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Samsung PM981a 256 GB

256 GB
Capacity
Samsung Phoenix
Controller
TLC
Flash
PCIe 3.0 x4
Interface
M.2 2280
Form Factor

Multiple hardware versions found.

Performance could vary due to unannounced flash/controller changes.

Back
Back
SSD Controller
Controller
NAND Die
NAND Die
The Samsung PM981a is a solid-state drive in the M.2 2280 form factor, launched in 2020. It is available in capacities ranging from 256 GB to 1 TB. This page reports specifications for the 256 GB variant. With the rest of the system, the Samsung PM981a interfaces using a PCI-Express 3.0 x4 connection. The SSD controller is the Phoenix (S4LR020) from Samsung, a DRAM cache chip is available. Samsung has installed 92-layer TLC NAND flash on the PM981a, the flash chips are made by Samsung. Please note that this SSD is sold in multiple variants with different NAND flash or controller, which could affect performance, the "Notes" section at the end of this page has more info. To improve write speeds, a pseudo-SLC cache is used, so bursts of incoming writes are absorbed more quickly. The cache is sized at 12 GB, once it is full, writes complete at 500 MB/s. The PM981a is rated for sequential read speeds of up to 3,500 MB/s and 2,200 MB/s write; random IO reaches 240K IOPS for read and 480K for writes.
The SSD's price at launch is unknown. The warranty length is set to five years, which is an excellent warranty period. Samsung guarantees an endurance rating of 150 TBW, a typical value for consumer SSDs.

Solid-State-Drive

Capacity: 256 GB
Variants: 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB
Overprovisioning: 17.6 GB / 7.4 %
Production: Unknown
Released: 2020
Part Number: MZVLB256HBHQ-00000
Market: Consumer

Physical

Form Factor: M.2 2280 (Single-Sided)
Interface: PCIe 3.0 x4
Protocol: NVMe 1.3
Power Draw: Unknown

Controller

Manufacturer: Samsung
Name: Phoenix (S4LR020)
Architecture: ARM 32-bit Cortex-R7
Core Count: 5-Core
Foundry: Samsung FinFET
Process: 14 nm
Flash Channels: 8 @ 800 MT/s
Chip Enables: 4
Controller Features: DRAM (enabled)

NAND Flash

Manufacturer: Samsung
Name: V-NAND V5
Part Number: K9CKGY8J5B-CCK0
Type: TLC
Technology: 92-layer
Speed: 533 MT/s .. 1400 MT/s
Capacity: 2 chips @ 1 Tbit
Toggle: 4.0
Topology: Charge Trap
Dies per Chip: 4 dies @ 256 Gbit
Planes per Die: 2
Decks per Die: 1
Word Lines: 100 per NAND String
92.0% Vertical Efficiency
Read Time (tR): 73 µs
Program Time (tProg): 500 µs
Block Erase Time (tBERS): 3.5 ms
Die Write Speed: 64 MB/s
Page Size: 16 KB

DRAM Cache

Type: LPDDR4-1866
Name: Samsung K4F4E3S4HF-BGCH
Capacity: 512 MB
(1x 512 MB)
Organization: 4Gx16

Performance

Sequential Read: 3,500 MB/s
Sequential Write: 2,200 MB/s
Random Read: 240,000 IOPS
Random Write: 480,000 IOPS
Endurance: 150 TBW
Warranty: 5 Years
MTBF: 1.5 Million Hours
Drive Writes Per Day (DWPD): 0.3
SLC Write Cache: approx. 12 GB
(9 GB Dynamic
+ 3 GB Static)
Speed when Cache Exhausted: approx. 500 MB/s

Features

TRIM: Yes
SMART: Yes
Power Loss Protection: No
Encryption:
  • AES-256
  • TCG Opal
RGB Lighting: No
PS5 Compatible: Yes

Notes

Drive:

This SSD's design is based on the Samsung 970 EVO Plus, but with a custom firmware designed for better effeciency in OEM machines and laptops.

Oct 5th, 2024 01:36 EDT change timezone

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