SanDisk has officially introduced the WD Black SN8100, its latest high-end PCIe Gen 5 NVMe SSD targeting PC enthusiasts, gamers, and professional users. With sequential read speeds of up to 14,900 MB/s and write speeds of 14,000 MB/s, the drive sets a new bar for consumer SSD performance, surpassing some of the best NVMe SSDs currently on the market, including the Crucial T705.
The SN8100 uses a standard M.2 2280 form factor and is available in capacities of 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and 8TB. It’s worth noting that the 1TB model offers lower write speeds, up to 11,000 MB/s, compared to the higher-capacity versions, which reach up to 14,000 MB/s.
According to SanDisk, the drive is designed for applications ranging from gaming and content creation to AI workflows, where rapid data access and transfer are critical. The SN8100 uses SanDisk’s BiCS8 TLC 3D CBA NAND, which is engineered for a smaller footprint thereby improving thermal performance. SanDisk also states that the Gen 5.0 model is twice as power efficient as its PCIe Gen 4.0 predecessor, averaging just 7W of power consumption.
Comparing the new WD Black SN8100 with the Crucial T705, which is currently one of the fastest consumer NVMe SSDs, it has some clear advantages. It’s marginally faster in read speeds (14,900 MB/s vs. 14,500 MB/s) but noticeably faster in write speeds (14,000 MB/s vs. 12,700 MB/s). It also delivers much better random performance, with 2.3 million IOPS for both reads and writes, compared to 1.5 million on the T705. While these are just numbers, in the practical world such small differences shouldn’t matter for the average consumer.
FeatureWD Black SN8100Crucial T705InterfacePCIe Gen 5.0PCIe Gen 5.0Sequential Read (MB/s)14,90014,500Sequential Write (MB/s)14,00012,700Random IOPS (Read/Write)2.3M / 2.3M1.5M / 1.5MPower Draw (Avg)7W~11WForm FactorM.2 2280M.2 2280Max Capacity8TB4TB
More importantly, the SN8100 is more power efficient. As mentioned, the drive is listed to draw an average of just 7W of power draw, while the T705 uses around 11W. That should potentially mean less heat and better performance in tight spaces.
The WD Black SN8100 is available now through SanDisk.com and major retailers, with U.S. MSRPs set at $179.99 for 1TB, $279.99 for 2TB, and $549.99 for 4TB. The top-tier 8TB version of the SN8100 is expected to release later in the year. Additionally, a heatsink-equipped variant is also expected to launch this fall for all current capacities, priced at a $20 premium. These models will feature a newly designed passive aluminum heatsink with a low-profile form factor and customizable RGB lighting.
