Speedy 256GB SSD for the Needy: Samsung SM961 Now $40

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If you need a SSD for storing your operating system and a few programs, the Samsung SM961 256GB might just be the drive for the job. The SSD is currently available on Amazon for just $40. That's an eye-catching deal considering it's usual $101.95 price and that we've seen it sell for well over that on Amazon.

The Samsung SM961 is built with the brand's Polaris SSD controller, 48-layer MLC (multi-level cell) V-NAND flash and a 1GB LPDDR3 cache. The SSD adheres to the M.2 2280 form factor, so you'll need a PCIe 3.0 x4 interface to fully exploit the drive's full potential.

The Samsung SM961 offers exceptional performance with sequential read and write speeds that scale up to 3,100 MB/s and 1,400 MB/s, respectively. Random read performance is rated for up to 330,000 IOPS reads and 280,000 IOPS writes. Although Samsung doesn't list the SM961's write endurance rating, the SSD is employing MLC V-NAND flash, which has a good reputation of being very durable and reliable. The Samsung SM961 comes with a limited three-year warranty as well.