Today, we are reviewing the Samsung 970 Pro 512 GB solid-state drive, designed for high-end users who want an SSD that combines lightning speed with impressive endurance.

For the 970 Pro, Samsung is using their 4th generation V-NAND and an upgraded Phoenix controller. The 970 Pro uses MLC, whereas the cheaper 970 EVO series uses TLC. For host connectivity, the PCI-Express x4 interface is used, which guarantees the highest possible throughput.

Samsung ships the 970 Pro in only two capacities: 512 GB ($150) and 1 TB ($300). The 512 GB version has an endurance rating of 600 TBW, and the 1 TB version has 1200 TBW. Both drives come with five years of warranty.

Specifications

• Model Code: MZ-V7P512BW (512 GB)
• Form Factor: M.2
• Application: Client PCs
• INTERFACE: PCIe Gen 3.0 x4, NVMe 1.3
• DIMENSION (WxHxD): 80.15 X 22.15 X 2.38 (mm)
• WEIGHT: Max. 8.0g
• STORAGE MEMORY: Samsung V-NAND 2-bit MLC
• CONTROLLER: Samsung Phoenix Controller
• CACHE MEMORY: 512MB Low Power DDR4 SDRAM (512 GB)

• TRIM Support: Yes
• S.M.A.R.T Support: Yes
• GC (GARBAGE COLLECTION): Auto Garbage Collection Algorithm
• ENCRYPTION SUPPORT: AES 256-bit Encryption (Class 0), TCG/Opal, IEEE1667 (Encrypted drive)
• DEVICE SLEEP MODE SUPPORT: Yes

• SEQUENTIAL READ: Up to 3,500 MB/s
• SEQUENTIAL WRITE: Up to 2,300 MB/s
• RANDOM READ (4KB, QD32): Up to 370,000 IOPS
  
• RANDOM WRITE (4KB, QD32): Up to 500,000 IOPS
• RANDOM READ (4KB, QD1): Up to 15,000 IOPS
• RANDOM WRITE (4KB, QD1): Up to 55,000 IOPS

• POWER CONSUMPTION
(average): 5.2 W Maximum 8.5 W
• POWER CONSUMPTION (IDLE): Max. 30mW
• POWER CONSUMPTION (Device Sleep): Max. 5mW
• ALLOWABLE VOLTAGE: 3.3 V ± 5 % Allowable voltage
• RELIABILITY (MTBF): 1.5 Million Hours Reliability
• OPERATING TEMPERATURE: 0 - 70 ℃
• Shock: 1,500 G & 0.5 ms (Half sine)
• Warranty: 5 Years or 600 TBW

Let' s have a look at the drive's package and what it includes:

The drive uses the M.2 2280 form factor, which means it is 22 mm wide and 80 mm long.Like most M.2 NVMe SSDs, the Samsung 970 Pro uses a PCI-Express 3.0 x4 interface.

The drive's PCB includes the Samsung Phoenix SSD controller and two flash chips. These chips are Samsung 3D V-NAND and feature 64 layers of MLC flash. Each chip has a capacity of 256 GB.

An LPDDR4 DRAM chip is also present to provide the SSD controller with operating memory for the mapping tables. On the back of the PCB there is a copper foil, which is used to help spread the heat over a larger area.

The two flash chips are Samsung 3D V-NAND, using 64 layers of MLC flash. Each chip has a capacity of 256 GB.

A Samsung 512 MB LPDDR4 chip provides fast DRAM storage for the controller to store the mapping tables in.

The 970 PRO SSD came with firmware 1B2QEXP7 installed. You still get 256-bit full disk encryption with Microsoft eDrive and TCG Opal 2.0, and you still get to manage the SSD using Samsung’s slick Magician software. The 970 Pro has excellent endurance levels. The 512GB model is rated for 600TB of write endurance.