The 980 PRO is Samsung’s top-shelf consumer PCIe 4.0 SSD, with read speeds up to 7GB/s and write up to 5GB/s. As we already reviewed this drive, this article focuses on the PlayStation 5-compatible heatsink version, and how it compares to the non-heatsink version under sustained load. In short, if you’re upgrading your PS5’s storage, the 980 PRO with heatsink is a fine choice, well worth the slight premium over the non-heatsink drive.
Samsung 980 PRO Heatsink Specifications
The Samsung 980 PRO with heatsink is available in 1TB and 2TB capacities for $189 and $349, nominal premiums of $20 and $21 over the non-heatsink drives. That’s high-end PCIe 4.0 SSD pricing, but per our reviews, it’s an excellent performer and worth the money. We observed that the 2TB version had slightly lower latency and much better write speeds (4.34GB/s versus 2.85GB/s in BlackMagic). Icing on the cake is that the 2TB version gives you slightly more storage for the money.
The 980 PRO Heatsink version under review can be used in a PC, but it won’t fit in a laptop due to the height of the heatsink, and many desktop motherboards will include heatsinks for the M.2 slots. Thus, the 980 PRO Heatsink version is mostly targeted at the PS5. Here you can see the heatsink’s 8.6mm thickness:
Why buy this drive with a heatsink? The PS5 has no active cooling to its M.2 slot, so anything that can be done to dissipate the heat is a good thing; an SSD will throttle its performance once it reaches a temperature threshold.
The full specifications of the Samsung 980 PRO with heatsink are as follows:
| Product Type | NVMe 1.3c SSD |
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 (Backwards-compatible with PCIe 3.0) |
| Capacity | 1TB or 2TB |
| Compatibility | PC & PlayStation 5 |
| Controller | Samsung Elipsis Controller |
| NAND Flash Memory | Samsung V-NAND 3bit MLC |
| DRAM Cache Memory | 1GB LPDDR4 (1TB drive) or 2GB LPDDR4 (2TB) |
| Encryption | AES 256-bit (SED), TCG V2.0, Encrypted Drive (IEEE1667) |
| Sequential Read/Write Speeds | 7000/5000MB/s |
| Trim Support | Supported |
| S.M.A.R.T. Support | Supported |
| Device Sleep Mode Support | Yes |
| GC (Garbage Collection) | Auto Garbage Collection Algorithm |
| WWN Support | Not supported |
| Thermal Protection | Heatsink |
| Average Power Consumption (system level) | *Average: 6.2 W*Maximum: 8.9 W (Burst mode)* Actual power consumption may vary depending on system hardware & configuration |
| Power Consumption (idle) | Max. 35 mW * Actual power consumption may vary depending on system hardware & configuration |
| Reliability (MTBF) | 1.5 million hours |
| Dimensions (with heatsink) | 24 by 80 by 8.6mm |
| Weight | Max 30.5g |
| Warranty | Limited 5 years |