WD Black SN850X is one of the best SSDs for PS5 and PC Gamers; see review

The NVMe SSD market is very competitive right now. Demand for components of this type is growing as more and more companies adopt this cutting-edge technology, including consoles such as PS5 and Xbox Series S and X.

A series that frequently appears among the highlights of this market for active gamers is WD Black. Produced by Western Digital, the series has several models targeting the gaming market on both PC and consoles.

Among the main models of the brand SN850X NVMe SSDCombining high specifications, technologies such as PCIe 4.0 and an attractive price for a range of features. The remaining question is: Is it worth investing in the product that exceeds the R$ 1000 limit?

Voxel tested the WD Black SN850X, which is optimized for the PS5 console and gaming PCs. Check out all the product details and my experience using the device below in the full review of the product provided by the manufacturer.

Features of WD Black SN850X SSD

Western Digital’s gaming SSD offers high-speed storage by both PC and console standards. The M.2 2280 model with PCIe Gen4 interface is promising and does not disappoint with its technical features. high durability and five-year warranty.

Check out the full specifications of the WD Black SN850X SSD below.

• Name: WD_Black SN850X NVMe SSD
• Model: ZP1000GP304001
• Format: M.2 2280
• Interface: PCIe Gen4 ×4 NVMe 1.4
• Maximum reading: 7,300MB/s
• Maximum write: 6000MB/s
• Random reading: 800 thousand
• Random write: 1000K
• Controller: Western Digital’s own model
• Flash Memory: 112 Layer BiCS5 TLC
• Durability (TBW): 1200TB
• MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures): 1.8 million hours
• Guarantee: 5 years
• Operating temperature: 0 to 70°C
• Room temperature: -40 to 85°
• Dimensions: 80.15 mm x 24.22 mm x 11.10 mm (height, width, depth)
• Weight: 46g

Design

Like other M.2 format SSDs, the Western Digital model comes in a slim and small box, making shipping and shipping much easier. The product in question also attracts attention with the details in its packaging, complemented by various aesthetic touches.

Inside the box, the SSD itself has plastic protection, just enough to prevent damage to important parts during transportation. When the user opens the box, he is faced with a small but powerful device.

Like other high-end models targeting the PS5, the SN850X has a cooler. The component is already installed on the SSD, which guarantees greater convenience for users who do not have much experience in assembling computers.

Despite its sturdy size, the product fits perfectly into the PS5. However, the best experience is on the PC as there is a customizable RGB LED next to the SSD.

The main recommendation is to keep the product away from laptops. After all, although the M.2 format is compatible with laptops, the presence of the cooler prevents the model from being effectively installed on laptops.

SN850X Setup

Installing the SN850X Very simple on both PC and PS5. For those who own a Sony console, the procedure is the same as performed in the video tutorial below. Just remove the side cover of the console, unscrew the two screws on the SSD installation part, and install the storage device.

When you turn on the PS5 after installation, the console will format the SSD as new internal storage in just a quick few steps. Thus, the user will be able to use PS4 and new generation games on the device.

For those playing on PC, setup is also simple; Just check if your motherboard has room for M.2 SSDs and a screw for the device. Once installed, simply access the Windows storage manager and format the device as a new drive.

Yield

SN850X is a certified SSD for use in PS5. In other words, using the Sony console is very simple and straightforward: Install games on your device, format it and start downloading. With 2 TB of storage, the product leaves nothing to be desired in terms of extra space.

2TB guarantees more extra storage space for PS5, providing greater convenience in use.

By comparison, the original PS5’s internal storage only has 667GB available for installing games. If you are bothered by this product limitation, adopting an SSD like SN850X is the perfect solution.

Considering an average of 50 GB per game, it is possible to install around 40 games using Western Digital’s expanded SSD storage. The price is definitely high, but the extra 2 TB makes a big difference.

When it comes to speed, the model was recognized with a read speed of around 6600 MB/S, which is in line with the standards we have in the CrystalDiskMark PC test. In other words, when using PS5 the user does not need to worry about any configuration as everything is automatically recognized by the console.

