WD Black | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Wed, 13 Sep 2023 13:22:30 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png WD Black | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 The WD_Black SN770M is an affordable and speedy Steam Deck SSD upgrade https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/matthew-wilson/the-wd_black-sn770m-is-an-affordable-and-speedy-steam-deck-ssd-upgrade/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/matthew-wilson/the-wd_black-sn770m-is-an-affordable-and-speedy-steam-deck-ssd-upgrade/#respond Tue, 12 Sep 2023 15:00:07 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=630183 The Steam Deck has proven that there is quite a big market for handheld gaming PCs. Now, there are a number of companies offering handheld PC gaming devices, including Windows-based alternatives. Now, Western Digital is offering its first SSD specifically for these systems. The new WD_Black SN770M is a smaller M.2 2230 SSD designed for …

The post The WD_Black SN770M is an affordable and speedy Steam Deck SSD upgrade first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
The Steam Deck has proven that there is quite a big market for handheld gaming PCs. Now, there are a number of companies offering handheld PC gaming devices, including Windows-based alternatives. Now, Western Digital is offering its first SSD specifically for these systems.

The new WD_Black SN770M is a smaller M.2 2230 SSD designed for use in handheld gaming PCs like the Steam Deck, ROG Ally or the upcoming Lenovo Legion Go.

The WD_Black SN770M uses TLC 3D NAND and PCIe 4.0 technology, it is also supports Microsoft DirectStorage, which speeds up loading times in supported games. The SSD will be available with up to 2TB capacity, with WD promising speeds up to 5,150MB/s in the 1TB and 2TB models.

The WD_BLACK SN770M NVMe SSD is available in 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB capacities and comes with Western Digital's 5-year limited warranty. Prices start at £70.99 for 500GB, £103.99 for 1TB and £198.99 for 2TB .

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Do many of you use a handheld gaming PC? Are you planning on upgrading it with a new SSD?

The post The WD_Black SN770M is an affordable and speedy Steam Deck SSD upgrade first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/matthew-wilson/the-wd_black-sn770m-is-an-affordable-and-speedy-steam-deck-ssd-upgrade/feed/ 0
WD unveils WD_Black C50 Expansion SSD for Xbox Series X/S consoles https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/wd-unveils-wd_black-c50-expansion-ssd-for-xbox-series-x-s-consoles/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/wd-unveils-wd_black-c50-expansion-ssd-for-xbox-series-x-s-consoles/#respond Tue, 06 Jun 2023 12:00:18 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=618612 Since the launch of the Xbox Series X, Seagate has been the exclusive provider of expanded storage for the console. That is now beginning to change, with WD unveiling the new WD_Black C50 expansion card for Xbox current-gen Xbox consoles. The WD_Black C50 expansion card offers up to 1TB of additional high-speed storage for your …

The post WD unveils WD_Black C50 Expansion SSD for Xbox Series X/S consoles first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Since the launch of the Xbox Series X, Seagate has been the exclusive provider of expanded storage for the console. That is now beginning to change, with WD unveiling the new WD_Black C50 expansion card for Xbox current-gen Xbox consoles.

The WD_Black C50 expansion card offers up to 1TB of additional high-speed storage for your console. These SSDs are required for new-gen only games, while older backwards-compatible Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox One games can be installed and run from an external HDD instead. The expansion cards slot neatly into the back of an Xbox Series X or Series S console.

Speaking on the launch, WD VP of global strategic partnerships, Susan Park, said: “With the introduction of the WD_BLACK C50 Expansion Card for Xbox, gamers can continue to enjoy their favourite games with more flexibility so they can focus on accomplishing their next mission or defeating their final boss.”

The SSD uses Microsoft's Velocity architecture, paving the way for better speeds for SSDs. Those who pick up the WD_Black C50 Expansion Card will also get a 1-month trial for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which grants you access to a library of Xbox titles for console and PC. Game Pass Ultimate also includes EA Play, so you'll have a good selection of EA titles to play too.

The WD_Black C50 Expansion Card for Xbox will be available starting today, priced at £89.99 for the 512GB version and £149.99 for the 1TB version.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: WD and Seagate now both offer Expansion Cards for the Xbox Series X/S consoles. Which one would you opt for?

The post WD unveils WD_Black C50 Expansion SSD for Xbox Series X/S consoles first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/wd-unveils-wd_black-c50-expansion-ssd-for-xbox-series-x-s-consoles/feed/ 0
WD Black SN850X with Heatsink 2TB SSD Review https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/simon-crisp/wd-black-sn850x-with-heatsink-2tb-ssd-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/simon-crisp/wd-black-sn850x-with-heatsink-2tb-ssd-review/#respond Wed, 02 Nov 2022 15:06:16 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=572590 WD is back with their latest M.2 SSD, and it's faster than ever

The post WD Black SN850X with Heatsink 2TB SSD Review first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
The latest member of WD's Black product line of Gen 4 SSDs is the new SN850X, a successor to the popular Black SN850 that launched a couple of years ago. The new drive uses 112-layer NAND and an updated controller. WD sent us the Heatsink version of the drive, which also features RGB lighting.

The SN850X is (at the time of writing this review) available in three capacities; 1TB, 2TB and a flagship 4TB version. There's also a version of the drive with a heatsink fitted but only for the 1TB and 2TB models (it's the 2TB Heatsink equipped SN850X that we are looking at here). Incidentally, the original SN850 was available in three capacities as well at launch, but starting at 500GB and topping out with a 2TB model

The details surrounding the controller at the time of writing are very thin on the ground (as usual with a WD controller) but at a guess, it's probably an updated version of the in-house G2 controller used in the Black SN850 and the SN770 for that matter. This time around in conjunction with BiCS5 112-layer 3D TLC NAND rather than the 96-layer BiCS4 NAND of the SN850.

When it comes to performance, the SN850X is rated at up to 7,300MB/s for Sequential reads across the board, which is 300MB/s faster than the SN850. Sequential write performance is quoted as up to 6,600MB/s for the 2TB and 4TB models and up to 6,300MB/s for the 1TB drive. That's a very healthy 1,000MB/s increase over the 1TB SN850 while there's an even more impressive 1,500MB/s bump up for the 2TB SN850X over the SN850.

