Samsung 990 PRO 1TB ($135) vs Crucial T500 1TB ($115). $/TB analysis, performance, and use-case recommendations.
Samsung 990 PRO 1TB and Crucial T500 1TB are direct competitors — same generation, same capacity. Choose by controller behavior under sustained load, DRAM/HMB cache strategy, and $/TB economics.
Hardware-wise, the Samsung 990 PRO 1TB runs on the in-house Samsung Pascal — engineered specifically for the 990 PRO at 8nm. The Crucial T500 1TB pairs an E25 controller that became the workhorse of late Gen 4 designs.
The cheaper drive — Crucial T500 1TB at $115.00/TB — saves you $20.00 per TB versus the Samsung 990 PRO 1TB. Worth it if you're capacity-constrained; either works if you just want one fast drive.
For PS5 expansion, both are PCIe Gen 4 M.2 2280 drives that meet Sony's minimum spec (7,300 MB/s read). The console can't take advantage of speeds beyond that, so save money by choosing the Crucial T500 1TB. Note for handheld gamers: M.2 2280 is the desktop/laptop standard. Steam Deck and the ROG Ally line need 2230 drives — neither Samsung 990 PRO 1TB nor Crucial T500 1TB fits without modification.
Among consumer SSD makers, Samsung's PRO series consistently scores highest on long-term reliability surveys (Backblaze, Puget Systems Q1 2026 data).
The Crucial T500 1TB is the right call if the lower retail price ($115 vs $135), and better $/TB economics ($115.00/TB) matter to you. Crucial's T-series tends to undercut Samsung and WD on price while using comparable Micron silicon — a value play hiding in a flagship form factor.