Western Digital WD Blue 500GB SATA III 2.5"
Samsung 9100 PRO 8TB PCIe 5.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280
What Buyers Say
Western Digital WD Blue 500GB SATA III 2.5"
The WD Blue 500GB SSD is widely praised for dramatically speeding up older computers, with users reporting faster boot times and snappier performance after installation. It is considered a reliable, well-priced upgrade, though some note that benchmark speeds don't quite match the advertised figures. One user had a PS4 failure after 8 months but received a warranty replacement, with the caveat that they had to pay shipping.
Pros
- Dramatically faster boot times
- Reliable Western Digital brand
- Good value for money
- Easy installation and cloning
- 5-year warranty
Cons
- Benchmark speeds below advertised
- Warranty shipping costs borne by customer
- PS4 failure reported after 8 months
Samsung 9100 PRO 8TB PCIe 5.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280
The Samsung 9100 Pro is generally praised for its blazing-fast speeds, especially in data transfers and large file loads, with several users noting it's noticeably faster than the 990 Pro. However, one verified buyer experienced a complete drive failure within two weeks, which is a significant concern. Most reviewers recommend it for high-end builds, but advise getting the heatsink version or a good aftermarket cooler.
Pros
- Blazing fast speeds
- Noticeably faster than 990 Pro
- Great for data transfers
- Quality product
- Recommended for high-end builds
Cons
- Potential drive failure within weeks
- Requires heatsink for optimal performance
- Speed difference not noticeable in daily tasks
Scores
Specifications
| Western Digital WD Blue | Samsung 9100 PRO | |
|---|---|---|
| Drive | ||
| Capacity | ||
| Form Factor | 2.5" | M.2 2280 |
| Interface | SATA III | PCIe 5.0 x4 |
| Protocol | SATA | NVMe |
| PCIe Generation | — | 5★ |
| External | ✗ | ✗ |
| Performance | ||
| Sequential Read (MB/s) | ||
| Sequential Write (MB/s) | ||
| Random Read (IOPS) | ||
| Random Write (IOPS) | ||
| Hardware | ||
| NAND | TLC | TLC |
| DRAM Cache | — | ✓★ |
| Controller | — | In-House Controller |
| Reliability | ||
| Endurance (TBW) | ||
| MTBF (hours) | ||
| Warranty (years) | 5 | 5 |
| Features | ||
| Heatsink | — | ✓★ |
| Hardware Encryption | — | ✓★ |
Pros & Cons
Western Digital WD Blue 500GB SATA III 2.5"
- Strong endurance (95th percentile)95th %ile
- Strong social proof (95th percentile)95th %ile
- Strong user sentiment (79th percentile)
- Below average capacity (27th percentile)
Samsung 9100 PRO 8TB PCIe 5.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280
- Strong random (100th percentile)100th %ile
- Strong feature (100th percentile)100th %ile
- Strong speed (99th percentile)99th %ile
- Strong capacity (98th percentile)98th %ile
- Below average affordability (2nd percentile)2nd %ile
- Below average user sentiment (29th percentile)
Verdict
Scores 98 overall, wins 6 of 6 usage categories and 10 of 18 specs.