Want to choose between the very popular SAMSUNG 980 Pro and Crucial P5? Well, the 980 Pro is a Prosumer SSD whereas the Crucial P5 comes into the category of normal consumer SSD.
Both of these SSDs are equipped with faster DRAMs and companies are claiming their best offerings with the both. However, in terms of pricing the P5 can be advantageous as compared to the 980 Pro.
In simple words, both these SSDs are focused on hardcore PC enthusiasts. The Crucial P5 is making use of the PCIe Gen3x4 interface. Whereas the 980 Pro is using the Gen4x4 interface and hence reaching up the read speed up to 7000 MB/s and write speed up to 5100 MB/s. And, this is why the SAMSUNG 980 Pro is a clear winner if you are ready to spend anything for the highest speed.
But, if you are looking to spend a little bit more budget for a consumer SSD with around 3400 MB/s read and 3100 MB/s write speed, Crucial P5 is the best option for you.
So, in this article, I am going to give you a brief overview of both along with the benchmark scores and then tell my own views on the both and help you pick the right one. So, keep reading till the end.
Crucial P5 vs Samsung 980 Pro: Best Pick?
It is already clear that Samsung 980 Pro NVMe SSDs are faster compared to Crucial P5 SSDs. However, Crucial P5 is good in terms of speed and is affordable NVMe SSDs. However, both of the products come in the top-end SSDs from Crucial and SAMSUNG. But, by making use of the PCIe 4.0, the 980 Pro is beating the Crucial P5 everywhere. But, below are the comparisons of both these products in different categories to help you understand more about their pros and cons.
1. Storage Space
Currently, both Crucial P5 & Samsung 980 Pro NVMe SSDs are available in 4 different variants.
Storage Space: 250GB/500GB/1TB/2TB
If you want, you can just pick a 250GB or 500GB variant of anyone and make it your OS drive. Or, you can go for a higher storage version to store everything inside a faster drive for faster read/write operations.
Note: Higher variants for the NVMe SSDs get you better Read/Write Speed.
2. Sequential Read/Write Speed (Theoretical)
Samsung 980 Pro NVMe SSD is faster compared to Crucial P5 NVMe SSDs. Check out the R/W Speed for each variant of both SSDs.
Read/Write Speed of Crucial P5 NVMe SSD
| Variant | Seq. Read Speed | Seq. Write Speed |
|---|---|---|
| Crucial P5 250 GB | 3,400 MB/s | 1,400 MB/s |
| Crucial P5 500 GB | 3,400 MB/s | 3,000 MB/s |
| Crucial P5 1 TB | 3,400 MB/s | 3,000 MB/s |
| Crucial P5 2 TB | 3,400 MB/s | 3,000 MB/s |
Read/Write Speed of Samsung 980 Pro NVMe SSD
| Variant | Seq. Read Speed | Seq. Write Speed |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung 980 Pro 250 GB | 6,400 MB/s | 2,700 MB/s |
| Samsung 980 Pro 500 GB | 6,900 MB/s | 5,000 MB/s |
| Samsung 980 Pro 1 TB | 7,000 MB/s | 5,000 MB/s |
| Samsung 980 Pro 2 TB | 7,000 MB/s | 5,100 MB/s |
3. Input/Output Operations Per Second (4KB Random )
Random IOPS R/W Speed of Crucial P5 NVMe SSD
| Variant | Read IOPS | Write IOPS |
|---|---|---|
| Crucial P5 250 GB | 210,000 | 355,000 |
| Crucial P5 500 GB | 390,000 | 500,000 |
| Crucial P5 1 TB | 430,000 | 500,000 |
| Crucial P5 2 TB | Differs (430,000+) | 500,000 |
Peak Random IOPS R/W Speed of Samsung 980 Pro NVMe SSD
| Variant | Read IOPS | Write IOPS |
|---|---|---|
| Samsung 980 Pro 250 GB | 500,000 | 600,000 |
| Samsung 980 Pro 500 GB | 800,000 | 1,000,000 |
| Samsung 980 Pro 1 TB | 1,000,000 | 1,000,000 |
| Samsung 980 Pro 2 TB | 1,000,000 | 1,000,000 |
No doubt, Samsung 980 Pro dominates the Crucial P5 NVMe SSDs considering the random read/write speed. Now, let’s see the actual benchmarks below.
4. Benchmark Scores
The tests were done with 100% empty space in all the SSDs. The speeds may vary depending on various things including the total occupied space. The system used for testing was an Intel i7 8th Generation laptop with 3200 Mhz.
