Western Digital WD Black SN850X
Samsung 990
What Buyers Say
Western Digital WD Black SN850X
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
Samsung 990
Users generally praise the Samsung 990 SSD for its speed, reliability, and stability, noting fast file transfers and game load times. Some mention it runs hot under load, and a few find it pricey or not as fast as advertised for gaming. Overall, it's seen as a solid, long-lasting drive for various uses.
Pros
- Fast transfer speeds
- Reliable and stable
- Good for gaming
- Handles heat well
- Easy to install
Cons
- Runs hot under load
- Pricey compared to alternatives
- Gaming speed not as advertised
Scores
Specifications
| Western Digital WD Black SN850X | Samsung 990 | |
|---|---|---|
| Drive | ||
| Capacity | ||
| Form Factor | M.2 2280 | M.2 2280 |
| Interface | PCIe 4.0 x4 | PCIe 4.0 x4 |
| Protocol | NVMe | NVMe |
| PCIe Generation | 4 | 4 |
| External | ✗ | ✗ |
| Performance | ||
| Sequential Read (MB/s) | ||
| Sequential Write (MB/s) | ||
| Random Read (IOPS) | ||
| Random Write (IOPS) | ||
| Hardware | ||
| NAND | TLC★ | QLC |
| DRAM Cache | ✓★ | ✗ |
| Controller | — | In-House Controller |
| Reliability | ||
| Endurance (TBW) | ||
| MTBF (hours) | ||
| Warranty (years) | 3★ | 1 |
| Features | ||
| Heatsink | ✓★ | ✗ |
| Hardware Encryption | — | ✓★ |
Pros & Cons
Western Digital WD Black SN850X
- Strong social proof (96th percentile)96th %ile
- Strong random (95th percentile)95th %ile
- Strong user sentiment (95th percentile)95th %ile
- Strong feature (94th percentile)94th %ile
Samsung 990
- Strong random (94th percentile)94th %ile
- Strong speed (85th percentile)85th %ile
- Strong social proof (84th percentile)84th %ile
- Strong endurance (66th percentile)
- Below average feature (32nd percentile)
Verdict
Scores 99 overall, wins 6 of 6 usage categories and 10 of 18 specs.