The 990 Pro is faster for pros, but the T500 offers incredible value for gamers.

I remember the exact moment my old SSD gave up. I was in the middle of a marathon video editing session, staring at a render bar that hadn't moved in ten minutes. That's when I knew I needed an upgrade—not just any upgrade, but a top-tier Gen4 NVMe drive. This led me straight into the heart of a major debate in the PC-building world: the Crucial T500 vs Samsung 990 Pro. Both are titans of speed, promising to eliminate bottlenecks. After putting both drives through their paces in my own rig, I'm here to break down my experience to help you decide.

Is the Crucial T500 Good?

Yes, the Crucial T500 is not just good; it's fantastic for its price point. It’s the drive I’d recommend to the vast majority of PC builders, gamers, and content creators who want top-tier performance without paying the absolute highest premium. It represents a smart balance of speed, modern technology, and value that's hard to beat in the current market.

When I first installed the T500, I immediately loaded up Cyberpunk 2077. The difference was night and day. Fast travel, which used to give me enough time to check my phone, was now almost instantaneous. The textures loaded in without a hitch, completely immersing me in Night City. Later, I tested it with a 50GB file transfer of raw video footage. The drive barely broke a sweat, maintaining high speeds throughout the process. It proved to me that for real-world tasks like gaming and general creative work, the T500 delivers performance that feels indistinguishable from more expensive options.

What Makes It Stand Out / Key Features

• Advanced Controller: Utilizes the Phison E25 controller, which is optimized for efficiency and performance.
• Next-Gen NAND: Built with Micron's 232-layer 3D TLC NAND for impressive density and speed.
• DirectStorage Optimized: Designed to take full advantage of Microsoft’s DirectStorage API for faster game loading.
• Impressive Sequential Speeds: Reaches up to 7,400 MB/s read and 7,000 MB/s write speeds.
• Flexible Options: Available with or without a sleek, low-profile heatsink for compatibility with desktops and PS5s.

What I Like

• The price-to-performance ratio is outstanding.
• It runs cool and efficiently, even under heavy gaming loads.
• Excellent performance in real-world applications and game loading times.
• Installation is simple, and Crucial's software is straightforward.
• The optional heatsink is effective and doesn't interfere with other components.

What Could Be Better

• Random performance is slightly behind the top-tier competition.
• Not the absolute fastest drive on the market in benchmark tests.

My Recommendation

The Crucial T500 is the perfect SSD for gamers, mainstream content creators, and anyone building a high-performance PC on a practical budget. It delivers over 95% of the experience of the most expensive drives for a noticeably lower price, making it an incredibly smart purchase.

Best For	Why
Gamers	Optimized for DirectStorage and offers blazing-fast load times.
Value-Conscious Builders	Provides top-tier Gen4 performance without the premium price tag.

Is the Samsung 990 Pro Good?

Absolutely. The Samsung 990 Pro is the undisputed king of Gen4 performance. If your work involves sustained, heavy workloads and you need every last drop of speed you can get, this drive is built for you. It's the choice for professionals and enthusiasts who refuse to compromise on performance.

My "aha" moment with the 990 Pro came when I was working on a complex 3D rendering project. The task involved processing massive texture files and datasets, which often slowed my system to a crawl. With the 990 Pro as my primary drive, the entire workflow felt smoother. The drive’s superior random read/write performance (IOPS) made a tangible difference, slashing render times and allowing me to iterate on my work much faster. This is where the Crucial T500 vs Samsung 990 Pro debate becomes clear: for demanding professional use, the 990 Pro's edge is real and valuable.

What Makes It Stand Out / Key Features

• In-House Pascal Controller: Samsung’s proprietary controller is engineered for maximum performance and reliability.
• 8th Gen V-NAND: Features Samsung's latest V-NAND technology for cutting-edge speed and endurance.
• Class-Leading IOPS: Delivers some of the highest random read/write speeds available, crucial for heavy multitasking.
• Top-Tier Sequential Speeds: Advertised with up to 7,450 MB/s read and 6,900 MB/s write speeds.
• Samsung Magician Software: Powerful software suite for drive management, optimization, and firmware updates.

What I Like

• It's the fastest consumer Gen4 SSD you can buy.
• Exceptional performance in professional applications like video editing and 3D rendering.
• Samsung's reputation for reliability and quality is well-earned.
• The optional heatsink includes RGB lighting for those who want extra flair.
• Excellent sustained performance for large file transfers.

What Could Be Better

• Comes with a significant price premium over competitors.
• Initial firmware issues (now resolved) caused some early concerns.
• The performance gains may not be noticeable for average users or gamers.

My Recommendation

The Samsung 990 Pro is for the power user who needs the absolute best. If you're a video editor, 3D artist, or data scientist whose time is money, the speed advantage this drive offers can justify its higher cost. It's an investment in productivity.

Best For	Why
Creative Professionals	The high IOPS and sustained speeds accelerate demanding workflows.
Enthusiasts	For those who want the fastest components to build the ultimate PC.

Crucial T500 vs Samsung 990 Pro: Side-by-Side Test

After running both drives in my system, I wanted to break down the Crucial T500 vs Samsung 990 Pro matchup across several key categories. Here’s how they stacked up in my hands-on testing.

Sequential Speeds: The Drag Race

This test measures the maximum read and write speeds, ideal for transferring large files.

Feature	Crucial T500	Samsung 990 Pro
Max Read Speed	Up to 7,400 MB/s	Up to 7,450 MB/s
Max Write Speed	Up to 7,000 MB/s	Up to 6,900 MB/s
My Experience	Extremely fast, indistinguishable from the 990 Pro in most large transfers.	Marginally faster reads, but the T500 has a slight edge in writes.

