8TB M.2 NVMe Gen 5 SSDs
WD Black SN8100 8TB NVMe M.2 SSD
WD Black SN8100 8TB NVMe M.2 SSD with Heatsink
The 8TB Gen 5 drives here are two versions of the same SSD: the WD Black SN8100 8TB (WDS800T1X0M-00CMT0) without a heatsink and the WD Black SN8100 8TB with Heatsink (WDS800T1XHM-00CMT0). Both are M.2 PCIe Gen5 drives rated for reads up to 14900 MB/s and writes up to 13200 MB/s, and WD covers them with a 5 year warranty.
The choice comes down to cooling. If the motherboard has its own M.2 heatsink or shield over the slot, take the bare version. If the slot is uncovered, the heatsink version keeps the drive cool under long transfers.
Frequently asked questions
Will the SN8100 work in a PCIe Gen 4 M.2 slot? Yes, it is backward compatible, but it runs at Gen 4 speeds. The full rated speed needs an M.2 slot wired for PCIe 5.0.
Is there any speed difference between the two models? No, both carry the same rated speeds; only the heatsink differs.