Samsung Electronics has released the 980 NVMe SSD, the company’s first consumer drive without DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), to enable faster speeds, starting from just $79 for the 250GB model.
Previously, DRAM-less designs have presented speed disadvantages without the short-term memory at hand for fast access to data so Samsung’s 980 utilises Host Memory Buffer (HMB) technology, which links the drive directly to the host processor’s DRAM to overcome any performance drawbacks.
This technology, coupled with the company’s latest sixth-generation V-NAND as well as optimised controller and firmware, enables the 980 to provide NVMe performance with six times the speed of SATA SSDs.
The newly upgraded Intelligent TurboWrite 2.0 also offers significantly enhanced sustained performance over the previous iteration by allocating a larger buffer storage area inside the drive. For users working with extremely large files or running graphics-heavy games, the new Full Power mode added to Samsung’s Magician 6.3 software allows the drive to continuously run at peak performance.
Additionally, advanced thermal designs help prevent overheating. With Dynamic Thermal Guard technology, nickel-coated controller and heat spreader label solutions available in Samsung’s high-end 980 series, users can enjoy stable and reliable performance even during prolonged use.
The SSD further features improved power efficiency of up to 56% when compared to the previous 970 EVO, allowing laptop users to better manage power usage.
The Samsung 980 SSD is available for suggested retail price of $79 for the 250GB, $109 for the 500GB and $199 for the 1TB.