Samsung 860 EVO SATA III SSD Review

Fit as a fiddle, Samsung 860 EVO SATA III SSD enter the market to boost the performance of mainstream laptops and PCs. It has integrated V NAND technology and comes with a handsome range of form factors and varied capacities. Surprisingly, the speed of this drive remains consistent even over massive workloads and multiple files transfer at a time. It can perform at 550 MB/s of sequential read and 520 MB/s of write speed which is more than excellent for destined use.

Moreover, the Turbo Write buffer size is improved in this drive from 12 GB to 78 GB in order to boost up the performance results. Plus, the integrated Samsung Magician Software is there to assist you in managing your SSD with a simple interface and allows automatic firmware recent updates, data security, performance monitoring, and maintenance at just a few clicks.

Digging around, Samsung 860 EVO SATA III SSD is delivered with high-end TBW endurance and added encryption to let you feel secure while rendering and storing massive-sized 4K videos or 3D data utilized by the advanced applications. It is much faster and can perform fluid transmission with the host system. Furthermore, the latest MJX controller and ECC algorithm produce higher speed and enhance the queued TRIM to make it swiftly compatible with Linux too.

Regardless of the computer’s basic needs, there exists an EVO 860 for all sized computers. This is because it comes with multiple form factors, you might choose 2.5 inches size for the laptops & PCs, and the mSATA or SATA based M.2 2280 for the computing devices that are ultra-slim. Overall, Samsung 860 is full of handy, dreamy functions with better performance results!

Samsung 860 EVO SATA III SSD 3

Samsung 860 EVO SSD

Mathew Bradford

Design
Performance
Features

Summary

On a clear note, Samsung 860 EVO SATA III SSD incorporates innovative V NAND technology to offer advancement. It provided around 550 MB/s of sequential read and about 520 MB/s of write performance. Moreover, it comes with secured encryption to keep your data protected by just going through the destined options. Plus, the 256-bit AES hardware-supported encryption charged with the TCG Opal and IEEE1670.
The integrated reliability can be reached up to 1.5 MTBF, and the form factor of 2.5 inches is added. Furthermore, it’s compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux, Vista, and XP, a wide range in fact. Overall, this drive is designed to suit best everyday computing along with the ability to deal with massive 4K videos and any of the 3D data utilized by the advanced applications. Lastly, the reliability is backed by 5 Years of provided warranty.

4.2

Specifications

Brand NameSAMSUNG
Series860 EVO
InterfaceSATA III
ColorBlack
Digital Storage Capacity250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB
Hardware InterfaceSATA 6.0 Gb/s
Sequential Read Speed550 MB/s
Sequential Write Speed520 MB/s
Random Read Speed98, 000 IOPS
Random Write Speed90, 000 IOPS
Form Factor2.5 inches
Compatible DevicesMAC, Windows
Operating SystemsWindows 7, 8, sever 2003, Vista, XP, MAC, Linux
Shock Resistance1500G, 0.5ms
EnduranceUp to 2400 TBW
MemoryDDR4 SDRAM
Power Consumption3 – 4 Watt
EncryptionYES (AES 256-bit)
ControllerSamsung MJX Controller
Weight3.36 Ounces
Warranty5 Years
Dimensions3.94 x 2.76 x 0.27 inches

Design

Exclusively, Samsung 860 EVO SATA III SSD comes in a black case with the dim gray square which is shown on the middle bottom side just under the printed Samsung logo. Clearly, the company’s branding looks fabulous in white color over the black background. On turning it, a sticker that contains almost all the important to know information is placed on the back of the drive, the added information includes capacity, serial number, and model number to let you remind your choice even years later.

Samsung 860 EVO SSD 1TB product box

If you open the drive, you will see the NAND pack, DRAM, and innovative Samsung’s MJX controller located on the small PCB. On flipping the drive, the incorporated NAND pack can be easily seen. Furthermore, in the whole packaged box, you will get the warranty statement and installation guide combined together into one, while the software CD is not provided as it can easily be downloaded. Overall, the design of the package can clearly tell you how worthy this drive is.

Features

Grounded in fact, Samsung 860 EVO SATA III SSD comes with 64-layer V NAND technology, which has incorporated vertically stacked flash cells aligned in a 3D pattern for improved speed and density. Moreover, it is based on MJX SATA controller which is paired with LPDR4 DRAM to offer you the best speed and power efficiency. Additionally, this controller enables minimum power consumption, reduces manufacturing costs, and helps to achieve cooler operation.

Samsung 860 EVO 250GB product box

This M.2 SATA SSD can achieve a sequential read speed of 550 MB/s and write speed of up to 520 MB/s to provide excellent performance. In addition, it can attain 98,000 IOPS Random read speed, and 90,000 IOPS write speed to let you enjoy high-end transfer speed.

When it’s directed to endurance, Samsung 860 EVO SATA III SSD can proffer up to 1200 TBW of endurance which is much greater than the previously existing models of the same price range. Furthermore, it also supports hardware encryption with the TCG Opal and e-drive of Microsoft. Surprisingly, EV0 860 is also compatible with Linux and NAS to let you take good mileage out of it. This is because, the ECC algorithm and queued TRIM for Linux systems is improved to better suit your all needs.

