What is a cheaper alternative to the XPG MARS 980 STORM?

The Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2TB costs about $159 versus $200 for the XPG MARS 980 STORM, with a Specdex "Strongly Recommended" verdict.

What is a better ssds than the XPG MARS 980 STORM?

The ADATA LEGEND 970 PRO 4TB SSD scores higher on Specdex, though it costs about $400.

XPG Last verified August 18, 2026

XPG MARS 980 STORM Review

PCIe 4.0 NVMe · PassMark #62

Specdex verdict The XPG MARS 980 STORM has notable compromises — fine for casual use, but check the alternatives below if you have flexibility on budget.

The XPG MARS 980 STORM scores 74,315 on PassMark Disk Score (rank #62 of ~100 consumer SSDs benchmarked). Score sourced from PassMark Disk Score (July 2026 snapshot).

All XPG MARS 980 STORM matchups → From $200

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XPG MARS 980 STORM — PCIe 4.0 NVMe · PassMark #62

Specdex verdict

Mixed

Specdex doesn't run benchmarks in-house. The verdict is an editorial assessment based on manufacturer specs and public reviewer consensus. See methodology.

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XPG MARS 980 STORM versus its closest rivals

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Editorial · Specdex take

Pros

+Capable NVMe drive at PassMark rank #62

Cons

−DRAM-less controllers on lower-tier variants may throttle under sustained writes
−Newer drives out-perform this generation on sequential + random 4K

Who's the XPG MARS 980 STORM for?

Quick verdicts for the most common buyer profiles, derived from the sub-scores above.

Power users and creators Skip

Compute scores trail current top-tier — look at our step-up alternatives below if performance is the priority.

Budget-conscious buyers Consider

Mid-tier pricing at $200 — review whether the score-per-dollar lines up against the cheaper alternatives we recommend.

In the box

What you get when you unbox the XPG MARS 980 STORM.

SSD
M.2 mounting screw
Heatsink (where applicable)
Software activation key (Pro tier)

Standard contents — region/SKU may vary; confirm at retailer.

Sources & benchmarks

Cited, not generated

Specdex does not run benchmarks in-house. We're rolling out cited public benchmark data category by category — PassMark for CPUs and GPUs is wired today; DXOMark, RTINGS, Geekbench, and NotebookCheck will follow.

Sources we use when available: PassMark for CPU/GPU, Geekbench Browser for synthetic, DXOMark for camera scores, RTINGS for TVs, monitors, and headphones. See methodology.