Samsung has been at the top of the pyramid for a long time now when it comes to consumer SSD especially with the popularity of its Samsung EVO 850 SSD. Today, we’re going to take a look at its successor, the Samsung EVO 860.
The Samsung EVO lineup comes in different form factor and capacities but what we have here today is the M.2 250GB variant. I got this because I’m planning on using this on my Laptop and I want to utilize all available SATA ports on my machine.
MY EARLY BREAKDOWN
Pros: Small form factor, Relatively affordable, Decent performance
Cons: Performance capped by Sata 3 6gb/s limitation
SPECIFICATIONS
Interface: SATA 6 Gb/s Interface, compatible with SATA 3 Gb/s & SATA 1.5 Gb/s interface
Capacity: 250 GB
Sequential Read Speed: Up to 550 MB/s Sequential Read
Sequential Write Speed: Up to 520 MB/s Sequential Write
Random Read (4KB, QD32): Up to 97,000 IOPS Random Read
Random Read (4KB, QD1): Up to 10,000 IOPS Random Read
Random Write (4KB, QD32): Up to 88,000 IOPS Random Write
Random Write (4KB, QD1): Up to 42,000 IOPS Random Write
Controller: Samsung MJX Controller
NAND Type: Samsung V-NAND 3bit MLC
Cache Memory: Samsung 250 GB Low Power DDR4 SDRAM
Trim Support: Yes
AES Encryption: AES 256-bit Encryption (Class 0)TCG/Opal IEEE1667 (Encrypted drive)
S.M.A.R.T. Support: Yes
GC (Garbage Collection): Auto Garbage Collection Algorithm
WWN Support: World Wide Name supported
Device Sleep Mode Support: Yes
Internal Storage: Yes
Power Consumption (W): *Average: 2.2 W / *Maximum: 4.0 W (Burst mode)
Reliability (MTBF): 1.5 Million Hours Reliability (MTBF)
Operating Temperature: 0 – 70 ℃ Operating Temperature
Shock: 1,500G & 0.5ms (Half sine)
Form Factor: M.2 SATA
Dimensions (W x D x H): 3.15″ X 0.87 ” X 0.09″
Weight: 0.18 lbs.
Management SW: Magician Software for SSD management
Warranty: 5 Years Limited Warranty or 150 TBW Limited Warranty
REVIEW
Before we start with the quick review, I just want to point it out there that this is not going to be an in-depth review but more like an unboxing experience, a quick overview with some benchmarks, and to help you guys determine if this is the one for you. With that out of the way, let’s proceed.
Packaging
The packaging is pretty straightforward, featuring Samsung’s V-NAND Technology and their marketing slogan “The SSD that makes the difference”.
Inside the box, we have the Samsung 860 EVO M.2 SATA SSD itself.
And underneath it, is a quite hefty paperwork for installation guide and warranty statement.
Form Factor
With the advancement of technology, we can now enjoy the same speed and performance in such as small package in the form of the M.2 form factor. Notebooks, HTPC, and other compact devices can definitely benefit from this.
In my case, I’m going to use it on my Acer E5-475G laptop. I will now be able to add another storage device without removing my existing 2.5″ mechanical hard drive.
Installation and Compatability
Installation is also super simple, just plug it in on your device’s M.2 slot guided by the notches and you’re good to go. But before you rush and buy one of this, make sure your device is compatible and has an M.2 slot. You can check that on your machine’s manual or from the manufacturer’s website.
Also, if you have a device that is compatible with a faster NVME drive, then you might want to consider getting that instead of this to maximize the performance of your machine. But that usually cost a little bit more, so if your machine only supports SATA speeds and you’re on a tight budget, then this would be your best option.
