Disk Write Error on SSD?

[Sim1]

I recently installed the Samsung 990 EVO SSD, and for the past few days, I've been having issues installing any game/file larger than 2GB.

For example, when installing via Steam, after downloading a few gigabytes, the process stops with a "disk write error". Before the error occurs, I can see the downloaded files in the installation folder. However, the moment the error appears, all files in that folder (for that game) are deleted.

Another issue: I start my PC, launch a small game (300MB), and play without problems. Meanwhile, I start installing Path of Exile 2 (100GB) in the background. The installation fails (after 20GB) with a "disk write error". After closing the 300MB game, any attempt to open files from File Explorer on the 990 EVO results in errors like "Error during a paging operation" or "Cannot open this RAR file" (even though I could open it just fine after booting).

I checked the SSD using Windows 11's Disk Management:

- If I run Properties → Tools → Check before encountering the disk write error, the check completes successfully.

- If I run it after the crash, it shows an "error during drive analysis."

Finally, I used the Samsung Magician software, and in the Performance Benchmark, during the four phases of sequential and random read/write tests, it freezes at the random write stage.

[Iceira]

Check Samsung support page on the drev is they have made any update.
also ask them, thats you have current issue with it.

I dont need to explan check cable or its connection just incase you have been inside pc and touch it bu mistake. ( todate such is rare issue but could have happend.

[Harmonica]

You hopefully have replaced this drive by now but just in case you haven't... (or in case others run into these issues).

Rarely these drives have build quality issues and need to be RMAd. They are otherwise excellent SSDs. If you're having issues during the Magician tests then that is a surefire sign that the drive is faulty - but just because they pass does not ensure they are faultless (though it is a good sign). Installing with Steam or unpacking large file archives is another way to test things as you found out.

Personally when I buy these drives I always start by extracting a very large archive (10s of GBs at least, maybe 100GB if you can create one that large on another drive) onto the drive and then using parity testing software such as QuickPar to compare against the original. A bad drive will usually fail to copy the archives properly, and the parity test will show incomplete files. A good drive will show all green complete files. You should repeat this test (copy the same archive over again into a different directory) over the course of the next few weeks whilst using the drive for trivial things (ie not personal unrecoverable data!) like game installs to test different areas of the drive space or just its fundamental hardware. I have had them successfully copy the archive at first but then fail to install via Steam in a similar way to you. Repeating the large archive parity check will also see them fail at that point.

You should have no problem returning it to the store you purchased it from but if that fails Samsung themselves will replace it.