With the PM9A1, Samsung brings an OEM sibling of the very popular 980 Pro (shown in the cover picture). The upcoming SSD should not only score points with the compact form factor M.2, but also PCIe 4.0. As an OEM, however, it should primarily be used in complete systems.
Details from Chinese online trade
The OEM counterpart of Samsung’s 980 Pro has been very quiet so far. Only with closer investigation can you come across the M.2 SSD. Lenovo, for example, is installing the compact SSD in its upcoming ThinkStation P620. But in China’s online trade you can now find more information about the storage medium. The PM9A1, for example, is to come onto the market in three different sizes. One has the choice between 256 GB, 512 GB and 1 TB. The maximum speed should be more than 6,000 MB/s. However, this impressive value probably only applies to the top model with the largest storage space. After all, this is now typical for the market. If this speed is not enough for you, you can look forward to the upcoming release of the Samsung 980 Pro. This should be much faster at 7,000 MB/s.
Wide faster than the predecessors
It is questionable whether Samsung wants to offer the PM9A1 to end customers at all. It is more obvious that the South Korean company will sell the M.2 SSD primarily to manufacturers of complete systems. In addition to the ThinkStation P620 mentioned at the beginning, notebooks or other complete hardware packages will also be considered. Thus the PM9A1 would replace the PM981 or PM981a. Both OEMs from Samsung have been the fastest of the manufacturer so far. However, a comparison of the speed makes it clear that the upcoming version is definitely ahead. In contrast to the 6,000 MB/s, the two previous models only offered 3,500 MB/s. This is no wonder. Features of both OEMs were PCIe 3.0 and not the latest standard PCIe 4.0.
Available for end customers at some point?
Of course, it is also possible that the new OEM SSD will find its way into the retail market. After all, this was also the case with the two current representatives PM981 and PM 981a and their predecessors. The advantage would be obvious. OEM SSDs are and are generally less expensive than classic SSDs that are intended for the end customer. But they also have a decisive disadvantage. As a buyer, you unfortunately have to do without support from Samsung, let alone a manufacturer’s warranty. With OEM SSDs, you should always keep this in mind. We will keep you informed if and when the PM9A1 will find its way into the shops.
