WD SN850X SSD Review: Is This Western Digital Drive Worth Your Money?

Hey there, storage enthusiasts! The Storage Guy here from getharddrives.com with a deep dive into one of the most requested reviews - the Western Digital SN850X. Many think I hate WD products, but that’s not true at all! Now that I’ve rebuilt my PC, I can properly test these SSDs and share how they stack up against the competition.

Design & Capacity Differences

I tested both the 1TB and 4TB models, and there’s a notable physical difference between them. The 4TB model uses a double-sided design with chips on both sides of the PCB, while the 1TB is single-sided. This makes sense given the capacity difference, with the 4TB sporting four flash memory chips to accommodate the larger storage.

Price Point - A Major Strength

One of the most impressive aspects of the WD SN850X is how frequently they go on sale. I snagged mine during an incredible deal (check the links below for current pricing), but don’t just buy blindly – compare prices and performance before making your decision.

Performance Breakdown

Sequential Read/Write Speeds

In sequential read tests, the SN850X performs remarkably well at nearly 7GB/s (6660MB/s), placing it among the top performers. The difference between the 1TB and 4TB models is negligible at just 0.03%, meaning they perform virtually identically for reads.

For sequential writes, there’s a slightly more noticeable difference, with the 4TB model performing about 1.5-2% faster than the 1TB version. This makes sense – the larger drive has more DRAM cache and capacity to work with. Still, both models sit comfortably among the top Gen 4 drives, within 5% of the best performers like the CF3000.

Random Read/Write (Secondary Drive Performance)

For secondary drive usage (storing documents, loading games occasionally, opening photos), the SN850X excels. Interestingly, the smaller WD SN770M actually outperforms it slightly in this test, but both are top-tier performers for Gen 4 drives. The Solidigm P44 Pro does beat it by around 12%, which is a noticeable improvement, but the SN850X sits in the same performance tier as the Kingston KC3000, Fury Renegade, and SN770.

Data Drive Benchmark (File Storage)

For pure data storage workloads, the SN850X falls in the middle of the pack. The 1TB and 4TB models perform nearly identically, about on par with the Kingston FireCuda 530. The Solidigm P44 Pro and Samsung 990 Pro are faster by up to 9%, but the SN850X still delivers impressive speeds overall. It performs similarly to the CF3000, but typically at a much better price point.

Full System Drive Benchmark (OS and Applications)

This is where things get interesting. When testing the SN850X as a system drive (OS and applications), it ranks at the very top of Gen 4 drives. Only a few drives outpace it – the Samsung 990 EVO and 990 Pro are slightly faster, while the Solidigm P44 Pro is up to 10% faster. Curiously, the 1TB model actually performed about 1% better than the 4TB in this test.

I was using this as my OS drive, but when rebuilding my editing PC, I switched to the Solidigm P44 Pro 2TB since it’s the best Gen 4 NVMe drive available based on my testing. Still, the SN850X outperforms many more expensive drives like the FireCuda 530.

Drive Consistency Test (Heavy Workloads)

The consistency test hammers the drive with intense write operations – writing over 20TB of data during a 20-hour test. This simulates extreme workflows like those used by creative professionals constantly writing large video files.

The results are impressive – the 4TB SN850X ranks near the top alongside the Verbatim 7000G, which was surprising. It slightly outperforms the Solidigm P44 Pro and Samsung 980 Pro. However, the Kingston KC3000 beats it by about 17%, which is significant.

As expected, the 4TB model significantly outperforms the 1TB in this extreme test, showing nearly double the performance under sustained heavy workloads – something to consider if you regularly work with massive file transfers.

Endurance Ratings (TBW)

The SN850X offers a 600 TBW (Terabytes Written) rating, which is standard for Samsung and Western Digital drives in this class. The Kingston KC3000 and Solidigm drives have slightly higher ratings, which could translate to better longevity, though most users won’t approach these limits in normal usage.

What Customers Are Saying

After combing through user reviews, here’s what actual customers love about the WD SN850X:

• Performance Champion: Users consistently praise the exceptional speed and overall performance
• Hassle-Free Installation: Many highlight how easy it is to install, even for less tech-savvy users
• Laptop Compatibility: Works great in compatible laptops, not just desktop PCs
• Fast Video File Transfer: Video editors appreciate the quick handling of large media files
• Helpful Documentation: Comes with clear instructions for setup and formatting
• Excellent Storage Capacity: Provides ample space for modern games, large files, and programs
• Superior Build Quality: Users note the premium construction and reliability

Should You Buy It?

It depends on your use case:

• For a secondary storage drive: Consider the cheaper SN770 instead
• For an OS drive or project drive: The SN850X is excellent, but check prices on competitors like the Solidigm P44 Pro

I’m genuinely impressed with the SN850X’s performance-to-price ratio, especially when on sale. It consistently performs at or near the top of Gen 4 drives across most benchmarks.

Final verdict: A solid choice with great all-around performance that often represents excellent value when discounted. Just make sure to compare prices with competing drives before purchasing!

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If you have any questions, feel free to hit me up - I respond to all messages. Thanks for reading, and I’ll catch you in the next review!