Conclusion
...WD puts its name forward as the go-to choice.
Building a high-performance PC in 2020 requires careful thought in every area. AMD has the benchmark lead in mainstream CPUs that also feature PCIe 4.0 connectivity on chip and chipset. Playing well with the latest slew of M.2-based NVMe drives, WD puts its name forward as the go-to choice for those wanting to leave no storage stone unturned.
The WD Black SN850 uses a brand-new in-house controller and SanDisk TLC NAND to usher in the most impressive numbers we've seen from an M.2 drive. Around 40 per cent faster than first-generation PCIe 4.0 models, but not costing massively more per GB, the only potential concern to the power user is excess temperature if not under motherboard cooling.
There's now clear performance delineation between entry-level and premium M.2 SSDs. If you're building a behemoth of a system based on PCIe 4.0, the WD Black SN850 is certainly worthy of interest and investment.
The Good |
The Bad |
|
Supreme speed Solid endurance Reasonble cost per GB Five-year warranty from big name |
Temps, potentially No heatsink model from the off |

WD Black SN850 (1TB)
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TBC.
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