WD 8TB NVMe SSDs
WD Black SN850X 8TB NVMe M.2 Gen4 SSD
WD Black SN850X 8TB NVMe M.2 Gen4 SSD with Heatsink
WD Black SN8100 8TB NVMe M.2 Gen5 SSD
WD Black SN8100 8TB NVMe M.2 Gen5 SSD with Heatsink
The WD 8TB drives here are M.2 NVMe SSDs from the WD Black range, in two generations. The WD Black SN850X 8TB (WDS800T2X0E) uses PCIe Gen4 and is rated at up to 7200/6600 MB/s read/write. The WD Black SN8100 8TB (WDS800T1X0M) uses PCIe Gen5 and is rated at up to 14900/13200 MB/s. Both also come with a heatsink: the SN850X with Heatsink (WDS800T2XHE) and the SN8100 with Heatsink (WDS800T1XHM). WD covers them with a 5 year warranty.
The choice comes down to your M.2 slot and cooling. The SN8100 reaches its rated speed only in a PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot, found on many AMD AM5 and recent Intel boards; check the motherboard manual for which slot is Gen5. In a Gen4 slot it runs at Gen4 speeds, so the SN850X suits Gen4 systems. Pick a heatsink version for an uncovered slot, and the bare drive where the motherboard has its own M.2 heatsink.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the WD SN850X and SN8100 8TB? The SN850X is PCIe Gen4, rated at up to 7200 MB/s read; the SN8100 is PCIe Gen5, rated at up to 14900 MB/s read in a Gen5 slot.
Will the SN8100 work in a PCIe Gen4 motherboard? Yes, it is backward compatible and runs at Gen4 speeds.
Should I buy the heatsink or bare version? Choose the heatsink version for an uncovered M.2 slot, and the bare drive if the motherboard already has an M.2 heatsink.