Crucial P3 500GB vs Samsung 980 500GB
At least one of these has no price the site currently tracks, so what follows weighs specifications alone.
How these two compare
Sequential throughput
Crucial P3 500GB states 3500 MB/s read and 1900 MB/s write; Samsung 980 500GB states 3500 MB/s read and 3000 MB/s write, both over PCIe. Sequential numbers like these describe large sustained transfers; the responsiveness you notice day to day tracks random access more closely than the peak figures do.
DRAM cache
On the cache question: Crucial P3 500GB is DRAM-less, and Samsung 980 500GB is DRAM-less. The DRAM keeps the flash-translation table close, sparing a lookup on nearly every access; a drive without it leans on host memory or its own flash, which usually shows as slower sustained random writes rather than in the headline sequential numbers.
NAND, controller and warranty
On the flash itself: Crucial P3 500GB uses TLC, and Samsung 980 500GB uses TLC. NAND tiers count bits per cell — more bits pack more capacity into the same silicon but shorten write endurance and slow sustained writes, which is why QLC sits below TLC on lasting performance even when the sequential numbers match. Controller: Crucial P3 500GB's controller is not stated and Samsung 980 500GB uses the Samsung Elpis controller. The controller runs wear-levelling, error correction and the mapping table, so it shapes sustained and random behaviour as much as the flash does — though the model name alone predicts little without testing. Crucial P3 500GB does not state one and Samsung 980 500GB carries a 5-year warranty — the length the maker will stand behind the drive, and usually a proxy for the endurance it is rated to.
Which to buy
The site holds no current price for at least one of these, so it cannot call the buy on cost. Judge them on the specifications above — at the same capacity and interface, two drives usually part on things like the DRAM cache, the NAND tier, endurance and warranty, so weigh whichever of those the sections above report.
Common questions about this pair
- Which is faster, Crucial P3 500GB or Samsung 980 500GB?
- Crucial P3 500GB states 3500 MB/s read and 1900 MB/s write; Samsung 980 500GB states 3500 MB/s read and 3000 MB/s write, both over PCIe. Sequential numbers like these describe large sustained transfers; the responsiveness you notice day to day tracks random access more closely than the peak figures do.
- Should you buy Crucial P3 500GB or Samsung 980 500GB?
- The site holds no current price for at least one of these, so it cannot call the buy on cost. Judge them on the specifications above — at the same capacity and interface, two drives usually part on things like the DRAM cache, the NAND tier, endurance and warranty, so weigh whichever of those the sections above report.