OEM Samsung 256GB M.2 PCI-e NVME SSD Internal Solid State Drive 30mm 2230 Form Factor M Key Steam Deck

Still at 100% health and runs brand new even though I received it a while back and just got to reviewing it! :)

I replaced the 64GB drive that came in the base model steam deck with this one because it was $17 for 256GB. The hardware installation was extremely easy and straightforward, but when I was reinstalling the Steam OS the software was a bit annoying because I tried using a cheap USB. If you upgrade your steam deck I recommend you use a micro sd card for reinstalling the OS on the new ssd because it will be much faster than a usb. The download speeds are fantastic and the steam os and desktop are much snappier and are working much better than they were with the smaller drive. This price is hard to beat for the upgrade. It may not be 500-1000GB of storage but if you have a good internet connection the download speeds will be so good it won’t matter, it is enough to hold a decent amount of games and I am over the moon with the decision to get this drive.

Super fast drive has the storage capacity I wanted and works flawlessly. Had for almost a year now and no problems.

I also received the 991 version, not the 991a version. Put it in a NVME to CFExpress adapter enclosure and it works well in my camera. Much cheaper than a branded 256GB CFExpress (B) card. According to Samsung the 991 has write speed of 1000MB/s, read speed of 2050MB/s (instead of 1300/3100MB/s for the 991a version). Using 10Gbps reader on a USB-C connection and a pretty fast SSD on my laptop, I was able to copy at 838MB/s from the card, and 344MB/s to the card. Update: So my DIY CFExpress Card was accidently left in a pocket and just went through the washing machine. Didn't seem to hold any water, but I dropped it in some rice for about 8 hours, then plugged it back into my reader and everything is still there. Also, 256GB CFExpress B cards can be found for ~$140 now, so I'm not sure if I'd do the DIY thing again, since the savings isn't that great.

Bought this specifically to replace the 64GB eMMC storage in the base Steam Deck option. This is an OEM part, so no fancy packaging. The model matches the Amazon product photo; PM991a. Samsung has historically made really reliable and well-performing SSDs. At least according to Puget Systems as of 2016. Samsung SSDs are usually top rated and well reviewed regardless. Works perfectly within the Steam Deck. Zero compatibility issues. Install was a breeze, just follow the iFixIt guide. Keep in mind that this SSD is definitely taller than the base 64GB eMMC drive by a fraction. When replacing the SSD, you will need to unreel the shielding and wrap it around this SSD to install it back into the Steam Deck. Trying to slip it back on by force is difficult. The added height won't affect anything else and fits perfectly in the slot. No overheating issues so far. Recovery install of SteamOS was a bit finicky. The preferred method is to use a microSD card as your recovery image and don't rely on any dongles. It installed in a flash, and SteamOS picks up the new NVMe SSD. Didn't compare boot/load times versus the old SSD, but this drive is M key versus the old B+M key.

I used this SSD to upgrade a 64GB Steam Deck to a 256GB one. The installation was simple enough for me, and it really increased my storage capacity. It's not a ton of an upgrade since I already have a 1TB micro SD card, but it should be faster than the EMMC storage that the 64GB model comes with. I plan on later upgrading to a 1TB SSD, but this will do for now.

I've done these sorts of hardware swaps before, but they're always a little nerve-wracking, particularly when applied to brand-new equipment. I swapped this SSD in for the 64GB stick in my Steam Deck, following one of the many online guides. The process went smoothly and quickly. The only tricky part was cracking the Deck's case. It did take quite a while and several reboots for the Deck to install all of the software and updates once this SSD was installed, around 3 hours all told. After it was all done, the Deck worked great. If you're at all uncomfortable with doing this sort of hardware upgrade on your new Deck, it is probably best to spend the extra money and get the 256GB version. But for me, it saved some bucks and I feel like I have a better hands-on understanding of the Deck's internals.

Swapped this into my surface laptop go and it greatly improved the performance of the machine. Now, even though the ram is 4gb, it's a functional lightweight laptop I can use for most task. Read/write speeds are very high as well!

Purchased a Kioxia drive for the Steam Deck but it never arrived from the US. This Samsung one was fast and packaged very well, the drive is great, seems to perform as you'd expect and this one is lower power than the one I first ordered. Top tier, thanks

商品は包装には新品と明記されていましたが 多分中古品ではないかと思います。 steam deckに使用しました今の所普通に使用出来ています。 耐久性はこれから使用してみてですね。

Installing this in the steam deck took 10 minutes and it works really well.

the price workes out

For £40, the M.2 2230 @ 256GB SSD I got was a good price because it was in excellent condition, had hardly been used, and had less than 150GB written to it. Fully recommended.