-head to be choosing from.
Lean toward the Samsung 9100 PRO 1TB when the lower retail price ($249 vs $329), meaningfully faster reads (14,700 MB/s), and higher sustained writes (13,400 MB/s) top your priority list. Samsung backs the PRO series with one of the strongest warranty experiences in consumer storage — RMAs typically process within 5 business days globally.
Lean toward the TeamGroup Z540 2TB when better $/TB economics ($164.50/TB), and a higher TBW endurance rating (1,400 TBW) top your priority list. The TeamGroup Z540 2TB wins on $/TB because it pairs DRAM-less MAP1602 silicon with low-margin distribution. Performance is fine for OS and gaming, weaker only on sustained random writes.