High-end SSD for gamers: Western Digital announces WD Black SN850X

With the WD Black SN850X, Western Digital is relaunching its flagship SSD and, as is known, is targeting the high-end gaming area. The internal NVMe SSD in M.2 format still uses the PCIe 4.0 interface but offers even faster transfer speeds. With the new WD Black SN850X, Western Digital seems to be taking the last bit of bandwidth out of the widespread PCIe 4.0 interface. Compared to its predecessor, which was also fast, the company was able to increase the sequential read speed from 7000 MB/s to 7300 MB/s. In the highly competitive gaming segment, it remains competitive compared to the top SSD models from Seagate, Corsair, and PNY.

Technically, the WD Black SN850X relies on an internal 8-channel controller and DRAM cache. The new BiCS5-TLC-NAND. Western Digital also promises faster loading times in games for its new NVMe SSD in the well-known M.2 2280 format, which should not only go hand in hand with the increased read speed but also with the “Predictive Loading” technology, a new type of data prediction. The WD Black SN850X is scheduled to go on sale this summer. Storage capacities of 1 TB, 2 TB, and 4 TB are planned. The company has not yet announced prices. For your reference: the predecessor WD Black SN850 (without heat sink) is currently available for 164 euros (1 TB) in its own online shop.

WD Black P40 Game Drive: New External SSD Announced

In parallel with the internal WD Black SN850X, Western Digital announces the WD Black P40 Game Drive as an external USB-C solution (USB 3.2 Gen 2×2). The SSD should have a read speed of 2000 MB/s and will also reach the first retailers in the summer. Seasoned with RGB lighting, the model is available with 500GB, 1TB, or 2TB of storage. No prices have yet been communicated for this.