Samsung ssd 860 qvo review: Samsung 1TB 860 QVO SSD Review: QLC Comes To SATA — Tom’s Hardware

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IntroductionSLC Cache Sizes & Energy ConsumptionAnandTech Storage Bench — The DestroyerAnandTech Storage Bench — HeavyAnandTech Storage Bench — LightRandom PerformanceSequential PerformanceMixed Read/Write PerformancePower ManagementConclusion

The introduction of four bit per cell (QLC) NAND flash memory continues with Samsung’s launch of their first consumer SATA SSD with QLC NAND. The new 860 QVO establishes a new entry-level tier in Samsung’s highly successful SSD product family. Unlike previous low-end offerings like the 750 EVO and the plain 850, the 860 QVO is getting a broad release and is here to stay.

Samsung 860 QVO: Koo-vo?

The Samsung 860 QVO is the first of a new wave of SATA SSDs that should be able to beat the prices on even DRAMless TLC-based SSDs thanks to the increased density of QLC NAND—and the 860 QVO itself is equipped with a full-size LPDDR4 DRAM cache.

Samsung 860 QVO Primary Specifications
Capacity		1 TB	2 TB	4 TB
Form Factor		2.5″ 7mm SATA
Controller		Samsung MJX
NAND Flash		Samsung 1Tb 64L 3D QLC
DRAM (LPDDR4)		1 GB	2 GB	4 GB
Sequential Read		550 MB/s
Sequential Write	SLC Cache	520 MB/s
	QLC	80 MB/s	160 MB/s	160 MB/s
Warranty		3 years
Write Endurance		360 TB 0. 3 DWPD	720 TB 0.3 DWPD	1440 TB 0.3 DWPD
MSRP		$149.99	$299.99	$599.99

Samsung’s consumer SATA product line now consists of the 860 QVO, 860 EVO and 860 PRO. The 860 QVO, EVO and PRO all share a common hardware platform based around Samsung’s MJX SSD controller and their 64-layer 3D NAND, with the product tiers differing primarily in the number of bits stored per flash memory cell.

The 860 QVO, from the box, is given a write endurace rating equivalent to 0.3 Drive Writes Per Day (DWPD), which even for the 1TB means 300GB a day, every day, which goes above and beyond most consumer workloads. Pricing is set to run at $150 for the smallest 1TB model, up to $600 for the 4TB model, making an equal cost per GB for the full range. It should be noted that the introductory MSRPs for the 860 QVO are not that aggressive in comparison to the record-setting sales we’ve been seeing on TLC SSDs recently.

MLC vs TLC vs QLC: Why QLC Matters

Two bit per cell MLC as used in the 860 PRO is now quite rare in the consumer SSD market and almost entirely absent from current enterprise SSD, having been largely replaced by three bit per cell TLC as used in the 860 EVO. With each increase in bits stored per cell, performance and write endurance decrease as SSDs need to be more careful to correctly discriminate between voltage levels, now up to 16 for QLC NAND.

While controller advances and other NAND process improvements (especially the switch from planar to 3D NAND) allowed TLC to overcome almost all of its disadvantages relative to MLC, QLC NAND is not expected to do the same. Early projections for QLC NAND called for at most a few hundred program/erase cycles, which would produce drives that would require careful treatment with workload that treated the storage more or less as a write-once, read-many (WORM) media. As QLC got closer to mass production, the story shifted and it became clear that QLC NAND would have adequate endurance for use as general-purpose storage.

Intel and Micron were the first to ship their QLC NAND, initially in the Micron 5210 ION enterprise SATA SSD and then in the Intel 660p and Crucial P1 consumer M.2 NVMe SSDs. The 660p and P1 introduced QLC NAND to the consumer SSD market, but as NVMe drives they still carry a price premium over SATA SSDs. However, as mentioned above, the introductory MSRPs for the 860 QVO are not at all aggressive in comparison to the record-setting sales we’ve been seeing on TLC SSDs recently. Those sales are not due entirely to the holiday season—flash memory prices in general have been crashing now that everyone has their 64-layer NAND in full mass production while PC and smartphone sales have been slowing. Meanwhile, rumors indicate that yields on QLC NAND have been poor, so the true cost is close to that of TLC instead of reflecting the ideal 25% discount per-GB.