Random read performance for the 4TB and 2TB SN850X is quoted as up to 1.2M IOPS with the 1TB drive making do with 800,000 IOPS. The drive is rated at 1.1M IOPS for all three drives for random writes. As with the Sequential performance these figures are a good deal quicker than the SN850; 2TB & 1TB 1M IOPS random reads, 2TB 710,000 IOPS & 1TB 720,000 IOPS random writes.

Endurance ratings for the SN850X are; 4TB 2,400TBW, 2TB 1,200TBW and 600TBW for the 1TB drive. The 1TB and 2TB figures are the same as the previous SN850. WD backs the drive with a 5-year warranty.

Physical Specifications:

  • Usable Capacities:  2TB.
  • NAND Components: BiCS5 -112-layer 3D TLC.
  • NAND Controller: WD.
  • Cache: 2GB LPDDR4.
  • Interface: PCIe Gen 4 x4, NVMe 1.4.
  • Form Factor: M.2 2280.
  • Dimensions: 80 x 23.4 x 8.8mm.
  • Drive Weight: 24g.

Firmware Version: 620281WD.

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here

The post WD Black SN850X with Heatsink 2TB SSD Review first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/simon-crisp/wd-black-sn850x-with-heatsink-2tb-ssd-review/feed/ 0
WD launches all-new WD_Black, SanDisk and Ultrastar SSDs for 2022 https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/matthew-wilson/wd-launches-all-new-wd_black-sandisk-and-ultrastar-ssds-for-2022/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/matthew-wilson/wd-launches-all-new-wd_black-sandisk-and-ultrastar-ssds-for-2022/#respond Mon, 09 May 2022 16:00:46 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=559945 Ahead of Computex next month, today Western Digital is hosting its own ‘What's next' digital event, showcasing all-new SSDs and storage devices for 2022. The new line-up includes new WD_Black SSDs, new creator-oriented storage from San Disk and a new ultra-high capacity Ultrastar SSD aimed at enterprise and datacentres.  We'll start off with what most …

The post WD launches all-new WD_Black, SanDisk and Ultrastar SSDs for 2022 first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Ahead of Computex next month, today Western Digital is hosting its own ‘What's next' digital event, showcasing all-new SSDs and storage devices for 2022. The new line-up includes new WD_Black SSDs, new creator-oriented storage from San Disk and a new ultra-high capacity Ultrastar SSD aimed at enterprise and datacentres. 

We'll start off with what most of you are here for – new WD_Black drives. First up, Western Digital is launching the SN850X PCIe 4 NVMe SSD, offering speeds of up to 7300 MB/s, in 1TB, 2TB and 4TB capacity. The SSD also supports Game Mode 2.0, which will increase performance in games, particularly when streaming or capturing footage on top of playing. Prices will start at $189.99 in the US once these SSDs start shipping in July.

Next up is the WD_Black P40 Game Drive SSD, the latest in a long range of console-oriented Game Drive products. The P40 features a USB 3.2 Gen2x2 interface, offering speeds of up to 2,000MB/s, which is very impressive for a portable SSD. The WD_Black P40 will be launching this summer, starting at $119.99 and available in 500GB, 1TB and 2TB capacities.

On the SanDisk side of things, WD has a new SanDisk Professional Pro-Blade modular SSD ecosystem on the way. Aimed at creators who need instant access to their media files, the Pro-Blade series includes portable SSDs and two SSD enclosures.

The two enclosures you have to choose from include the Pro-Blade Transport, which is designed to deliver fast speeds in a portably form factor, and the Pro-Blade Station, which is designed for desktop use. At the heart of each, you'll want to place up to four Pro-Blade SSD Mags, a versatile NVMe SSD designed to slot inside the enclosures and deliver up to 2000MB/s transfer speeds in the Transport enclosure, and even faster speeds in the desktop enclosure. The SSD mag will be available in 1TB, 2TB and 4TB capacities, with prices starting at $179.99.

Finally, the last big announcement we are covering today is the new WD Ultrastar NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD, available in capacities up to 15.36TB and using next-gen BiCS5 3D TLC NAND and a PCIe 4.0 interface. The SSD will be available in a 2.5-inch form factor for traditional infrastructure, as well as in the ruler E1.L form-factor.

All of WD's new SSD products will be available over the coming months. Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: What do you all think of WD's new line-up for 2022? Will you be looking to upgrade your PC's SSD this year? 

The post WD launches all-new WD_Black, SanDisk and Ultrastar SSDs for 2022 first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/matthew-wilson/wd-launches-all-new-wd_black-sandisk-and-ultrastar-ssds-for-2022/feed/ 0
WD Black SN770 1TB SSD Review https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/simon-crisp/wd-black-sn770-1tb-ssd-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/simon-crisp/wd-black-sn770-1tb-ssd-review/#respond Wed, 02 Feb 2022 17:00:31 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=548225 WD's latest PCIe 4.0 drive is here - we find out how it stacks up against the competition

The post WD Black SN770 1TB SSD Review first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
The latest addition to WD's Black gaming range of products is the Black SN770, a PCIe Gen 4 drive that uses a new controller and 112-layer TLC NAND. We put the 1TB model through its paces, priced at £142.99.

At launch, the WD Black SN770 range comprises four capacities; 250GB, 500GB, 1TB (the drive we are reviewing here) and the 2TB model. The drive uses a combination of a new 4-channel in-house controller, (details of which WD are keeping close to their chest) and 112-layer BiCS5 TLC NAND.

WD rate the 1TB drive for up to 5,150MB/s read and and up to 4,900MB/s write speeds. The 2TB model gets the same 5,150MB/s read figure with the 250GB and 500GB units rated at up to 4,000MB/s and 5,000MB/s respectively. As for sequential writes, the 2TB drive is quoted as up to 4,850MB/s, the 500GB model 4,000MB/s and the 250GB unit 2,000MB/s.

