The Samsung 960 EVO is a consumer-oriented M.2 NVMe SSD manufactured by Samsung Electronics. Released in October 2016, the 960 EVO was positioned as a high-performance storage solution for mainstream users, offering NVMe speeds at a more accessible price point compared to Samsung’s flagship 960 PRO.
The drive utilizes Samsung’s proprietary 48-layer 3D TLC V-NAND flash memory and features the company’s custom Polaris controller. It was available in capacities of 250 GB, 500 GB, and 1 TB.
Controller and Architecture
The Samsung 960 EVO employs Samsung’s proprietary Polaris controller, a custom-designed processor optimized for TLC NAND flash memory. This controller features multiple ARM Cortex-R4 cores and supports advanced error correction algorithms to maintain data integrity. It is specifically tuned for consumer workloads and includes Samsung’s TurboWrite technology for enhanced write performance.
Each capacity variant includes LPDDR3 DRAM cache for improved performance: 512 MB for the 250 GB model, 512 MB for the 500GB model, and 1GB for the 1TB model. Additionally, Samsung’s Intelligent TurboWrite technology creates a high-speed write buffer using a portion of the TLC NAND as pseudo-SLC cache, significantly boosting write speeds for typical consumer workloads.
NAND Flash Memory Type
The drive utilizes Samsung’s second-generation 48-layer 3D TLC V-NAND (Vertical NAND) technology. This three-dimensional NAND architecture stacks memory cells vertically to achieve higher density while maintaining smaller die sizes. The TLC (Triple-Level Cell) configuration stores three bits per cell, providing a balance between performance, endurance, and cost-effectiveness compared to MLC or SLC alternatives.
Power Consumption
The 960 EVO demonstrates excellent power efficiency with consumption ratings of:
- Active: 6.8W maximum (1TB model)
- Idle: 50mW maximum
- DevSleep: 2mW
The drive supports multiple power states including DevSleep mode for ultrabook and mobile applications, making it suitable for battery-powered devices.
Write Endurance and Over-Provisioning
Write endurance varies by capacity, with Total Bytes Written (TBW) ratings of:
- 250GB: 100 TBW
- 500GB: 200 TBW
- 1TB: 400 TBW
Encryption Capabilities
The 960 EVO supports AES 256-bit hardware encryption and is compatible with TCG Opal 2.0 and IEEE 1667 security standards. The encryption is performed by the controller hardware without impacting performance, and the drive supports Microsoft eDrive for BitLocker integration in Windows environments.
Other Features
Samsung Magician Software – provides drive monitoring, performance optimization, secure erase functionality, and firmware updates. The software includes performance benchmarking tools and allows users to configure over-provisioning space.
Thermal Management – The drive incorporates Dynamic Thermal Guard technology to prevent overheating. The system monitors drive temperature and automatically reduces performance if thermal limits are approached, protecting the drive and maintaining data integrity.
Specifications
| 960 EVO Specifications | 960 EVO 1TB | 960 EVO 500GB | 960 EVO 250GB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form Factor | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 |
| Controller | Polaris | Polaris | Polaris |
| Interface/ Protocol | PCIe 3.0 x4/ NVMe | PCIe 3.0 x4/ NVMe | PCIe 3.0 x4/ NVMe |
| DRAM | 1 GB LPDDR3-1866 | 512 MB LPDDR3-1866 | 512 MB LPDDR3-1866 |
| NAND | 48-layer MLC V-NAND | 48-layer MLC V-NAND | 48-layer MLC V-NAND |
| SLC Cache Size | 42 GB | 22 GB | 13 GB |
| Sequential Read | 3,200 MB/s | 3,200 MB/s | 3,200 MB/s |
| Sequential Write (SLC Cache) | 1,900 MB/s | 1,800 MB/s | 1,500 MB/s |
| Sequential Write (Sustained) | 1,200 MB/s | 600 MB/s | 300 MB/s |
| 4K Random Read (QD32) | 380K IOPS | 330K IOPS | 330K IOPS |
| 4K Random Write (QD32) | 360K IOPS | 330K IOPS | 300K IOPS |
| Power | 5.7W(avg.) | 5.4W(avg.) | 5.3W(avg.) |
| Endurance | 400 TBW | 200 TBW | 100 TBW |
| Warranty | 3 Year | 3 Year | 3 Year |
| Launch MSRP | $479.99 | $249.99 | $129.88 |
Market Impact and Legacy
The Samsung 960 EVO was praised for bringing NVMe performance to mainstream users at competitive pricing, and helped establish Samsung’s dominance in the consumer NVMe market. It was eventually succeeded by the Samsung 970 EVO in 2018, which featured improved performance and updated 64-layer V-NAND technology.
Professional Reviews
If the Samsung 960 Pro didn’t exist and anybody other than Samsung released the 960 EVO, it would be a credible flagship product for today’s SSD market.
The 960 EVO is the best you will get in 2016 and early 2017.
… may not be the fastest solid state drives available, but for the money you can’t do much better currently.
Was this helpful?
1 / 0