Western Digital's New Gaming SSD Can Write 14GB Per Second

Western Digital’s new NVMe SSD hits speeds surpassing just about everything else on the market at the moment. The WD Black SN8100 can read 14,900MB per second while also offering write speeds of up to 14,000MB (14GB). Available in three different capacities, the SN8100 is geared toward users with high-end gaming PC rigs. Though you could add a heatsink to the SN8100 and install it in your PS5, the SN8100’s performance far exceeds the requirements for PlayStation’s console.

Starting at $180

The WD Black SN8100 reaches the theoretical performance limit of PCIe 5.0, meaning you won’t find a faster SSD unless you jump to PCIe 6.0. The lineup uses Western Digital’s latest NAND technology for added reliability, and with an endurance up to 2,400 TBW, you can expect to use the drives for a long time before running into any hiccups.

Early reviews for the SSD have been nothing short of stellar, with critics and fans pointing out its wonderful performance, rapid load times, and reliability. They’re also more power-efficient than PCIe 4.0 alternatives from WD Black.

This SSD is about as premium as it gets–but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the the right for your rig. And if you’re working on a budget, its price tag might put it out of reach. Thankfully, there are plenty of other great SSDs to consider. From older WD Black products to those from Samsung, Crucial, and Lexar, here’s a list of popular NVMe SSDs to check out. Many of these are currently on sale at Amazon.