Samsung PM981a Driver?

D0M1N13

D0M1N13

D0M1N13

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Hello Everyone,

I recently bought a new laptop with the Samsung PM981a SSD NVME M.2. I feel that the drive isn't fast, especially for this SSD and I don't see Samsung NVME driver in my Device Manager. I read online that the Samsung NVME driver is necessary to boost the performance of the drive. When I go to Samsung's website, there is no driver for the PM981a, at least I cannot find it. Anybody can help me to locate the driver for the PM981a SSD? Any info would be greatly appreciated.
 
I've got one (but not currently using it, I replaced it with a Gigabyte AORUS), but when I did use it I certainly never had a special driver for it - just the generic NVMe class storage driver included with Windows itself.

If you did want to try a different driver, it wouldn't be one supplied by Samsung for the drive itself - there could potential be a different one supplied by the motherboard manufactruer - look for a chipset/INF type driver.
 
Tanin'iver said:
I've got one (but not currently using it, I replaced it with a Gigabyte AORUS), but when I did use it I certainly never had a special driver for it - just the generic NVMe class storage driver included with Windows itself.

If you did want to try a different driver, it wouldn't be one supplied by Samsung for the drive itself - there could potential be a different one supplied by the motherboard manufactruer - look for a chipset/INF type driver.
Click to expand...

Oh ok, I didn't know that.
I did install all the drivers from the manufacturer's website including the chipset drivers, Intel Rapid Storage Driver, Management Engine Interface, etc, etc. So I'm good with the drivers part.

Getting back to the performance of the Samsung PM981A NVMe M.2 SSD, I just don't feel a big performance boost over my Samsung 860 Pro SSD. I benchmarked the PM981A and the 860 Pro with AS SSD program and again, not a huge performance boost. The PM981A is supposed to get speeds of around 3000 - 3500 and it's no where near that. I am attaching the screenshots for both, just FYI.

SAMSUNG-MZVLB1-T0.png


Samsung-SSD-860.png
 
Unfortunately I can't remember what kind of performance figures I got from mine, that doesn't seem too bad but I do recall I didn't match the quoted figures either, at least not with AS SSD.

This is what I get with the Gigabyte instead, though its performance is currently being capped by the fact my motherboard only has PCI-E 3, not 4.

Gigabyte-Aorus.png
 
Tanin'iver said:
Unfortunately I can't remember what kind of performance figures I got from mine, that doesn't seem too bad but I do recall I didn't match the quoted figures either, at least not with AS SSD.

This is what I get with the Gigabyte instead, though its performance is currently being capped by the fact my motherboard only has PCI-E 3, not 4.

Gigabyte-Aorus.png
Click to expand...

See that is what I mean. Your SSD blows mine and yours is GEN3, while mine is GEN4. How can that be?
 
D0M1N13 said:
See that is what I mean. Your SSD blows mine and yours is GEN3, while mine is GEN4. How can that be?
Click to expand...

As said above it's not a gen 4 drive, its a gen 3 drive, very similar to the 970 Evo Plus.

I've got a PM981a in a Lenovo Ideapad. I installed the Samsung driver for it and have had no issues.

Yours is in a laptop I assume? Which model?
 
Minstadave said:
As said above it's not a gen 4 drive, its a gen 3 drive, very similar to the 970 Evo Plus.

I've got a PM981a in a Lenovo Ideapad. I installed the Samsung driver for it and have had no issues.

Yours is in a laptop I assume? Which model?
Click to expand...

Yes, it's in a laptop. I have the Asus Zephyrus S17 GX701LXS.
 
D0M1N13 said:
Thanks for the correction, but still it isn't comparable in terms of speeds.
Click to expand...

Speeds mean relatively bugger all these days.

SSD have all got to the point where unless you are using them for a specific scenario you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a cheap SanDisk sata ssd drive and a top end Samsung nvme M2 SSD drive.

Your talking milliseconds of a difference in day to day stuff so unless your superman to you could never tell the difference.

I run both and I've mainly ran cheap second hand or small SSD for the majority of ownership.

I've had around 4 top end Samsung ssds now including ones Samsung ended up banning from retail because they were taking sales away from their main lines.

I have 2 Samsung 970 Evo plus drives now and tbh apart from lifespan there was zero benefit over buying the cheapest available at the time. I certainly wouldn't be able to tell the difference in speed if any from the cheap sabrent replaced in the laptop or the crucial P1 replaced in the desktop.

My server has a Samsung OEM drive and several cheap SanDisk sata drives which cost pennies.

What do you use the laptop for because unless it's for specific scenarios involving say video editing and a scratch disk, etc then it's pointless spending more on upgrading from what you currently have.


Run a userbenchmark test and post the results here of the sad what percentile is it running at?

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...oQFnoECAMQAg&usg=AOvVaw3MGLzuFu_JpCFVF07_1V38
 
Minstadave said:
I'll check what driver Im using.

You're benching on AC power and on high performance power profile? Some laptops will drop the M2 link speed in lower power modes.
Click to expand...

Yup, benchmarking on AC power and on High Performance. Although I don't have High Performance power profile on my laptop, when I go to the Power Options. I can only click on my battery and then control it from there by sliding to Performance.
 
Psycho Sonny said:
Speeds mean relatively bugger all these days.

SSD have all got to the point where unless you are using them for a specific scenario you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a cheap SanDisk sata ssd drive and a top end Samsung nvme M2 SSD drive.

Your talking milliseconds of a difference in day to day stuff so unless your superman to you could never tell the difference.

I run both and I've mainly ran cheap second hand or small SSD for the majority of ownership.

I've had around 4 top end Samsung ssds now including ones Samsung ended up banning from retail because they were taking sales away from their main lines.

I have 2 Samsung 970 Evo plus drives now and tbh apart from lifespan there was zero benefit over buying the cheapest available at the time. I certainly wouldn't be able to tell the difference in speed if any from the cheap sabrent replaced in the laptop or the crucial P1 replaced in the desktop.

My server has a Samsung OEM drive and several cheap SanDisk sata drives which cost pennies.

What do you use the laptop for because unless it's for specific scenarios involving say video editing and a scratch disk, etc then it's pointless spending more on upgrading from what you currently have.


Run a userbenchmark test and post the results here of the sad what percentile is it running at?

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...oQFnoECAMQAg&usg=AOvVaw3MGLzuFu_JpCFVF07_1V38
Click to expand...

I'm using it for video rendering and for editing high RES TIFF and RAW images in photoshop and lightroom. That is what this laptop serves its purpose.
 
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