For weeks, I’ve been putting the WD_BLACK SN850 NVMe SSD (WDBBKW0020BBK-WRSN) 2TB through its paces. This PCIe Gen4 drive promises blistering speeds and robust performance, and I was eager to see if it lived up to the hype, especially considering its compatibility with the Playstation 5. My testing involved a variety of tasks, from gaming and video editing to large file transfers. Here’s my detailed review.

The WD_BLACK SN850 immediately impresses with its sleek, low-profile design. The included heatsink is a welcome addition, especially given the drive’s potential for high temperatures under sustained heavy loads. The customizable RGB lighting, controlled via the WD_BLACK Dashboard software, adds a nice touch for PC builders who appreciate aesthetic customization. The ease of installation was also a significant plus; it slid effortlessly into my motherboard’s M.2 slot.

In terms of raw performance, the SN850 delivers. Sequential read speeds consistently hit the advertised 7GB/s, allowing for near-instantaneous loading times in games. Write speeds, while slightly lower than the read speeds (around 4.1GB/s), are still incredibly fast for this capacity. I noticed a significant improvement in load times for games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Elden Ring compared to my previous SATA SSD. Large file transfers were also completed significantly faster, which is a boon for anyone working with large video files or software packages. The drive remained remarkably cool even during extended gaming sessions, thanks to the effective heatsink.

However, it is important to note that the performance, while excellent, may not show a night-and-day difference compared to similar high-end PCIe 4.0 NVMe drives. The difference would be more significant when compared to SATA SSDs or HDDs.

Pros:

• Blazing-fast read and write speeds.
• Effective heatsink keeps temperatures low.
• Easy installation.
• Customizable RGB lighting.
• Significant performance boost over SATA SSDs and HDDs.
• Excellent compatibility (works flawlessly with my PS5).

Cons:

• Slightly more expensive than some competing drives without a heatsink.
• The RGB lighting, while nice, may not be a concern for all users.

Overall, the WD_BLACK SN850 NVMe SSD (WDBBKW0020BBK-WRSN) 2TB is a top-tier drive that delivers exceptional performance. While the price point is higher than some alternative NVMe drives, the combination of speed, reliability, and the included heatsink make it a worthwhile investment for gamers and content creators alike. I highly recommend this drive for anyone looking to significantly upgrade their system’s storage and boost performance. The PS5 compatibility is an added bonus!