Samsung PM9B1 256GB PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280
Western Digital WD_BLACK SN8100 1TB PCIe 5.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280
What Buyers Say
Samsung PM9B1 256GB PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280
The Samsung NVMe SSD is generally well-received, with many users praising its speed, value, and reliability as an upgrade from older drives. However, some users report compatibility issues with USB adapters and occasional failures, with one unit failing after a few months. Overall, it's a solid choice for budget-conscious upgrades, but be aware of potential quirks.
Pros
- Fast transfer speeds
- Good value for money
- Reliable brand
- Easy installation
- Improves system performance
Cons
- Compatibility issues with USB adapters
- Occasional failures
- Questionable authenticity stickers
- Poor packaging
Western Digital WD_BLACK SN8100 1TB PCIe 5.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280
All seven verified reviews are overwhelmingly positive, praising the WD_BLACK SN8100 as the fastest Gen5 NVMe SSD with no issues. Users highlight its sustained speeds, strong performance on PCIe 5.0 motherboards, and good value at the time of purchase. One reviewer notes it outlasts other drives in cache performance, and Q&A confirms M.2 2280 form factor with up to 14,900 MBps read speed.
Pros
- Fastest Gen5 NVMe SSD
- No issues of any kind
- Super fast on PCIe 5.0
- Strong sustained speeds
- Good price at time of purchase
Cons
- Expensive (implied by 'if you can afford it')
Scores
Specifications
| Samsung PM9B1 | Western Digital WD_BLACK SN8100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Drive | ||
| Capacity | ||
| Form Factor | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 |
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x4 | PCIe 5.0 x4 |
| Protocol | NVMe | NVMe |
| PCIe Generation | 4 | 5★ |
| External | ✗ | ✗ |
| Performance | ||
| Sequential Read (MB/s) | No data | |
| Sequential Write (MB/s) | No data | |
| Random Read (IOPS) | No data | |
| Random Write (IOPS) | No data | |
| Hardware | ||
| NAND | — | TLC★ |
| DRAM Cache | — | ✓★ |
| Reliability | ||
| Endurance (TBW) | No data | |
| MTBF (hours) | No data | |
| Warranty (years) | 2 | 3★ |
| Features | ||
| Heatsink | — | ✓★ |
| Hardware Encryption | — | ✓★ |
Pros & Cons
Samsung PM9B1 256GB PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280
- Strong affordability (89th percentile)89th %ile
- Strong speed (68th percentile)
- Below average feature (15th percentile)15th %ile
- Below average capacity (18th percentile)18th %ile
- Below average user sentiment (29th percentile)
Western Digital WD_BLACK SN8100 1TB PCIe 5.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280
- Strong feature (100th percentile)100th %ile
- Strong user sentiment (100th percentile)100th %ile
- Strong random (99th percentile)99th %ile
- Strong speed (98th percentile)98th %ile
Pricing
Samsung PM9B1 256GB PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280 offers 1.8x better value for money
Samsung PM9B1 256GB PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280
Western Digital WD_BLACK SN8100 1TB PCIe 5.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280
Verdict
Scores 95 overall, wins 6 of 6 usage categories and 13 of 17 specs.