Interestingly, this drive won’t disappoint you regarding security as it’s equipped with 256-bit AES hardware-based encryption mode to ensure high-end security to your sensitive data at all times. As some software-based encryption can be suffered from performance degradation at some stages, so hardware-based encryption is more secure and reliable to keep your data protected through thick and thin. Moreover, EVO 860 is fully firmed with TCG Opal and the Encrypted Derive-IEEE1667 upper-level security management solutions to kill two birds with one stone.

Samsung 860 EVO features and performance benchmark

Discussing the performance, Samsung 860 EVO SATA III SSD shows almost 60% greater sustained performance than its predecessors. The Turbo-Write Technology is also revamped in this model which is now smart enough to robotically judge how much space to allocate to the Turbo-Write cache region which is decided on the workload demand. Plus, the efficiency of this Turbo-Write is also improved to bear extensive workloads.

Samsung 860 EVO is compatible with Samsung Data Migration Software to let you swiftly transfer your OS and other data stored on the old drives to this new device in just a few clicks. Actually, this software is a Toolbox software that can permit you to easily monitor and maintain your SSD, you will be allowed to check the SSD health status, track the performance, optimize it for the new connected device, and can securely erase or encrypt your EVO 860. Isn’t it just fabulous?

Performance

To saunter through excellence, Samsung 860 EVO SATA III SSD is an M.2 SATA version that can hit a considerable speed in the Crystal-Disk Mark test. Its built-in performance remains maintained for both single file and folder transfer which is done in seconds. Practically, the overall performance of this drive is far better than the previously existing models of the same range as it can attain 550 MB/s of sequential read speed and up to 520 MB/s of write speed to provide excellent performance throughout the use. Overall, you will get faster load time, boosted sequences, swifter general file transfer, and high-end durability to provide you with the best of both worlds.

Samsung 860 EVO performance benchmark

Back to the drawing board, Samsung 860 EVO is SATA based which is limited to around 600MB/s, which is enough to fulfill your needs. The incorporated Samsung MJX Controller is excellent to keep up the built-in performance. During the Crystal Disk Mark testing, this drive can attain 529 MB/s of read and 512 MB/s of write speed, which is close to the advanced and fairly greater than previously existing SATA models. On swathing to the tougher 4K Random read and write test, it can jump to 358 MB/s of read and 338 MB/s of the write speed, which is enough to proffer excellent performance.

To be on solid ground, Samsung 860 EVO performs excellently in PCMark Vantage because it can play the recorded traces back without any stop in the system. And the attained scores of this drive are far better than the other trace-based benchmarks, as 860 EVO sustained its performance in every state. Interestingly, the incorporated Samsung DRAM cache algorithm assists greatly in increasing the performance and diminishing the wear on the flash, which is quite an excellent approach to provide better speed taste.

Moreover, the performance of compatible software is also marvelous. This SSD comes with Samsung Data Migration Software which allows you to monitor and test the drive with just a few clicks. Plus, you will be allowed to delete all the data with the help of provided secure erase function located inside the operating system and it runs like the wind. Above all, the Magician enables Rapid DRAM-backed SSD cache technology to proffer excellence.

Improvements and Issues

The Samsung 860 EVO has improved a lot in terms of performance as compared to its successor 850 EVO. The sequential read and write speeds have increased double-fold from 300 MB/s to 540 MB/s. However, the read and write speeds are far less than its updated version 970 EVO as well as WD Black SN750 and Crucial MX500 which deliver performance in the range of 2500- 3500 MB/s of sequential read and write speed. This is to say you will get five times higher speed with 970 EVO by spending double the amount that you are paying for 860 EVO.

The most common issue in 860 EVO is that you might have to update the BIOS for Samsung Magician Software to recognize the new drive. Without updating the BOIS your PC might probably fail to recognize the drive.

Video Review

Testing Results

Once in a blue moon, Samsung 860 EVO is the best performing SATA-based SSD drive available at an affordable price. To increase the excellence, the Samsung Magician Software is provided which is completely optional but is packed with high-end features that can be seen in the proprietary software of costly drives.

Moreover, it’s available in five varied capacity options (250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, & 4TB) to let you select which one can suit best your needs. Plus, the excellent, endurance, hardware-based encryption, various compatibility options, and reasonably high read and write speed make this drive an ideal choice for almost all. Read the complete explained review before making a purchase!

Reasons to Buy

  • High-end performance and endurance
  • Excellent compatible software
  • Enabled DRAM caching and cloning by software
  • Backed by 5 Years of warranty

Reasons to Avoid

  • A bit more expensive
  • TLC performance is quite lower
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Mathew Bradford

Hey! Mathew Bradford Here, A proud member of GamingExpert Team. I love playing games with new gaming gadgets. Our team is here to help you find the best gaming products, reviews of videos games and to help you decide which one is best for your. You can contact me if you need further assistance.