Verdict
The WD Black SN8100 is a fantastic PCIe 5.0 SSD with some of the fastest speeds we’ve ever tested thanks to some marvellous sequential and random performance and some of the quickest times for games and file transfers you’ll find. Its pricing is largely in line with key rivals, although remains quite expensive.
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Blazing fast sequential speeds -
Fast for game and file transfers -
Versatile capacity options
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Quite expensive -
4K performance isn’t as strong as key rivals
Key Features
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PCIe 5.0 SSD
The WD Black SN8100 is a PCIe 5.0 SSD, meaning it offers some blazing fast speeds for responsive read and writes -
Up to 4TB capacity
This SSD is also available in larger capacity options, making it ideal for data hoarders. -
218-layer TLC
It also comes with the latest version of Kioxia’s 218-layer TLC NAND, and is single-sided for better thermals under a heatsink, too.
Introduction
The WD Black SN8100 is SanDisk’s first PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD, and it looks like it might have been worth the wait.
Hot on the heels of the SN7100 model, this Gen 5 option virtually doubles the read and write speeds, as well as provides more capacity options. Although it also hikes the price up, making the 2TB sample I have £226.99/$279.99, which I needn’t tell you is quite expensive.
We have seen these brisker drives become more common as time has passed with key rivals including the Gigabyte Aorus Gen5 12000 and Seagate FireCuda 540 beating SanDisk to the post, although if the WD Black SN8100 turns out how it looks to be, this may well be one of the best SSDs we’ve tested.
Specs
- Excellent range of capacity options
- PCIe 5.0 offers immense speeds and endurance
- DRAM cache present, and single-sided
The WD Black SN8100 isn’t the most enticing drive to look at, but then again, neither are a lot of the other solid state drives. They’re designed not to necessarily be seen after you plonk them in your system.
With this in mind, it sports an all-black look with a sticker over its NAND chips that bears information on model name, number and capacity, while the underside has a SanDisk logo and compliance markings.
The M.2 key is standard-issue and with a longer 2280 length, which also means this drive will play nicely in both a modern PC with PCIe 5.0 capabilities. You can technically use it in a PS5 too, although it’ll run at Gen 4 speeds, and need a compatible heatsink. SanDisk is also selling this drive with a first-party heatsink for an added premium.
The flash in use here is Kioxia’s brand-new BICS8 218-layer 3D TLC in a stacked configuration, while also having a SanDisk controller that’s a modified version of the Silicon Motion 2508, complete with a DRAM cache.
The SN8100 is a single-sided drive, regardless of capacity, so it has all of those NAND flash modules on one side. This makes it easier to cool when put inside PCs and even small handhelds that support a full-size drive, as there’s only one side to take care of against other drives that have flash chips on both sides.
The sample I have is a 2TB option, although it is also possible to get the SN8100 in either 1TB and 4TB models if you don’t need as much, or even more storage. SanDisk also says there is an 8TB variant coming, if you’re a data hoarder with money to burn.
As for durability, it scales with capacity, with the base 1TB model coming wth a 600 TBW endurance rating, the 2TB with a 1200 TBW rating, and the larger 4TB with a 2400 TBW rating. That’s largely in line with other Gen 5 drives.
Full Specs
| Â | WD Black SN8100 | WD Black SN7100 | Seagate FireCuda 540 | Gigabyte Aorus Gen5 12000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connector | M.2-2280 | M.2-2280 | M.2-2280 | M.2-2280 |
| Interface | PCIe 5.0 x4 | PCIe 4.0 x4 | PCIe 5.0 x4 | PCIe 5.0 x4 |
| Model Variants | 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | 1TB, 2TB | 1TB, 2TB |
| Read Speed | 14900 MB/s | 7250 MB/s | 10000 MB/s | 12400 MB/s |
| Release Date | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2023 |
| Storage Capacity (Sample) | 2TB | 1TB | 2TB | 2TB |
| USA RRP (2TB) | $279.99 | $149.99 | $269.99 | $239.99 |
| Write Speed | 14000 MB/s | 6900 MB/s | 10000 MB/s | 11800 MB/s |
Test Setup
Of course, for testing any quantity of PC components, SSDs included, I needed to make sure I had a solid PC to do so. Hence, I took the decision back in early 2024 to upgrade my ailing HP pre-built to a fully custom rig with a system that benefits from brisk gaming performance and excellent compatibility with modern and future hardware.
The full system specs can be found below:
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
- Motherboard: NZXT N7 B650E
- GPU: Nvidia RTX 4080 Super Founder’s Edition
- RAM: 32GB (2x16GB) Corsair Vengeance DDR5-6000 CL36
- Cooler: Noctua NH-D15
- PSU: 1200W NZXT C1200 80+ Gold ATX 3.0
- Case: NZXT H9 Flow
The long and short of the setup is that the WD SN8100 was placed in the top PCIe 5.0 x4 slot on my B650E motherboard, and then a range of real-world and synthetic tests were run. These included the classic CrystalDiskMark 8 with its Sequential speeds at a queue depth of 8 and 1, as well as its Random 4K performance at depths of Q32 and Q1. The Sequential tests are handy in proving the actual raw speed of the drive for fast file copies and access, while the Random 4K tests are more indicative of loading a game up.
