Samsung 870 EVO review: Quality mass storage for the masses

Samsung 870 EVO Source: Windows Key

Seeing a product announcement a calendar week after CES 2022 closed its virtual doors may be a piffling peculiar, but here we are with Samsung's start new SSD of the year. The 870 EVO isn't a superfast PCIe iv.0 SSD that will intermission performance records, instead, it's back down to the now, quite old hat, SATA standard. Only Samsung is always there when talking about the best SSDs whatever you're looking for.

SATA SSDs do continue to exist important. In a world where nobody wants to rely on slow, noisy, janky sometime mechanical hard drives, the SATA SSD is the new mass storage device for the PC builder of today. And if previous Samsung SSDs are annihilation to go past, the 870 EVO is going to be extremely popular. But is information technology whatsoever proficient?

Yes. It is.

Another striking

870 EVO

Samsung 870 EVO

Lesser line: We might well be at the limits of what SATA drives tin can attain but once once again Samsung has produced a practiced quality product with attractive pricing.

Pros:

Solid functioning
Fantabulous durability
Great warranty
Option of capacity
Useful and user-friendly companion software

Cons:

Not a massive uptick in operation over 860 EVO
4TB model is pricey

Samsung 870 EVO specifications

Category	Spec
Capacity	250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB
Interface	SATA 6Gb/s
Sequential read	Up to 560 MB/south
Sequential write	Upwards to 530 MB/s
Random read	Up to 98,000 IOPS
Random write	Upward to 88,000 IOPS
NAND	Samsung V-NAND 3-chip MLC (TLC)
Controller	Samsung
Cache memory	512MB LPDDR4 (250GB/500GB) 1GB LPDDR4 (1TB) 2GB LPDDR4 (2TB) 4GB LPDDR4 (4TB)
Warranty	V years
Endurance	150TBW (250GB) 300TBW (500GB) 600TBW (1TB) 1,200TBW (2TB) 2,400TBW (4TB)

Samsung 870 EVO against the competition

Samsung 870 EVO Source: Windows Fundamental

Being a SATA SSD there's simply so much operation that's possible, just downwardly to the engineering. Nevertheless, there are some that fare better than others across the spectrum.

This chart compares the listed read/write speeds of the 870 EVO against not only some of Samsung'southward own predecessors but other manufacturers with similar products, too.

	Samsung 870 EVO	Samsung 860 EVO	SK Hynix S31	Crucial MX300	Samsung 850 EVO
Read	560 MB/southward	550 MB/due south	560 MB/s	530 MB/s	540 MB/s
Write	530 MB/s	520 MB/s	525 MB/s	510 MB/s	520 MB/s

Performance gains would always be mild, but what yous don't encounter from the nautical chart higher up are the capacities available and the respective pricing. SSDs proceed to get better value with college capacities at lower prices, and in that regard the 870 EVO certainly has the border over the 860 EVO and 850 EVO before it. The 870 EVO is really on par with the 870 QVO QLC SSD I reviewed in 2022

Samsung 870 EVO performance

Samsung 870 EVO Source: Windows Cardinal

Without continually banging the aforementioned drum, operation is something you can make a adequately decent approximate of without running whatever tests. Nevertheless, what a manufacturer puts on the box shouldn't be taken as gospel, and so let'southward see what the 870 EVO achieves in a series of benchmarks.

Start up, CrystalDiskMark. For comparison, the new 870 EVO is on the left with its predecessor, the 860 EVO is on the right.

The two are near the same in sequential read and write tests, but the 870 EVO has the border when it comes to more complex tests. The 870 EVO is much improve positioned for random read operation compared to the 860 EVO.

Following upwards with start, the ATTO criterion, testing performance across a range of file sizes, and then using Samsung'due south own Wizard application to test read and write speeds.

Samsung 870 EVO Source: Windows Central

All of the tests tell a similar story. Samsung'south claimed figures are correct on the coin, and, as expected, there's a minimal gain over the 860 EVO in terms of outright functioning.

Samsung 870 EVO Source: Windows Central

Temperatures on the 870 EVO remained low even during benchmarking, never going higher up 22C (71F). It was tested on an open up-air test bench, but information technology'due south unlikely being within a PC case would take any serious impact on this.

For comparison, the Samsung 970 EVO NVMe SSD on the aforementioned bench ran almost double this temperature under regular utilise.

The 870 EVO is also rated for up to 2,400TBW and is covered by Samsung'due south excellent five-twelvemonth limited warranty.

Samsung Sorcerer

Samsung Magician 6.1 Source: Windows Cardinal

Samsung Magician is a basic but useful application that supports any of the company's SSDs. Likewise running a performance check and optimizations, Samsung has a feature called Rapid Way which is supported on well-nigh of its SATA SSDs.

Rapid mode engages the bachelor resources on your PC, such equally the RAM, to help it intelligently enshroud data you access oft, thus creating the appearance of faster information transfer. It doesn't make the SSD any faster, and the limits of the hardware are still the limits, merely information technology's a clever pull a fast one on that could make a difference in your system.

The software has undergone a pretty big visual overhaul in contempo times, too, and information technology'south actually very pleasant to use. If you're getting a Samsung SSD for your arrangement it'due south an essential download, not least because it'll brand sure your drives always accept the latest firmware.

Should you purchase the Samsung 870 EVO?

Samsung 870 EVO Source: Windows Central

I feel like this role of the review should be copied and pasted by now when looking at Samsung SSDs. Considering, every bit e'er, the answer is yes. And unlike the 870 QVO which launched last year, information technology doesn't just brand the most sense when buying the highest capacity, more than expensive versions. So once again, the 870 QVO is also targeted at a unlike type of user.

Equally an upgrade to the 860 EVO, the 850 EVO, or even any other SATA SSD, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I've said it before and I'll say it again, upgrading SATA for SATA doesn't brand a lot of sense. At least, non unless y'all accept a drive failure and it needs replacing.

But for new system builders, this is an SSD to put on the shopping listing. I've been using Samsung SSDs for many years and have never once been let down or disappointed in whatever way. And the 2TB model I have here is good value, too. When the 860 EVO launched you were paying the same for 1TB equally yous now are for 2TB with the 870 EVO.

Only that'due south non so much of an issue anymore. SSDs are still more expensive than mechanical hard drives, just when you have a package similar this on the table at that place's absolutely no reason not to invest.

The Samsung 870 EVO is fix to get on sale in January 2022 with prices starting at $50.

Another hitting

870 EVO

Samsung 870 EVO

Another reason to ditch the HDD

With prices starting at $50 and capacity up to 4TB, the 870 EVO is yet another reason to say good day to ho-hum mechanical storage in your next PC build.

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