Everything that decides whether the WD Black SN8100 is the right drive: controller, DRAM, NAND, rated endurance, PS5 and laptop fit, and how it compares with the obvious alternatives. Hardware facts are taken from the reviews and datasheets listed at the bottom; capacities and speeds come from our comparison of 60 drives.
Who it’s for: Gen 5 users who want the fastest overall drive — Tom's Hardware called it the fastest consumer SSD it had tested — with low power draw (about 7 W under load on the 2TB model). Skip it for: Gen 4 systems and the PS5, where its extra speed goes unused.
| Controller | Silicon Motion SM2508 with SanDisk firmware |
| DRAM cache | Yes — about 1 GB DRAM per TB |
| NAND | BiCS8 TLC (218-layer) |
| Interface | PCIe 5.0 x4, NVMe, M.2 2280 |
| Heatsink version | Sold bare or with a heatsink (heatsink SKUs exist at several capacities, including 8TB). |
| Capacity | Seq. read | Seq. write | Endurance | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 TB | 14,900 MB/s | 11,000 MB/s | 600 TBW | 5 yr |
| 2 TB | 14,900 MB/s | 14,000 MB/s | 1,200 TBW | 5 yr |
| 4 TB | 14,900 MB/s | 14,000 MB/s | 2,400 TBW | 5 yr |
| 8 TB | 14,900 MB/s | 13,700 MB/s | — | 5 yr |
Rated endurance is 600 TBW at 1TB, 1,200 TBW at 2TB, 2,400 TBW at 4TB. We could not confirm the rating for the 8TB model from a primary source, so it is left blank. Speeds are the manufacturer’s sequential ratings.
Every WD Black SN8100 capacity in our comparison, smallest first.
| $/TB | $/GB | Price | Capacity | Interface | Gen | Read | Write | NAND | Warranty | Cond. | Product |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $259.99BEST | $0.260 | $259.99 | 1 TB | M.2 NVMe | Gen 5 | 14,900 MB/s | 11,000 MB/s | TLC | 5 yr | New | |
| $240.00 | $0.240 | $479.99 | 2 TB | M.2 NVMe | Gen 5 | 14,900 MB/s | 14,000 MB/s | TLC | 5 yr | New | WD Black SN8100 2TB· 3rd-partyAmazon ↗ |
| $215.00 | $0.215 | $859.99 | 4 TB | M.2 NVMe | Gen 5 | 14,900 MB/s | 14,000 MB/s | TLC | 5 yr | New | WD Black SN8100 4TB· 3rd-partyAmazon ↗ |
| $312.50 | $0.312 | $2,499.99 | 8 TB | M.2 NVMe | Gen 5 | 14,900 MB/s | 13,700 MB/s | TLC | 5 yr | New | WD Black SN8100 8TB· 3rd-partyAmazon ↗ |
Full list of qualifying drives: PS5-compatible SSDs.
Samsung 9100 Pro: Gen 5 with DRAM and Samsung's own controller.
| WD Black SN8100 | Samsung 9100 Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe Gen 5 | PCIe Gen 5 |
| Seq. read | 14,900 MB/s | 14,800 MB/s |
| Seq. write | 14,000 MB/s | 13,400 MB/s |
| NAND | TLC | TLC |
| DRAM cache | Yes | Yes |
| Warranty | 5 yr | 5 yr |
WD Black SN850X: WD's Gen 4 drive with DRAM, for Gen 4 slots and the PS5.
| WD Black SN8100 | WD Black SN850X | |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe Gen 5 | PCIe Gen 4 |
| Seq. read | 14,900 MB/s | 7,300 MB/s |
| Seq. write | 14,000 MB/s | 6,600 MB/s |
| NAND | TLC | TLC |
| DRAM cache | Yes | Yes |
| Warranty | 5 yr | 5 yr |
We show retail prices only while we can refresh them at least every 24 hours. For market context: TrendForce’s 16 Oct 2026 retail sample runs $133–$250 per TB for mainstream 1–2TB drives, and NAND contract prices are forecast +15 to +20% for 4Q26. Check any listing against that range with the price per TB calculator, and see the SSD price chart for the trend.
Hardware facts on this page come from:
Where reviews disagreed (for example on NAND layer counts or a capacity’s endurance rating) we state only what the sources agree on.