By Olin Coles

Manufacturer: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Product Name: Samsung SSD 850 EVO 500GB
Model Number: MZ-75E500
Part Number: MZ-75E500BW (500GB)
Price As Tested: $249.99 (Amazon | B&H | Newegg)

Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by Samsung.

Solid State Drive technology has been revolutionary in that it delivers a very noticeable performance boost that surpasses upgrades to other components. As a result, companies who offer SSDs typically spend small fortunes marketing them to the consumer public. Samsung goes a different route, and relies on proven performance to sale units. This was especially true for the Samsung SSD 840 EVO, which generated its own interest by producing impressive transfer speeds. Powered by their own 32-layer 3D V-NAND technology, the Samsung SSD 850 EVO replaces the 840 EVO solid state drive and delivers up to twice the density and write speed of traditional 20nm planar NAND flash components. In this article, Benchmark Reviews tests the 500GB Samsung SSD 850 EVO against the fastest solid state drives available.

The Samsung SSD 850 EVO offers up to 90,000 IOPS random writes and a 540/520 MBps sequential read/write speed – both made possible by Samsung 3D V-NAND technology and 850 EVO’s MEX controllers. According to Samsung, with the 850 EVO solid state drive in RAPID mode (Real-time Accelerated Processing of I/O Data) users may achieve 200% better write performance speeds than possible with 840 EVO. Samsung Magician software allows users to further enhance performance by processing data on a system level using free PC memory (DRAM) as a storage cache. The 850 EVO provides an industry-leading five-year product warranty, and top-level Total Bytes Written (TBW). Samsung’s 32-layer 3D V-NAND Flash has more than double the endurance compared with conventional 2D planar type NAND flash.
Back in 2013, Samsung was hard at work producing 24-layer 3D V-NAND products for their 840 PRO designed for power users. Samsung was credited with providing “unrivaled performance” in the SATA 6Gb/s interface with the 840 PRO, and now Samsung introduces the SSD 850 PRO with 3D V-NAND components. By changing to a 32-layer cylindrical cell structure that can be stacked vertically, the end result is a smaller footprint with higher density. These improvement have bled over to the new Samsung SSD 850 EVO.

Samsung RAPID (Real-time Accelerated Processing of I/O Data) mode technology was introduced in the 840 EVO, and then 840 PRO last year. Samsung provides Magician 4.5 software with SSD 850 EVO, which uses a DRAM usage algorithm optimized for maximum memory available for RAPID mode. This algorithm, introduced in Magician 4.4, will utilize up to 25% of system memory for RAPID mode. With Magician 4.5 users get dramatic improvements to Windows start up and application loading times.

Despite decades of design improvements, the hard disk drive (HDD) remains the slowest component of any personal computer system. Consider that modern desktop processors typically have a 1 ns response time (nanosecond = one billionth of one second), while system memory responds between 30-90 ns. Traditional hard disk technology utilizes spinning media, and even the fastest mechanical storage products still exhibit a 9 ms (9,000,000 ns) initial response time (millisecond = one thousandth of one second). In more relevant terms, the processor sends the command, but must wait for system memory to fetch data from the storage drive. This is why any computer system is only as fast as the slowest component in the data chain, which is usually the hard drive.

In a perfect world all of the components would operate at the same speed: system memory signals as quickly as the central processor, and the storage drive fetches data as fast as memory. With present-day technology this is an impossible task, so enthusiasts try to close the speed gaps between components as much as possible. Although system memory is up to 90x (9000%) slower than most processors, consider that the hard drive is an additional 1000x (100,000%) slower than memory. Essentially, these three components are as different in speed as crawling (HDD) is to walking (RAM) is to running (CPU).

Solid State Drive technology bridges the largest gap in these response times. The difference a SSD makes to operational response times and program speeds is dramatic, and takes the storage drive from a slow ‘crawling’ speed to a much faster ‘walking’ speed. Solid State Drive technology improves initial response times by more than 450x (45,000%) for applications and Operating System software, when compared to their mechanical HDD counterparts. The biggest mistake PC hardware enthusiasts make with regard to SSD technology is grading them based on bandwidth speed alone. File transfer speeds are important, but only so long as the operational I/O performance can sustain that bandwidth under load.

