I just can’t get over the speed of solid-state hard drives. New gaming console speeds have drastically improved due in part to SSDs; something PC enthusiasts have enjoyed for quite some time now. I’ve been so satisfied with the leap in performance that I cannot get myself to try the latest M.2 SSDs despite their supposed performance boost. The price just isn’t worth it to me yet. Thankfully, companies like Samsung are still releasing SATA based SSDs for those of us who haven’t made the jump. In January, Samsung released the 870 EVO (the upgrade from the 860 EVO). The EVO is also a step up from Samsung’s QVO models in terms of lifespan and performance, but is it worth the upgrade?
Warp Speed
If I am being honest, the main reason I want a solid-state drive is to get the crazy boost of loading times they offer. Games, software, and even Windows loads in a fraction of moments compared to standard hard drives. The Samsung 870 EVO is no exception to this rule. In fact, random read performance speeds have increased beyond the prior model (the 860 EVO) by as much as thirty-eight percent. Sequential read and write speeds can reach up to 560 and 530MB/s allowing you to multitask, browse the web, and load programs at warp speed.
I couldn’t quite get to that benchmark in my testing, but I did see speeds reach the mid to upper 550MB/s range for sequential reading. I also noticed the speeds were more consistent when I ran multiple benchmark tests. In other words, benchmark results for the Samsung 870 QVO showed lower and inconsistent speeds through multiple tests when compared to the 870 EVO. Overall, the 870 EVO is easily the better solid-state drive.
Samsung Quality
I don’t see my hard drives tucked away in my case, but that doesn’t keep me from realizing how nice Samsung drives look. This hard drive is up to the brand standard of Samsung. My original solid-state drive from Crucial looks and feels cheap compared to the 870 EVO. Also, the support Samsung offers for this product is top tier. They currently offer a five-year warranty on this drive. The warranty is fantastic, however other features make this drive worth the purchase.
The worst part of getting a new hard drive is data migration. Fear not. I can easily migrate my data from another hard drive by using the Samsung Magician software, and in my tests, the software worked seamlessly. Magician also allows me to monitor the drives’ health, and I can even use it to benchmark performance. This will be useful if I add additional drives in the future and want to compare speeds.
Another thing to keep in mind when purchasing one of these drives is the endurance of the drive itself. Again, these drives don’t last forever (no hard drive does), but the drive’s endurance increases significantly if you purchase a higher capacity drive. For casual users, these drives should last you throughout the warranty period. As with any hard drive – just be sure to back up that essential data! I use Amazon’s cloud-based service and blu-ray discs to back up my important photos and videos.
Time to Upgrade
If you have not upgraded to an SSD yet, it is time. Lightning-fast load times alone will be enough to satisfy and impress you. Samsung is offering a compelling reason to upgrade as they improve their SATA drives’ speed and reliability. If you already have an SSD, the value of an additional drive is wonderful to have. I happen to have three in my PC, each with a terabyte of space. The EVO 870 at the time of this writing costs $129.99 for one terabyte. With the speed, lifespan, and five-year warranty Samsung is offering, there has never been a better time to add additional space to your rig.