Random 4K performance is quoted as up to 740,000 IOPS and up to 800,000 IOPS for read and writes respectively for the 1TB Black SN770. The 500GB and 2TB drives get the same 800,000 IOPS write figure with the entry-level 250GB drive rated at up to 470,000 IOPS. The random 4K read ratings for the rest of the line-up are; 250GB 240,000 IOPS, 500GB 460,000 IOPS and 650,000 IOPS for the 2TB drive.

The endurance figure for the 1TB SN770 is 600TBW with the 250GB drive rated at 200TBW, the 500GB model 300TBW and 1200TBW for the 2TB drive. WD backs the drive range with a 5-year warranty.

Physical Specifications:

  • Usable Capacities: 1TB.
  • NAND Components: 112-layer BiCS5 TLC NAND.
  • NAND Controller: WD 4-channel.
  • Cache: none.
  • Interface: PCIe 4 Gen 4.
  • Form Factor: M.2, 2280
  • Dimensions: 80 x 22 x 2.38mm.
  • Weight: 5.5g.

Firmware Version: 731030WD

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here

The post WD Black SN770 1TB SSD Review first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/simon-crisp/wd-black-sn770-1tb-ssd-review/feed/ 0
More PS5-compatible SSDs announced from WD and Gigabyte https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/matthew-wilson/more-ps5-compatible-ssds-announced-from-wd-and-gigabyte/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/matthew-wilson/more-ps5-compatible-ssds-announced-from-wd-and-gigabyte/#respond Tue, 03 Aug 2021 17:34:51 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=525821 Earlier this week, Sony revealed that PS5 beta testers would soon be able to expand the console's storage via the M.2 SSD slot. Seagate was quick to confirm that its PCIe 4.0 SSDs meet the requirements for the console and now, Western Digital and Gigabyte Aorus have followed suit. Western Digital's SN850 PCIe 4 Gen …

The post More PS5-compatible SSDs announced from WD and Gigabyte first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Earlier this week, Sony revealed that PS5 beta testers would soon be able to expand the console's storage via the M.2 SSD slot. Seagate was quick to confirm that its PCIe 4.0 SSDs meet the requirements for the console and now, Western Digital and Gigabyte Aorus have followed suit.

Western Digital's SN850 PCIe 4 Gen 4 SSD will be compatible with the PlayStation 5, allowing users to expand storage by up to 2TB. The Seagate FireCuda 530 series of PCIe Gen 4 SSDs are also supported, available in capacities up to 4TB.

Finally, Gigabyte Aorus has announced that its Gen 4 7000 series M.2 SSDs are also PS5-ready. We should start to see many more PCIe 4.0 SSDs announced as PS5-compatible in the weeks to come as well, as Sony has revealed its specification requirements, which call for at least 5,500MB/s speeds and an M.2 form-factor measuring in at up to 22mm wide and if a heatsink is used, it can't make the SSD any taller than 11.25mm.

The PS5 will support M.2 SSDs up to 4TB in size, although getting a fast enough SSD with that capacity can cost much more than the console itself.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Do any of you own a PS5? Are you planning to pick up a new M.2 SSD to expand console storage? 

The post More PS5-compatible SSDs announced from WD and Gigabyte first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/matthew-wilson/more-ps5-compatible-ssds-announced-from-wd-and-gigabyte/feed/ 0
WD Black P50 Game Drive SSD 1TB Review https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/simon-crisp/wd-black-p50-game-drive-ssd-1tb-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/simon-crisp/wd-black-p50-game-drive-ssd-1tb-review/#respond Mon, 22 Mar 2021 09:47:54 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=505912 WD's P50 gave us some problems - but is it still worth buying?

The post WD Black P50 Game Drive SSD 1TB Review first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
WD's Black P50 Game Drive SSD combines an NVMe PCIe Gen 3 SSD with a USB 3.2 x2 (20Gb/s) interface, all housed inside a durable and shock-resistant enclosure. Priced around £220 for the 1TB model, what sort of performance is on offer for your money?

The WD Black P50 Game Drive line-up comprises four capacities; the entry level 500GB drive, 1TB (the drive we are looking at here), 2TB and a flagship 4TB model. Internally the drive uses a WD Black SN750 M.2 NVMe drive along with an ASMedia bridging controller. WD quote Sequential performance across the drive range as up to 2,000MB/s for both read and writes.

WD don't state and endurance rating for the P50 but the 1TB Black 750 drive inside it has a 600TBW rating and WD back the P50 with a five year warranty.

Physical Specifications:

  • Usable Capacities: 1TB.
  • NAND Components: SanDisk 64-layer 3D TLC.
  • Interface: USB Gen 3.2 x2.
  • Form Factor: External.
  • NAND Controller: WD.
  • Dimensions: 118 x 65 x 14mm.
  • Drive Weight: 115g.

Firmware Version: 1003.

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here

The post WD Black P50 Game Drive SSD 1TB Review first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/simon-crisp/wd-black-p50-game-drive-ssd-1tb-review/feed/ 0
WD Black SN850 1TB NVMe PCIe Gen 4 SSD price slashed by over £80 https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/matthew-wilson/wd-black-sn850-1tb-nvme-pcie-gen-4-ssd-price-slashed-by-over-80/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/matthew-wilson/wd-black-sn850-1tb-nvme-pcie-gen-4-ssd-price-slashed-by-over-80/#respond Wed, 03 Mar 2021 13:44:42 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=506359 Western Digital was amongst the first SSD makers to jump on PCIe Gen 4 with a series of WD_Black NVMe M.2 SSDs. If you're looking to make the jump to faster PCIe 4.0 SSD speeds, then now is an excellent time, as 1TB and 500GB WD_Black SN850 models are currently discounted. We reviewed the WD_Black …

The post WD Black SN850 1TB NVMe PCIe Gen 4 SSD price slashed by over £80 first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Western Digital was amongst the first SSD makers to jump on PCIe Gen 4 with a series of WD_Black NVMe M.2 SSDs. If you're looking to make the jump to faster PCIe 4.0 SSD speeds, then now is an excellent time, as 1TB and 500GB WD_Black SN850 models are currently discounted.

