Samsung differentiates its SSD offerings using different series. The two most common types include the Samsung QVO and EVO. A lot of users find it hard to pick either because it’s not easy to differentiate between them. 

Samsung SSDs are divided into two major categories: consumer-level SSDs and enterprise-level SSDs. The former focus on cost first, then capacity, then performance, and finally data integrity. Enterprise-level SSDs prioritize data integrity, then capacity, followed by performance and finally cost. 

The Samsung QVO and EVO appear in the consumer-level SSDs. Here, SSDs are divided further into two categories: OEM customer SSDs and Retail customer SSDs. As it’s commonly known, SSDs apply NAND flash for storage of data. 

The QVO and EVO denotations are used to indicate two different NAND flash technologies. This difference affects the storage, lifespan, and performance of each SSD. When it comes to Samsung, the QVO denotations shows that the SSD uses QLC while EVO shows that it uses TLC. 

QLC is short for Quad-Level Cell and is used to indicate that one memory cell stores 4 bits of data. TLC is short for Triple-Level Cell and indicates that one memory stores 3 bits of data. 

Today, more computer users are replacing old hard disk drives with SSDs. This article will help to differentiate between the Samsung QVO and EVO SSDs. It will help in picking the right fit for your needs. 

QVO Description

The QVO SSD is the first consumer-grade quad-level cell (QLC) NAND drive. It comes with the same sequential read and write speed as the EVO but lower 4KB random read and write speeds. This also applies to its TBW. 

The biggest advantage of the QVO is that it costs less when compared to the EVO. However, the reduction in price comes at the expense of reliability, warranty, endurance, and speed. Building up on the 860 series, the QVO comes with the same MJX controller that is paired with Samsung’s very own 4bit QLC 64-layer 3D V-NAND flash memory. 

It’s available with three different capacities – 1 TB, 2TB and 4TB. Its DRAM cache comes at 1GB, 2GB and 4GB respectively. When it comes to endurance, the rating of the QVO is about 60% less than that offered by the EVO. Samsung also cut the warranty period to just 3 years. 

Like the EVO, the QVO features the Intelligent TurboWrite technology. It however, comes with a larger TurboWrite capacity for its 2TB capacity version. This helps to increase the write speed during data transfer. However, once the buffer reaches its maximum, the TurboWrite tends to exit, causing a serious drop in write speed. The write speed can drop to as low as 80MB/s. 

Strong Sides

1. Costs less
2. Available in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB capacities. 
3. Excellent reliability ratings. 
4. Provides for hardware encryption

Weak Sides

1. Relatively shorter warranty
2. Write speed can drop to 80 MB/s once secondary cache is exhausted.

EVO Description

The Samsung EVO SSD is one of the most popular SSD series available today. It offers higher performance than the QVO and is nearly comparable to the PRO series. It features the MJX controller which is paired with 3-bit TLX 64-layer 3D V-NAND flash memory. 

Samsung claims that the 64-layer V-NAND saves energy by up to 30% when compared to the previous 48-layer. This is achieved by reducing the input voltage to 2.5 volts from 3.3 volts. Samsung also cut down on the program time to 500 microseconds, making it one and a half times faster than its predecessor. 

The EVO’s DRAM cache memory setting per capacity is higher than that of the QVO. Its sequential read speed stands at 550 MB/s while its sequential write speed stands at 520 MB/s. The 250 GB capacity version of the EVO has a TBW of 150 TB while the 4TB version has 2,400 TB of TBW. 

These specs make it one of the best-selling SATA SSD series available today. In some countries, sales outdo other brands by a 2:1 margin. Samsung has for a long time leveraged the popularity of the EVO. The company releases faster models to beat competition and lowers its pricing whenever rivals start to close on.

The EVO is also specially designed for mainstream laptops and PCs and offers a wide range of capacities and form factors. It is faster and more durable than the QVO series since it is based on the TLC instead of QLC.  The 860 series version supports Samsung’s Magician software. It’s also compatible with Rapid Mode – the DRAM cache algorithm from Samsung that boosts performance and reduces flash wear. 

While the QVO comes with a three year warranty, the EVO comes with a five year warranty. However, it features the same TurboWrite technology that increase the write speed when transferring data. When it comes to endurance, the EVO is only second the PRO. This makes it one of the best SSDs available today. 

Strong Sides

1. Better warranty
2. Outstanding endurance rating
3. Better overall performance
4. Features Samsung Magician software.
5. Great software package with DRAM cloning and cache.

Weak Sides

1. More expensive
2. TRIM performance issues
3. Performance for mixed workloads lags behind the 850 series

Overview and Conclusion

Based on the performance, endurance and warranty of both SSDs, the Samsung EVO tops in this comparison. However, it costs more. The price is a reflection of its higher performance and capabilities. The QVO is not as power efficient or fast as the EVO, but plays its part as an entry-level SSD. It rests on the notion that already existing drives are performance-oriented and fast enough. 

This makes it suitable only for general consumer use, especially for storage duties. When using it, it will not have a revolutionary impact. However, its performance is almost indistinguishable from other lower popular SATA SSDs. The only giveaways are its sustained write performance once the SLC cache is full and the extended idle time that’s there when it’s recovering from depleting its write cache. All in all, it’s not the choice for a performance-oriented enthusiast. The EVO is a better choice in that.