Amazon’s Black Friday event kicked off last Thursday with deals evolving continuously throughout the week as new offers replace depleted inventory. This official Black Friday brought fresh discounts that weren’t available during earlier days including Samsung’s internal NVMe SSDs that gamers have been monitoring closely.
The 990 Pro 2TB model featuring 7,450 MB/s read speeds hits $169, down from $229, establishing a new record-low that could vanish quickly as stock depletes. A version with integrated heatsink also received identical discounting on Amazon.
Sequential read speeds that cut down on loading times
The 7,450 MB/s sequential read speeds get close to the theoretical limits of PCIe Gen4. This means that game levels, application launches, and large file transfers can all happen in seconds instead of minutes. Modern games that are more than 100GB install and launch much faster thanks to sustained read performance that sends data to processors and GPUs without any slowdowns. Compared to SATA SSDs that run at 550 MB/s, the speed difference means that tasks are done over ten times faster, changing workflows that were once limited by storage speed.
The M.2 2280 form factor fits into standard slots on modern motherboards, laptops and PlayStation 5 consoles without the need for adapter brackets or other unusual mounting solutions. To install it, you just have to take out one screw, put the drive in the M.2 slot at a 30-degree angle, and then put the screw back in. Following simple steps, the process takes less than five minutes for people who are upgrading for the first time. Most desktop motherboards have more than one M.2 slot, which makes it easy to add more storage without having to remove existing drives.
The 2TB capacity can hold a lot of games, since modern AAA games often take up more than 100GB each. It can also hold hundreds of gigabytes of professional content creation projects or full operating system installations with room for apps and data. Windows, productivity software, and active project files can all be stored at the same time as storage-hungry games like Call of Duty, Red Dead Redemption, and Microsoft Flight Simulator without having to constantly manage the space.
Samsung’s V-NAND technology stacks memory cells vertically instead of spreading them out horizontally. This makes the memory denser and faster because it has shorter electrical paths and better heat dissipation. The architecture lets the speeds stay high which cheaper TLC or QLC NAND can’t do during large file operations. This stops budget SSDs from slowing down dramatically after their initial cache runs out.
The drive can reach its full performance potential on modern platforms thanks to its PCIe Gen4 interface compatibility. It also works with PCIe Gen3 systems that run at Gen3 maximum speed:. You can buy the drive now for your Gen3 hardware and use it with Gen4 systems in the future without having to buy new storage. The drive automatically negotiates the fastest protocol that the host system can handle, so users don’t have to change the BIOS settings or set the speed manually which makes installation harder for most people.
Dynamic Thermal Guard technology keeps an eye on the temperature of the drive and changes its performance to keep it from getting too hot which can damage parts or corrupt data. It does this by keeping the drive at a safe operating temperature during long periods of high-speed use. The smart throttling keeps the system from shutting down due to heat while having the least effect on performance.
Samsung’s flagship consumer SSD is now priced at $169 which is a new record low and this is compared to the most recent price of $229 (and $289 launch price). This makes it cost about the same as budget Gen3 drives that don’t perform as well. The combination of near-maximum Gen4 speeds, proven Samsung reliability, 2TB capacity, and a five-year warranty at 26% off retail makes this a great Black Friday deal.