Samsung 860 QVO Secondary Specifications
Capacity		1 TB	2 TB	4 TB
DRAM (LPDDR4)		1 GB	2 GB	4 GB
SLC Cache Size	Min	6 GB	6 GB	6 GB
	Max	42 GB	78 GB	78 GB
Sequential Read		550 MB/s
Sequential Write	SLC Cache	520 MB/s
	QLC	80 MB/s	160 MB/s	160 MB/s
Random Read IOPS	QD1	7. 5k (SLC) 4.4k (QLC)
	QD32	96k (SLC) 36k (QLC)	97k (SLC) 60k (QLC)
Random Write IOPS	QD1	42k (SLC) 21k (QLC)	42k (SLC) 38k (QLC)
	QD32	89k (SLC) 21k (QLC)	89k (SLC) 40k (QLC)	89k (SLC) 42k (QLC)
Power	Read	2.1 W	2.3 W	2.3 W
	Write	2.2 W	3. 1 W	3.1 W
	Idle	30 mW	30 mW	30 mW
	DevSlp	3 mW	3.5 mW	7 mW

The two main shortcomings of QLC NAND relative to the more mainstream TLC NAND are in write performance and write endurance. Both problems can be alleviated by the use of more NAND total, allowing writes to be spread across more NAND dies in parallel. That and the (hopes of) lower prices make QLC NAND best suited for large capacity SSDs. Thus, the 860 QVO product line starts at 1TB. Even at that capacity, the 860 QVO only needs 8 dies of QLC NAND and can only sustain writes at 80 MB/s. That means that the SLC write cache on the 860 QVO is even more important than for TLC SSDs. When working within the cache, the 860 QVO can saturate the SATA link with random or sequential writes. The cache functions much the same as the SLC cache on the 860 EVO, with a capacity that varies from a minimum of 6 GB when the drive is relatively full, up to 42 GB on the 1TB model or 78 GB on the 2TB and 4TB models. The Intel and Crucial consumer QLC drives also feature variable-size SLC caches but with much higher limits on the maximum cache size and a policy of retaining data in the cache until the drive needs the extra space. By contrast, the 860 QVO seems to take a more typical approach of aggressively flushing the cache during idle time in order to prepare for future bursts of write activity.

The performance specs for the 860 QVO when operating out of the SLC cache are typical for a mainstream SATA SSD. After the cache is full, performance drops significantly, with sequential writes showing the most severe effect. Power consumption is also comparable to Samsung’s other recent SATA SSDs, with the 1TB model requiring a little over 2W at peak and the larger models drawing just over 3W during writes. The 2TB and 4TB models have very nearly identical performance and power ratings, indicating that 2TB of QLC is sufficient to populate all the NAND channels of the MJX controller.

The warranty and endurance ratings for the 860 QVO are the other clear area where the use of QLC NAND has its impact. The 860 QVO’s warranty period is three years, typical for low-end SSDs but shorter than the 5 years that the 860 EVO and PRO carry. Write endurance is rated for 360 full drive writes, or 0.3 DWPD for the duration of the 3-year warranty. This is comparable to some of the cheaper TLC drives currently on the market, and in terms of total bytes written the 860 QVO’s rating is about 80% higher than the Intel 660p and Crucial P1, despite those NVMe QLC drives having the advantage of a five-year warranty.

Gallery: Samsung 860 QVO

The 860 QVO’s case follows the same basic design as Samsung’s other recent SATA SSDs, but is painted dark gray instead of Samsung’s traditional black. Internally, the 1TB 860 QVO illustrates how comically oversized even the 2.5″ drive form factor is compared to the requirements of modern consumer SSDs. The PCB features three main BGA packages: the DRAM, the controller, and the stack of eight 1TB QLC dies. There’s an empty pad on the back that can accommodate another NAND package. Samsung commonly packages up to sixteen NAND dies together, so even the 4 TB QVO may be able to get by with this same small PCB—placing DRAM becomes the more important problem. Samsung states that their current MJX controller supports up to 8TB SSDs, but there’s clearly very little demand for consumer SSDs in that capacity yet. The 2.5″ form factor itself can now accommodate at least 16TB, or 32TB if two PCBs are stacked in a 15mm thick drive. These capacities may show up in enterprise products, but are probably still several generations away from hitting the consumer SSD market.

Samsung has not announced a M.2 version of the 860 QVO, but that’s clearly possible if the demand is there. They can probably fit even the 4TB 860 QVO onto a single-sided 80mm M.2 card.

