Samsung 980 Pro comes always at the top when we talk about the Gen 4 NVMe SSDs. But, as we all know, it has a lot of competitors as well. In fact, there are SSDs available at very cheap prices that claim to offer similar performance. Today, we are talking about the Crucial P5 Plus. It is an upgraded version of Crucial P5 which is a Gen 3 NVMe.
There is a lot of confusion among people about P5 Plus. But, there are reasons to choose both of them. If we talk about the theoretical speed, Crucial says that P5 Plus can reach up to 6600 and 5000 sequential read/write speeds. 980 Pro can go to 7000 and 5000 MB/s.
But, before going further, let me give you an overview.
Samsung 980 Pro is a clear winner when it comes to real-world performance. But, it is expensive because it clearly is made up for high-end users. On the other hand, the Crucial P5 Plus is perfect for budget users.
In this article, we are going to see how these both perform in benchmarks and then come to the results.
Theoretical Specifications Comparison
| Specification | Samsung 980 Pro | Crucial P5 Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Storage Variants | 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | 500GB, 1TB, 2TB |
| Theoretical Read Speed (Max.) | 7,000 MB/s | 6,600 MB/s |
| Theoretical Write Speed (Max.) | 5,000 MB/s | 5,000 MB/s |
| Form Factor/Interface | M.2 (2280)/PCIe® Gen 3.0 x4, NVMe™ 1.4 | M.2/ x4 PCIe 4.0/NVMe |
| MTBF (Reliability) | 1.50 Million Hours | 2 Million Hours |
| Warranty | 5 Years | 5 Years |
| T.R.I.M. | Supported | Supported |
| S.M.A.R.T. | Supported | Supported |
| Encryption | AES 256-bit Encryption | TCG OPAL 2.0 |
| Heatsink Option | Not Available | Not Available |
| Image |  |  |
| Availability | Check Price | Check Price |
Almost everything in this table is similar for both. Again, the maximum sequential read/write speed is more with the Samsung 980 Pro. But, let’s go to the benchmarks to see the actual difference.
Benchmark Scores Comparison
All these tests are performed on an Intel i5 12700K CPU with 4200 MHz DDR4 (16GB) RAM. SSDs are 0% filled during the tests and set as OS drives. 1TB variants of both SSDs are used for these tests.
Sequential Read/Write Performance Comparison
Random Read/Write Performance Comparison
PCMARK 10 Scores Comparison
3D Mark SSD Gaming Test Scores Comparison
PassMark Scores Comparison
Anvil Scores Comparison
AS SSD Benchmark Scores
Benchmark Scores Analysis: Both of the SSDs are performing almost similarly. However, Samsung 980 Pro has a better performance when it comes to writing and reading random data under its SLC write bandwidth. After that, the write speed decreases. Another thing to mention is that the PCMark scores are in favor of Crucial P5 Plus. All other tests are either similar or 980 Pro is winning by minimal numbers. So, it is fair to say that both are equally competitive.
Endurance and TBW Rating
| Parameter | Samsung 980 Pro | Crucial P5 Plus 1TB |
|---|---|---|
| TBW | 250GB: 150 TBW 500GB: 300 TBW 1TB: 600 TBW 2TB: 1,200 TBW | 500GB: 300 TBW 1TB: 600 TBW 2TB: 1,200 TBW |
| Warranty | 5-Years Limited Warranty | 5-Years Limited Warranty |
| MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) | 1.50 Million Hours | 2 Million Hours |
Both these SSDs are having the same amount of TBW ratings. However, the P5 Plus comes with a higher MTBF. So, theoretically, it can work on your system for a much longer period.
Technical Specifications
| Technical Specification | Samsung 980 Pro | Crucial P5 Plus 1TB |
|---|---|---|
| NAND Flash Type | Samsung 3-bit TLC V-NAND | Micron’s TLC |
| NAND Flash Layers | 128/136 | 176 |
| Controller | Samsung Elpis Controller | Micron DM02A1 |
| Controller Configurations | Not Specified | 8 Channels |
| Cache | DDR4 SDRAM | DRAM |
| Heatsink Option | Available | Not Available |
| T.R.I.M. | Available | Available |
| S.M.A.R.T. | Available | Available |
| Encryption | AES 256-bit Encryption (Class 0) | TCG OPAL 2.0 |
| Website | Samsung 980 Pro | Crucial P5 Plus |
Samsung hasn’t specified the controller configurations. However, it does say that it can handle 128 I/O queues at a time. So, clearly, the controller is much more powerful than the 980 Pro.
Price
There isn’t much difference in the price of both. However, the Samsung 980 Pro is a little expensive everywhere you buy. So, does the extra price worth it? In my opinion, it is. Make sure to compare the prices always before you make the purchase.
Which one should you go for? Crucial P5 Plus or Samsung 980 Pro
Samsung 980 Pro is a much more performance-oriented SSD as compared to the Crucial P5 Plus. However, Crucial P5 Plus is equipped with everything to serve high-end and normal users.
All the theoretical specifications look similar. But, when it comes to the benchmarks, no one is far away from each other. So, you can expect similar performance. Samsung 980 Pro is going to beat Crucial P5 Plus when it comes to real-world, high-end applications.
On the other hand, if you are looking to save some money while picking a good Gen 4 NVMe in the market, Crucial P5 Plus is the best option for you. All in all, both are great SSDs. It’s just that Crucial P5 Plus is focused more toward the general audience while 980 Pro is made for enthusiasts.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments!