Side-by-side: Samsung 990 PRO 2TB ($388) vs WD_BLACK SN850X 1TB ($220). $/TB winner, specs, real-world picks for July 2026.
Both run on Gen 4 hardware but at different capacities: 2 TB for the Samsung 990 PRO 2TB versus 1 TB for the WD_BLACK SN850X 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 Pascal controller, fabricated on the company's 8nm process. The WD_BLACK SN850X 1TB pairs WD's second-generation G2 in-house controller, tuned for sustained gaming I/O.
Prices favor the Samsung 990 PRO 2TB by $26.00/TB ($194.00/TB versus $220.00/TB). Not a huge gap, but enough to be the tiebreaker if performance is similar.
Endurance leans toward the Samsung 990 PRO 2TB at 1,200 TBW (versus 600 TBW for the WD_BLACK SN850X 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.
For PlayStation 5 builds, the console's internal M.2 slot tops out around 5,500 MB/s sustained, so both Samsung 990 PRO 2TB and WD_BLACK SN850X 1TB hit the same wall — pick whichever is cheaper at the moment you buy. Video editors will gravitate toward the Samsung 990 PRO 2TB for its write headroom (6,900 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 990 PRO 2TB ranks #10 of 11 Gen 4 2 TB drives we track by $/TB, while the WD_BLACK SN850X 1TB ranks #2 of 4 Gen 4 1 TB drives. Neither cracks the top of the value table, so it's worth glancing at the alternatives below before picking either.
Go with the Samsung 990 PRO 2TB for better $/TB economics ($194.00/TB), and a higher TBW endurance rating (1,200 TBW). Samsung backs the PRO series with one of the strongest warranty experiences in consumer storage — RMAs typically process within 5 business days globally.
Go with the WD_BLACK SN850X 1TB for the lower retail price ($220 vs $388). The SN850X has been the best-selling Gen 4 NVMe in PCPartPicker builds for two consecutive years — Game Mode 2.0 prioritizes I/O when supported titles need it.