We reviewed the WD_Black SN850 1TB NVMe SSD late last year, giving it our ‘MUST HAVE' award and praising it for its performance. When plugged into a PCIe 4.0 capable motherboard, the SN850 is capable of sequential read/write speeds of7000MB/s and 5300MB/s respectively.

If you are looking to upgrade to a PCIe Gen 4 SSD, then it is worth checking Amazon UK. Right now, the 1TB WD_Black SN850 has dropped to £179.99.

This is the version of the SSD without a heatsink, which is the same version we tested back in December. You can find that full review HERE. Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Have any of you upgraded to a PCIe Gen 4 capable system already? Will you be picking up PCIe 4.0 SSD to go with it? 

The post WD Black SN850 1TB NVMe PCIe Gen 4 SSD price slashed by over £80 first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/matthew-wilson/wd-black-sn850-1tb-nvme-pcie-gen-4-ssd-price-slashed-by-over-80/feed/ 0
WD Black D50 Game Dock 1TB Review https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/simon-crisp/wd-black-d50-game-dock-1tb-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/simon-crisp/wd-black-d50-game-dock-1tb-review/#respond Thu, 04 Feb 2021 11:12:29 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=502623 We check out the D50 Game Dock from WD - the perfect addition to your gaming setup?

The post WD Black D50 Game Dock 1TB Review first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
WD's Black D50 Game Dock combines a fast NVMe M.2 SSD with a Thunderbolt 3 interface and adds more ports than you can shake a stick at. No gaming product is complete without RGB lighting these days either, so WD has even added some LEDs to the Game Dock. Can it justify the £430 asking price?

The WD Black D50 Game Dock comes (at the time of writing) in two capacities, 1TB and 2TB. WD quotes read/write speeds for the D50 of up to 3,000MB/s and 2,500MB/s respectively. Using the CrystalDiskInfo tool we find that the drive inside the D50 is recognised as a WD SN730 drive, which uses an in-house controller and BiCS4 96-Layer TLC 3D NAND.

As well as the pair of Thunderbolt 3 ports there are three USB 3.2 Gen2 (10Gb/s) Type-A ports and a pair of USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C ports. On top of these, you also get a single DisplayPort 1.4 port together with single Audio in/out port and a Gigabit Ethernet port. The D50 uses a 180W adapter for power which enables one of the Thunderbolt 3 ports to support 87 Watt pass-through charging for a laptop.

There are no endurance figures for the D50 Game Dock on the spec sheet but the 1TB model of the SN730 drive that is used internally has a rating of 400TBW. WD backs the Black D50 Game Dock with a 5-year warranty.

Physical Specifications:

  • Usable Capacities: 1TB.
  • NAND Components: BiCS4 96-Layer TLC 3D NAND.
  • NAND Controller: WD in-house.
  • Interface: Thunderbolt 3.
  • Other ports:  3 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A, 2 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C,  1 x DisplayPort 1.4 port, 1 x Audio in/out, 1 x Gigabit Ethernet.
  • Form Factor: External Drive.
  • Dimensions: 120 x 120 x 55mm.
  • Drive Weight: 0.53Kg.

Firmware Version: 111110WD.

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here

The post WD Black D50 Game Dock 1TB Review first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/simon-crisp/wd-black-d50-game-dock-1tb-review/feed/ 0
KitGuru Advent Calendar Day 19: Win a WD_Black P50 1TB portable NVMe SSD! (closed) https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/competitions/matthew-wilson/kitguru-advent-calendar-day-19-win-a-wd_black-p50-1tb-portable-nvme-ssd/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/competitions/matthew-wilson/kitguru-advent-calendar-day-19-win-a-wd_black-p50-1tb-portable-nvme-ssd/#respond Sat, 19 Dec 2020 10:00:07 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=498795 For Day 19 of the KitGuru Advent Calendar 2020, we’re teaming up with Western Digital to give away THREE WD_Black P50 1TB NVMe SSDs! These are portable NVMe SSDs with future-proof performance for both PC and consoles. 

The post KitGuru Advent Calendar Day 19: Win a WD_Black P50 1TB portable NVMe SSD! (closed) first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Update (20/12/20): This competition is now CLOSED. Thanks to all who entered, our winners today are Marcel Kieven, Simon Ainslie and Gavin Sykes. If you missed out this time, then keep an eye out as we have a new giveaway each day through Christmas. Our day 20 competition can be found HERE

For Day 19 of the KitGuru Advent Calendar 2020, we’re teaming up with Western Digital to give away THREE WD_Black P50 1TB NVMe SSDs! These are portable NVMe SSDs with future-proof performance for both PC and consoles. 

The WD_Black P50 is a portable NVMe SSD, compatible with both PC and consoles. With read speeds of up to 2000MB/s and 1TB of storage, the P50 is the perfect solution for taking your games on the go.

Entering this giveaway is simple, all you need to do is head over to THIS POST on our Facebook page and leave a comment. We plan to have a new discussion topic each day, today we are asking you guys to tell us – what is the first game you would install on this SSD? This competition is open to Europe.

The winners will be picked at random by 10am December 20th, and a new competition will also be announced for Day 20.

Terms and Conditions: This competition is open in Europe, starting at 10AM on December 19th and ending at 9:59AM on December 20th. Due to the busy Christmas season and the COVID-19 situation, prize deliveries could take longer than usual. In compliance with GDPR, we will not collect or store any personal information as part of this competition. Once the winner has been contacted and their prize received, personal details will be deleted from our email servers. Your details will not be shared, we respect your privacy.

KitGuru Says: Good luck to everyone entering today’s competition! We’ll be back to announce the winner tomorrow morning and open the door for Advent Calendar Day 20!

The post KitGuru Advent Calendar Day 19: Win a WD_Black P50 1TB portable NVMe SSD! (closed) first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/competitions/matthew-wilson/kitguru-advent-calendar-day-19-win-a-wd_black-p50-1tb-portable-nvme-ssd/feed/ 0
WD Black SN850 1TB SSD Review https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/simon-crisp/wd-black-sn850-1tb-ssd-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/simon-crisp/wd-black-sn850-1tb-ssd-review/#respond Fri, 04 Dec 2020 14:49:34 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=495299 We check out the first PCIe 4.0 drive from WD... and it's a cracker!

