In a nutshell: Western Digital has introduced a sleigh full of new storage devices just in times for the holidays, including a new high-performance NVMe solid-state drive starting under $60. The WD Black SN7100 is a PCIe Gen 4x4 DRAMless SSD targeting mainstream gamers. It features Western Digital's latest TLC 3D NAND and is offered in 500 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB capacities.
The top tier drive boasts sequential read speeds of up to 7,250 MB/s and 6,900 MB/s sequential writes, with random read and write IOPS of 1000K and 1400K, respectively. According to WD, this model is 35 percent faster than the previous generation.
Performance typically scales with capacity, and that is the case here as well. The 500 GB drive, for example, is a bit slower at 6,800 MB/s sequential reads and 5,800 MB/s sequential writes, and 760K random read IOPS / 1200K random write IOPS.
Western Digital says the drives were engineered with laptops and gaming handhelds in mind, and are up to 100 percent more power efficient compared to last gen drives.
All models adhere to the M.2 280 form factor, come backed by a five year limited warranty, and weigh in at 5.8 grams. The 2 TB model boasts a 1,200 TBW endurance rating; the rating of the other models was not mentioned.
As the name suggests, DRAMless SSDs are those that don't utilize onboard memory. Such drives are typically more affordable than their DRAM-equipped counterparts because they contain fewer components, but performance can sometimes suffer. Conversely, fewer parts means less power consumption. Ultimately, it all comes down to determining what is the best fit for your budget and the type of computing you do most often.
Western Digital's new solid-state drives are available to pre-order now and are expected to ship in the coming weeks. Pricing is set at $59.99 for the 500 GB model, $89.99 for the 1 TB variant, and $149.99 for the 2 TB drive. Western Digital teased a 4 TB model that is due out sometime in 2025, but did not share any specifications, potential pricing, or a more specific launch window.
WD also announced a new SanDisk-branded Extreme Pro portable SSD with USB 4 connectivity, an 8 TB Extreme Portable SSD, and a 2 TB WD Black C50 expansion card for Xbox. Details on those and more can be found in Western Digital's press release.
WD unwraps the holidays with new high-performance PCIe Gen 4x4 SSDs starting under $60
