TeamGroup Z540 1TB ($253) vs Samsung 990 EVO Plus 1TB ($239). $/TB analysis, performance, and use-case recommendations.
TeamGroup Z540 1TB and Samsung 990 EVO Plus 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 TeamGroup Z540 1TB runs on Phison's E26 silicon, which kicked off the consumer Gen 5 era and typically requires a heatsink. The Samsung 990 EVO Plus 1TB pairs Samsung's Piccolo controller — DRAM-less with PCIe 4.0/5.0 dual-mode support.
On sequential reads the TeamGroup Z540 1TB pulls ahead by 5,150 MB/s (12,400 MB/s versus 7,250 MB/s). That matters for moving large files but rarely shows up in game loads.
Write speeds skew toward the TeamGroup Z540 1TB: 11,800 MB/s sustained against 6,300 MB/s. Content creators feel this; gamers do not.
Cache architecture differs: TeamGroup Z540 1TB has DRAM hardware, Samsung 990 EVO Plus 1TB uses HMB. For OS, gaming, browsing — indistinguishable. For databases, large file ops, or 4K video editing — DRAM has a small but consistent edge.
If this purchase is for a PS5 storage expansion, the comparison flattens — Sony's PCIe Gen 4 controller normalizes both TeamGroup Z540 1TB and Samsung 990 EVO Plus 1TB to roughly equal in-game load times. The cheaper drive is the smart pick. Video editors will gravitate toward the TeamGroup Z540 1TB for its write headroom (11,800 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: we track 6 Gen 5 1 TB drives, and by price per terabyte the TeamGroup Z540 1TB currently sits #4 while the Samsung 990 EVO Plus 1TB sits #2. One of them is genuinely among the cheapest options in its class, so this matchup includes a real value pick.
As of September 7, 2026, these tracked drives undercut both the TeamGroup Z540 1TB and Samsung 990 EVO Plus 1TB on $/TB:
The TeamGroup Z540 1TB is the right call if meaningfully faster reads (12,400 MB/s), higher sustained writes (11,800 MB/s), and a dedicated DRAM cache chip matter to you. The TeamGroup Z540 1TB captures the value tier well: same NAND class as flagships, paired with a DRAM-less controller that costs less and uses HMB for the address-mapping table.
The Samsung 990 EVO Plus 1TB is the right call if the lower retail price ($239 vs $253), and better $/TB economics ($239.00/TB) matter to you. The 990 EVO Plus uniquely supports both PCIe 4.0 x4 and PCIe 5.0 x2 modes — useful flexibility if you might upgrade motherboard generations.