The post WD Black SN850 1TB SSD Review first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
The latest addition to WD's ever-growing range of Black performance and gaming products is the SN850 NVMe M.2 SSD. The new drive is the company's first foray into the PCIe Gen 4 market segment. We check out the 1TB model, priced at £210 here in the UK.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Start
00:13 A Gift for me ?
00:28 A letter from Simon Crisp (KitGuru SSD editor)
01:18 Hardware recap
02:23 The SN850 Gen 4 Black
03:34 January’s possible update (with heatsink)
03:50 More details / AMD platform / reviewers guide
04:59 Testing and results
06:43 Simons results and closing thoughts

WD's new drive comes in three capacities at the time of writing – 500GB, 1TB and a 2TB flagship model. The drive uses a combination of an in-house WD G2 controller and 96-layer BiCS4 3D NAND. The SN850 was launched as a standard M.2 2280 drive, but coming along at a later date will be a version with an RGB-equipped heatsink, in a similar vein to the previous SN750, although that one didn't have fancy lights in it.

Sequential read performance for all three drives is quoted as up to 7,000MB/s while Sequential writes vary with capacities. The 500GB drive is rated as up to 4,100MB/s, the 1TB drive 5,300MB/s (the fastest write speed in the range) and the 2TB model 5,100MB/s.

Random read performance is quoted as up to 800,000 IOPS for the 500GB with the 1TB and 2TB drives are rated up to 1,000,000 IOPS, yep that's a million IOPS. As for random writes, the 500GB drive is rated up to 570,000 IOPS, the 1TB drive 720,000 IOPS with the 2TB drive a little slower at up to 710,000 IOPS.

Endurance for the 1TB drive we are reviewing here is quoted as up to 600TBW. Incidentally, the 500GB drive is rated as 300TBW and the 2TB drive 1,200TBW. WD back the SN850 with a 5-year warranty.

Physical Specifications:

  • Usable Capacities: 1TB.
  • NAND Components: WD 96-layer BiCS4 3D NAND.
  • NAND Controller: WD Black G2.
  • Cache: 1GB DDR4 DRAM.
  • Interface: PCIe 4.0, NVMe
  • Form Factor: M.2 2280.
  • Dimensions: 22.15 x 80.15 x 2.38mm.
  • Drive Weight: 7.5g.

Firmware Version: 611100WD.

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here

The post WD Black SN850 1TB SSD Review first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/simon-crisp/wd-black-sn850-1tb-ssd-review/feed/ 0
Western Digital launches trio of high-speed WD Black Gaming SSDs https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/matthew-wilson/western-digital-launches-trio-of-high-speed-wd-black-gaming-ssds/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/matthew-wilson/western-digital-launches-trio-of-high-speed-wd-black-gaming-ssds/#respond Thu, 08 Oct 2020 12:00:39 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=489124 The Western Digital Black series of storage devices has long been a favourite amongst enthusiasts and gaming PC builders. This week, the WD Black portfolio is getting some big upgrades, including three new NVMe SSDs, pushing PCIe 4.0 speeds to their limits.  First up is the WD Black SN850 NVMe SSD, designed to bring out …

The post Western Digital launches trio of high-speed WD Black Gaming SSDs first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
The Western Digital Black series of storage devices has long been a favourite amongst enthusiasts and gaming PC builders. This week, the WD Black portfolio is getting some big upgrades, including three new NVMe SSDs, pushing PCIe 4.0 speeds to their limits. 

First up is the WD Black SN850 NVMe SSD, designed to bring out the very best performance possible with the PCIe 4.0 interface. You can expect read/write speeds of up to 7000/5300 MB/s on the 1TB model. This SSD uses Western Digital's new WD Black G2 controller, optimised for gaming workloads rather than NAS or server environments. There are two versions of this SSD, one with a heatsink to tackle thermal throttling and one without – in-case your motherboard already includes an M.2 heat shield solution.

Next up on the list is the new WD Black AN1500 NVMe SSD add-in card. This is for gamers “looking to achieve next-gen performance in a current-gen setup”. This takes two drives in RAID 0 and slots into a PCIe Gen 3 x8 slot and from there, you can expect read/write speeds of up to 6500/4100 MB/s. There are 1TB, 2TB and 4TB models, with prices starting at $299.99.

Finally, the WD Black D50 Game Dock NVMe SSD is a new form of external SSD. The dock hooks up to a Thunderbolt 3-capable laptop, giving you the option of speedy, external storage for a gaming laptop setup. The dock offers NVMe speeds and has additional ports that can be powered by the single Thunderbolt 3 connection, acting as a hub for other USB devices too, like game controllers.

The WD Black SN850 NVMe SSD (non-heatsink) will be available starting this month, while the heatsink-equipped version will be shipping in Q1 2021- pricing starts at £129.99 for 500GB and goes up to 2TB in capacity. The WD Black AN1500 NVMe SSD add-in card is available now for £228.99, while the WD Black D50 Game Dock (with SSD) is up for pre-order for £429.99. A non SSD version of the Game Dock is coming too, starting at £279.99

KitGuru Says: What do you all think of the latest WD Black SSDs? Are you on the lookout for an upgrade soon? 

The post Western Digital launches trio of high-speed WD Black Gaming SSDs first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/matthew-wilson/western-digital-launches-trio-of-high-speed-wd-black-gaming-ssds/feed/ 0
IFA 2019: LEO checks out new drives from Western Digital and SanDisk https://www.kitguru.net/components/hard-drives/matthew-wilson/ifa-2019-leo-checks-out-new-drives-from-western-digital-and-sandisk/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/hard-drives/matthew-wilson/ifa-2019-leo-checks-out-new-drives-from-western-digital-and-sandisk/#respond Sat, 07 Sep 2019 13:37:31 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=424791 At IFA this week, LEO had the chance to check out all of the latest hard drives and SSDs coming from both Western Digital and SanDisk. There are a bunch of external ‘Game Drives' aimed at consoles in capacities up to 8TB, in addition to a new WD Black NVMe SSD. On the SanDisk side, …

The post IFA 2019: LEO checks out new drives from Western Digital and SanDisk first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
At IFA this week, LEO had the chance to check out all of the latest hard drives and SSDs coming from both Western Digital and SanDisk. There are a bunch of external ‘Game Drives' aimed at consoles in capacities up to 8TB, in addition to a new WD Black NVMe SSD. On the SanDisk side, we have new SD Cards, flash drives and a Qi wireless charger that also backs up your phone's photos/videos and contacts.