Features
V-NAND Technology
Samsung 3D V-NAND technology delivers reliable performance at lower costs for today’s demanding, data-centric world. This innovative architecture improves memory in the following
essential areas:
• More capacity. Fit more memory cells in a NAND chip in less
space for significantly more capacity
• Better performance. Write data much faster by virtually
eliminating cell-to-cell interference
• Outstanding endurance. Experience less stress with insulators
more resistant to wear for greater endurance
• Superb power efficiency. Reduce power consumption by
reducing the number of programming steps
Enhanced Performance with TurboWrite Technology
TurboWrite Technology creates a high-performance write buffer area within the drive that simulates high-performance SLC. During write operations, data from the host system is first transferred/written to the high-performance buffer at accelerated speeds and then during the idle periods, the data is moved from the buffer to primary storage region. With this technology, the user experience is improved as they only “feel” the accelerated performance of the initial writes.
For the Samsung 860 EVO, the TurboWrite buffer size is upgraded from 12 GB to 78 GB.
Boosted Endurance
One of the main difference of the 860 EVO from its predecessor 850 EVO is the boosted endurance.
Samsung claims up to 8x higher TBW (Terabytes Written) than the 850 EVO with up to 2400 Terabytes written for this particular 250GB variant.
Smart Compatibility
The refined ECC* algorithm and a new MJX controller generate higher speeds, and the improved queued trim enhances Linux compatibility.
Samsung RAPID Mode
RAPID mode is paired exclusively with Samsung SSDs and available as a feature of the accompanying Samsung SSD Magician Software Toolset.
When enabled, RAPID mode is inserted as a filter driver in the Windows storage stack. The driver actively monitors all storage-related activity between and among the operating system, user applications, and the SSD. The RAPID technology analyzes system traffic and leverages spare system resources (DRAM and CPU) to deliver read acceleration through intelligent caching of hot data and write optimization through tight coordination with the SSD.
Performance and Benchmarks
For regular consumers like myself, getting one of this cheap TLC NAND Flash is the more practical way of improving performance when it comes to day to day task than getting some high-end SLC or a faster but much more expensive NVME drive. Unless you’re working on large files for an extended period of time or dealing with a heavy workload, a budget SSD like this is more than enough to feel the improved performance on your system.
For our benchmarks, here are the specifications of my laptop so that you can take that into consideration with regards to the results. All tests were done on a freshly installed windows 10.
Your mileage may vary of course depending on the host machine that you’re going to use.
Your mileage may vary of course depending on the host machine that you’re going to use.
CrystalDiskMark
Crystaldiskmark is a very popular benchmarking tool for sequential read and writes. Our results are right around the rated speed with a 556.2MB/s Read and 522.4MB/s Write.
ATTO Disk Benchmark
Another popular benchmark tool is the ATTO Disk benchmark, with this we’ve got 501.96MB/s write and 533.33MB/s read.
Samsung Magician
I also ran the performance benchmark inside the Samsung Magician software which got us a 548MB/s Read and 517MB/s Write.
Inside the Samsung Magician software, you can also check the system compatibility and other information such as the interface it’s connected to, mode, trim status, etc.
You can also enable the RAPID mode here which will boost the performance even further by utilizing extra DRAM for caching.
Aside from that, you can also do performance optimization, setup overprovisioning and do a secure erase right inside the Samsung Magician software.
VERDICT
Will I Recommend This? Yes!
As I’ve mentioned, the Samsung EVO 860 SSD is more than enough for day to day usage and if you don’t require an ultra-fast speed that a more expensive NVME drive has, then this is the most practical option to boost the performance of your machine. But if you have the budget and your machine is capable of supporting NVME drive, then by all means, go for it and maximize the potential of your device.
Samsung 860 EVO M.2 SATA SSD Unboxing and Quick Benchmarks
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WHERE TO BUY
LAZADA:
Samsung 860 EVO M.2 SATA SSD 250GB
Samsung 860 EVO 2.5″ SATA SSD 250GB
- I searched for the highest amount of ratings and good feedback from buyers
- Price may vary depending on existing promos
- The views and opinions on this article are solely based on my own personal experience, your results may vary
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Did you screw it? and if you did, where did you get the screw? and what size?
My laptop came with an M.2 already screwed on the slot, I just had to remove it, inserted the M.2 SSD and screw it again