yeah i hear what everyone is saying about the prices and the samsung tax but i kind of disagree that just buying the pro version and plugging it in is the best way to handle 4K exports and AI models anymore - honestly i've been lurking here forever but i'm just starting to mess with these high-end setups myself and it seems like heat is the real killer. maybe instead of fighting the internal thermals you could try a DIY approach? like instead of the 9100 PRO you could get a Solidigm P44 Pro and pair it with a really beefy active cooler like the ElecGear M.2 2280 SSD Cooler or even go external? i’ve been looking at using a ZikeDrive USB4 NVMe Enclosure for my video projects so the heat stays outside the case - it makes the drive portable too which is basically a lifesaver for big files. i'm not 100% sure if the latency would mess with your AI stuff though? but for 4K editing it feels like a smarter way to DIY a solution rather than just hoping a single internal drive doesn't throttle during a long export like you're dealing with now. anyway just throwing it out there as an option if you want to try something different!

This ^

Hey,

Short version: for 2025 I’d **plan around $0.06–$0.08/GB as a “good” Cyber Monday price** on something in the Samsung 9100 PRO class, and honestly consider alternatives unless you see a really exceptional deal.

From a more technical angle:

**1. Historical discount pattern (based on similar Samsung "PRO" NVMe lines)**
I’ve tracked SSD pricing pretty obsessively:
- "Pro"/workstation-class NVMe drives usually **don’t crash in price** like DRAM-less or QLC consumer drives.
- Typical BF / CM discounts I’ve seen on comparable Samsung pro-ish models were around **15–25% off MSRP**, rarely more unless it was being phased out.

If we map that to rough ballparks (assuming similar behavior):
- **1TB**: if normal is ~$120–140, I’d call **$90–$100** decent.
- **2TB**: if normal is ~$200–230, I’d aim for **$150–$170**.
- **4TB**: if normal is ~$380–430, anything around **$280–320** is very solid.

Higher capacities usually **don’t get proportionally bigger % discounts**. You might see slightly worse percentage, but still better $/GB overall. So yeah, 2TB/4TB will probably still be pricier per GB than the cheap Gen4 drives, just not by as much.

**2. Where the deals usually come from**
Samsung’s direct store does occasional promos, but in my experience the **real fireworks are at Amazon / Newegg / Micro Center** and sometimes Best Buy:
- Amazon/Newegg: best for random lightning / hourly deals.
- Micro Center: great in-store combos (SSD + CPU / board) if you’re nearby.

I’d set price alerts on:
- PCPartPicker
- camelcamelcamel (for Amazon)
- Slickdeals custom alerts for the exact model and capacity

**3. Performance / thermals angle (this really matters for your use)**
You mentioned **local AI models + 4K video exports**. That’s where the details matter:
- What you actually care about is **sustained sequential write**, **sustained random writes**, and **thermal throttling behavior**.
- Big video exports and AI datasets will hammer the drive’s SLC cache and then fall back to TLC/MLC speeds.

From what I know of Samsung’s “pro-ish” lines:
- They’re usually great in **random read/write** and **QoS (latency consistency)**, especially vs cheap QLC drives.
- They often run **hot** under sustained loads unless you’ve got a decent motherboard heatsink and some airflow.

If your current NVMe is throttling badly, you’ll definitely want:
- A **board M.2 heatsink with a proper thermal pad**, or
- A cheap third‑party M.2 heatsink with fins (they’re like $10 and help a lot).

**4. Alternatives worth seriously considering**
This is where I’d give you a different angle from “just get the Samsung”:

If the 9100 PRO stays expensive, I’d 100% look at:
- **High-end PCIe 4.0 TLC drives** with DRAM and strong sustained write: think SN850X / 990 PRO–tier equivalents.
- Many of these hit **very similar real‑world performance** for gaming + editing + AI loads for **less $/GB**.

What I’d personally do with your budget (~$200–300):
- **Sweet spot**: a **2TB high-end TLC NVMe** for OS + active projects and then keep using your older SATA SSDs as “cold storage” or secondary libraries.
- If 4TB 9100 PRO (or equivalent) drops into the **low $300s**, that’s where I’d say “ok, this is future-proof enough to justify stretching.” If it’s still around $350+… I’d be tempted to skip and go 2TB now, 2TB later.

**5. Concrete expectations for 2025**
If trends keep going the way they have:
- **Realistic good prices to watch for:**
- 2TB: **≤$170**
- 4TB: **$280–300**
- If it’s just 10% off list, I wouldn’t waste time chasing it – those “meh” discounts pop up all year.

So, IMO: set target prices, set alerts, and don’t get tunnel vision on the 9100 PRO name. If a competing TLC NVMe hits around **$0.06/GB with strong sustained writes**, that’s probably the smarter buy unless Samsung does something amazing.

Hope this helps! Feel free to drop your exact board / case if you want a more thermal-focused recommendation for the M.2 layout.

Hey,

I’m kinda in the same boat as you – I upgraded from a pile of random SATA drives + tiny NVMe to a big primary NVMe last year, so I’ll go more "budget + practicality" than raw spec hype.

### Option A: Stick with Samsung 9100 PRO
**Pros:**
- Great performance class, strong random I/O, good for your mix (OS + games + AI + 4K).
- Samsung’s software/firmware support is usually solid.

