# Samsung 970 EVO Plus Review | Gen 3 OS Drive | FPS Chaser

Canonical: https://fpschaser.com/gaming-pc-component-review/storage-main-970-evo-plus/

> Samsung 970 EVO Plus 500GB is Project 9900K's Windows 11 drive: PCIe Gen 3.0 x4 NVMe at its rated speed on a Gen 3 board, Phoenix controller, TLC V-NAND.

[Back to Manifest](https://fpschaser.com/how-to-increase-fps-i9-9900k/)

Storage (Main)

# Samsung 970 EVO Plus 500GB

#### Benchmark Justification

A Gen 4 drive in this board would run at Gen 3 speed. The 970 EVO Plus is built for the lanes the board actually has, so the rated number on the box is the number the slot delivers.

Verified during the Project 9900K ultra-high refresh rate validation runs. Every component is cherry-picked to eliminate frametime spikes, micro-stuttering, and DPC latency overhead in competitive esports titles.

Verified Procurement Real-time Stock Checked

Procure this verified component from authorized low-latency hardware vendors:

Zero-latency verified stock Ref: fpschaser-aff-20

### Technical Specifications

| Interface | PCIe Gen 3.0 x4, NVMe, M.2 2280 |
| --- | --- |
| Capacity | 500GB |
| Sequential Read | Up to 3,500 MB/s |
| Sequential Write | Up to 3,200 MB/s |
| Controller | Samsung Phoenix (S4LR020) |
| NAND | 96-layer 3D V-NAND TLC (V-NAND v5) |

## Optimization Notes

When installing the Samsung 970 EVO Plus 500GB , ensure you follow our specific configuration guide. Standard installation methods often result in suboptimal performance or higher latency.

Hardware Verification & Care

## Component Procurement & Testing FAQs

Crucial advice on buying used enthusiast PC hardware, silicon binning, and thermal maintenance.

Ctrl+F

Silicon degradation manifests as instability at stock or mild voltages. Test the CPU by running OCCT CPU / Linpack at stock voltage; if errors occur within 10 minutes, the silicon has experienced degradation.

For used graphics cards (especially OEM or previously mined units), check VRAM junction temperatures and inspect HWInfo64 for "PCIe Bus Errors" (WHEA 17/19).

Replacing dried thermal pads and applying PTM7950 to the GPU core restores used hardware to factory thermal performance.

Key Takeaway:
Always check WHEA errors in HWInfo64 and verify voltage stability on second-hand hardware.

[Hardware Assembly & PTM7950 Guide](https://fpschaser.com/best-gaming-pc-build-i9-9900k/)

Need more details on this optimization layer? [Master Zero-Latency Checklist](https://fpschaser.com/fps-optimization-checklist/)