Thursday, January 9th 2020

Samsung at CES 2020: SSD 980 PCIe Gen 4 M.2, SSD T7, and the Gorgeous Odyssey G9 Monitor

It's finally here: a high-end PCI-Express gen 4.0 M.2 NVMe SSD by Samsung, made end-to-end by homebrew components. When it releases sometime later this year with a possible technical reveal in Q2, the SSD 980 will be possibly the only client-segment M.2 NVMe PCIe gen 4 SSD to feature MLC (2 bits per cell) NAND flash memory. This also means that the highest capacity on offer is just 1 TB. The company also put out sequential transfer rates: up to 6,500 MB/s reads, with up to 5,000 MB/s writes. The biggest payoffs of MLC would be sustained write performance and endurance (in its capacity class, compared to TLC and QLC).

Next up, is the Portable SSD T7 Touch, a successor to the T5 from 2017. This drive comes in an in-built fingerprint reader, letting you secure its data with your fingerprints. The drive is also a much needed update to the T5, which still uses 64-layer TLC NAND; and possibly uses the latest generation 96-layer V-NAND. The drive is built with an aluminium case that's drop-resistant up to 2 m. A single USB 3.2 connection handles power and data. The drive includes type-C to type-C and type-C to type-A cables, and will be compatible not just with PCs, but also Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets.
Lastly, we got to see Samsung's swanky new Odyssey G9, a stunning 49-inch monitor with a steep 1,000R curvature that surrounds your field of view like no other curved monitor can (certainly not 1800R). The monitor packs what Samsung calls "dual QHD" (5120 x 1440 pixels) resolution, which is what you'd get if you placed two 1440p panels side by side. If its resolution doesn't wow you, the 240 Hz refresh-rate just might. The monitor's panel is VA with Samsung's Quantum-dot technology. It's also DisplayHDR 1000 rated. Behind is an RGB ornament that cycles between 52 presets, but it didn't seem bright enough to work as ambient light.
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16 Comments on Samsung at CES 2020: SSD 980 PCIe Gen 4 M.2, SSD T7, and the Gorgeous Odyssey G9 Monitor

#1
notb
Launch date of Samsung's PCIe 4.0 disks is a pretty good estimate of when Intel's start to support them, so this is at least interesting from that point of view.
And this is in line with expected Tiger Lake availability. Makes sense.

@btarunr
You should not put a comma in 1000R, even if it's used as a thousands separator where you live (or for whom you write).
1000R is not a number with unit (like 4kg). It's just a marketing label. It's like if you wrote "AMD Ryzen 4,700U".
Posted on Reply
#2
Nephilim666
1000R refers to the radius of the monitor curve so the thousands separator is fine.
notbLaunch date of Samsung's PCIe 4.0 disks is a pretty good estimate of when Intel's start to support them, so this is at least interesting from that point of view.
And this is in line with expected Tiger Lake availability. Makes sense.

@btarunr
You should not put a comma in 1000R, even if it's used as a thousands separator where you live (or for whom you write).
1000R is not a number with unit (like 4kg). It's just a marketing label. It's like if you wrote "AMD Ryzen 4,700U".
Posted on Reply
#3
notb
Nephilim6661000R refers to the radius of the monitor curve so the thousands separator is fine.
No, it doesn't. First of all: there is no unit. It isn't a quantitative figure. And it isn't accurate as well.
1000R means a class of monitors that have a curvature radius somewhere around 100cm. Nothing else.

We don't put thousands separator in dates or in this kind of textual labels. Being built from digits is not enough.
We don't put them in monitor resolution as well. You've ever noticed that? And that's a strict numerical value.
The monitor packs what Samsung calls "dual QHD" (5120 x 1440 pixels)
I bet you wouldn't write 1,920x1,280.

Also, putting aside which convention is better, @btarunr is going both ways in a single sentence:
1,000R curvature that surrounds your field of view like no other curved monitor can (certainly not 1800R).
Posted on Reply
#4
Object55
Only 1TB max ? I was waiting for them to release 980 EVO with 2 TB.

Seem weird that all these companies are releasing 2tb drives and Samsung doesn't seem to be in rush to launch anything at all for awhile.
Posted on Reply
#5
Gungar
Object55Only 1TB max ? I was waiting for them to release 980 EVO with 2 TB.

Seem weird that all these companies are releasing 2tb drives and Samsung doesn't seem to be in rush to launch anything at all for awhile.
Because what's the point of Gen4 nvme TLC? you want to run even faster out of cache to use your megaslow TLC nand flash?
Posted on Reply
#6
erixx
Waiting for the 360º monitor :roll:
Posted on Reply
#7
Th3pwn3r
erixxWaiting for the 360º monitor :roll:
Sold with side and rear view mirrors that will work.
Posted on Reply
#8
Object55
GungarBecause what's the point of Gen4 nvme TLC? you want to run even faster out of cache to use your megaslow TLC nand flash?
Not bothered about the speeds, but all the rest of Gen 4 i've seen provides 2x TBW as last gen.
Posted on Reply
#9
ssdpro
I'm still trying to figure out what nand this 980 is based on. Most sites are reported latest gen V-NAND in the form of 3 bits per cell TLC. This article and another from a prominent site strongly indicate 2 bit MLC based on the top capacity. IS there any info confirming MLC or just an inference from the capacity limitation? MLC would be a major selling point and anomaly for any consumer SSD in 2020.
Posted on Reply
#10
Th3pwn3r
I definitely want that monitor and do a virtual split with it. It'll look much better than multiple borders from multiple monitors.
Posted on Reply
#11
The Jedi
ssdpro2 bit MLC?
With Samsung, the Pro has been MLC and the EVO and EVO+ are TLC, QVO being their brand for QLC. I assume they are continuing that way.
Posted on Reply
#12
Blueberries
notbLaunch date of Samsung's PCIe 4.0 disks is a pretty good estimate of when Intel's start to support them
Now that's an interesting perspective.
Posted on Reply
#13
notb
BlueberriesNow that's an interesting perspective.
I though it's pretty obvious. :)
Posted on Reply
#14
BArms
Except that the upcoming Z470 is still stuck at 3.0, so it would have to be on their X series.
Posted on Reply
#15
notb
BArmsExcept that the upcoming Z470 is still stuck at 3.0, so it would have to be on their X series.
Except the world really doesn't revolve around desktops. :)
Posted on Reply
#16
Prima.Vera
We should already have 2TB and 4TB NVMe PCIE4.0 drives. Not sure why they are keeping the size so low....
Posted on Reply
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