WD Black SN8100
fastest ever tested, robust firmware and low failure rate.
Consolidated from 41 cited sources across 35 outlets
Where the cited sources landed, as we read them
- 25 positive sources
- 14 mixed sources
Pros & cons
- ✓ Highest write speeds (14,931 MB/s)
- ✓ 5-year warranty
- ✓ Stable firmware
- ✓ Low failure rates in Backblaze data
- ✓ Highest sequential read/write speeds tested by PC Labs
- ✗ Software tooling slightly behind Samsung on longevity
- ✗ Thin Gen5 long-term field data
The sources behind this ranking
We searched the web and YouTube for what has been published about this product, then read the articles, video transcripts and comments we found.
Evidence 19 articles, 20 video reviews and 2 community sources
25 positive sources
The best PCIe 5 SSD is the WD Black SN8100. With the SN8100, it seems we're now at a point where we can genuinely start seriously recommending Gen 5. PCIe 5.0 SSDs had previously tended to be too expensive and too hot to recommend over a PCIe 4.0 one, but the SN8100 shows such an improvement in performance and heat, and is reasonably priced enough, that it's definitely worth consideration.Read S
Starting with Crystal Dismark, the SN8100 didn't just hit its advertised speeds, it beat them. Nearly 15,000 megabytes pers read and well over 14,000 megabytes pers right. So far so good, but what about practical day-to-day tasks? Well, we kicked off with 120 GB game file transfer from one SN8100 to another.Watch G
The drive formerly known as the WD Black SN8100 remains one of the best consumer SSDs available, and the GX Pro 8100 rebrand hasn't changed anything material. It pairs a customized Silicon Motion SM2508 controller with SanDisk/Kioxia BiCS8 218-layer TLC NAND running at 3,600 MT/s, and the result is performance that approaches the legendary Intel Optane P5800X in real-world workloads.Read S
And today we're building a brand new PC featuring the W Black SN8100 NVME SSD with Gen 5 technology powered by SanDisk. >> Yeah, as Haley said. So, this is our first PCA Gen 5 drive, and it can go up to 14,900 megabytes per second. So, this is two times faster than our previous drive, uh, the SN850X.Watch D
The WD Black SN8100 takes that brief into PCIe Gen5 territory and, based on our testing, it delivers the sort of latency and throughput that make a real difference in heavy creative work, AI model loading, and AAA video game asset streaming. With SanDisk spinning off from WD as a separate company, this drive is actually the SanDisk WD Black SN8100 NVMe SSD.Read T
The WD Black SN8100 is a seriously compelling option. It's a true beast for the most demanding workloads. >> Check out the video description for updated price.Watch P
The WD Black SN8100 is among the best-performing internal SSDs we have reviewed to date. At the time we tested it, it chalked up new high scores in Crystal DiskMark's sequential-throughput and 4K read tests, set a record high in our PCMark 10 Overall Storage testing, and came within a hair of a top score in the 3DMark Storage gaming benchmark.Read C
File transfers feel nearly instant. Game load time shrink dramatically and system responsiveness improves across the board, especially in demanding workloads. Realworld gaming benefits. 2026 WD Black SN8100. In gaming scenarios, the 2026 WD Black SN8100 delivers a noticeable upgrade. Large openw world games load faster, textures stream more smoothly, and fast travel times are reduced.Watch T
The only exception would be if you’re gunning for 8TB in a single drive, in which case we recommend the Samsung 9100 Pro or, when it arrives, the 8TB model of the SanDisk WD Black SN8100 . The Black SN8100 was our old pick for fastest SSD and still remains relevant at lower capacities if it’s priced lower than the MP700 Pro XT.Read I
The WD Black SN8100 will be the fastest PCI Gen 5 SSD from SanDisk, which now owns Western Digital’s SSD business. The company has not officially announced the drive yet, but based on information gathered by data miner momomo us, Western Digital has been hinting at this release for weeks. The SSD was recently listed on Amazon Germany.Watch I Instagram Instagram post
The @sandiskindia WD BLACK SN8100 2TB SSD is one of the fastest consumer NVMe SSDs money can buy today. Here’s our quick review after having used one in our testing rig for some weeks.View post G
