At the start of the CES 2026, Sandisk shocked everyone with the rebranding of the WD_Black SSD family into a new brand called Sandisk Optimus. The new Sandisk Optimus drive family brings the old trusted WD_BLACK SSD family under a single name. The regular Optimus drives replace WD_BLUE, while the Optimus GX replaces WD_BLACK SN7100 NVMe SSD. For the Optimus GX PRO, Sandisk rebranded WD_BLACK SN8100 NVMe SSD, now offering PCIe 5.0 NVM M.2 SSDs with 14.9 GB/s read and 14 GB/s write speeds in 2 TB and 4 TB capacities. These name tags are reminiscent of the older WD SSDs, and carry the same part numbers to better resonate with the gaming community who has grown found of the WD SSDs for great value with WD_BLUE and performance with WD_BLACK. Pictured below are the newly rebranded SSDs, which feature a black and red color theme across the lineup.

Today at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2026), Sandisk announced Sandisk Optimus as the new name for its renowned internal SSD lineup for gamers, creators, and professionals. The new branding for this family of products reflects a focus on performance leadership, engineering excellence, and a heritage of trust in flash memory. The powerful collection of Sandisk Optimus internal storage solutions, encompasses three product lines: Sandisk Optimus, Sandisk Optimus GX, and Sandisk Optimus GX PRO.

Featuring a striking new packaging and product design inspired by the company's innovation and iconic branding, the introduction of Sandisk Optimus creates room for future growth as the company expands its offerings to support the needs of gamers, creators, and professionals. The new design is inspired by the company's pioneering brand heritage and relentless focus on delivering innovation that delights end users. While the overall look and feel of the Sandisk Optimus brand is boldly different, its product portfolio carries forward Sandisk's long-standing reputation for superior quality and reliability, characteristics that have shaped the company's longstanding legacy of flash innovation.

SanDisk has introduced officially licensed storage solutions for ASUS' ROG Xbox Ally X and ROG Xbox Ally handhelds. The lineup features a ROG-branded SanDisk microSD card, now available for pre-order, and an upcoming WD_BLACK SN7100X NVMe SSD. The microSD cards will ship in 512 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB variants, providing storage for up to 50 titles with direct playback support. Rated at 200 MB/s read speeds, the cards are designed for durability with drop, shock, and X-ray resistance, and ship with a limited lifetime warranty. The WD_BLACK SN7100X NVMe SSD, designed for both the Ally and PC platforms will be available in 2 TB and 4 TB capacities. The 2 TB SKU is rated for up to 7,250 MB/s read and 6,900 MB/s write throughput. The SSD feature a DRAM-less controller with SanDisk TLC 3D CBA NAND technology.

SanDisk Vice President Susan Park emphasized the company's focus on providing certified solutions that allow gamers to concentrate on the gaming experience rather than storage concerns. Both products underwent testing and certification through the Designed for Xbox program to ensure compatibility with Xbox handheld devices. SanDisk microSD cards for ROG Xbox Ally (X) are priced at $69.99 (512 GB), $149.99 (1 TB), and $299.99 (2 TB). WD_BLACK SN7100X SSDs will retail at $159.99 (2 TB) and $279.99 (4 TB) upon release.

Last November, Western Digital introduced its WD_BLACK SN7100 NVMe SSD series—advertised as utilizing their: "latest TLC 3D NAND." This new SSD design offers: "speeds up to 7,250 MB/s read and 6,900 MB/s write (for 1 and 2 TB models), providing up to a 35% performance boost over our previous generation SSD." The manufacturer's official press material did not explicitly state that the SN7100 would serve as a natural replacement for their well-regarded SN770 (2022) product family, but W1zzard's recent glowing review (of the 2 TB variant) refers back to the forebear on multiple occasions.

As low-key teased by last November's press announcement, a 4 TB WD_BLACK SN7100 model is arriving in 2025—freshly updated listings indicate an imminent launch at retail/e-tail. Interestingly, WD's SN770 range never reached beyond a 2 TB barrier. Search engine results—when inputting the "WDS400T4X0E-00CJA0" identifier—point to a "March 2025" SN7100 series data sheet, and SanDisk's UK store accepting pre-orders for £255.99 (~$332 USD). Availability status is currently designated as: "within 1 week." Western Digital's spec comparison table (see below) proudly showcases the 4 TB variant's impressive endurance (TBW) credential: 2400. Its lower capacity siblings (1 TB and 2 TB) hold slight advantages in terms of read and write speeds. TechPowerUp's resident SSD reviewer deemed the SN7100 2 TB model worthy of an "Editor's Choice" badge, but wished for a larger capacity option. We hope that a 4 TB evaluation sample will make its way to W1zz HQ in the near future.

Western Digital announced it has released several new Flash storage solutions to help pros and consumers get ready for the holidays. Whether looking for the perfect gift, or planning a new venture in the New Year, the innovative products from its award-winning SanDisk and WD_BLACK brands reach new levels of speed, reliability, and capacity, serving a diverse set of digital storage needs.

High Performance, Super Capacity Portable SSDs
The expanded SanDisk portfolio of portable SSDs includes two offerings that feature next-generation SSD speeds and help defy the limits of durability. The new drives are perfect for pros or creators and anyone else who needs to store large amounts of data on the go in the toughest of climates.