Western Digital's big showcase was the new range of WD Black Game Drives for consoles. The Black P10 Game Drive hits 2TB, 3TB, 4TB and 5TB capacities and uses a USB 3.2 Gen 1 interface for connectivity. The Black P50 Game Drive is an SSD rather than a HDD, hitting capacities up to 2TB using a USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface for speeds of up to 1980MB/s. The Black D10 Game Drive can go all the way up to 12TB with 7,200 RPM speeds. It is externally powered and has two extra USB ports for charging other devices.

Finally for the PC crowd, there is a WD Black SN750 M.2 NVMe SSD on the way in 250GB, 500GB, 1TB and 2TB capacities. It is PCIe Gen 3 rather than Gen 4 though, so expect speeds to be around the 2000MB/s mark. The MyPassport series of external HDDs now also go up to 5TB.

SanDisk is focusing on expandable storage this year. The SanDisk Extreme Pro CFexpress Card Type B is due to launch this year in capacities up to 512GB with read/write speeds of 1700MB/s and 1400MB/s respectively. If you need a bit more SD card space, then the SanDisk Extreme Pro SD UHS-I comes with 1TB of storage.

The SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive Go aims to add more storage to iOS devices. The SanDisk iXpand Wireless Charger is a Qi wireless charger with Bluetooth for Android and iOS devices, giving you the opportunity to juice up and back up your files.

KitGuru Says: I'm sure we'll be taking a deeper look at some of these storage devices in the months to come. Is there anything here that has piqued your interest?

The post IFA 2019: LEO checks out new drives from Western Digital and SanDisk first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/components/hard-drives/matthew-wilson/ifa-2019-leo-checks-out-new-drives-from-western-digital-and-sandisk/feed/ 0
Win WD Blue SSDs and Ubisoft Game Codes! https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/competitions/andrzej/win-wd-blue-ssds-and-ubisoft-game-codes/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/competitions/andrzej/win-wd-blue-ssds-and-ubisoft-game-codes/#comments Tue, 20 Jun 2017 09:19:41 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=337328 To celebrate the launch of its latest high-end SATA SSD, WD is running an exclusive competition with KitGuru!

The post Win WD Blue SSDs and Ubisoft Game Codes! first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
To celebrate the launch of its latest high-end SATA SSD, WD is running an exclusive competition with KitGuru. The first prize is a 500GB WD Blue drive with two second place prizes of 250GB Blue drives and a host of Ubisoft Game Codes for the runners-up. With peak read performance in the region of 545MB/sec and a three year warranty – these drives would be perfect for a new system build or a complete refresh on an older system. For your chance to win one of these impressive drives or a Ubisoft Game Code, read on!

With the WD Blue drive, the world's largest storage manufacturer is aiming to redefine the standard for performance and reliability. Each Blue drive is guaranteed to deliver up to 400TBW in terms of endurance – and the mean time between failures is 1.75 million hours (close to one error in 200 years!).

Buy a selected WD Blue SSD from eBuyer, Scan, Box or Novatech before 15th July 2017 and you will automatically get a code to download a free copy of Tom Claney's Ghost Recon Wildlands. This is the graphic you should be looking for to get the special deal.

Alongside the Blue drive, WD also offers a Green drive for mainstream applications and a Black drive – which includes the latest NVMe innovations.

How to enter?

Simply email competitions2017[at]kitguru.net with the answer to these 3 questions before 27th June 2017:-

  1. Who is the world's largest storage manufacturer?
  2. What is the mean time between failures (MTBF) for a WD Blue SSD?
  3. What is the peak Read Speed for the WD Blue SSD?

It's that simple! A winner will be chosen and announced within 21 days of the closing date.

KitGuru says: Standard KitGuru rules apply – so please include a contact number and a link to your Facebook page when you enter. The winners will be announced on 27th June, there is no cash alternative and the editor's decision is final. Remember: We will never share your data with a 3rd party.  GOOD LUCK!

 

The post Win WD Blue SSDs and Ubisoft Game Codes! first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/competitions/andrzej/win-wd-blue-ssds-and-ubisoft-game-codes/feed/ 8
Western Digital Black PCIe Gen3x4 NVMe 512GB SSD Review https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/simon-crisp/western-digital-black-pcie-gen3x4-nvme-512gb-ssd-review/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/simon-crisp/western-digital-black-pcie-gen3x4-nvme-512gb-ssd-review/#comments Fri, 19 May 2017 07:32:12 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=327565 The WD Black PCIe drive is as it says on the tin a PCIe drive - and a PCIe Gen3 x4 one at that.

The post Western Digital Black PCIe Gen3x4 NVMe 512GB SSD Review first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
The first results of the WD acquisition of SanDisk, the WD Blue and Green SSD range didn't exactly set the world on fire but WD's latest SSD drive is a whole new ball game. The WD Black PCIe drive is as it says on the tin a PCIe drive – and a PCIe Gen3 x4 one at that.

Built on a single sided 2280 format, the latest addition the WD's famous Black range of performance drives uses a PCIe Gen3 x4 interface and NVMe architecture with a combination of a Marvell controller and SanDisk 15mn TLC Planer NAND.  The new drive is only available in two capacities at present; 256GB and 512GB.

WD quote performance figures for the drives as up to 2,050MB/s for reads and up to 800MB/s writes for the 512GB drive while the 256GB drive has the same read figure with the writes dropping further back to 700MB/s. Random 4K performance is quoted as 170,000 IOPS and 134,000 IOPS for read and writes respectively. The 256GB drive has the same IOP figure for reads with the writes dropping to 130,000 IOPS.

Endurance for the 512GB version is quoted at 160TBW while the 256GB is 80TBW. WD back the drives with a 5-year warranty.