SN850X brings full computing experience

While the model stands out on PS5 for its convenience, the SN850X also offers a great computing experience. In addition to offering up to 7,000 MB/s reading and up to 6,600 MB/s effective writing, the product also features a very complete customization software.

The program, called Dashboard, automatically recognizes Western Digital SSDs on the computer and provides important information about the product. In addition to “unit status”, It is possible to control the storage space used and even the temperature during use.

WD Black SN850X is one of the best SSDs for PS5 and PC Gamers; see review

WD Black SN850X is one of the best SSDs for PS5 and PC Gamers; see review

WD Black SN850X is one of the best SSDs for PS5 and PC Gamers; see review

The solution also includes a panel dedicated to the RGB LED located on the body of the product. The software supports syncing with Razer Chroma RGB, as well as allowing you to create usage profiles, choose colors, and enable three “blink” effects.

Tests on PC

Western Digital Dashboard is also used to enable Game Mode 2.0 on compatible SSDs, like on the SN850X. When activated, Solution promises to optimize storage usage for games — it is also possible to use it in automatic mode, which promises to balance productivity and games.

The product features a customizable LED and “gaming mode” when used on a computer.

According to Western Digital’s statement, Gaming Mode 2.0 brings solutions such as adaptive temperature and workload prediction that can guarantee greater speed during gaming use. But we didn’t see that big of a difference during our tests.

The SN850X was tested here on a computer with two other SSDs and high-performance hardware. Check out all the features of the computer below.

• Motherboard: MSI Pro Z790-P Wi-Fi
• Processor: Intel Core i9-13900
• Video card: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Founders Edition
• Memory: Kingston Fury 32GB DDR5 (2×16)
• SSD with operating system: Western Digital Blue SN550 1TB NVMe
• Secondary SSD: Corsair Force MP500

Testing the power of SSD on PC with parametersWe use the 3D Mark storage benchmark. The solution runs a series of tests on the device that mimic real situations of using the product in games, such as transferring files, opening and closing games, loading textures, among others.

According to the benchmarking database, the maximum score ever recorded with WD SSD is 4732. During testing on our system, the model was within the overall average with a score of around 3500.

With standard usage and without any software changes, the SN850X reached 3569 points. When we updated the firmware from the control panel, the score increased to 3581.

The score peaked when Gaming Mode 2.0 was enabled, but it didn’t make much of a difference. The SSD was rated at 3597 points, with gains in installation and game file movement tests. In other words, the difference between using the specific solution in synthetic tests remains small.

However, we are talking about a high-end SSD here. The 2TB provided by the product, just like the PS5, guarantees plenty of storage space at a speed that will not disappoint the average gamer.

In any case, SN850X it also outperforms its main rivals in 3DMark like the Corsair Force MP600 PRO LPX and XPG S70 Blade, is in the same price range. Although we have not had the opportunity to test the products yet, the average benchmark score of the Corsair model is 3110 points and the XPG product is around 2845 points.

Another high-end SSD, the 2TB Kingston Fury Renegade, approaches the score of the WD model with an average score of 3401 and a maximum score of 4646, but it still lags behind in the 3DMark storage test.

Is WD Black SN850X worth it?

The WD Black SN850X is an NVMe SSD that costs around R$ 1,099 when available, which is not a very affordable price. Still, considering the high-end category in which the product is placed and the package is delivered, with 2 TB of space and high speed, For those looking for more storage, the value is worth it.

With its simple installation on PS5 and the presence of a cooler, the model is one of the best options for those who own a Sony console and are looking for a powerful 2 TB SSD. The model guarantees high speed on the PC and offers extra customization options to the user.

Synthetic tests show that the model offers a superior experience to models such as Corsair Force MP600 PRO LPX and XPG S70 Blade. The Western Digital product also beats the 2TB Kingston Fury Renegade, offering slightly better performance for the same price.

Considering the models listed above, they all offer practicality in PS5 installation and promise a performance that will not disappoint on the console, but the SN850X offers the complete package with cutting-edge performance and a robust cooling solution. The user has to weigh whether extra features like Game Mode and the slight performance advantage are worth the extra price over competitors.