**Cons (for your budget):**
- Samsung “halo” models usually hold price longer.
- Historically, the big capacities (2TB/4TB) don’t get *massive* % discounts. You might see something like:
- 1TB: ~25–30% off list
- 2TB: ~20–25%
- 4TB: often more like 15–20%
- That often puts **2TB somewhere in the $160–220 range** and **4TB more like $300–380** depending on how aggressive 2025 gets.

### Option B: Same tier, non-Samsung (Crucial, WD, Sabrent, etc.)
**Pros:**
- Better $/GB. I’ve grabbed 2TB Gen4 drives around **$120–150** on Black Friday the last couple years.
- In real-world use (gaming, Premiere/DaVinci, local LLMs), I barely noticed a difference vs the “flagship” Samsungs.

**Cons:**
- Software not as polished sometimes.
- Endurance/warranty can be a bit lower on some models, so you gotta check specs.

### Option C: Two-Drive Strategy (OS + Work/Media)
**Pros:**
- You could do **1TB high-end (OS + apps)** + **2TB–4TB value NVMe (games/AI/video)** and stay closer to your **$200–300** total.
- Keeps temps and write load split across drives. My long exports stopped throttling as badly after I moved scratch/cache to a second NVMe.

**Cons:**
- Uses up more M.2 slots.
- Slightly more setup hassle.

### What I’d actually do with your budget
- Watch: **Amazon, Newegg, Micro Center, B&H**, and Samsung’s own site, but expect **retailers to beat Samsung direct** most of the time.
- For *value*, I’d aim for either:
- **2TB 9100 PRO** if it hits **≤$200** (solid buy), or
- A **non-Samsung 4TB** if it drops into the **$250–300** zone.

If the 9100 PRO 4TB is still sitting over ~$320–330 on Cyber Monday, IMO it’s not worth busting your budget for when there’ll be cheaper 4TB options that "just work" for what you’re doing.

Hope this helps! If you share your exact board + current drives, people can help dial in whether the 1-drive or 2-drive setup makes more sense.

Hey, since nobody’s really hit the safety/reliability angle yet, here’s what I’d focus on with a 9100 PRO:

- **Check TBW & warranty first, not just price/GB.** For heavy AI + 4K edits, I’d want at least 5-year warranty and solid TBW (petabytes written) on the 2–4TB models. If a “deal” is on a lower-end variant or gray-import listing with no real warranty, I’d skip it even if it’s cheap.

- **Thermals = data safety.** The 9100 PRO can run hot under sustained writes. I’d *definitely* budget for a proper heatsink (mobo one is often meh) and make sure your case has decent front-to-back airflow. Thermal throttling isn’t just about speed; long-term heat is what slowly kills NAND and controllers.

- **Avoid sketchy marketplace sellers on big sale days.** On Amazon/Newegg during Cyber Monday, always check: “Ships from & sold by Amazon/Newegg” or an authorized Samsung reseller. Fake or “refurb” drives sold as new are a thing, and that’s the fastest way to lose data.

- **Plan a backup strategy before you load it up.** If this 2–4TB drive becomes your OS + games + projects + local models, that’s a single point of failure. I’d pair it with at least a cheap 4–6TB HDD or external SSD for backups. One dead drive shouldn’t nuke your entire setup.

- **Price-wise with safety in mind:** I’d personally rather pay a bit more (say $0.07–0.08/GB) from a trusted retailer + full Samsung warranty than chase a $0.05/GB “too good” deal from a random seller.

So yeah, watch Amazon, Newegg, Micro Center *official* listings, grab a good heatsink, and don’t let the massive capacity tempt you into skipping backups. That’s what’s really gonna matter a year or two down the line.

Hope this helps!

Hey, so just to throw a more “market view” angle in here:

Samsung’s been kinda rough value-wise lately, imo. The 9100 PRO is basically their halo drive, and historically their **discounts are smaller** than the competition. Last BF/Cyber Monday, WD Black SN850X, Crucial T500, and Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus were the ones getting the aggressive cuts, while Samsung tended to sit higher per‑GB for similar real‑world performance.

Why it matters: if you’re chasing price/perf for big 2–4TB workloads (games, AI, 4K), you’re paying a “Samsung tax” that isn’t always justified anymore. I’ve had two Samsungs that were fine but honestly not as cool/consistent under load as my SN850X and T500, which were cheaper on sale.

If we’re talking Cyber Monday 2025 expectations, I’d personally:
- Use the **other brands as price anchors**: if 2TB SN850X/T500 hits ~$120–$140 and the 9100 PRO is still sitting at $170+, that’s… not great.
- Watch **Amazon/Newegg/Micro Center** more than Samsung direct; retailers usually undercut Samsung’s own promos.
- Be ready to pivot: if 9100 PRO doesn’t hit around the same $/GB as those drives, I’d just grab whatever non‑Samsung PCIe 4.0/5.0 model hits the $0.06–$0.08/GB range.

So yeah, I’d absolutely *track* the 9100 PRO, but judge it against WD/Crucial/Sabrent prices in real time and don’t get too attached to the brand. Future‑proofing is more about capacity + price/GB now than that specific Samsung label, sadly.

Hope this helps!