Samsung 860 Family Price Comparison
Capacity	NAND	250GB 256GB	500GB 512GB	1TB	2TB	4TB
860 QVO (MSRP)	QLC	N/A —	N/A —	$149.99 (15¢/GB)	$299.99 (15¢/GB)	$599.99 (15¢/GB)
860 EVO	TLC	$55.99 (22¢/GB)	$72.99 (15¢/GB)	$127.98 (13¢/GB)	$294.88 (15¢/GB)	$797.99 (20¢/GB)
860 PRO	MLC	$97. 00 (38¢/GB)	$147.00 (29¢/GB)	$284.99 (28¢/GB)	$577.99 (28¢/GB)	$1179.99 (29¢/GB)

The launch MSRPs for the 860 QVO do not compare favorably against SATA SSDs already on the market. The 860 EVO is currently below the QVO’s 15 cents per GB at 1TB and 2TB capacities, and plenty of other mainstream TLC drives are priced similarly. Samsung currently has no competition in the 4TB SATA SSD space, so their 4TB 860 EVO is substantially more expensive per GB, leaving appropriate room below for the 860 QVO. In order to be a strong competitor in the consumer market, the 860 QVO really needs to priced at no more than 13 cents per GB, and that limit is liable to come down further over the next several months as flash memory prices continue to drop and QLC yields improve.

A Note on Our Testing: The Occasional Drive Failure

Samsung provided us with samples of the 1TB and 4TB 860 QVO. Testing the 1TB model went smoothly, but the 4TB 860 QVO has run into some problems causing the drive to disappear from the system interface. These issues are most noticeable when hot-swapping the drive, which is a regular part of our SATA SSD testing routine. There have also been challenges getting the 4TB drive recognized by a motherboard during the boot process, and this causes the boot to stall indefinitely on some of our systems.

It should be noted that our testing regime is fairly streunous, and we sometimes get drive failures. It happens, and only a few of them are ever drive specific. 

As a result, these problems do not appear to be specific to the 860 QVO or its use of QLC NAND and have been replicated on both the 4TB 860 EVO and 4TB 860 PRO with multiple host systems, but have not occurred with any of the smaller 860s. The 3.84 TB 860 DCT and the 4TB 850 EVO have also been trouble-free, so this isn’t a problem with 4TB SSDs in general. We are still working with Samsung to determine the scope and nature of these issues with the 4TB drives, and it is not yet clear whether there is a general compatibility problem or if our testing procedure has triggered a firmware bug that put our samples permanently into an uncooperative mood.

Because of these issues, some benchmark results for the 4TB drives have been delayed. Performance and price notwithstanding, I am unable to recommend any of the 4TB 860 series SSDs until I have a better understanding of the nature of the problems.

The Competition

There are no other consumer QLC SATA SSDs on the market yet, though ADATA has announced their SU630, which will feature alarmingly low capacities. The Intel 660p and Crucial P1 are the only other consumer QLC SSDs currently available, but they are priced for the NVMe market. Most of the competition for the 860 QVO will come from SATA SSDs with TLC NAND, both entry-level models with DRAMless controllers (eg. Toshiba TR200) and more mainstream models like the 860 EVO, Crucial MX500 and WD Blue. Almost all SATA SSD product lines feature a 1TB class model, but there are still relatively few 2TB models and no 4TB competitors have been announced. This will likely change as other QLC drives come to market, and even 2TB TLC drives have been getting more common this year.

• Thanks to Intel for the Xeon E3 1240 v5 CPU
• Thanks to ASRock for the E3V5 Performance Gaming/OC
• Thanks to G. SKILL for the Ripjaws DDR4-2400 RAM
• Thanks to Corsair for the RM750 power supply, Carbide 200R case, and Hydro H60 CPU cooler
• Thanks to Quarch for the XLC Programmable Power Module and accessories
• Thanks to StarTech for providing a RK2236BKF 22U rack cabinet.

SLC Cache Sizes & Energy Consumption
IntroductionSLC Cache Sizes & Energy ConsumptionAnandTech Storage Bench — The DestroyerAnandTech Storage Bench — HeavyAnandTech Storage Bench — LightRandom PerformanceSequential PerformanceMixed Read/Write PerformancePower ManagementConclusion

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Samsung SSD 860 QVO — Articles and Reviews Quite rightly, Samsung SSDs have been extremely popular over the past few years. But you can’t call them cheap, and the company didn’t have frankly budget models. Until recently, a new line of Samsung SSD 860 QVO has not yet been announced. It will just become the most «affordable» SSD model, and in many respects this has become possible thanks to the use of a new type of QLC NAND memory.