Obviously, I'm going to run some softwares on it as well, so I could really take advantage of the 14 uh,900 megabyte per second speed. Uh, that's what it's rated anyway. But, uh, it it doesn't matter. I'm just going to have it. And, uh, yeah, I decided to get this thing.Watch P
❌ You want flagship performance (for flagship prices): The Crucial P510 is all about value, not speed, and if you want something truly top-notch, grab the WD Black SN8100 .Read N
Up to 14,900 megabytes per second read and 14,000 right. Yeah, those numbers are huge. How does that stack up against say the last generation PCIe 4.0? Well, the jump is pretty significant. PCIe 5.0 basically offers double the bandwidth of 4.0. Double. Yeah, think of it like, well, if PCI 4.0 was a busy highway, PCIe 5.0 is like adding a whole second identical highway right next to it.Watch T
We figure that anyone who's read our review of the Western Digital SN8100 PCIe 5.0 SSD came away impressed with what's essentially the fastest consumer SSD to date.Read E
Overall, the WD Black SN814TBNVME SSD is a powerhouse storage solution that combines extreme speed, massive capacity, and nextG PCIe 5.0 performance. It's ideal for gamers, AI developers, video editors, and anyone building a futurep proof high-end PC.Watch I Instagram Instagram post
Power up your system with the blazing-fast WD BLACK SN8100 / SN7100 NVMe SSDs and score a SanDisk Merchandise FREE with your purchase!View post T
In conclusion, the WD Black SN8100 2 terabytes NVMe SSD is a must-have for anyone who needs top-notch performance and power efficiency. With its blazing fast speeds, low power consumption, and compact design, it's the perfect choice for gamers, content creators, and developers. So, why wait? Upgrade to the WD Black SN8100 today and experience the difference for yourself.Watch T
Sandisk also appears capable of performing some magic with caching, given the Black SN8100's high steady-state write performance.Read T
With sequential read speeds of up to 14,900 MB per second and write speeds of up to 14,000 MB per second, the WD Black SN8100 is the perfect solution for content creators, videographers, and gamers who demand the highest level of performance. But, it's not just about raw speed.Watch T
WD’s SN8100 4TB delivers top-tier Gen5 speeds and massive capacity, but rising prices make it a tougher buy than expected.Read T
With PCIe Gen 5.0 x4 technology, this SSD delivers incredible sequential read speeds of up to 14,900 MB per second and write speeds of up to 14,000 MB per second, making game loading, file transfers, and video editing faster than ever.Watch T
The company had sent a rig with the SN8100 2TB version for review and we absolutely loved working on the system.Read B
The WD Black SN8100 will be the fastest PCI Gen 5 SSD from SanDisk, which now owns Western Digital’s SSD business. The company has not officially announced the drive yet, but based on information gathered by data miner momomo us, Western Digital has been hinting at this release for weeks. The SSD was recently listed on Amazon Germany.Watch S
The WD Black SN8100 is, quite simply, the fastest consumer SSD you can buy right now. Full stop.Read
14 mixed sources
Better than QLC-based alternatives. The SN8100 uses TLC NAND rather than QLC, which means native write speeds after cache exhaustion are significantly higher than the performance cliffs seen on QLC drives. SanDisk's CBA NAND architecture is also designed to reduce cell interference and improve write throughput at the cell level, contributing to more sustained write performance.Read T
But they don't mention how much RAM is being used for caching, and they don't mention which controller they used at all. Now, we did ask them about it and they said it is a customized SMI2508 controller, but they didn't want to share what was so custom about it.Watch E
However, for the majority of South African gamers and PC users in 2024, it remains an enthusiast-grade luxury. The real-world gaming benefits are not yet significant enough to make it a must-buy over a premium Gen 4 drive. The ecosystem of games and applications needs time to catch up to what this hardware is capable of.Read R
On the flip side, while this SSD is a beast in terms of speed and capacity, it is not cheap.Watch T
