Samsung P9 is first 8TB SSD to hit 4,000 MB/s over USB4 for portable 12K video recording

Samsung used Gamescom 2026 to roll out two new portable SSDs, the P9 and P7, both leaning on USB4 for their fast connectivity interface. Given that USB4 has become the desirable standard for anyone who actually needs to move data quickly rather than just charge a phone, the two premium new drives by Samsung may be primed to become popular for serious work.

Samsung P7/P9 SSD price and specs

The P9 SSD is built for professionals as it supports direct 12K recording, with Samsung claiming sequential read and write speeds of up to 4,000MB/s and 3,800MB/s, respectively.

This is about double what the outgoing T9 that is discounted by 30% on Amazon is able to muster. Samsung has managed to craft the first USB4 portable SSD to hit 4,000 MB/s in an 8 TB capacity tier. While rather pricey at $2,700, the 8 TB version would definitely come in handy for those who need to fill drives with 12K footage while recording on location.

Samsung’s P7 SSD with a USB4 interface, however, will likely be the better seller, as it is much cheaper. Samsung doesn’t flaunt any jaw-dropping read/write speeds with the P7 but rather emphasizes its durability. The new portable P7 SSD drive is built for everyday abuse, as it is rated to survive six-foot drops with the respective shock and vibration resilience built in.

Both the P7 and P9 drives come in 1 TB, 2 TB, 4 TB, and 8 TB capacities and will be released globally on August 31, with pricing as follows:

• P9 SSD price: $339.99 (1TB), $649.99 (2TB), $1,349.99 (4TB), and $2,699.99 (8TB)
• P7 SSD price: $289.99 (1TB), $549.99 (2TB), $1,149.99 (4TB), and $2,289.99 (8TB)

The P7 and P9 SSD launch lands in the middle of the worst NAND and DRAM shortage the industry has seen in over a decade. Since AI data centers have hoovered up capacity that used to go toward consumer memory.

Samsung warned that price increases are unavoidable, so releasing premium portable SSDs with desired features like the P9 and P7 that command a higher margin but are not expected to lead to high volume production makes economic sense.