With games needing faster SSD performance and more storage space, WD might consider being more forthcoming about its latest product. WD quietly added an 8TB option to its popular and speedy WD Black SN850X NVMe SSD family, which previously topped out with the WD Black SN850X (4TB) (currently on sale for $246 during Prime Day).
The SN850X family is among the fastest available drives for gaming. Compatible with any computer with an M.2 2280 NVMe port or the PlayStation 5, these drives use TLC 3D NAND for impressive storage capacities and fast read/write speeds. They use your computer or PlayStation’s PCIe 4.0 bus, include a heat sink, and have options for RGB lighting.
Previously, the SN850X was available in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB capacities. Most recently, WD has added an 8TB model to the lineup, priced at $849.99 without a heatsink. If you want the heatsink, that will set you back an additional $50.
The 8TB model compares nicely with other options in the series. It offers slightly slower read speeds, at 7,200 MBps, compared to the 7,300 MBps provided by the smaller options. However, the write speed is the same, at 6,600 MBps. Also, the 8TB offers 1,200K IOPS for random write speed, compared to 1,100K IOPS for the smaller variants.
| Product | 8TB | 4TB | 2TB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | w/HS | $849.99 / $899.99 | $309.99 / $369.99 | $289.99 / $309.99 |
| Capacity (User / Raw) | 8000GB / 8192GB | 4000GB / 4096GB | 2000GB / 2048GB |
| Form Factor | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 |
| Interface / Protocol | PCIe 4.0 x4 | PCIe 4.0 x4 | PCIe 4.0 x4 |
| Controller | WD Proprietary | WD Proprietary | WD Proprietary |
| DRAM | DDR4 | DDR4 | DDR4 |
| Flash Memory | 112-Layer BiCS5 TLC | 112-Layer BiCS5 TLC | 112-Layer BiCS5 TLC |
| Sequential Read | 7,200 MBps | 7,300 MBps | 7,300 MBps |
| Sequential Write | 6,600 MBps | 6,600 MBps | 6,600 MBps |
| Random Read | 1,200K | 1,200K | 1,200K |
| Random Write | 1,200K | 1,100K | 1,100K |
| Security | TCG Opal v2.01 | TCG Opal v2.01 | TCG Opal v2.01 |
| Endurance (TBW) | 4800TB | 2400TB | 1200TB |
| Part Number | w/HS | WDS800T2X0E / VWDS800T2XHE | WDS400T2X0E / WDS400T2XHE | WDS200T2X0E / WDS200T2XHE |
| Height | w/HS | 2.38mm / 10.31±0.50mm | 2.38mm / 10.31±0.50mm | 2.38mm / 8.80±0.22mm |
| Warranty | 5-Year | 5-Year | 5-Year |
Looking at competing 8TB NVMe SSDs, the new WD Black is definitely one to watch. Nextorage’s 8TB gaming SSD costs the same as WD’s but clocks slower random read and random write speeds. Sabrent’s similar offering is more expensive but fails to match the SN960X in speed metrics.
| Product | WD Black SN850X 8TB | Nextorage NE1N8TB 8TB | Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 8TB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $849.99 | $849.99 | $1,199.99 |
| Sequential Read | 7,200 MBps | 7,300 MBps | 7,000 MBps |
| Sequential Write | 6,600 MBps | 6,600 MBps | 6,000 MBps |
| Random Read | 1,200K | 1,200K | Up to 700K |
| Random Write | 1,200K | 1,100K | Up to 1,000K |
If you want a single NVMe SSD with 8TB of storage and are willing to pay the price, this WD Black option could be just what you’re looking for. While we’ve yet to review one with this capacity, the other models in the same family performed very well in our testing.