What is interesting about Samsung 860 QVO

Samsung’s product range includes the 900 series of SSDs, which include M.2 models with PCIe NVMe interface, and the 800 series, with the more common SATAIII 2.5-inch models. Each series has PRO and EVO lines, which differ in the type of memory used, speed, durability and, accordingly, price. Now they are joined by Samsung SSD 860 QVO, which are the most affordable in the manufacturer’s range. As in older models, 64-layer 3D V-NAND flash memory is used, the main difference is that this is a new QLC, which actually belongs to the MLC (Multi-level Cell) type, but now as many as 4 bits are written to one cell information. Otherwise, the components are similar: proprietary MJX controller and LPDDR4 buffer. The model is available in 1, 2 or 4 TB versions, the maximum read speed is 550 MB / s, writes — 520 MB / s, but taking into account SLC caching and proprietary Intelligent TurboWrite technology. So after recording a certain volume, the speed will drop significantly. This is a retribution for the increased recording density of information and a reduced price. How critical — consider below in the review.

What’s in the box

Samsung SSD 860 QVO is packaged in a small dark cardboard box, which is standard for all Samsung SSDs, with a picture of the drive itself and some technical information. Inside — only a drive and instructions:

What Samsung SSD 860 QVO looks like

The appearance is unremarkable. Especially if you’ve seen regular 2.5» SATAIII SSDs. Standard form factor, aluminum case. The only thing worth mentioning is the differences from the EVO and PRO lines. Both older lines received a black case and square stickers on the front panel: gray and red, respectively. Samsung SSD 860 QVO is packaged in a dark gray case with a black sticker. So it’s easy to tell apart.

On the back side there is a sticker with marking and technical information, a single screw on which the case is screwed and standard holes for screwing into a PC or laptop case. The thickness of 6.8 mm will allow you to install the drive in thin laptops. The connectors are standard, no surprises or peculiarities:

What the Samsung SSD 860 QVO is capable of

Now let’s see the most important thing: what is QLC and what are the differences from previous recording modes. The operation of a four-bit flash memory is based on the use of not eight, as in TLC memory, but sixteen different charge levels in cells, which allows you to increase the density of information recording, but reduces performance due to the more complex process of writing and subsequent reading of these cells. We have a 33% increase in information per cell compared to TLC. The recording density is higher, as a result, the price per 1 GB is lower, plus it is possible to produce drives with a larger capacity. And another compromise for the sake of cost reduction is a reduction in resource and warranty: 360 TBW for 1 TB 860 QVO versus 600 TBW for 1 TB 860 EVO. For those who are not in the know, TBW (Total Bytes Written) is the maximum amount of information that can be guaranteed to be written to disk. Measured in terabytes (TB). But that doesn’t mean that QVOs are bad, they just serve different purposes and different audiences. Samsung itself positions them as an entry-level solution, «your first terabyte SSD drive.» And from this point of view, it looks very interesting.

As for the bare specifications, it uses 64-layer QLC 3D V-NAND memory, proprietary MJX controller, 1GB LPDDR4 buffer. Declared maximum read speed — 550 MB / s, write — 520 MB / s. But you need to take into account SLC caching and proprietary Intelligent TurboWrite technology. Part of the storage capacity is used in SLC mode for recording. The default cache size is 6 GB, the Intelligent cache is 36 GB, and the Total cache is 42 GB. For older models of 2 and 4 TB, the amount of smart cache (Intelligent) is 72 GB and the total (Total) is 78 GB. After filling the entire cache, the write speed drops significantly: for the younger model, up to 80 MB / s, for the older ones, up to 160 MB / s. Samsung indicates this in the information about new drives. In other words, you won’t experience a drop in speed if you write about 40 GB of information to the drive at a time in the case of the experimental 1 TB drive variant.

