Compare Samsung 990 PRO 2TB and Crucial T500 1TB: prices, speeds, $/TB. Which to buy in May 2026? Full spec breakdown.
Both run on Gen 4 hardware but at different capacities: 2 TB for the Samsung 990 PRO 2TB versus 1 TB for the Crucial T500 1TB. Whether the larger drive's $/TB advantage justifies the higher upfront cost depends on how much you actually need.
Hardware-wise, the Samsung 990 PRO 2TB runs on Samsung's 8nm Pascal controller, the silicon powering the 990 PRO line. The Crucial T500 1TB pairs Phison's E25 silicon, found in many DRAM-equipped Gen 4 SSDs.
On warranty endurance the Samsung 990 PRO 2TB carries 1,200 TBW against Crucial T500 1TB's 600 TBW. Both will outlast typical use, but the gap matters if you're doing professional content work.
Heading to a PlayStation 5? Both drives drop into the console's M.2 bay and report identical real-world benchmarks since the PS5 caps storage at PCIe 4.0 speeds. The Samsung 990 PRO 2TB wins this matchup on $/TB. Both drives use the 2280 form factor, which is too long for Steam Deck or ROG Ally — you'd need a 2230 variant if either manufacturer offers one, or a dedicated handheld-format drive instead.
Pick the Samsung 990 PRO 2TB if you value better $/TB economics ($109.50/TB), and a higher TBW endurance rating (1,200 TBW). Samsung's PRO line has the longest track record for firmware reliability — over a decade of consumer SSDs with global RMA support.
Pick the Crucial T500 1TB if you value the lower retail price ($115 vs $219). Crucial typically delivers the best $/TB among DRAM-equipped NVMes because Micron sells direct rather than going through brand licensing.