2TB M.2 NVMe Gen 5 SSDs

The 2TB PCIe 5.0 drives here come from two ranges, each in two versions. The first is the Samsung 9100 PRO 2TB (MZ-VAP2T0B/AM) and the Samsung 9100 PRO 2TB with Heatsink (MZ-VAP2T0CW), rated at up to 14.7 GB/s read and 13.4 GB/s write. The second is the WD Black SN8100 2TB (WDS200T1X0M-00CMT0) and the WD Black SN8100 2TB with Heatsink (WDS200T1XHM-00CMT0), rated at up to 14.9 GB/s read and 14 GB/s write. All four are M.2 drives, and Samsung and WD cover them with a 5 year warranty.

The first decision is the motherboard. To reach these speeds the drive needs an M.2 slot wired for PCIe 5.0 x4, so check the board manual before buying. The second decision is cooling. Gen 5 drives run warm under sustained load, so pick the bare version if the board already has an M.2 heatsink over the slot, and the heatsink version if the slot is uncovered. Between the two ranges, the WD Black SN8100 is rated slightly faster on paper, especially in writes, while the Samsung 9100 PRO is close behind. Each brand also has its own page: Samsung and WD 2TB Gen 5 SSDs.

Frequently asked questions

Will a Gen 5 SSD work in a PCIe 4.0 M.2 slot? Yes, PCIe is backward compatible, so the drive works in a Gen 4 slot but runs at Gen 4 speeds.

Should I buy the version with heatsink? Only if the motherboard slot has no heatsink of its own, since the drive's heatsink and the board's cover cannot be fitted together.

Is the warranty the same on all four drives? Yes, each of these Samsung and WD drives carries a 5 year manufacturer warranty.