As a test stand, a PC was used, which we previously assembled in the editorial office. As shown by synthetic tests, the drive demonstrates the declared performance. CrystalDiskMark showed a maximum write speed of about 560 MB / s, and writes — 530 MB / s, a random read speed in 4KB blocks, QD32 is declared at 96,000 IOPS and 89,000 IOPS when writing, the test results confirm this:

Instead of subtotals, you can to say that the Samsung SSD 860 QVO is perfect for exactly the purposes that it is positioned for. It looks like the optimal solution for home and inexpensive gaming computers, when the main scenario is to write once with repeated reading of information. In this case, the drive will live for a long time and performance degradation will not bother you at all. Another successful use case is the replacement of the internal drive in the game console: the download speed will increase by 2-3 times. For work, when a lot of information will be regularly recorded, it is worth choosing something more advanced, for example, the EVO line.

What proprietary software can do

Samsung drives have Magician proprietary software. It displays all the basic information about the drive itself, firmware, its status, and additional utilities. There is its own performance test, a drive optimizer, a function to reserve part of the space on the SSD to optimize and extend the service life, a safe full disk cleanup (with the creation of a bootable flash drive) and data on the current protection settings:

Pros

• High (compared to HDD) operating speed;
• high volume;
• TRIM, S.M.A.R.T, Garbage Collection and encryption support;
• convenient and functional Magician software.

Cons

• Decreased write speed to extremely low rates for large data volumes.

Conclusion

Samsung has made the right move by adding the budget model Samsung SSD 860 QVO to its range of SSDs, which at a good price has every chance of becoming a hit. This is not the first existing, but one of the first consumer and affordable SSDs based on 3D 4-bit QLC 3D V-NAND memory. First of all, thanks to this, it was just possible to reduce the cost and increase the volume of drives. Yes, for demanding users, Samsung SSD 860 QVO will not be the best solution due to not the most outstanding speed characteristics and a relatively small guaranteed resource. But it is precisely aimed at the initial segment, for those who have just decided that it is time to move from hard drives to SSDs. The drive is perfect for home and budget gaming PCs, the transition from HDD to Samsung SSD 860 QVO will be very tangible and enjoyable. Samsung has already named Ukrainian prices for drives and they turned out to be really interesting: Samsung SSD 860 QVO is currently the most affordable 1 TB SSD on the market (UAH 4500), like its 2 TB brother for 9600 UAH 4 TB model was estimated at UAH 19,000. But it is curious that the more powerful Evos are not much more expensive and they can also compete with the new Samsung SSD 860 QVO.

More details: https://gagadget.com/42610-obzor-samsung-ssd-860-qvo-potrebitelskij-ssd-s-qlc-3d-v-nand-pamyatyu/#!

Review of the Samsung 860 QVO 1 TB drive: the bill went to terabytes

Solid state drives leave fewer and fewer niches in which the use of hard drives remains justified. SSDs have long supplanted HDDs from the system storage segment, and have actually replaced them in PCs for gamers. With the price drop and volume increase, the area of ​​use of SSD is expanding even more. Flash memory chips with a 4-bit cell structure are one way to reduce the price and increase the capacity of an SSD. Back in early 2018, devices based on such chips were already used for a number of corporate lines, and towards the end of 2018, consumer models based on QLC appeared. Today we are reviewing the Samsung 860 QVO 1 TB drive. This «terebaytnik» in just a couple of months from the start of sales in our country turned out to be the most popular SSD of this size on hotline. ua. Why such interest in this model?

Samsung 860 QVO drives use 64-layer flash memory chips with four-bit cells. According to Samsung, they are referred to as 3D V-NAND MLC (4 bits). This is not an attempt by the manufacturer to somehow hide the technical characteristics of the SSD, but just a feature of the interpretation. The term Multi Level Cell (MLC) refers to cells with multiple levels. When MLC appeared, it was two bits, TLC — three, QLC — four. The designation MLC (4 bits), although less common, still remains correct for chips with 4-bit cells. We will still use the more popular abbreviated QLC.

The 8-channel Samsung MJX is used for control — the same high-performance controller that is used for the older drives of the 860 EVO series. That is, there are no savings at this level. Obviously Samsung is easier to unify the platform for different classes of SSDs than to release simplified versions of controllers for entry-level devices.

