Western Digital Black SN850X 4TB PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280
Western Digital
99 Overall Score
vs
Lexar ES3 1TB Portable USB 3.2 Gen 2
Lexar
35 Overall Score
What Buyers Say
Western Digital Black SN850X 4TB PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280
92 out of 100 medium confidence 17 reviews
The WD Black SN850X is highly praised for its blazing speed, reliability, and value, often compared favorably to pricier alternatives like Samsung and Solidigm. Users report excellent performance in gaming (especially PS5) and general use, with a few concerns about potential issues mitigated by firmware updates. Overall, it's seen as a top-tier NVMe drive, especially when on sale.
Pros
- Blazing fast speeds
- Excellent value for money
- Reliable high-capacity storage
- Great for PS5
- Easy installation
Cons
- Potential firmware issues
- No heatsink included
- Pricey when not on sale
Speed 6
Value for money 4
Reliability 4
Ps5 compatibility 3
Firmware concerns 2
Installation 2
Lexar ES3 1TB Portable USB 3.2 Gen 2
No customer feedback yet
Scores
Laptop
Gaming
Workstation
Console
Budget
Portable
Specifications
| Western Digital Black SN850X | Lexar ES3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Drive | ||
| Capacity | ||
| Form Factor | M.2 2280 | External |
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x4 | USB 3.2 Gen 2 |
| Protocol | NVMe | — |
| PCIe Generation | 4★ | — |
| External | ✗ | ✓ |
| Performance | ||
| Sequential Read (MB/s) | ||
| Sequential Write (MB/s) | ||
| Random Read (IOPS) | No data | |
| Random Write (IOPS) | No data | |
| Hardware | ||
| NAND | TLC★ | — |
| DRAM Cache | ✓★ | — |
| Controller | WD 20-82-20035-B1 | — |
| Reliability | ||
| Endurance (TBW) | No data | |
| MTBF (hours) | No data | |
| Warranty (years) | 5★ | — |
| Features | ||
| Heatsink | ✗ | — |
| Hardware Encryption | ✗ | ✓★ |
Pros & Cons
Western Digital Black SN850X 4TB PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe M.2 2280
- Strong random (96th percentile)96th %ile
- Strong social proof (95th percentile)95th %ile
- Strong user sentiment (95th percentile)95th %ile
- Strong capacity (93rd percentile)93rd %ile
- Below average affordability (11th percentile)11th %ile
Lexar ES3 1TB Portable USB 3.2 Gen 2
- Strong social proof (78th percentile)
- Below average random (3rd percentile)3rd %ile
- Below average endurance (15th percentile)15th %ile
- Below average feature (34th percentile)
Verdict
Winner: Western Digital Black SN850X
Scores 99 overall, wins 5 of 6 usage categories and 11 of 18 specs.