Western Digital Black SN8100

The WD Black SN8100 is one of the fastest PCIe 5.0 SSDs we've tested, with 14,900 MB/s reads and top-tier random performance. It's power efficient and comes in a huge 4TB size. Shop around though, prices swing by $147 in the US and CAD 720 in Canada.

This thing is fast. Really fast. Sequential reads top out at 14,900 MB/s and writes at 14,000 MB/s, which puts it in the top tier of PCIe 5.0 drives we track. Random performance is just as wild, 2.3 million read IOPS and 2.4 million write IOPS. That's 99th percentile for random and 97th for speed in our database. The 4TB capacity is also up there, 93rd percentile. Power efficiency is a genuine highlight too, averaging 7.5W or under, which is over double the efficiency of their Gen4 drives. The one thing to watch is heat. The included heatsink helps, but if you grab a bare version, you'll want your motherboard's spreader or a third-party cooler.

Against the Samsung 9100 PRO, the SN8100 trades blows on raw speed but Samsung tends to have better software and a longer track record. The Micron T710 is another strong Gen5 option, often priced similarly. If you don't need PCIe 5.0, the Kingston Fury Renegade 4TB Gen4 drive will save you real money and still feel fast for most tasks. The Seagate FireCuda 530R is also worth a look if you want a proven Gen4 workhorse. The SN8100's main edge is its power efficiency and that massive 4TB capacity at a relatively sane price, when you find a good listing.

Pricing is all over the place. In the US, you'll see it from $859 to $1,006 across three listings. In Canada, the spread is even wilder, from CAD 1,080 to CAD 1,800. That's a CAD 720 gap for the same drive. If you're buying, shop around. The best US deal sits at $859, and the best Canadian price is CAD 1,080. For a 4TB Gen5 drive with this kind of speed, that's actually reasonable. But the fact that it's been replaced by the SanDisk Optimus GX PRO 8100 means you might find better value waiting for a sale or just grabbing the newer model.

The WD Black SN8100 is a 4TB PCIe 5.0 drive that basically laughs at your old Gen4 SSD. Sequential reads hit 14,900 MB/s and writes aren't far behind at 14,000 MB/s. That's the kind of speed that makes moving massive video files or loading AI models feel almost boring, in the best way.

It's got TLC NAND, DRAM cache, and a heatsink option, plus hardware encryption. Endurance is solid at 2,400 TBW. The catch? It's already been replaced by the SanDisk Optimus GX PRO 8100, so you might find it on clearance or wonder why you're buying last year's flagship.

Skip this if you're just gaming casually or doing everyday office work. A good Gen4 drive like the Kingston Fury Renegade will feel nearly identical and cost way less. Also skip it if you don't have proper M.2 cooling in your system, because this drive gets toasty. And if you want the absolute newest tech, the SanDisk Optimus GX PRO 8100 is the replacement model.

If you're building a high-end gaming rig or a workstation that chews through huge files, the SN8100 is a fantastic pick. The speed is undeniable, and the power efficiency means it won't cook your system. Just make sure you get one with a heatsink or have a plan for cooling. And if you're the type who always wants the latest thing, you might as well check out the SanDisk Optimus GX PRO 8100 that replaced it.