As we’ve explained in our SSD Benchmark Tests: SATA IDE vs AHCI Mode guide, Solid State Drive performance revolves around two dynamics: bandwidth speed (MB/s) and operational performance I/O per second (IOPS). These two metrics work together, but one may be more important than the other. Consider this analogy: bandwidth determines how much cargo a ship can transport in one voyage, and operational IOPS performance is how fast that ship moves. By understanding this and applying it to SSD storage, there is a clear importance set on each variable depending on the task at hand.

For casual users, especially those with laptop or desktop computers that have been upgraded to use an SSD, the naturally quick response time is enough to automatically improve the user experience. Bandwidth speed is important, but only to the extent that operational performance meets the minimum needs of the system. If an SSD has a very high bandwidth speed but a low operational performance, it will take longer to load applications and boot the computer into Windows than if the SSD offered a higher IOPS performance.

Solid state storage devices have gained quick popularity with performance-minded consumers because they work equally well in PC, Linux, or Apple computer systems. Likewise, these drives install quite easily into both desktop and notebook platforms without any modification necessary. The Samsung SSD 850 EVO is designed for the mainstream performance consumer segment, and gives personal computers a much faster response time that can help boost productivity. In this article Benchmark Reviews tests the 500GB Samsung SSD 850 EVO solid state drive.

Samsung SSD 850 EVO solid state drives are available in 2.5″ SATA form factor only, as they’re intended for the retail consumer market. Samsung Electronics offers the SSD 850 EVO series in four capacities for the SATA interface: 120, 250, 500GB and 1TB. Samsung’s 3D V-NAND technology is designed to sustain an 80GB daily workload in 500GB/1TB models, which equates to 150 Terabytes Written (TBW) over five years, and lends to Samsung’s industry-leading 5-year limited warranty.

Using in-house firmware to drive the Samsung 3-core MEX controller inside these Samsung SSD 850 EVO drives, the 120/250/500GB/1TB models are all specified to reach 540 MB/s sequential read and 520 MB/s sequential writes. Although Samsung’s higher-capacity models offer the best random IOPS write-to performance, the 120/250GB models perform nearly as well.

Unlike fragile the older Hard Disk Drive (HDD) magnetic storage products, SSDs are not nearly as sensitive to impact damage and do not require (or benefit from) any kind of special vibration dampening or shock-proof enclosures. Once installed the SSD is usually hidden away from view, which explains why the Samsung SSD 850 EVO has maintained such a conservative appearance.

The Samsung SSD 850 EVO features a 7mm thick chassis that comes painted black with beveled silver metal finish along the edges. Samsung utilizes a standard two-piece metal enclosure for the Samsung SSD 850 EVO, with product branding at the top panel and product information label on the bottom. Internal components are revealed by removing a small counter-sunk screw located at the bottom of this solid state drive.

Standard 2.5″ drive bay mounting points are pre-drilled into the SSD chassis with fine screw threading, allowing this drive to fit directly into notebook computers that use SATA connections. For older notebooks that fit a 9mm drive, users should purchase a plastic adapter that fits atop this 7mm SSD. The threaded mounting positions matched up to the drive bracket on my notebook computer, and after only a few minutes of upgrading I booted-up from a restored Windows Backup Image with ease.

Backwards compatible with SATA 1.5 GB/s and 3.0 GB/s interfaces, the SATA 6.0 GB/s Samsung 3-core MEX controller offers: TRIM support and active garbage collection for supported Operating Systems (such as Microsoft Windows 7/8), Microsoft eDrive compatibility, power loss protection, ECC (Error Correction Code), and basic Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology (SMART) command set. All Samsung SSD 850 EVO drives are TCG/Opal V2.0 and IEEE 1667 compliant, and include a proprietary data integrity algorithm that provides a defense against data corruption with hardware-based AES-256 full data encryption and adaptive thermal monitoring and protection.

Samsung claims that 850 EVO provides the lowest “Device Sleep” (DEVSLP) mode of any 2.5” form-factor SSD, with idle power approximately the same as the 840 EVO while the average active write power has been reduced by up to 30% due to Samsung 3D V-NAND technology.

In the next few sections we’ll test the Samsung SSD 850 EVO, and compare this solid state drive to other retail storage products intended for notebook and desktop installations. Pay close attention to how this 500GB Samsung SSD 850 EVO stacks up to the 256GB version Samsung SSD 850 PRO.