For the usefulness of a quantifiable ranking, I’ve also included the Quick System Drive and Data Drive benchmarks from the PCMark 10 suite.
Performance
- Extremely strong sequential and random performance
- Fast file transfer and game load times
- PCMark10 results are a little off
Across the far-reaching suite of tests I put it through, the WD Black SN8100 mostly impressed with easily the fastest rated read and write speeds across the CrystalDiskMark 8 test against other PCIe 5.0-capable SSDs we’ve tested.
Sequential speeds here largely matched the claimed 14900 MB/s reads and 14000MB/s writes with a 14832.75 MB/s posted read and 14012.17 MB/s average. That’s also faster than both Gigabyte and Seagate’s options by quite a fair margin, especially concerning write speeds.
| WD Black SN8100 | Gigabyte Aorus Gen 5 12000 | Seagate FireCuda 540 | |
| CrystalDiskMark 8 Sequential Q8 Reads | 14832.75 MB/s | 12328 MB/s | 10021 MB/s |
| CrystalDiskMark 8 Sequential Q8 Writes | 14012.17 MB/s | 11497 MB/s | 10179 MB/s |
| CrystalDiskMark 8 Sequential Q1 Reads | 8764.88 MB/s | 8832 MB/s | 8377 MB/s |
| CrystalDiskMark 8 Sequential Q1 Writes | 10144.22 MB/s | 9203 MB/s | 8782 MB/s |
| CrystalDiskMark 8 Random 4K Q32 Reads | 766.21 MB/s | 805 MB/s | 796 MB/s |
| CrystalDiskMark 8 Random 4K Q32 Writes | 366.69 MB/s | 592 MB/s | 585 MB/s |
| CrystalDiskMark 8 Random 4K Q1 Reads | 97.91 MB/s | 93 MB/s | 90 MB/s |
| CrystalDiskMark 8 Random 4K Q1 Writes | 228.75 MB/s | 343 MB/s | 333 MB/s |
| FFXIV Endwalker Benchmark Loadtime | 7.39 seconds | 7.26 seconds | 7.04 seconds |
| PCMark 10 QSD Benchmark | 3713 | 5441 | 5434 |
| PCMark 10 Data Drive Benchmark | 5323 | 9263 | 8907 |
| 120GB Real World File Copy Test | 34.32 seconds | 37.40 seconds | 45.08 seconds |
Otherwise, the SN8100 pulls ahead in some tests, such as in the Q1 results, although its 4K performance, while strong, is bettered by the Gigabyte and Seagate candidates.
The Final Fantasy load time test is only fractionally slower than its rivals, although it is still brisk, while the PCMark10 numbers are quite disappointing with results that are barely half of Gigabyte and Seagate’s options.
With this in mind, the SN8100’s 120GB file copy test took just 34.32 seconds, making it 10% or so quicker than Kingston’s option, and much quicker than the FireCuda 540, with an average transfer rate of 3.5GB/s.
Should you buy it?
You want one of the absolute fastest SSDs out there
The WD Black SN8100 is easily one of the fastest SSDs we’ve tested, with excellent sequential speeds and sublime load times.
You want a more affordable drive
As with other Gen 5 drives though this is quite expensive, and you can get similar real-world performance for a bit less.
Final Thoughts
The WD Black SN8100 is a fantastic PCIe 5.0 SSD with some of the fastest speeds we’ve ever tested thanks to some marvellous sequential and random performance and some of the quickest times for games and file transfers you’ll find. Its pricing is largely in line with key rivals, although remains quite expensive.
With this in mind, key rivals such as the Gigabyte Aorus Gen 5 12000 is stronger in some testing, such as for 4K level testing, while it also comes with a beefier heatsink if you want that sort of thing. Nonetheless, the WD Black SN8100 makes for one of the best SSDs we’ve tested, in spite of an eye-watering price.
How we test
Each SSD we test utilises a mix of both synthetic and real-world benchmark tests. On top of that, we also use a number of price-to-performance metrics, and monitor temperature and power-draw to determine the long-term stability and cost-effectiveness of the drive.
- Each SSD is tested in a bespoke test PC across a number of different scenarios
- SSD temperatures and power draw are monitored throughout the process
FAQs
Yes, as long as you’ve got a PCIe 5.0 x4 M.2 slot on your motherboard, you’ll be able to use this drive at its full bandwidth.
Test Data
Full Specs
| Â | WD Black SN8100 Review |
|---|---|
| UK RRP | £226.99 |
| USA RRP | $279.99 |
| Manufacturer | SanDisk |
| Storage Capacity | 2TB |
| Size (Dimensions) | 80.01 x 22.10 x 2.29 MM |
| Weight | 7.5 G |
| Release Date | 2025 |
| First Reviewed Date | 22/05/2025 |
| Storage Type | SSD |
| Read Speed | 14900 MB/s |
| Write Speed | 14000 MB/s |
| Interface | PCIe 5.0 |
| Connector | M.2 |
| Heatset included? | No |