February 2, 2026
When your 'Pro' crawls like dial-up
Fake Samsung 990 Pro passes basic checks but runs slower than a USB 2.0 drive
Reddit cries scam, calls out clickbait, and warns a flood of fakes is coming
TLDR: A “Samsung 990 Pro” that fooled system checks ran painfully slow and was flagged as counterfeit, igniting a debate over how to spot fakes. Commenters say price and packaging are clues, but the real test is filling the drive and verifying everything—expect more scams as prices rise.
A buyer thought they scored a deal on a Samsung 990 Pro SSD, but the “Pro” crawled like an ancient thumb drive. It looked legit to Windows and popular tools, right down to the firmware, until speeds tested slower than a dusty USB 2.0 stick and Samsung’s own app screamed “fake.” Cue the comment-section sirens. One camp blasted the basics: if a 990 Pro shows older, slower connection standards (think “last year’s lane on a racetrack”) and can’t break jogger speeds, it’s sus. Another camp clapped back at the headline itself—eviks called it “passing basic checks but false”—accusing coverage of hype while missing the real detective work.
Enter the pragmatists: the hottest take says speed isn’t the tell at all—fakes often lie about size, so the only real test is to fill the drive up and read it back. Meanwhile, bargain-watchers pointed to the too-good-to-be-true price, and shoppers asked if the packaging was original, especially since this was bought new from a local distributor in India. With NAND chip prices rising, commenters predict a tidal wave of counterfeits and advise buying only from trusted retailers, filming unboxings, and running the maker’s verification app immediately. The memes? “Pro stands for ‘Probably not’” and “USB 2.0 energy.” Internet court is in session—and it’s savage.
Key Points
- •A counterfeit Samsung 990 Pro 2TB SSD appeared legitimate in Windows and CrystalDiskInfo, showing correct model, capacity, and plausible firmware.
- •CrystalDiskInfo revealed the drive was running at PCIe 3.0, not PCIe 4.0 as a genuine 990 Pro should.
- •CrystalDiskMark measured extremely low performance (~20 MB/s read, ~10 MB/s write), slower than USB 2.0.
- •Samsung Magician identified the drive as a counterfeit clone, despite the precise label and firmware spoofing.
- •The drive was bought new in India for about $205—well below typical pricing—and the article advises buying from reputable retailers, filming unboxings, and using authentication software.