Solid State Drives have traveled a long winding course to finally get where they are today. Up to this point in technology, there have been several key differences separating Solid State Drives from magnetic rotational Hard Disk Drives. While the DRAM-based buffer size on desktop HDDs has recently reached 64 MB and is ever-increasing, there is still a hefty delay in the initial response time. This is one key area in which flash-based Solid State Drives continually dominates because they lack moving parts to “get up to speed”.

However the benefits inherent to SSDs have traditionally fallen off once the throughput begins, even though data reads or writes are executed at a high constant rate whereas the HDD tapers off in performance. This makes the average transaction speed of a SSD comparable to the data burst rate mentioned in HDD tests, albeit usually lower than the HDD’s speed.

Comparing a Solid State Disk to a standard Hard Disk Drives is always relative; even if you’re comparing the fastest rotational spindle speeds. One is going to be many times faster in response (SSDs), while the other is usually going to have higher throughput bandwidth (HDDs). Additionally, there are certain factors which can affect the results of a test which we do our best to avoid.

Early on in our SSD coverage, Benchmark Reviews published an article which detailed Solid State Drive Benchmark Performance Testing. The research and discussion that went into producing that article changed the way we now test SSD products. Our previous perceptions of this technology were lost on one particular difference: the wear leveling algorithm that makes data a moving target. Without conclusive linear bandwidth testing or some other method of total-capacity testing, our previous performance results were rough estimates at best.

Our test results were obtained after each SSD had been prepared using DISKPART or Sanitary Erase tools. As a word of caution, applications such as these offer immediate but temporary restoration of original ‘pristine’ performance levels. In our tests, we discovered that the maximum performance results (charted) would decay as subsequent tests were performed. SSDs attached to TRIM enabled Operating Systems will benefit from continuously refreshed performance, whereas older O/S’s will require a garbage collection (GC) tool to avoid ‘dirty NAND’ performance degradation.

It’s critically important to understand that no software for the Microsoft Windows platform can accurately measure SSD performance in a comparable fashion. Synthetic benchmark tools such as ATTO Disk Benchmark and Iometer are helpful indicators, but should not be considered the ultimate determining factor. That factor should be measured in actual user experience of real-world applications. Benchmark Reviews includes both bandwidth benchmarks and application speed tests to present a conclusive measurement of product performance.

Motherboard: ASUS P8P67 EVO (Intel P67 Sandy Bridge Platform, B3 Stepping)
Processor: Intel Core i7-2600K 3.4 GHz Quad-Core CPU
System Memory: 4GB Dual-Channel DDR3 1600MHz CL6-6-6-18
SATA 6Gb/s Storage HBA: Integrated Intel P67 Controller
- AHCI mode – Intel Rapid Storage Technology Driver 11.7.0.1013
SATA 3Gb/s Storage HBA: Integrated Intel P67 Controller
- AHCI mode – Intel Rapid Storage Technology Driver 11.7.0.1013
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate Edition 64-Bit with Service Pack 1

The following storage hardware has been used in our benchmark performance testing, and may be included in portions of this article:

AS SSD Benchmark 1.6.4067.34354: Multi-purpose speed and operational performance test
ATTO Disk Benchmark 2.46: Spot-tests static file size chunks for basic I/O bandwidth
CrystalDiskMark 3.0.1a by Crystal Dew World: Sequential speed benchmark spot-tests various file size chunks
Iometer 1.1.0 (built 08-Nov-2010) by Intel Corporation: Tests IOPS performance and I/O response time
Finalwire AIDA64: Disk Benchmark component tests linear read and write bandwidth speeds
Futuremark PCMark Vantage: HDD Benchmark Suite tests real-world drive performance

This article utilizes benchmark software tools to produce operational IOPS performance and bandwidth speed results. Each test was conducted in a specific fashion, and repeated for all products. These test results are not comparable to any other benchmark application, neither on this website or another, regardless of similar IOPS or MB/s terminology in the scores. The test results in this project are only intended to be compared to the other test results conducted in identical fashion for this article.

Alex Schepeljanski of Alex Intelligent Software develops the free AS SSD Benchmark utility for testing storage devices. The AS SSD Benchmark tests sequential read and write speeds, input/output operational performance, and response times.

