By Only a few NMVe SSDs with an 8TB capacity are available, and WD’s SN850X is among the best, if not the greatest. It far outperformed its prior achievements and won the overall performance title for DRAM-less SSDs. About which…
This is an updated version of our initial SN850X review. In some intense host memory bus competition, the 2TB version we tested earlier dropped to fifth (now sixth) position in performance, while the 8TB version, as previously said, now holds the top spot.
Features
The SN850X is a PCIe 4 x4 NVMe SSD with the standard 2280 (22x80mm) M.2 form size. According to the firm, Western Digital built the controller, and the NAND is a 162-layer BiCS6 TLC (Triple-Level Cell/3-bit). Remember that the older BiCS5 112-layer TLC NAND is used in the other capacities.
The drive is designed without a host memory buffer or DRAM. It mostly caches data using about 64MB of your device’s memory. When it comes to sustained throughput, this technology is just as quick as DRAM designs, but it only gives about half the random speed that dedicated cache memory can offer. Keep in mind that said random performance is still incredibly quick. SanDisk, which WD acquired some time ago, is the source of WD’s solid-state drive expertise, and the controller bears that name.
Although WD offers a generous five-year warranty, Seagate’s FireCuda 530 offers a rating of 600TBW (terabytes that may be written) for every 1TB of storage, which is less than half of what WD offers.
What is the WD SN850X’s price?
You will not find the WD Black SN850X in the discount bin, as you might expect considering its performance, but it is a lot less expensive than it was when it first came out. The 1TB capacity is $84, the 2TB costs $160, the 4TB costs $310, and the 8TB that we tested costs $650 (but it is presently as high as $810 on Amazon). Yes, the top capacity comes with a cost of $30 to $100 or more. To save money, you might choose to buy numerous 2TB or 4TB units if you have the slots. If you want a heatsink, add $10 to $30 (the majority of contemporary motherboards come with one).
WD_BLACK 8TB SN850X NVMe Internal Gaming SSD Solid State Drive – Gen4 PCIe,
What is the WD SN850X’s speed?
The 8TB SN850X outperformed the 2TB model in almost every test, propelling it to the sixth-best NVMe SSD and, once more, the top spot among host memory buffer, DRAM-less designs. The random performance of this new 8TB device is noticeably faster than that of the previous 2TB SN850X model. Particularly when using numerous queues, which Windows regrettably still does not support.
Additionally, the 8TB SN850X outperformed the 2TB version in terms of speed during our 48GB transfers. The quickest 450GB write we have witnessed so far was the cherry on top of its triumph. Although it is inside the error margin by just one second, you A victory is a victory. The aggregate findings indicate that the SN850X has improved in ways other than just capacity. An upgraded controller, a faster NAND… We enjoy it, though we are not sure why.
Note: Since we have not tested the additional capacities, we are unable to attest to their performance. But as they employ the outdated BiCS5 112-layer NAND, you may expect them to be identical to the 2TB version seen in the tables above.
Should you purchase the 8TB WD SN850X?
If you want to save money on a host memory buffer design, the 8TB WD Black SN850X is a great option. Although we wish you had not paid such a high price for the maximum capacity (and maybe greater performance), it is a great performer. In any case, a highly sought-after SSD from WD. Very.