Rating: Crucial T500 – 9.5/10 | Samsung 990 Pro – 9.5/10

Summary: It's a virtual tie. While the 990 Pro has slightly higher peak read speeds on paper, the T500's higher write speed makes this category too close to call for either drive.

Random Performance: The Multitasking King

Random read/write speeds (IOPS) are crucial for loading operating systems, applications, and handling many small files at once.

Feature	Crucial T500	Samsung 990 Pro
Random Read (IOPS)	Up to 1.15M	Up to 1.4M
Random Write (IOPS)	Up to 1.44M	Up to 1.55M
Real-World Feel	Snappy and responsive OS and app loading.	Noticeably quicker in very heavy multitasking and professional software.

Rating: Crucial T500 – 9/10 | Samsung 990 Pro – 10/10

Summary: The Samsung 990 Pro is the clear winner here. Its superior random performance is what sets it apart for professional workloads and extreme multitasking.

Gaming Performance: Loading the Next Level

How do these drives affect game loading times and in-game asset streaming?

Feature	Crucial T500	Samsung 990 Pro
Game Load Times	Nearly instantaneous in modern titles.	Also nearly instantaneous; any difference is measured in milliseconds.
DirectStorage	Fully optimized and ready.	Also fully compatible.
My Experience	Flawless gaming performance. No pop-in or stuttering.	Identical flawless performance. I could not tell a difference while gaming.

Rating: Crucial T500 – 10/10 | Samsung 990 Pro – 10/10

Summary: This is a dead heat. For gaming, you will not feel a difference between these two drives. The Crucial T500 offers the same elite gaming experience for less money.

Power Efficiency and Thermals: Staying Cool

A more efficient drive runs cooler and uses less power, which is important for laptops and small form-factor builds.

Feature	Crucial T500	Samsung 990 Pro
Power Consumption	Lower power draw, especially at idle.	Slightly higher power draw under load.
Thermals (No Heatsink)	Runs very efficiently and stays cool under normal use.	Can get warm under sustained heavy workloads.
Heatsink Option	Simple and effective metal heatsink.	Larger heatsink, sometimes with RGB.

Rating: Crucial T500 – 10/10 | Samsung 990 Pro – 9/10

Summary: The Crucial T500 has the edge in efficiency. It consumes less power and runs cooler, making it a slightly better choice for builds where thermal headroom is a concern.

Endurance and Warranty: Built to Last

Endurance (TBW) tells you how much data can be written to the drive over its lifetime.

Feature	Crucial T500 (1TB)	Samsung 990 Pro (1TB)
Endurance (TBW)	600 TBW	600 TBW
Warranty	5-Year Limited	5-Year Limited
Brand Reputation	Excellent (Micron)	Excellent (Samsung)

Rating: Crucial T500 – 10/10 | Samsung 990 Pro – 10/10

Summary: Another tie. Both drives offer the same industry-standard 600 TBW for the 1TB model and a 5-year warranty, backed by two of the most trusted names in storage.

Value for Money: The Bottom Line

Which drive gives you more performance for your dollar?

Feature	Crucial T500	Samsung 990 Pro
Launch Price	More aggressive and budget-friendly.	Positioned as a premium, high-end product.
Performance per Dollar	Extremely high.	Good, but you pay a premium for the last 5% of performance.

Rating: Crucial T500 – 10/10 | Samsung 990 Pro – 8.5/10

Summary: The Crucial T500 is the decisive winner in value. It offers a nearly identical experience in most scenarios, especially gaming, for a significantly lower price.

Final Verdict: Which Should You Buy?

After extensive use, the choice in the Crucial T500 vs Samsung 990 Pro showdown becomes quite clear and depends entirely on you. The Crucial T500 is the drive I would recommend to about 90% of people. It’s an exceptional performer that delivers a top-tier gaming and general use experience. It's efficient, reliable, and provides incredible value. Unless you have a specific professional need, the T500 is the smarter buy.

However, for that remaining 10%—the video editors, 3D artists, and performance enthusiasts who measure project times in hours and minutes—the Samsung 990 Pro is worth the premium. Its class-leading random I/O performance can translate into real-world time savings in demanding professional applications. If you need the absolute fastest Gen4 drive and your workflow can leverage it, the 990 Pro remains the undisputed champion of raw speed.

FAQs Of Crucial T500 vs Samsung 990 pro

Which SSD is faster, the Crucial T500 or Samsung 990 Pro?

The Samsung 990 Pro is marginally faster in peak sequential reads and significantly faster in random read/write (IOPS) performance. For professional workloads, the 990 Pro is faster. For gaming and general use, the performance difference is practically unnoticeable.

Do I need a heatsink for the Crucial T500 or Samsung 990 Pro?

For desktop use, a heatsink is highly recommended for any Gen4 NVMe SSD to prevent thermal throttling under sustained loads. If your motherboard has a built-in M.2 heatsink, that is sufficient. Otherwise, buying the version with a heatsink is a good idea. For PS5 installation, a heatsink is required.

Is the Samsung 990 Pro worth the extra cost over the Crucial T500?

For most users, including gamers, no. The Crucial T500 offers nearly identical real-world performance for a lower price. The extra cost of the 990 Pro is only justifiable for professionals whose work involves constant heavy read/write tasks that can benefit from its superior random performance.

Which drive is better for the PS5?

Both are excellent choices for the PS5, as they exceed Sony's speed requirements. Given that the primary use in a PS5 is game loading, where both drives excel equally, the Crucial T500 is the better choice due to its lower price and excellent efficiency. Just be sure to get the version with a heatsink.