AS-SSD Benchmark uses compressed data, so sequential file transfer speeds are reported lower than with other tools using uncompressed data. For this reason, we will concentrate on the operational IOPS performance in this section.

Beginning with sequential transfer performance, the 500GB Samsung SSD 850 EVO solid state drive produced speeds up to 504.37 MB/s for reads and 497.84 MB/s writes. These speeds were among the best we’ve recorded for any high-performance SSD, and surpassed only by the 256GB Samsung SSD 850 PRO. Single-threaded 4K IOPS performance tests delivered 38.82 MB/s reads and 67.79 MB/s writes, while the 64-thread 4K read test recorded 385.88 MB/s with write performance at 329.88 MB/s.

500GB Samsung SSD 850 EVO Results

AS-SSD 64-thread 4KB IOPS performance results are displayed below, comparing several enthusiast-level storage products currently on the market. In the 64-thread 4KB IOPS performance tests, the 500GB Samsung SSD 850 EVO solid state drive easily surpassed the other competition, while offering far improved sustained performance over SSDs of similar capacity. The chart below is sorted by total combined performance, which helps illustrate which products offer the best operational input/output under load:

In the next section, Benchmark Reviews tests transfer rates using ATTO Disk Benchmark.

The ATTO Disk Benchmark program is free, and offers a comprehensive set of test variables to work with. In terms of disk performance, it measures interface transfer rates at various intervals for a user-specified length and then reports read and write speeds for these spot-tests. There are some minor improvements made to the 2.46 version of the program that allow for test lengths up to 2GB, but all of our benchmarks are conducted with 256MB total length. ATTO Disk Benchmark requires that an active partition be set on the drive being tested. Please consider the results displayed by this benchmark to be basic bandwidth speed performance indicators.

500GB Samsung SSD 850 EVO Results

Our bandwidth speed tests begin with the Samsung SSD 850 EVO solid state drive attached to the Intel P67-Express SATA 6Gb/s controller operating in AHCI mode. Using the ATTO Disk Benchmark tool, the test drive performs basic file transfers ranging from 0.5 KB to 8192 KB.

The 500GB model provided to Benchmark Reviews for testing produced 552 MBps maximum read speeds that plateau from around 128-8192 KB file chunks, and 532 MBps peak write bandwidth that plateaus from 128-8192 KB. These results outperform Samsung’s specifications of 540/520 MBps for the 500GB Samsung SSD 850 EVO model, and secure a spot at the very top of our test results:

In the next section, Benchmark Reviews tests sequential performance using the CrystalDiskMark 3.0 software tool…

CrystalDiskMark 3.0 is a file transfer and operational bandwidth benchmark tool from Crystal Dew World that offers performance transfer speed results using sequential, 512KB random, and 4KB random samples. For our test results chart below, the 4KB 32-Queue Depth read and write performance was measured using a 1000MB space. CrystalDiskMark requires that an active partition be set on the drive being tested, and all drives are formatted with NTFS on the Intel P67 chipset configured to use AHCI-mode. Benchmark Reviews uses CrystalDiskMark to illustrate operational IOPS performance with multiple threads. In addition to our other tests, this benchmark allows us to determine operational bandwidth under heavy load.

CrystalDiskMark uses compressed data, so sequential file transfer speeds are reported lower than with other tools using uncompressed data. For this reason, we will concentrate on the operational IOPS performance in this section.

CrystalDiskMark 3.0 reports sequential speeds reaching 513.9 MB/s reads and 501.6 MB/s writes. 512K test results reached 424.0 MB/s read and 414.7 MB/s write performance. 4K tests produced 43.44 read and 97.49 write performance. The CrystalDiskMark results for the 500GB Samsung SSD 850 EVO surpassed all other SATA-based solid state drives, and were once again at the very top.

500GB Samsung SSD 850 EVO Results

Maximum 4KB IOPS performance results at queue depth 32 are reported in the chart below. These values represent the performance levels for several enthusiast-level storage solutions, and illustrates which products offer the best operational performance under load:

In the next section, we continue our testing using Iometer to measure input/output performance…

Iometer is an I/O subsystem measurement and characterization tool for single and clustered systems. Iometer does for a computer’s I/O subsystem what a dynamometer does for an engine: it measures performance under a controlled load. Iometer was originally developed by the Intel Corporation and formerly known as “Galileo”. Intel has discontinued work on Iometer, and has gifted it to the Open Source Development Lab (OSDL). There is currently a new version of Iometer in beta form, which adds several new test dimensions for SSDs.

