Crucial’s recent announcement of its new P5 Plus is slated to come out in early August 2021. This lightning-fast SSD has its sights set on competing with top-performing SSDs like the Samsung 980 Pro. But does Crucial have what it takes to square up against the likes of Samsung with this SSD? Well, recent announcements and leaked benchmarks point towards that answer being yes. This guide will take a look at what the new P5 Plus is bringing to the table as well as see if it will be a better value deal over the Samsung 980 Pro.
Read and Write Speeds – P5 Plus
The new P5 Plus ekes out ahead with slightly better read and write speeds on its lower-capacity models. It is slated to handle 6,600 MBps read and 5,000 MBps write. In comparison, the Samsung 980 Pro has more variance in terms of read and write speeds. Depending on the storage size, this SSD boasts read speeds ranging from 6,400 MBps to 7,000 MBps and write speeds between 2,700 MBps and 5,100 MBps.
To make it clearer, the breakdown of speeds for the 980 Pro goes as follows:
- 250GB – 6,400 MBps read & 2,700 MBps write
- 500Gb – 6,900 Mbps read & 5,000 MBps write
- 1TB – 7,000 MBps read & 5,000 MBps write
- 2TB – 7,000 MBps read & 5,100 MBPs write
Meanwhile, the Crucial P5 Plus offers the same speeds listed above across every storage size. If that changes with the launch in a few short days, that information will be updated as it is released. Additionally, the Crucial P5 Plus has only been announced in 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB models with no 250GB offering as of the time of writing this article. While the 980 Pro offers a wider range of speeds, the more consistent speeds of the P5 Plus make it an easier option for consumers.
Endurance (TBW) – Tie
The endurance of an SSD is determined by how much data it can read/write before it reaches a point of possible failure. This is abbreviated as “TBW” or “Terabytes Written.” The P5 Plus has the following ratings:
- 500GB – 300 TBW
- 1TB – 600 TBW
- 2TB – 1,200 TBW
In comparison, the 980 Pro ratings go like this:
- 250GB – 150 TBW
- 500GB – 300TBW
- 1TB – 600TB
- 2TB- 1,200 TBW
As you can see, the two SSDs offer identical metrics across the board. You can expect both of these mid-range SSDs to last for similar lengths of time before you start noticing failures. Additionally, both SSDs have similar 5-year manufacturer warranties that cover failure from regular usage.
Price – P5 Plus
With the Crucial P5 Plus not being officially released yet, the page for the 1TB model isn’t currently live and doesn’t show a prospective price. So far, the 500GB model is set at $107.99 while the 2TB sits at $367.99. These prices are competitive and set the P5 Plus as the more budget-friendly option between the two. The 980 Pro is $119 for a 500GB model and $409 for a 2TB model. As long as the price for the upcoming 1TB model of the P5 Plus stays similar to the other offerings, it is set to be a great value SSD.
Verdict – P5 Plus
It’s a tight competition between the P5 Plus and the 980 Pro. Either option will be great in your system as long as you can get a decent deal. But, overall, the P5 Plus offers a better price and more consistent speeds. For those reasons, I recommend picking one up if you’re in the market for a mid-range SSD for your system. If you’re looking for a more comprehensive PC upgrade, check out our handy system builder for tailored parts based on budget and use case here.