Amazon.ca lists the Samsung 990 PRO 1TB SSD at $299.99 in Canadian dollars at the time of writing, against a list price of $439.99 on Samsung’s own Canadian page. Amazon shows that as 32 percent off, and the drive is shipped and sold by Amazon.ca itself.
The 990 PRO is Samsung’s PCIe 4.0 M.2 drive for desktops, laptops and, according to Samsung, game consoles. It is rated for sequential reads up to 7,450 MB/s and writes up to 6,900 MB/s. We checked the listing on October 27, and Amazon.ca showed no end date for the price, so it can change at any time.
What do you get with the 990 PRO 1TB?
The listing is the Canada version of the bare 1TB drive. These are the specifications on Samsung’s Canadian product page:
- Capacity: 1,000 GB
- Interface: PCIe Gen 4.0 x4, NVMe 2.0
- Size: M.2 2280, 80 x 22 x 2.3 mm, 9.0 g maximum
- Sequential read: up to 7,450 MB/s
- Sequential write: up to 6,900 MB/s
- Warranty: 5 year limited warranty or 600 TBW limited warranty, as Samsung words it
- Software: Samsung Magician for drive health, data protection and updates
Samsung says the drive reaches up to 1400K read and 1550K write IOPS, and that random read and write speeds are 40 percent and 55 percent faster than the older 980 PRO in its laboratory testing. Samsung also claims better power efficiency than the 980 PRO, at 1380 and 1319 MB/Watt for sequential read and write on the 1TB model.
Does it run cool enough?
Samsung points to a nickel coated controller, a heat spreader label and a thermal control algorithm called Dynamic Thermal Guard to manage heat. This listing is the drive without a heatsink, and Samsung says no installation kit is included. Samsung also sells a 990 PRO with a heatsink, and Amazon.ca carries that version too.
Samsung lists game consoles among the intended uses. If you plan to put the drive in a console, check the console maker’s own requirements for M.2 drives, including any rule about cooling, before you order.
Is it really a good deal?
The discount is measured against Samsung’s current Canadian list price, which is the right comparison, but it is not the whole story. Samsung’s own Canadian page showed the same $299.99 sale price on the day we checked, so Amazon.ca is matching the maker rather than beating it.
Tom’s Hardware reviewed the 990 PRO when it launched in 2022 and praised its strong all around performance, including random reads. In that review of the 2TB model it also said sustained write performance was lower than expected and that the launch price was too high. It quoted a US launch price of $169.99 for the 1TB, in US dollars, so a Canadian list price of $439.99 today says more about the market now than about the drive’s history.
Prices in Canada and the United States
These are prices at the time of writing, checked on October 27:
- Amazon.ca: $299.99, shown as 32 percent off a $439.99 list price
- Samsung Canada: $299.99 sale price, regular price $439.99, with Samsung showing $140.00 saved
We did not check a United States price for this model, so readers south of the border should look at amazon.com and Samsung’s US page directly. Prices can change at any time.
Who it suits
Gamers and PC builders. A PCIe 4.0 drive at 7,450 MB/s read suits a desktop with a free M.2 slot, and Samsung says it is aimed at PS5 and DirectStorage PC games. It is a straightforward upgrade for a system that still boots from a slower drive.
Laptop owners. The 2280 size and 2.3 mm thickness fit most modern laptops with a spare or replaceable M.2 slot. Check that your laptop supports a 2280 NVMe drive and PCIe Gen 4.0 before buying, because an older slot will not reach the rated speed.
Creators who move large files. The drive’s write rating of up to 6,900 MB/s helps when exporting video or copying project folders, though Tom’s Hardware noted that sustained writes can run slower than the headline figure.
Who should wait. If you do not need this speed, or the list price feels high to you, there is no stated end date to rush for. Compare it with the heatsink version and the 2TB model, which Amazon.ca also lists.
What is still unknown
Amazon.ca does not state when the price ends or how many units are left. We did not verify a US price, and we have not tested the drive. Samsung’s figures are its own laboratory results.
What to do next
Open the Amazon.ca listing and confirm the Canada version, the 1TB size and the price before you order, then compare with the Samsung Canada page. Check the warranty terms there, since Samsung ties the 5 year warranty to 600 TBW.
