Wednesday, May 14th 2025
Sandisk Launches WD_BLACK SN8100 PCIe Gen 5.0 NVMe SSD
Setting a new standard for client SSDs, Sandisk today unveiled the powerful WD_BLACK SN8100 NVMe SSD with PCIe Gen 5.0 technology, a cutting-edge internal SSD delivering speeds up to 14,900 MB/s and capacities up to 8 TB, for high-performance gaming, content creation and artificial intelligence (AI) workloads.
With the evolution of gaming graphics, high-quality 4K and 8K content and AI applications, today's gamers and professionals need solutions to help maximize the performance of their PCs. The Sandisk WD_BLACK SN8100 NVMe PCIe Gen 5.0 SSD is built for hardcore PC gamers looking to add the most advanced combination of speed and reliability to their rig for peak performance and for professionals needing a top-of-the-line PC storage solution for intensive workflows and AI applications. In addition to blistering speeds, the new PCIe Gen 5.0 SSD is also 100% more power efficient than Sandisk's high-performance PCIe Gen 4.0 SSD.
"Whether it's for high-level gaming, professional content creation or AI applications, high-performance users now have a PCIe Gen 5.0 storage solution that matches speed with power efficiency to help them build the ultimate gaming rig or best-in-class workstation, enabling them to play and create with next-level performance and reliability," said Eric Spanneut, vice president of devices for Sandisk. "The WD_BLACK SN8100 NVMe SSD with PCIe Gen 5.0 delivers peak storage performance for the most discerning users."
"PCIe Gen 5.0 is the next evolution of the PCIe interface offering up to 2x performance capability over today's PCIe 4.0," said Joe Macri, Senior Vice President and CTO for Compute and Graphics at AMD. "The WD_BLACK SN8100 NVMe SSD with PCIe Gen 5.0 revolutionizes storage performance and power efficiency bringing the next level of flash storage to PCs for Gamers, Content Creators, or Professionals seeking only the highest storage performance possible."
"Technologies like the Intel Core Ultra processors combined with WD_BLACK SN8100 NVMe PCIe Gen 5.0 SSDs will fuel the innovation of PCs and workstations, vastly speeding up play, productions or projects for gamers, creators and professionals," said Todd Lewellen, Vice President of Client Ecosystem Group at Intel. "With its great performance and power efficiency, the WD_BLACK SN8100 NVMe PCIe Gen 5.0 SSD is a great option for those looking to build their best gaming and high-performance PCs."
As an industry-leader for PCIe Gen 5.0 power efficiency, the WD_BLACK SN8100 NVMe SSD features advanced Sandisk BiCS8 TLC 3D CBA NAND technology powering performance and reliability, with a low-power profile and optimized thermal performance to help simplify system design without adding expensive cooling. Key features include:
In addition to the WD_BLACK SN8100 NVMe with PCIe Gen 5.0 SSD, Sandisk is offering an optional WD_BLACK SN8100 NVMe with PCIe Gen 5.0 SSD with Heatsink. The heatsink version features a new integrated, low-profile passive cooling design engineered with anodized aluminium with no extra power or noisy fans required. Plus, it comes with a customizable RGB LED for those who want to match their lighting style and build needs.
The WD_BLACK SN8100 NVMe SSD is available for purchase at Sandisk.com, select retailers and e-tailers worldwide in 1 TB ($179.99 U.S. MSRP), 2 TB ($279.99 U.S. MSRP) and 4 TB ($549.99 U.S. MSRP) capacities. The WD_BLACK SN8100 NVMe with Heatsink will also be available this fall in 1 TB ($199.99 U.S. MSRP), 2 TB ($299.99 U.S. MSRP) and 4 TB ($569.99 U.S. MSRP) capacities. An 8 TB WD_BLACK SN8100 NVMe SSD and WD_BLACK SN8100 NVMe SSD with Heatsink are expected to be available later this year.
Source:
Sandisk
With the evolution of gaming graphics, high-quality 4K and 8K content and AI applications, today's gamers and professionals need solutions to help maximize the performance of their PCs. The Sandisk WD_BLACK SN8100 NVMe PCIe Gen 5.0 SSD is built for hardcore PC gamers looking to add the most advanced combination of speed and reliability to their rig for peak performance and for professionals needing a top-of-the-line PC storage solution for intensive workflows and AI applications. In addition to blistering speeds, the new PCIe Gen 5.0 SSD is also 100% more power efficient than Sandisk's high-performance PCIe Gen 4.0 SSD.