Iometer is both a workload generator (that is, it performs I/O operations in order to stress the system) and a measurement tool (that is, it examines and records the performance of its I/O operations and their impact on the system). It can be configured to emulate the disk or network I/O load of any program or benchmark, or can be used to generate entirely synthetic I/O loads. It can generate and measure loads on single or multiple (networked) systems.

To measure random I/O response time as well as total I/O’s per second, Iometer is set to use 4KB file size chunks over a 100% random sequential distribution at a queue depth of 32 outstanding I/O’s per target. The tests are given a 50% read and 50% write distribution. While this pattern may not match traditional ‘server’ or ‘workstation’ profiles, it illustrates a single point of reference relative to our product field.

All of our SSD tests used Iometer 1.1.0 (build 08-Nov-2010) by Intel Corporation to measure IOPS performance. Iometer is configured to use 32 outstanding I/O’s per target and random 50/50 read/write distribution configuration: 4KB 100 Random 50-50 Read and Write.icf. The chart below illustrates combined random read and write IOPS over a 120-second Iometer test phase, where highest I/O total is preferred:

The 256GB Samsung SSD 850 PRO produced our all-time best recorded score with 94,985 IOPS, leaving the OCZ Vector 150 (88,299 IOPS) and Vector 450 (87,323) SSDs that previously delivered the best combined IOPS performance to nearly 6000 IOPS behind the new leader. Trailing behind very closely is the 500GB Samsung SSD 850 EVO with 86,192 IOPS. OCZ’s Vertex 4 (83,494) and Vertex 3 Max IOPS Edition (83,117) followed with notable scores, before the Intel 520 SSD (80,433) and Intel 335 (80,015).

After the top-performing storage products, IOPS performance results quickly taper off. It should be noted that nearly all modern SSDs deliver I/O far beyond the needs of multi-tasking power users and hardcore gamers, and would be ideal for workstation systems running utilizing virtual machines.

In our next section, we test linear read and write bandwidth performance and compare its speed against several other top storage products using EVEREST Disk Benchmark. Benchmark Reviews feels that linear tests are excellent for rating SSDs, however HDDs are put at a disadvantage with these tests whenever capacity is high.

Many enthusiasts are familiar with the Finalwire AIDA64 benchmark suite (formerly Lavalys EVEREST), but very few are aware of the Disk Benchmark tool available inside the program. The AIDA64 Disk Benchmark performs linear read and write bandwidth tests on each drive, and can be configured to use file chunk sizes up to 1MB (which speeds up testing and minimizes jitter in the waveform). Because of the full sector-by-sector nature of linear testing, Benchmark Reviews endorses this method for testing SSD products, as detailed in our Solid State Drive Benchmark Performance Testing article. However, Hard Disk Drive products suffer a lower average bandwidth as the capacity draws linear read/write speed down into the inner-portion of the disk platter. AIDA64 Disk Benchmark does not require a partition to be present for testing, so all of our benchmarks are completed prior to drive formatting.

Linear disk benchmarks are superior bandwidth speed tools in my opinion, because they scan from the first physical sector to the last. A side affect of many linear write-performance test tools is that the data is erased as it writes to every sector on the drive. Normally this isn’t an issue, but it has been shown that partition table alignment will occasionally play a role in overall SSD performance (HDDs don’t suffer this problem).

500GB Samsung SSD 850 EVO Read Results

The high-performance storage products tested with Lavalys AIDA64 Disk Benchmark are connected to the Intel P67-Express SATA 6Gb/s controller and use a 1MB block size option. Charted above, read performance on the 500GB Samsung SSD 850 EVO solid state drive measured average speeds of 515.7 MB/s. As evidenced by the wave form, the average read speed was virtually identical to this drives maximum peak speeds of 522.7 MB/s across the full range of capacity. AIDA64 linear write-to tests were next…

500GB Samsung SSD 850 EVO Write Results

The waveform chart above illustrates how well the Samsung SSD 850 EVO manages file transfers, indicating linear write performance speeds that appear uninterrupted. The 500GB Samsung SSD 850 EVO solid state drive recorded an average linear write-to speed of 483.3 MB/s, with maximum performance reaching 492.7 MB/s.