Physical Specifications:
Usable Capacities: 256GB, 512GB
NAND Components: SanDisk 15nm TLC NAND
Interface: PCIe Gen3.0 x4 (NVMe)
Form Factor: M.2 2280
NAND Controller: Marvell 88S1093
Dimensions: 22 x 80 x 2.2mm
Drive Weight: 7.2g

Firmware Version: B35200WD

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here

The post Western Digital Black PCIe Gen3x4 NVMe 512GB SSD Review first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/simon-crisp/western-digital-black-pcie-gen3x4-nvme-512gb-ssd-review/feed/ 3
Western Digital launches WD Black PCIe SSDs https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/matthew-wilson/western-digital-launches-wd-black-pcie-ssds/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/matthew-wilson/western-digital-launches-wd-black-pcie-ssds/#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2017 18:20:07 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=316825 Western Digital has been expanding into the SSD market throughout 2016 and it looks like the company wants to take things even further this year as this week, WD unveiled its first ever PCIe SSDs at CES, expanding the current lineup which already includes WD Green and WD Blue branded SATA SSDs. These new PCIe …

The post Western Digital launches WD Black PCIe SSDs first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Western Digital has been expanding into the SSD market throughout 2016 and it looks like the company wants to take things even further this year as this week, WD unveiled its first ever PCIe SSDs at CES, expanding the current lineup which already includes WD Green and WD Blue branded SATA SSDs. These new PCIe SSDs will fall under the WD Black name, making them recognisable as the fastest the company has to offer for now.

The WD Black PCIe SSD uses Gen3 x4 NVMe technology, which is capable of providing sequential read speeds up to three times faster than traditional SATA solid state drives. This particular drive will come in two capacities- 256GB and 512GB, making it a great option for an ultra-fast boot drive, or as secondary storage.

wd-black

You can expect some pretty fast performance here too, with the WD Black PCIe drive rated for 2050 MB/s sequential read speeds and 800 MB/s sequential write speeds. As far as reliability goes, this drive is rated to last for 1.75 million hours of use. Western Digital has also developed new thermal and power management methods aimed to provide more consistent performance and lengthen the drive's lifespan.

Pricing is fairly reasonable too, the new WD Black will start at $109.99 for the 256GB version and $200 for the 512GB version. Both come with five-year warranties and will be available to purchase within the next few months.

KitGuru Says: WD Black drives have been a personal favourite of mine for mass storage/game installs for a while now. That said, these drives would make much more sense as a boot drive due to the smaller capacities. Are any of you thinking of upgrading to a faster PCIe-based SSD this year? I'm a little tempted to make the upgrade from SATA myself.

The post Western Digital launches WD Black PCIe SSDs first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/components/ssd-drives/matthew-wilson/western-digital-launches-wd-black-pcie-ssds/feed/ 7
WD rolls-out its ‘fastest’ external storage solution with Thunderbolt 2 interface https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/anton-shilov/wd-rolls-out-its-fastest-external-storage-solution-with-thunderbolt-2-interface/ https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/anton-shilov/wd-rolls-out-its-fastest-external-storage-solution-with-thunderbolt-2-interface/#respond Thu, 03 Sep 2015 23:51:17 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=266218 Western Digital Corp. this week introduced its all-new My Book Pro storage device with up to 12TB capacity, which is claimed to be the company’s highest-performing external storage solution based on hard disk drives. The new My Book Pro relies on Thunderbolt 2 or USB 3.0 interfaces. The new WD My Book Pro storage device …

The post WD rolls-out its ‘fastest’ external storage solution with Thunderbolt 2 interface first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Western Digital Corp. this week introduced its all-new My Book Pro storage device with up to 12TB capacity, which is claimed to be the company’s highest-performing external storage solution based on hard disk drives. The new My Book Pro relies on Thunderbolt 2 or USB 3.0 interfaces.

The new WD My Book Pro storage device is powered by two WD Red or WD Black hard disk drives with 7200rpm spindle speed as well as a hardware RAID controller that supports hot-swapping of HDDs. The hard drives can work in RAID 0 (stripe) or RAID 1 (mirror) modes, thus offering either very high capacity and data transfer rates or exceptional fault tolerance. The new My Book Pro can offer 6TB, 8TB, 10TB and 12TB capacities.

wd_my_book_pro_mybook_hdd_external_2

Maximum data-rate supported by the new WD My Book Pro is 435MB/s. The storage solution uses USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt 2 interfaces with maximum 5Gb/s and 20Gb/s data-rates, respectively. In a bid to plug the device to modern PCs with USB 3.1 or Thunderbolt 3 connectors special adapters will be needed.

“The My Book Pro device has been designed from the ground up for the creative professional workflow,” said Sven Rathjen, vice president of marketing for WD's content solutions business. “We have been able to take the newest, highest capacity 6TB 7200rpm drives on the market and marry them with leading technologies to deliver a product you can leverage from the moment you connect it. It really is designed to perform under the most demanding environments.”

wd_my_book_pro_mybook_hdd_external

The My Book Pro storage device is covered by a three-year limited warranty and is available from the WD and select retailers and distributors. Manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) will be $599 for the 6TB, $749 for the 8TB, $899 for the 10TB and $999 for the 12 TB.

wd_my_book_pro_mybook_hdd_external_4

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: While 435MB/s is hardly a breakthrough performance by today’s standards, it is still pretty high data-rate for an external storage device. Higher performance solutions are available (for example, from WD Corp.’s G-Technology), but they are based on solid-state drives or multiple HDDs and naturally cost dramatically higher than the My Book Pro.