On the downside, pricing is premium, and the value per gigabyte lags behind more modest drives for everyday tasks. But if you’re chasing peak performance and don’t mind stretching your budget, the SN8100 is the SSD I’d reach for when nothing but the fastest will do.Read R
One thing to keep in mind is that while the performance is phenomenal, you might not always get those max speeds unless your system is built to handle PCIe Gen 5, it's a premium drive, so if your motherboard or setup is still PCIe Gen 4, you won't be able to take full advantage of its blazing fast read and write speeds.Watch T
The WD Black SN8100 is easily one of the fastest SSDs we’ve tested, with top-end sequential read and writes that beat key rivals, including the Samsung 9100 Pro and Gigabyte Aorus Gen 5 12000 .Read A
On the downside, the premium performance and next-g PCIe 5.0 technology come at a higher price point compared to PCIe 4.0 SSDs. Also, to fully benefit from the SN8100 speed, your motherboard must support PCI Gen 5, which is still emerging in the market. Lastly, the 1 TBTE capacity might feel limiting for users with massive storage needs, though larger capacities are available in the series.Watch S
For a drive used as a write-intensive cache or capture target, the Kingston and Seagate options offer meaningfully higher headroom.Read B
Pros: Exceptional PCI Gen 5 speeds up to 14,900 megabytes per second read and 11,000 megabytes per second right. Large 4 terabytes capacity suitable for demanding workloads. Excellent power efficiency reducing system strain. Robust endurance and reliability with advanced nan technology. Useful software support for drive management and data migration cons.Watch R
Choose WD Black SN8100 1TB NVMe Gen5 SSD if capacity and low power matter more than the starting price.Read H
In short, the SN810 shines for power users who need both space and speed in one package. On the flip side, if you're building a mainstream gaming rig or a budget workstation, you'll probably find the SN8100 overkill. A 2 TB or even 4 TB PCIe 4.0 drive already gives you enough headroom for most games and a comfortable editing buffer, and it comes at a fraction of the price.Watch U
Outstanding average benchRead T
First off, the biggest hesitation most people have with an 8 terbt PCIe 5.0 SSD is the price tag. It's not a budget upgrade. It's a premium component that assumes you already have a motherboard that supports PCIe 5.0x4 and a case that can accommodate a lowprofile heat sink.Watch
2 stance not read sources
Its overall AS SSD benchmark score of 14,627 also remains beaten only by the WD Black SN8100, with which it shares a joint-best-ever Shadow of the Tomb Raider loading time of 6.3s. Only a fraction of a second faster than these drives’ PCIe 4.0 equivalents, you understand. But if benchmarks are a race, the 9100 Pro is still tied for first.Read A
Whether you consider Sandisk and Western Digital's separation a breakup or not, the Sandisk WD BLACK SN8100 2TB is still a flagship PCIe 5.0-based NVMe solid state drive product of the two.Watch
Frequently asked questions
It ranks #2 of 16 on our internal SSDs tier list, in A tier. That placement draws on 41 cited sources across 35 outlets.
None of the 39 sources with a clear view is critical of it. Software tooling slightly behind Samsung on longevity. Thin Gen5 long-term field data.
On our internal ssds board, WD Black SN8100 ranks #2 (A tier) ahead of Samsung 9100 Pro at #9 (C tier). Samsung 9100 Pro: high endurance, good warranty and reputable brand.
On our internal ssds board, WD Black SN8100 ranks #2 (A tier) ahead of WD Black SN850X at #5 (B tier). WD Black SN850X: strong gaming performer with decent longevity.
Ranked nearby in Internal SSDs
S tier #1 Samsung 990 Pro
A tier #3 Crucial T500
A tier #4 Samsung 990 EVO Plus
B tier #5 1 of 9 research runs entered this as a product to avoid rather than a pick. WD Black SN850X
B tier #6 Lexar NM790
C tier #7 1 of 6 research runs entered this as a product to avoid rather than a pick. Lexar NM1090 Pro
F tier #13 1 of 2 research runs entered this as a product to avoid rather than a pick. Orico O7000
F tier #14 5 of 8 research runs entered this as a product to avoid rather than a pick. Samsung 990 EVO
F tier #15 4 of 9 research runs entered this as a product to avoid rather than a pick. Kingston NV3
F tier #16 5 of 8 research runs entered this as a product to avoid rather than a pick.