Compare Samsung 990 PRO 2TB and TeamGroup MP44 4TB: 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 4 TB for the TeamGroup MP44 4TB. 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 TeamGroup MP44 4TB pairs MaxioTech's MAP1602 silicon, the default choice for budget Gen 4 drives in 2024-2026.
Price separates these two meaningfully. The TeamGroup MP44 4TB costs $69.75/TB versus $109.50/TB for the Samsung 990 PRO 2TB — a 36% premium that needs justification in real benchmarks, not just spec-sheet bragging.
The Samsung 990 PRO 2TB carries a dedicated DRAM chip for FTL (Flash Translation Layer) mapping; the TeamGroup MP44 4TB relies on HMB (Host Memory Buffer), borrowing 64 MB from system RAM. The practical gap shows up only under sustained random write loads.
On warranty endurance the TeamGroup MP44 4TB carries 3,000 TBW against Samsung 990 PRO 2TB's 1,200 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 TeamGroup MP44 4TB wins this matchup on $/TB. Heavy write workloads — video editing, RAW photo libraries, backup operations — favor the Samsung 990 PRO 2TB's 6,900 MB/s sustained write speed. 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 the lower retail price ($219 vs $279), and a dedicated DRAM cache chip. Samsung's PRO line has the longest track record for firmware reliability — over a decade of consumer SSDs with global RMA support.
Pick the TeamGroup MP44 4TB if you value better $/TB economics ($69.75/TB), and a higher TBW endurance rating (3,000 TBW). Budget-tier drives like the TeamGroup MP44 4TB have closed the gap with premium NVMes — the MAP1602 controller is genuinely competitive for everyday workloads at half the price.