Such drives are slower, don't get me wrong, but this new SN770 still quotes read and writes of 5,150MB/s and 4,900MB/s, respectively. This saves a big chunk of the manufacturer's bill of materials, and thanks to advances in the latest controllers, it can be surprising how little impact this has on performance. The main way it achieves this is by being a DRAM-less SSD drive. The WD_Black SN770 bucks this trend and, like its predecessor, the SN750, is aimed at offering better value for money than outright performance. We've seen some incredible NVMe SSD releases recently, but they've tended to focus on top-end performance and come with prices to match. Read our full WD Black SN850X SSD review. The revised SN850X is inherently a cooler-running thing, after all. On that note, for most applications, we'd probably go for the cheaper bare drive rather than this more expensive model with its heat spreader. But for small form factor rigs and perhaps a gaming laptop, every little can undoubtedly help. Happily, this new X model runs unambiguously cooler.įor most PC applications, that probably doesn't matter. The one exception to that is operating temperatures. But then that's because the SN850 is a very good SSD. Indeed, in the real world, you'll struggle to notice the difference compared to the existing SN850 drive. ![]() This means that the new WD Black SN850X isn't a revolutionary leap forward. Likewise, don't expect big gains in system-wide measures of performance like PCMark 10. The 4K random access results are a little disappointing, showing little to no improvement. Elsewhere, the gains are less obvious, albeit the SN850 was already a great drive. The new drive hits just 58☌ under sustained load. Reduced operating temps are another clear benefit of this new drive. How much that kind of feature actually makes a difference in the real world is notoriously difficult to pin down. It now runs automatically, detecting when games are loaded. WD claims it improves game loading times courtesy of a so-called "read look-ahead" algorithm, which predictively caches game data. Rather more specific to this WD drive is the latest 2.0 version of the company's Game Mode drive management software. It improves game loading times courtesy of a so-called "read look-ahead" algorithm, which predictively caches game data. What’s more, WD’s in-house controller chip, provided by compatriot SanDisk, has been revised, though detailed specifics aren't provided. But the 1TB model reviewed here is now the entry-level option. We’re talking four lanes of PCIe Gen 4 connectivity in the now ubiquitous M.2 2280 form factor. In many other regards, this X model is a dead ringer for the SN850. ![]() This SSD runs quite a bit cooler than even its forebear, the WD Black SN850. Our review configuration is clad head-to-toe in WD’s signature armour-style cooling, but it needn't have bothered. SK Hynix's Platinum P41 might just have the edge on performance, but the lead is so negligible that the less expensive SN850X is our pick of the current SSD crop. And it's the best one out there right now. Enter, therefore, the WD Black SN850X, something of a last hurrah for Gen 4 SSDs. Your current PC almost certainly doesn’t have a PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot. PCIe Gen 5 is now a thing on both AMD and Intel platforms. Your gaming experience will thank you for it. While 2TB and 4TB SSDs may be pricey, if you come across a sale, don't hesitate to seize the opportunity for maximum storage capacity. With today's games taking up so much space, a 250GB SSD won't cut it anymore. Smaller drives might be more budget-friendly but suffer a noticeable drop in speed. Our recommended SSDs generally start at 1TB as a minimum. I used each SSD as the primary drive in a new Windows 11 installation to verify their performance. Each drive on this list has undergone extensive benchmarking, combining real-world game loading tests with synthetic speed evaluations to identify the ultimate SSDs for gaming. Of course, any SSD will represent a massive improvement over a traditional hard drive. ![]() It not only performs flawlessly and efficiently during gaming sessions but also excels in handling larger file transfers, making it ideal for video editing tasks as well. The WD Black SN850X is a standout choice, our top pick. Even though support may be limited to just a handful of games at the moment, the best SSDs for gaming are versatile and offer many benefits beyond gaming. ![]() Microsoft's DirectStorage takes full advantage of cutting-edge PCIe 4.0 and PCIe 5.0 drives.
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