AIDA64 combined benchmark speed performance results for the 500GB Samsung SSD 850 EVO surpassed every other SATA-based SSD we’ve tested, firmly outperforming the Intel SSD 520 series and nudging past the 256GB Samsung SSD 850 PRO.

The chart below shows the average linear read and write bandwidth speeds for a cross-section of storage devices tested with EVEREST:

Linear tests are an important tool for comparing bandwidth speed between storage products – although HDD products suffer performance degradation over the span of their areal storage capacity. Linear bandwidth certainly benefits the Solid State Drive, since there’s very little fluctuation in transfer speed. This is because Hard Disk Drive products decline in performance as the spindle reaches the inner-most sectors on the magnetic platter, away from the fast outer edge.

In the next section we use PCMark Vantage to test real-world performance…

PCMark Vantage is an objective hardware performance benchmark tool for PCs running 32- and 64-bit versions of Microsoft Windows Vista or Windows 7. PCMark Vantage is well suited for benchmarking any type of Microsoft Windows Vista/7 PC: from multimedia home entertainment systems and laptops, to dedicated workstations and high-end gaming rigs. Benchmark Reviews has decided to use the HDD Test Suite to demonstrate simulated real-world storage drive performance in this article.

PCMark Vantage runs eight different storage benchmarks, each with a specific purpose. Once testing is complete, results are given a PCMark score while and detailed results indicate actual transaction speeds. The 500GB Samsung SSD 850 PRO produced a total PCMark Vantage (secondary) HDD Test Suite score of 79514.0, which surpasses the performance of every other SATA drive previously tested. Specific speeds are reported below:

500GB Samsung SSD 850 EVO Results

Our tests were conducted on an Intel P67-Express Sandy Bridge motherboard using the onboard native SATA 6Gb/s controller with 64-bit Windows 7. Because new drivers were used, this test is not comparable to past tests and may not be fairly compared to storage devices attached to other computer systems.

In the next section, I share my review conclusion and final product rating.

IMPORTANT: Although the rating and final score mentioned in this conclusion are made to be as objective as possible, please be advised that every author perceives these factors differently at various points in time. While we each do our best to ensure that all aspects of the product are considered, there are often times unforeseen market conditions and manufacturer changes which occur after publication that could render our rating obsolete. Please do not base any purchase solely on our conclusion, as it represents our product rating specifically for the product tested which may differ from future versions. Benchmark Reviews begins our conclusion with a short summary for each of the areas that we rate.

Our first rating is performance, which compares how effective the Samsung SSD 850 EVO performs in benchmark operations against competing SATA-based solid state drive storage solutions. For reference, Samsung specifications suggest 540 MB/s maximum reads and 520 MB/s write speeds from all SSD 850 EVO model capacities. In our storage benchmark tests this solid state drive performed beyond this speed, producing results that surpassed the fastest SATA-based products previously tested. ATTO Disk Benchmark tests proved the 500GB Samsung SSD 850 EVO was good for delivering 552/532 MBps peak read/writes speeds, placing among the fastest performance we’ve recorded from any SATA-based drive. Linear testing with AIDA64 Disk Benchmark produced 516/483 MBps, finishing at the very top of all results just above the 850 PRO. Sequential read/write speed tests with AS-SSD Benchmark produced 586/330 MBps, this time trailing the 850 PRO which topped our charts.

The Samsung SSD 850 EVO solid state drive sent to us for testing is advertised to deliver up to 98,000 random 4KB read IOPS at QD32, and 90,000 random 4KB write IOPS from its 3-core MEX controller. Using Iometer operational performance tests configured to a queue depth of 32 outstanding I/O’s per target across 100% of the drive, our benchmarks produced 86,192 combined IOPS performance from the 500GB drive. This places performance nearly 8800 IOPS behind the 850 PRO, which produced 94,985 from the 256GB sample. Looking at 4K 32QD test results using AS-SSD and CrystalDiskMark, the 500GB Samsung SSD 850 EVO established itself as a truly dominant product by typically surpassing performance on all other SATA-based drives tested. PCMark test results illustrate this point.

