Overview
- A Reddit user in India bought a purported 2TB Samsung 990 Pro from a local distributor for about 19,000 INR (roughly $205), well below typical pricing above 30,000 INR.
- Windows and CrystalDiskInfo reported the correct model, capacity, and firmware details, masking the drive’s true identity.
- Diagnostics showed the drive linking at PCIe 3.0 despite the 990 Pro being a PCIe 4.0 model, a clue that helped explain the poor performance.
- Real‑world transfers hovered around 20 MB/s reads and 9–10 MB/s writes, and Samsung’s Magician software flagged the unit as “Not Genuine.”
- Coverage from Tom’s Hardware and Wccftech warns of rising counterfeits during the NAND shortage and advises buying from reputable retailers, running vendor tools immediately, and documenting unboxings.