	1TB	2 TB	4 TB
Model	MZ-76Q1T0BW	MZ-76Q2T0BW	MZ-76Q4T0BW
Controller	Samsung MJX
Flash memory	64-layer 3D V-NAND MLC (4-bit, QLC)
Interface	SATA
Sequential reading	550 MB/s
Sequential write	520 MB/s
Write speed without SLC caching	80 MB/s	160 MB/s	160 MB/s
SLC cache size (min/max)	6/42 GB	6/78 GB	6/78 GB
Random Read	96,000 IOPS	97,000 IOPS	97,000 IOPS
Random entry	89,000 IOPS	89,000 IOPS	89,000 IOPS
Guaranteed Recording Capacity (TBW)	360 TB	720 TB	1440 TB
Technology support	TRIM, S. M.A.R.T., Garbage Collection, DevSlp
Encryption	AES-256, TCG/Opal, IEEE1667
Manufacturer warranty period	3 years

Despite belonging to the budget segment, the Samsung 860 QVO also uses an additional LPDDR4 DRAM cache, and a significant amount — 1 GB per terabyte of the total storage capacity. The buffer should improve the performance of the drive while working with small data blocks. Despite the use of 3D V-NAND QLC memory, high-speed parameters are declared for SSD, as for SATA devices. Linear read / write speeds — up to 550/520 MB / s. However, the indicators for recording data require clarification. The specified value is achievable when using SLC caching, while when writing directly in QLC mode, the data transfer rate drops to 80 MB / s for a 1 TB model and to 160 MB / s for 2/4 TB drives.

To compensate for such performance drops, drives use the Intelligent TurboWrite SLC caching mechanism. As in the case of the Samsung 860 EVO, QLC-based devices have a large combined buffer. Its fixed static part is 6 GB, and the dynamic part depends on the amount of free space. For the 1 TB model, the SLC cache capacity can reach up to 36 GB, and for the 2/4 TB versions, up to 72 GB.

As for the performance while working with 4K blocks, with a QD32 request queue, it can reach 96,000 IOPS for reads and up to 89,000 IOPS for writes. Looking at such indicators, it is difficult to determine the use of chips with the QLC structure. Similar values ​​are typical for high-quality TLC models.

Chips with a 4-bit cell structure potentially withstand less data rewriting than TLC chips. The question of reliability often pops up when it comes to drives based on QLC. Samsung 860 QVO devices offer quite large volumes of guaranteed data recording. TBW for the 1TB model is 360TB, for the 2TB model it is 720TB, and 1440TB for the maximum capacity 4TB version. These are very decent figures, which are comparable to those declared for good SSDs on 3D TLC, while alternative models on QLC often have a TBW parameter that is almost twice as low. For example, for ADATA SU630, Intel 660p or Crucial P1 1 TB drives, only 200 TB are declared.

Of course, the Samsung 860 EVO offers even more guaranteed storage capacity (600/1200/2400 TB), but the Samsung 860 QVO will certainly not cause any problems with a typical «home» usage model. However, for devices based on 3D V-NAND QLC, the manufacturer has set a warranty period of 3 years, instead of 5 years for older Samsung drives.

Samsung 860 QVO 1 TB (MZ-76Q1T0BW)

We tested the junior model of the 1 TB line. It is still an unusual starting capacity, but you often get used to good things quickly.

Samsung 860 QVO series drives are supplied in a cardboard box with an internal plastic damper to protect against mechanical damage during transport. Only a short paper manual is included.

Externally, the drive is very similar to the Samsung 860 EVO/PRO models. Same rugged 6.8mm thick aluminum case with excellent workmanship, build quality and panel screw fastening. There are no simplifications here. The device looks and feels as solid as you can expect from products of this class.

The difference between the devices of the basic line is only in the color design. Samsung 860 QVO have a graphite-colored outer coating, while the models of the older series are made in black. The manufacturer’s logo is applied on the top panel with black paint, indicating the class of the device and a miniature reproduction of a painting by a famous Ukrainian artist.

There is a large sticker on the back of the device with the model name, capacity and related technical information.

The SATA 3.0 interface is used to connect the drive. Of course, in this case, backward compatibility with older systems equipped with SATA 2.0 is preserved, but in this case, performance will be limited by the interface capabilities.

To maintain and configure the drive, the manufacturer offers to use the Samsung Magician application. The current utility version 5.3 supports 860 QVO devices. Among the most useful options of the application, one can note the ability to update the firmware if there is a fresh version of the microcode, check the S.M.A.R.T. and estimate the total amount of data written to the SSD.

Here you can also expand the backup area, configure encryption settings and create a bootable USB drive to completely erase the SSD (Secure Erase).