Performance for the Samsung SSD 850 EVO can be easily summarized using one word: Superior to all other, with exception to the Samsung SSD 850 PRO series. Even then, the race is too close to call in some tests.

Solid State Drives are low-visibility products: you see them just long enough to install and then they’re forgotten. Like their Hard Disk Drive counterparts, Solid State Drives are meant to place function before fashion. Anything above and beyond a simple metal shell is already more than what’s expected in terms of the appearance. Samsung has created a sleek 7mm profile with an elegant deep black finish on the Samsung SSD 850 EVO series. As solid state storage controllers become faster and more advanced, heat dissipation through the enclosure walls may demand that chassis designs become more beneficial than they previously needed to be. For now, the adaptive thermal monitoring system on the 850 EVO suits it well for managing heat in ultrathin and embedded designs.

Construction is probably the strongest feature credited to the entire solid state product segment, and Samsung emphasizes this quality. Solid State Drives are by nature immune to most abuses, but add a hard metal shell and the chance for failure is reduced to internal component defects. If there are ever any problems with any Samsung SSD 850 EVO during the industry leading 5-year warranty period, end-users may visit Samsung Support or create a Service Request.

As of 08 December 2014, the Samsung SSD 850 EVO series launches in the following capacities and retail prices:

Description	Capacity	Model	MSRP
Samsung SSD 850 EVO Series	120GB	MZ-75E128BW	$89.99 (Amazon \| B&H \| Newegg)
	240GB	MZ-75E256BW	$139.99 (Amazon \| B&H \| Newegg)
	500GB	MZ-75E500BW	$249.99 (Amazon \| B&H \| Newegg)
	1TB	MZ-75E1T0BW	$469.99 (Amazon \| B&H \| Newegg)

In conclusion, the differences between Samsung’s SSD 850 EVO series and their 850 PRO counterparts are difficult to see. 850 EVO has identical write speeds to 850 PRO, but write speed is a negligible 10 MB/s slower. IOPS performance is virtually identical on paper, but there’s a notable difference favoring 850 PRO in the benchmark results. Both offer a five-year warranty, and identical total bytes written (TBW). The prices are nothing alike, however, and clearly favor the Samsung SSD 850 EVO as capacities increase. Based on these factors, performance enthusiasts are well-suited to 850 EVO while VM administrators would be better off with 850 PRO.

The Samsung SSD 850 EVO may not offer the industry’s least expensive price per gigabyte among solid-state storage devices, but 850 EVO also avoids being the most expensive. Considering that no other SSDs can deliver sustained transfer speeds or operational performance to the same level at the same cost, it’s nice to see prices are reasonable. Benchmark Reviews recognizes how well the Samsung SSD 850 EVO series delivers highest-end operational performance to power users by topping our IOPS and transfer speed test results, proudly earning our Golden Tachometer Award.

+ Outstanding 552/532 MBps read/write speed with ATTO
+ Random 4K read/writes produced 86,192 IOPS
+ 32-layer 3D V-NAND Flash delivers double the endurance
+ Native write acceleration – no compression used
+ Samsung 3-core MEX controller supports TRIM, NCQ, and Microsoft eDrive
+ TCG Opal 2.0 security with automatic 256-bit AES hardware encryption
+ 5-Year Samsung product warranty support
+ Offered in 120/250/500GB/1TB storage capacities
+ Lightweight compact storage solution
+ Resistant to extreme shock impact
+ Low power consumption may extend battery life
+ Device sleep (DEVSLP) function extends battery life

– Expensive enthusiast product

Performance: 9.50
Appearance: 8.75
Construction: 9.75
Functionality: 9.50
Value: 8.00

Excellence Achievement: Benchmark Reviews Golden Tachometer Award.

COMMENT QUESTION: Which brand of SSD do you trust most?

By Olin Coles

500GB Samsung SSD 850 EVO Results

500GB Samsung SSD 850 EVO Results

500GB Samsung SSD 850 EVO Results

500GB Samsung SSD 850 EVO Read Results

500GB Samsung SSD 850 EVO Write Results

500GB Samsung SSD 850 EVO Results

Excellence Achievement: Benchmark Reviews Golden Tachometer Award.

By Olin Coles

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