Crucial P5 Benchmark Scores
| Variant | Seq. Read | Seq. Write | 4K Read | 4K Write |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 250 GB | 2084 MB/s | 1353 MB/s | 51.8 MB/s | 110 MB/s |
| 500 GB | 2090 MB/s | 1927 MB/s | 50.5 MB/s | 112 MB/s |
| 1 TB | 2122 MB/s | 1872 MB/s | 50.7 MB/s | 108 MB/s |
| 2 TB | 1982 MB/s | 1771 MB/s | 48.6 MB/s | 108 MB/s |
Samsung 980 Pro Benchmark Scores
| Variant | Seq. Read | Seq. Write | 4K Read | 4K Write |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 250 GB | 2416 MB/s | 1959 MB/s | 68.4 MB/s | 161 MB/s |
| 500 GB | 2561 MB/s | 2505 MB/s | 69.6 MB/s | 165 MB/s |
| 1 TB | 2122 MB/s | 1872 MB/s | 50.7 MB/s | 168 MB/s |
| 2 TB | 2565 MB/s | 2857 MB/s | 70.9 MB/s | 164 MB/s |
5. SSD Endurance Terabytes Written TBW
TBW is another important thing to determine whether an SSD is reliable or not. Most of the users are not worried about it but if you do frequent and large data reading and writing, you should definitely know it.
Crucial P5 TBW (Tera-bytes Written)
| Variant | TBW (Tera-bytes Written) |
|---|---|
| 250 GB | 150 |
| 500 GB | 300 |
| 1 TB | 600 |
| 2 TB | 1,200 |
Samsung 980 Pro TBW (Tera-bytes Written)
| Variant | TBW (Tera-bytes Written) |
|---|---|
| 250 GB | 150 |
| 500 GB | 300 |
| 1 TB | 600 |
| 2 TB | 1,200 |
Both P5 and 980 Pro have the same TBW limits.
6. Price Difference
The Samsung 980 Pro is a PCIe 4.0 SSD. It is definitely going to be expensive. As compared to the Crucial P5, the 980 Pro is going to be around 20 to 30% expensive. The prices may vary depending on your geographical location and the platform you are using to buy it.
7. Other Things to Consider
Bus Type/Form Factor
The form factor (interface) for Crucial P5 NVMe SSDs is M.2. The interface is PCIe 3.0 x4. and the protocol is NVMe 1.3.
The form factor (interface) for Samsung 980 Pro NVMe SSDs is M.2. The interface is PCIe 4.0 x4. and the protocol is NVMe 1.3.
NAND Type
Crucial P5 NVMe SSDs are based on 96-layer Triple-Level-Cell (TLC) NAND. This NAND is manufactured by Micron. Whereas, the Samsung 980 Pro NVMe SSD is based on Samsung’s own 128 Layer 3D TLC NAND.
Controller Type
Crucial P5 NVMe SSD is based on a Micron DM01B2 controller that has two cores and 8-channels. Whereas, Samsung 980 Pro NVMe SSDs are based on the Samsung Elpis controller.
DRAM
Both Crucial P5 & Samsung 980 Pro NVMe SSDs include the DRAM LPDDR4 in all the variants.
What is the warranty period for these SSDs?
Crucial P5 and Samsung 980 Pro NVMe SSDs come with 5 Years of warranty. One of the best advantages for a buyer is the long warranty period.
Software for SSD Routine Health Check-up
For users brands have introduced compatible SSD Software, relying on those SSD-based software users can Check New Firmware Updates, Perform Secure Erase, Fix Minor Bugs, Check System temperature, Gain Drive Details, Disk Test, S.M.A.R.T Diagnostic, Boost up the R/W speed and much more.
In case, if you are intending to get a Samsung 980 Pro NVMe SSD then, you have to rely on Samsung Magician Software. Whereas, if you wish to go with Crucial P5 kindly, make use of the Crucial Software Executive Tool for SSDs Health Check-up.
Direct Download link for both SSD-based Software
What are my Views on both (Which one should you buy?)
I would suggest Samsung 980 Pro NVMe SSDs to those who have a good budget and are greedy for better speed.
Note: Make sure to check whether your motherboard supports PCIe 4.0 if you want to make the most out of your 980 Pro.
Investing in any of the Samsung 980 Pro SSDs, won’t be in vain. However, Crucial P5 NVMe SSD is also a good choice if you have a limited budget. The SAMSUNG 980 Pro is surely a fast NVMe M.2 SSD focused on professional users. But, the P5 can be utilized by anyone with limited or average usage.
If you are a gamer, professional video editor, overclocker, or any other professional with superior requirements, just go for SAMSUNG 980 Pro. If you are a small video editor, programmer, hobbyist gamer, then P5 would also work well for you.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed the article! Now, decide on a convenient SSD based on your purpose and budget to make a reliable purchase. In case, if you have any queries do let me know in the comment section. I’ll look into it.
Thanks for reading!
Also Read: Best SSDs for upgrade your laptop in 2022