On the Performance Benchmark tab, a basic performance test is available that evaluates linear transfers and peak performance when working with small blocks. According to primary measurements, we have read / write speeds at the level of 560/530 MB / s, as well as 82,500/76,000 I / O operations per second.

Performance

The structure with 4-bit QLC cells can significantly increase the data storage density on flash memory chips (+33%), but update delays can also be significant. Developers are trying to compensate for the performance degradation in various ways, but in the case of QLC devices, the write speed will remain an urgent issue.

To evaluate this parameter, we used the sequential write test integrated into the AIDA64 application. As you can see in the screenshot, while writing the first approximately 40 GB of data, the tempo is kept at 490 MB/s. The capacious Intelligent TurboWrite cache helps to get such values, but after the SLC cache runs out, the sequential write speed drops dramatically — to 75-80 MB / s. This is the possible write speed for QLC chips in the proposed configuration. For Samsung 860 QVO 2/4 TB drives, this value is about twice as high — about 160 MB / s. The figures are not the most impressive, however, in real use, you can only encounter such restrictions when copying files larger than 40 GB.

As for the sequential read speed, here on the graph we see an almost perfect flat line at the level of 510-515 MB / s. That is, the use of chips with the QLC architecture does not significantly affect the read operations.

According to various test utilities, the Samsung 860 QVO offers entry-level storage performance. There are no records in this case. QLC-based devices have a lower write speed than 3-bit cell models and not very good performance with 4K blocks. The first feature can be compensated for with a capacious SLC buffer, the second is not very critical when using the drive in a conventional system.

When you go beyond the dynamic cache, the write speed drops noticeably. However, even a 1 TB drive has enough buffer capacity to not feel these fluctuations in real use. When installing the same games, such delays will not occur. There, the limiter is the network connection channel and the speed of downloading data from Steam / Uplay / Origin and other digital services. In addition, the processor still needs to unpack the incoming data, and this time will be enough for the SSD to clear the buffer.

Test measurements with PCMark 8 with a set of realistic traces of the use of the drive by various applications show the closeness of the results of drives based on QLC. Both presented devices are noticeably inferior here to the Samsung 860 EVO, but it must be recalled that this is one of the best models in its class, so it’s not shameful to let it go ahead even for top models on TLC, not to mention SSD based on 4-bit cells.

To visually compare the capabilities of HDD and SSD in such tasks, we also added the test results of a hard drive — a classic 3.5” terabyte with a spindle speed of 7200 rpm. Even when it comes to a relatively slow SSD with 4-bit memory, there is a real gap between it and the hard drive in terms of performance. And this is even if you do not take into account the noiselessness and lack of vibration of the SSD.

Heating

During the experiments, we also checked the temperature conditions of the Samsung 860 QVO 1TB. SATA drives often have no particular difficulties with this. And the novelty based on QLC is no exception here.

In idle mode, the temperature of the controller hardly differed from the ambient temperature. The Crystal Disk Info utility recorded about 23C when working on an open stand at 20–22C indoors.

Under an intensive half-hour load with continuous data recording, the SSD controller only warmed up to 44-45C. The issue of overheating here, in principle, is not relevant.

Price

Samsung 860 QVO drives appeared in Ukraine at the beginning of this year and have already become cheaper in recent years.

The manufacturer now estimates the 1 TB model at 4000 UAH. (~$145), while the 2TB version is offered for UAH 8600. (~$315). The most capacious 4 TB modification is not yet available in our country. If we compare the cost with that for the Samsung 860 EVO of identical volume, then TLC-based SSDs are noticeably more expensive.

So buying a 1 TB model will cost 5600 UAH. ($205), and for the 2-terabyte version they ask for UAH 11,000. (~$400). That is, the relative difference in price is already 27-40%. Surely models on 3D V-NAND QLC have an additional reserve to reduce the cost. This is also pushed by the general situation in the market of solid state drives. With a full SSD production cycle, Samsung has ample room for price adjustments.

Video review Samsung 860 QVO 1 TB

4.5

ITC.UA score

Pros:
Price/volume ratio; branded application Samsung Magician; high data recording resource as for devices on QLC; capacious SLC buffer with Intelligent TurboWrite mechanism; quality of materials and assembly of the case SSD

Cons:
Reduced write speed with direct access to QLC chips; manufacturer’s warranty period — 3 years

Conclusion:

Samsung 860 QVO is first of all a story about high volume drives at a reasonable price.