Samsung 980 - still issues or good with updated firmware?

[lemonadesoda]

Samsung seems to be letting the 900 series out of the door at heavy discount:

Spoiler: Samsung 980 price April 2023 EU

https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Samsung-Internal-Solid-State-MZ-V8V1T0BW/dp/B08TJ2649W?th=1

At those prices, I'd like to install NVME as boot drive.

If a new drive has its firmware updated as soon as it is installed, are there still reliability issues with the 980 as there are with the 870 EVO?

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
I wouldn't get anything but the pro series which also need a firmware update but faster and more appropriate for an os drive.

 

[SPDIF]

I would do that firmware upgrade as soon as possible. AFAIK, i have not seen reports anymore on internet or at my shop of degrading 980 PRO SSD's, after the firmware update has been done. Only if your drive has already suffered damage, the firmware update does not repair that and you stay with a half broken SSD. Best to RMA in such case.

The update also makes your 980 PRO a little faster then before.

 

[lemonadesoda]

Budget second machine with non critical data, hence choice of cheaper super discounted non-PRO model. But I'm open to good advice. If I go PRO, the price doubles and pricing of 970 PRO, 980 PRO and 990 PRO is similar. Any reason not to get the 990 PRO if going PRO..

 

[ThrashZone]

Might add the pro version also goes up to 2tb if you want to game a games drive later

Budget would be 970 evo plus also being dumped which also go up to 2tb.

 

[SL2]

Seems like most people are happy with it. https://geizhals.eu/samsung-ssd-980....html?hloc=at&hloc=de&hloc=eu&hloc=pl&hloc=uk

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
980 and 970 evo plus have same speeds so buy cheapest.

990 well budget is all that matters there.

 

[SPDIF]

In any case, i would not wait to long, as prices are expected to going up soon. Samsung will lower the production of NAND memory.

Don't use your 990 PRO right out the box, first update it! You may face the same issues! If it has firmware version 0B2QJXD7, then update ASAP with firmware version 1B2QJXD7.
Same as the 980PRO, if damage has been done already a firmware update will fix degrading more. But the damage done is forever. You have to RMA it in such case.

 

[MarsM4N]

I wouldn't buy any Samsung, their quality control has gone down the drain. Also life experience told me:

 

[SPDIF]

For anyone that does not want to buy Samsung because of the issues, this SSD will do the same for less money. They go out my shop as sweet burgers...

WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD​

This WD black is one of the fastest drives around for gaming, and ready for the Playstation 5.

Just some info about the Samsung 980, Samsung sells a 980 and an 980 PRO. The 980 is an DRAM-less SSD, is much slower and only uses PCIe 3.0, less endurance.
The 980 PRO has DRAM, is PCIe 4.0 and higher endurance. Just wanted to let people know this.

 

[bobbybluz]

I did the firmware update on my 1TB 980 Pro (no signs of trouble but did it to be safe) but it's now a secondary drive behind a faster (and less expensive) Solidigm 1TB P44 Pro.

 

[SL2]

For anyone that does not want to buy Samsung because of the issues, this SSD will do the same for less money. They go out my shop as sweet burgers...

WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSD​

Well, it cost quite a bit more in DE.

 

[dgianstefani]

SN 770 is much better option.

 

[P4-630]

Here in NL, EU too

 

[pigulici]

I wouldn't touch a Samsung SSD for a time(maybe next gen of their ssd will do better), are better options, I got an wd black sn850x 4tb, and feels better, in same pc, than previous samsung pro...

 

[KLMR]

I thought 980 non-pro was out of any serious discussion, bugged or not.

 

[Tomgang]

I have 3 Samsung 980 PRO. All nearly 2 years old now and updated to newest firmware as soon it was out. None of my drives has show failure or reliability issues. Since 2011 i got my first SSD, i have never had a single SSD failure, so far.

Only negative i can say, it a hot running NVMe ssd. Adissional cooling is needed, else under high strees thermal throttle will happen.

 

[SPDIF]

You can't compare this Samsung 980 with an SN850X, as the 980 is a DRAM-less SSD and only PCIe 3.0. That's for sure a huge price difference.
The 980 is a good SSD for storage or office computer. The 980 uses the PCIe HMB method which links the drive directly to the host processor’s DRAM to overcome any performance drawbacks, a buffer made from the memory of your computer to speed up things.
This buffer can grow to 1GB of memory, after copy it goes back to 80MB.

The 980 PRO has his own DRAM buffer build-in from 1 to 2GB!

HMB Visible in Windows as Hardware Reserved Memory.

 

[lemonadesoda]

ThAanks @SPDIF , very useful info. Nice and brief and to the point. For people new to NVME it is very easy to miss these critical attributes.

 

[SPDIF]

I saw everyone compare the Samsung 980 with the SN850X in price, for sure there is a price difference here. The SN850X is faster then the 980 PRO, a that slower then the Samsung 990 PRO, but much cheaper and no problems with degrading NAND memory.

The Samsung 980 has no problems with degrading memory. The Samsung 980 PRO, 990 PRO suffered mayor damage due to firmware problems. It's the same story as the 870EVO in another thread here.

So for people here that have an 980 PRO or a 990 PRO, update your new SSD ASAP with the new firmware! Easy to do with the Samsung Magician program.
If not done, you risk an SSD that will be dead in a short time.

For the 980 PRO the latest firmware is; 5B2QGXA7

For the 990 PRO the latest firmware is; 1B2QJXD7

If you have a drive that shows life left under 90% in a very short time, together with numbers that are not zero, Critical Warning, Available Spare, Available spare Treshold or Media and Data Integrity Errors in the SMART table, it's to late and you have to RMA it back to Sammy. Upgrade your firmware at this point, stops it from degrading further, but the damage done stays and can't be repaired!!!

Example of a new dying 990 pro, only written 2TB;

 

[SL2]

I saw everyone compare the Samsung 980 with the SN850X in price, for sure there is a price difference here. The SN850X is faster then the 980 PRO, a that slower then the Samsung 990 PRO, but much cheaper and no problems with degrading NAND memory.

Yup, I assumed that you talked about the non-Pro, as it's what the OP is asking about.

 

[SPDIF]

AFAIK, the Samsung 980 has had no problems with degrading or firmware, The more expensive brothers (PRO) had big trouble. Many people speak from the 980, but they mean the pro version. It's sometimes confusing.

So once again for people new to NVMe, Samsung sells 2 types of the 980;

1] The Samsung 980, DRAM-less and PCIe3.0, Low Endurance.
2]The Samsung 980 PRO, DRAM build-in and PCIe4.0, High Endurance.

This 980 is no match for the 980 PRO, it's much slower.

 

[P4-630]

The more expensive brothers (PRO) had big trouble. Many people speak from the 980, but they mean the pro version.

No issues here

 

[unwind-protect]

I followed the issue rather closely and I never spotted problem reports post-new-firmware.

 

[sauria]

Can you update these with magician in Linux?