"PCIe Gen 5.0 is the next evolution of the PCIe interface offering up to 2x performance capability over today's PCIe 4.0," said Joe Macri, Senior Vice President and CTO for Compute and Graphics at AMD. "The WD_BLACK SN8100 NVMe SSD with PCIe Gen 5.0 revolutionizes storage performance and power efficiency bringing the next level of flash storage to PCs for Gamers, Content Creators, or Professionals seeking only the highest storage performance possible."
"Technologies like the Intel Core Ultra processors combined with WD_BLACK SN8100 NVMe PCIe Gen 5.0 SSDs will fuel the innovation of PCs and workstations, vastly speeding up play, productions or projects for gamers, creators and professionals," said Todd Lewellen, Vice President of Client Ecosystem Group at Intel. "With its great performance and power efficiency, the WD_BLACK SN8100 NVMe PCIe Gen 5.0 SSD is a great option for those looking to build their best gaming and high-performance PCs."
As an industry-leader for PCIe Gen 5.0 power efficiency, the WD_BLACK SN8100 NVMe SSD features advanced Sandisk BiCS8 TLC 3D CBA NAND technology powering performance and reliability, with a low-power profile and optimized thermal performance to help simplify system design without adding expensive cooling. Key features include:
- Delivers an enhanced gaming and workflow experience with the speed of PCIe Gen 5.0x4 NVMe M.2 SSD technology.
- Blistering sequential speeds of up to 14,900 MB/s read, 14,000 MB/s write and over 2,300,000 IOPS of random performance (2 TB - 4 TB models) - a 2x performance improvement in read speeds over Sandisk's PCIe Gen 4.0.
- Over 100% more power efficient than Sandisk's PCIe Gen 4.0, plus energy optimization with an average operating power of 7 W or under helps keep drives running at optimal performance.
- Up to 2,400TBW endurance (4 TB) means machines can handle the most intense tasks, such as gaming, video editing and AI workloads.
- Capacity to hold the biggest new games and projects, while still having room for models for AI-powered applications, large datasets and growing game libraries.
The WD_BLACK SN8100 NVMe SSD is available for purchase at Sandisk.com, select retailers and e-tailers worldwide in 1 TB ($179.99 U.S. MSRP), 2 TB ($279.99 U.S. MSRP) and 4 TB ($549.99 U.S. MSRP) capacities. The WD_BLACK SN8100 NVMe with Heatsink will also be available this fall in 1 TB ($199.99 U.S. MSRP), 2 TB ($299.99 U.S. MSRP) and 4 TB ($569.99 U.S. MSRP) capacities. An 8 TB WD_BLACK SN8100 NVMe SSD and WD_BLACK SN8100 NVMe SSD with Heatsink are expected to be available later this year.
28 Comments on Sandisk Launches WD_BLACK SN8100 PCIe Gen 5.0 NVMe SSD
www.crn.com/news/storage/2025/western-digital-splits-in-two-as-sandisk-reemerges
It was in the write up.
www.anandtech.com/show/21508/western-digital-previews-m2-2280-pcie-50-x4-nvme-client-ssd-not-ready
- WD is a brand owned by the Western Digital Corporation.
- WD_BLACK is the brand of this particular SSD product line and it's owned by Sandisk Corporation.
The trick is to pay attention to the brand because Sandisk can use WD_BLACK but not WD and if you look at the article you''ll notice there isn't a single WD without the _BLACK.Need W1zzard to get this drive even if he has to buy it.
EDIT:
Aso, the split between WD and Sandisk was strategic. If the split had been hostile, WD probably wouldn't have tranfered the ownership of any WD_* brand to Sandisk or if they've been forced to transfer them they'd immediately go to court to litigate the use of the brands based on similarity and they'd probably win, leaving Sandisk without access to brandis inclusing WD in the name. As it stands both companies might have agreements in place retaining limited use of eachother's brands, extending the time frame for branding to get sorted out.
On one side there's a very coherent identity between Sandisk-named products, and then there's going to be the WD heritage.
Even if they do specifically change the visual identity of WD *colors* specifically for the SSD, For years Western Digital was just WD. There's always going to be that association in people's minds. Especially with WD the HDD company, also keeping that sub brand with the same naming scheme for themselves. Keeping "WD" around while trying to establish Sandisk as its own brand with its own expertise feels clunky. Especially when Sandisk is a behemoth of its own right in the memory business.
Another detail I noticed: Sandisk BiCS8 TLC 3D CBA NAND is mentioned in the press release. Until now, flash chips were either Toshiba or Kioxia branded.