Samsung 970 EVO 2TB vs Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB
Neither Samsung 970 EVO 2TB nor Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB wins outright — each takes something the other gives up, so the pick is which of those you want.
| Specification | Samsung970 EVO 2TB | Samsung970 EVO Plus 2TB |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity (GB) | 2000 | 2000 |
| Sequential read (MB/s) | 3500 | 3500 |
| Sequential write (MB/s) | 2500 | 3300better |
| Current best price | $499.49betterat Newegg · captured 2026-09-04 | $549.99at Newegg · captured 2026-09-13 |
| Price per TB | $249.75better | $275.00 |
| Endurance (TBW) | 1200 | 1200 |
| Warranty (years) | 5 | 5 |
| DRAM cache | Yes | Yes |
| NAND type | tlc | tlc |
| Controller | Samsung Phoenix controller | Samsung Phoenix controller |
How these two compare
Sequential throughput
Samsung 970 EVO 2TB states 3500 MB/s read and 2500 MB/s write; Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB states 3500 MB/s read and 3300 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.
Price
Samsung 970 EVO 2TB is $499.49 ($249.75 per TB); Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB is $549.99 ($275.00 per TB).
Endurance
Samsung 970 EVO 2TB is rated for 1200 TBW and Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB for 1200 TBW — the total the maker warrants you can write over the drive's life. A typical desktop writes only a few terabytes a year, so either rating is many years of headroom; the figure matters mainly as a relative signal of how hard each is built to be driven.
DRAM cache
On the cache question: Samsung 970 EVO 2TB carries a DRAM cache, and Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB carries a DRAM cache. 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: Samsung 970 EVO 2TB uses TLC, and Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB 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: Samsung 970 EVO 2TB uses the Samsung Phoenix controller and Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB uses the Samsung Phoenix 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. Samsung 970 EVO 2TB carries a 5-year warranty and Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB 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
It comes down to which you value more: Samsung 970 EVO 2TB and Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB each lead the other somewhere the site tracks, and no single measure settles it. Read the sections above for which edge fits your use.
Common questions about this pair
- Which is faster, Samsung 970 EVO 2TB or Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB?
- Samsung 970 EVO 2TB states 3500 MB/s read and 2500 MB/s write; Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB states 3500 MB/s read and 3300 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.
- Which costs less per terabyte, Samsung 970 EVO 2TB or Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB?
- Samsung 970 EVO 2TB is $499.49 ($249.75 per TB); Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB is $549.99 ($275.00 per TB).
- Should you buy Samsung 970 EVO 2TB or Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB?
- It comes down to which you value more: Samsung 970 EVO 2TB and Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB each lead the other somewhere the site tracks, and no single measure settles it. Read the sections above for which edge fits your use.