The post WD rolls-out its ‘fastest’ external storage solution with Thunderbolt 2 interface first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/peripherals/anton-shilov/wd-rolls-out-its-fastest-external-storage-solution-with-thunderbolt-2-interface/feed/ 0
WD introduces high-performance 5TB and 6TB HDDs for consumers https://www.kitguru.net/components/hard-drives/anton-shilov/western-digital-introduces-high-performance-5tb-and-6tb-hdds-for-consumers/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/hard-drives/anton-shilov/western-digital-introduces-high-performance-5tb-and-6tb-hdds-for-consumers/#respond Tue, 18 Aug 2015 20:23:16 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=263930 Western Digital Corp. on Tuesday introduced its new WD Black hard disk drives with 5TB and 6TB capacities. The new HDDs are designed for consumers and creative professionals who require both high performance and high-capacity. In fact, the WD Black 6TB will be the company’s highest-performing consumer-class hard disk drive with extreme capacity. The new-generation …

The post WD introduces high-performance 5TB and 6TB HDDs for consumers first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Western Digital Corp. on Tuesday introduced its new WD Black hard disk drives with 5TB and 6TB capacities. The new HDDs are designed for consumers and creative professionals who require both high performance and high-capacity. In fact, the WD Black 6TB will be the company’s highest-performing consumer-class hard disk drive with extreme capacity.

The new-generation WD Black 6TB and 5TB hard disk drives come in 3.5” form-factor, feature 7200rpm spindle speed, 128MB cache and Serial ATA-6Gb/s interface. The new hard disk drives from Western Digital not only feature more platters than the predecessors and higher capacity, but are also based on a brand-new dual-core processor that enables higher performance compared to previous-gen WD Black HDDs.

According to WD, the new WD6001FZWX and the new WD5001FZWX hard disk drives are 29 per cent faster than the previous WD Black 4TB version in maximum data rate throughput and 10% faster in PCMark Vantage.

wdc_caviar_black_hdd_2_550

“Combining maximum system performance with generous capacity, the expansion of WD Black to 6 TB allows gamers, enthusiasts and creatives to push the boundaries of personalization without compromise,” said Cindi Grace, senior vice president of WD storage technology group. “In choosing WD Black hard drives, WD desktop customers get the best possible mix of capacity, performance and reliability to handle intense desktop computing with ease.”

Western Digital did not reveal the amount of platters inside its new drives or their technology, but it is highly likely that the new HDDs use latest-generation perpendicular magnetic recording to guarantee maximum performance.

The new generation WD Black hard disk drives are already available through select resellers. Manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) for the WD Black 5TB drive is $264 and the WD Black 6TB drive costs $294. The drives feature five-year limited warranty.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: If you are in the market for a high-performance large-capacity HDD, then WD’s new FZWX-series hard drives are obvious candidates to consider.

The post WD introduces high-performance 5TB and 6TB HDDs for consumers first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/components/hard-drives/anton-shilov/western-digital-introduces-high-performance-5tb-and-6tb-hdds-for-consumers/feed/ 0
WD to demo 4TB hybrid hard drive with SATA Express interface https://www.kitguru.net/components/hard-drives/anton-shilov/wd-to-demo-4tb-hybrid-hard-drive-with-sata-express-interface/ https://www.kitguru.net/components/hard-drives/anton-shilov/wd-to-demo-4tb-hybrid-hard-drive-with-sata-express-interface/#comments Sun, 04 Jan 2015 03:30:10 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=228775 Western Digital on Friday announced that it will demonstrate its first 4TB solid-state hybrid drive (SSHD) with Serial ATA Express interface at the Storage Visions 2015 conference. The new device will hit the market later this year and will be another attempt of WD to wed SSD-like performance with HDD-like capacity. WD’s prototype 4TB SSHD features …

The post WD to demo 4TB hybrid hard drive with SATA Express interface first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
Western Digital on Friday announced that it will demonstrate its first 4TB solid-state hybrid drive (SSHD) with Serial ATA Express interface at the Storage Visions 2015 conference. The new device will hit the market later this year and will be another attempt of WD to wed SSD-like performance with HDD-like capacity.

WD’s prototype 4TB SSHD features rotating magnetic media, up to 128GB solid-state drive as well as the SATA Express interface with 1GB/s or even 2GB/s bandwidth. Thanks to improved SSD and interface, the new SSHD can score 4459 points in PCMark8 benchmark, according to the manufacturer. This is not the first time when Western Digital shows off its 4TB SSHD, but this time the prototype will be closer to the final product than it was in mid-2014.

wd_black2
WD Black², current generation SSHD from Western Digital

The SATA Express is the next-generation interface for storage devices that relies on the PCI Express 2.0 (5GT/s) or the PCI Express 3.0 (8GT/s) protocols and which sports maximum bandwidth of 1GB/s (PCIe 2.0) or even 2GB/s (in case of the PCIe 3.0). The SATAe can support existing Serial ATA devices in addition to native devices.

Thanks to increased bandwidth provided by the SATAe interface, the SSD part of WD’s solid-state hybrid drive will operate much faster than the same part of current-gen SSHDs. However, the main problem of all hybrid hard drives is that they do not fit a lot of data into its NAND flash memory. As a consequence, when a chunk of data is located on the magnetic media, performance of SSHDs drops to levels of traditional HDDs.

“We see the industry moving toward simplification of the overall PC subsystem to a single storage bus based around the PCIe protocol. In this demo, we placed a hard drive, flash NAND and SATAe technology into one package, freeing up one slot in the system and simplifying how our customers could create and maintain such an advanced storage solution,” said Gary Meister, senior vice president of engineering at WD. “When our customers ask us to move to the next storage bus, we will have done all the necessary work to be ready to support the move.”

wd_black2_1
WD Black², current generation SSHD from Western Digital

The two WD SATA Express interface demonstrations at Storage Visions 2015 will include commercially available motherboards from WD partners Asrock and Gigabyte Technology. The current mainboards support SATAe interface thanks to special add-on chips.

Later this year Intel Corp. will introduce its code-named “Skylake” microprocessors and 100-series chipsets that will support the SATA Express technology natively.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Several months ago Seagate Technology indicated that demand for its SSHDs finally started to grow rapidly after years of stagnation. It will be very interesting to see whether increased performance (benchmark results, to be more precise) of SATAe-enabled SSHDs will drive demand for them.

The post WD to demo 4TB hybrid hard drive with SATA Express interface first appeared on KitGuru.]]>
https://www.kitguru.net/components/hard-drives/anton-shilov/wd-to-demo-4tb-hybrid-hard-drive-with-sata-express-interface/feed/ 7