Question Samsung 990 Pro 4TB to replace Samsung 970 EVO 1 TB...

[Bullet-Proof-Reader]

Hello

We have a custom gaming PC since 2019, and our 1 TB Samsung 970 EVO NVMe2.0 SSD is just about full. Also have a slow external WD Elements drive for backup.

Motherboard: Asus Maximus Hero XI (WiFi)
Graphics: EVGA nVidia 2080ti (FTW3)
Memory- Corsair Vengeance LPX (2x8 GB) 3200 Mhz ver. 5.32
CPU: Intel i9-9900k
PSU: Seasonic Prime Titanium 850
OS: Win 10 Pro
Phanteks case, Evolv X

Can this Asus MB run the Samsung 990 Pro (version without heatsink... space concerns) 4 TB SSD? And is it possible to easily transfer over all data and programs from my current 1 TB C:/ drive to the new 990 Pro ?

Thanks for any help.

-Brian in Connecticut

 

[In2Photos]

First, welcome to the forums. You should edit your post to remove the serial number of your motherboard.

Yes you can use the 990 pro. However, it will only run at Gen 3 speeds, not Gen 4, since your motherboard (and possibly CPU) only support Gen 3 speeds}. So another option is to save some money and buy a Gen 3 drive.

Your motherboard supports 2 m.2 drives so you could just add a second drive for more storage or you could clone your existing drive to the new one and replace it. To clone it you have 2 options.

1 Install the drive in the second slot.
2. Get a USB to NVME enclosure

Then use some software like Macrium Reflect (there's a free version available for personal use) to perform the clone operation. Since the drives are different sizes you'll need to expand the main partition or create a new one afterwards although you might be able to perform this during the clone as well.

 

[mikeymikec]

I'd be very surprised if it couldn't handle it. I might be inclined to a BIOS update beforehand if I was feeling cautious.

I've used Samsung Data Migration and EaseUS Todo Backup Free to do drive cloning before, IIRC both programs resize the new 'main' partition to use the available space.

 

[Brainonska511]

Since you have an open M2 slot, I'd just put the new NVME in the second slot and start using it for storage.

You can always redirect some of your default Windows folders (eg, music, documents, pictures) to the new drive to open up space the primary drive, and Steam makes it very easy to also move installed games over to a new drive. Saves a bit of the hassle of cloning or reinstalling Windows. However, for other programs, you may need to uninstall/reinstall to move programs over if you go this route.

 

[manly]

First, welcome to the forums. You should edit your post to remove the serial number of your motherboard.

Yes you can use the 990 pro. However, it will only run at Gen 3 speeds, not Gen 4, since your motherboard (and possibly CPU) only support Gen 3 speeds}. So another option is to save some money and buy a Gen 3 drive.

Your motherboard supports 2 m.2 drives so you could just add a second drive for more storage or you could clone your existing drive to the new one and replace it. To clone it you have 2 options.

1 Install the drive in the second slot.
2. Get a USB to NVME enclosure

Then use some software like Macrium Reflect (there's a free version available for personal use) to perform the clone operation. Since the drives are different sizes you'll need to expand the main partition or create a new one afterwards although you might be able to perform this during the clone as well.

There probably aren't very many Gen 3 drives still in the marketplace. I thought there would be none that are 4TB but there is one: Crucial P3 which is DRAM-less. (Also KingSpec, but no thanks.)

Looking at Newegg, there are a few economical options for 4 TB NVMe. If OP doesn't want to splurge on the 990 PRO or WD SN580x, the Crucial P3 Plus looks reasonable. Both P3 drives use QLC.

Cheap:

4TB Teamgroup MP44Q Gen4 x4 NVMe M.2 Internal Solid State Drive $206.14 + Free Shipping 09-15-2024

Newegg has 4TB Teamgroup MP44Q Gen4 x4 NVMe M.2 Internal Solid State Drive SSD on sale for $216.99 - 10% off when you apply coupon code TGSSD5PCT2 at checkout = $206.14. Shipping is free. Product ...

slickdeals.net

 

[burninatortech4]

Hey dude you really should remove that S/N from the post. Nobody needs to know it except you and the MFR.