WD Blue SN570 vs Samsung 980: Which one to choose?

Let’s hit the point directly.

WD Blue SN570 and Samsung 980 NVMe SSDs are exactly the same if we look at their key specifications. Both run on PCIe Gen 3×4 interface. If we talk about the NAND Flash, both have TLC NAND Flash. Also, both are DRAM-Less SSDs.

Both have the same TBW and also the read/write performance is similar. Both come with a 5-year of warranty. Both brands offer good after-sale service. There are numerous other similarities between them both. In fact, finding any difference in terms of specifications is hard.

So, your decision for choosing the right SSD between the both will come to just two things. The first one is the brand and the second one is the price difference.

Both brands are reputed as well. So, if you want to choose the right SSD between the SN570 and 980, just check the price and get the one that seems affordable. If you are a fan of a specific brand, just go for your favorite company because you will see no differences in performance.

Let’s try to do some comparison below and still, see which one suits you the best.

1. Theoretical Specifications

First of all, let’s compare the key specifications and see what differences you may see.

Specification	Samsung 980	WD Blue SN570
Storage Variants	250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB	250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB
Theoretical Read Speed (Max.)	3,500 MB/s	3,500 MB/s
Theoretical Write Speed (Max.)	3,000 MB/s	3,000 MB/s
Form Factor/Interface	M.2 (2280)/PCIe® Gen 3.0 x4, NVMe™ 1.4	M.2 (2280)/PCIe Gen 4.0 x 4, NVMe 1.3
MTBF (Reliability)	1.50 Million Hours	1.50 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	No hardware encryption
Heatsink Option	Not Available	Not Available
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Availability	Check Price	Check Price

The only difference between SN570 and Samsung 980 is Encryption. SN570 comes with no encryption at all. But, Samsung 980 is using 256-bit encryption. All other specifications are similar so we can proceed further.

2. Synthetic Benchmark Scores

It is good to compare the synthetic benchmark scores in order to understand the capabilities of any SSD. My test bench has utilized Intel Core i5 12600K along with a DDR5 4800 MHz (8x2GB) kit. The motherboard is MSI Pro Z690-A DDR5. The primary storage is Silicon Power UD90 Gen 4.

Sequential Read/Write Speed Comparison

I have used CrystalDiskMark software for these sequential read/write tests. The I/O size is set to 1MB and the file size is 1GB. Queue Depth is set to 32 and the number of threads is 1.

Random Read/Write Speed Comparison

Again, I have used CrystalDiskMark software for these sequential read/write tests. The I/O size is set to 4KB and the file size is 1GB. Queue Depth is set to 1 and the number of threads is 1.

AS SSD Benchmark Scores

PCMark 10 Scores Comparison

PCMark 10 is a Trace-based benchmarking software. It has numerous options available for users. But, to keep it simple and conclusive, I have compared the results from quick and full drive benchmark scores.

Anvil’s Storage Utilities Scores

3. Endurance and TBW

Again, these both SSDs are similar in terms of reliability specs. You can expect similar results and similar life expectancy with both the products.

4. Technical Specifications

Again, these technical specifications are almost similar. Samsung 980 is having a higher number of NAND Flash Layers. All other things are the same. Both companies haven’t disclosed the controller configurations.

5. Price

As we discussed earlier, price is going to be the main deciding factor between both these SSDs. So, you can check on the different platforms before you make your final decision. However, I have seen that the SN570 is generally cheaper compared to the 980.

Final Verdict: Which one should you buy?

In my opinion, buying Samsung 980 is definitely a good option. If you see a similar price, 980 is going to give you one advantage i.e. AES-256 encryption which SN570 is missing. However, if you are capable of saving a good amount with SN570, you can go for it and miss the encryption.

Both of these are entry-level NVMe SSDs. So, you can’t expect very much from them. The prices are also pretty affordable. So, whichever SSD you are choosing, you will not get a very high speed like other top-end NVMe SSDs. So, there is no need to get confused between these both, just get the one that is affordable.

If we talk about the benchmark scores, both of these are almost equal. So, in terms of performance, these are almost equal.

Let me know what you think about this article in the comments!