4TB M.2 NVMe Gen 3 SSD

The one 4TB M.2 NVMe drive on this page is the WD Blue SN5100 4TB (WDS400T5B0E-00CPE0). It is filed under Gen 3, but WD built it as a PCIe Gen4 drive rated for read/write speeds up to 6900/6700 MB/s, and it comes without a heatsink. WD covers it with a 5 year warranty.

PCIe is backward compatible, so the SN5100 works in a Gen 3 M.2 slot on an older desktop or laptop, running at the slot's Gen 3 speed rather than its Gen4 rating. Before buying, check that the slot accepts NVMe drives and not only SATA M.2, and that the drive's length fits the slot.

Frequently asked questions

Will the WD Blue SN5100 work in a PCIe Gen 3 M.2 slot? Yes. It runs at Gen 3 speeds in a Gen 3 slot and at its full rated speed if the system is later moved to a Gen4 board.

Does it need a heatsink? It ships without one, which suits laptops; in a desktop the motherboard's M.2 cover can be used if the board has one.